JANUARY. 31 



Towards the end of the month, sow the green fleshed kinds, to 

 succeed the others, and place them in a good bottom -heat. The 

 following is a very safe way of raising young plants: — Get some 

 60-sized pots, fill them about a third full with soil, and put one seed in 

 each pot. When the young plants make their appearance, get some 

 soil and keep it in the house, so that it may be always warm ; with 

 this daily earth up the young plants. At this season of the year we 

 find this plan much better than sowing several seeds in a pot, and when 

 up dividing them to pot. 



Orchard House. — All fruit trees in pots and tubs intended for the 

 house should be got in without any loss of time. Put a good covering 

 of dry leaves, straw, or fern round the pots and tubs, to keep the frost 

 from the roots in severe weather. In open weather, give all the air 

 possible. 



Pansies. — If the weather should be mild and open towards the end 

 of the month, those for blooming in pots should be repotted. For this 

 purpose, keep the soil dry and in readiness. 



Peach House. — In severe weather, hard forcing must be avoided with 

 everything, but more particularly with Peach trees. Do not hurry them 

 on any account : a crop is often lost by this error. Light is a most 

 essential agent in all stages of its culture ; and when forced, it must 

 be flowered under a comparatively low temperature. If any of the 

 roots are in borders outside, see that they are covered from the frost. 

 The borders inside should have a good soaking of water when forcing 

 commences ; they will then require but little until the leaf is fully ex- 

 panded, when they will require to be supplied liberally, if the trees are 

 large and healthy. Begin with a temperature of 40°, then raise to 

 45°, afterwards to 55°, which ought not to be exceeded till the fruit is 

 set — after the fruit is set, raise the temperature to 60°, this will be suf- 

 ficient until the stoning is over. Then raise it to 65° and 70°. This 

 is the amount of artificial heat aimed at in a general way, but the 

 weather will often cause wide departure from it. If the weather be 

 bright, mild, and sunny, when forcing is commenced, little artificial 

 heat is necessary ; and if severe and frosty, the above standard will be 

 a safe guide — a moist atmosphere should be kept up, excepting the time 

 of flowering. Air should be given freely, and as early in the day as 

 the weather will permit. Trees in flower will require all the air pos- 

 sible, and a steady night temperature of about 50°. Trees not in 

 flower should be syringed with tepid water three or four times daily. 



Pelargoniums. — Young stock will require but little labour during this 

 month ; but the large plants, either grown specimens or those in- 

 tended to make exhibition plants, should now be tied out with neat 

 small willow sticks. The method of doing this has frequently been 

 detailed in the Florist. All the stock should be kept comfortably warm 

 and tolerably dry ; they should not be excited to grow till next month. 

 Fancy varieties, however, may be helped along with a little more fire 

 heat than is judicious for the large kinds. 



Pinery. — A steady bottom heat is indispensable here ; they must 

 not be kept too hot one day and too cold another — one regular heat of 

 about 85°. Plants in fruit will require a dry temperature of about 



