164 TUE FLORIST. 



therefore, will have to be adopted, to prevent that brown, rusty tinge of 

 fuliage which tliis class of plants get by being exposed to the sun's rays. 



Although, generally speaking, most hard-wooded plants will perfect 

 their growth and form tlower-buds (" set for bloom"), if kept under 

 glass throughout the year, yet I am convinced that placing them out 

 of doors, during the latter part of the summer, very much assists the 

 process and is beneficial to the plants. But while advocating their free 

 exposure to sun and air while out of doors, they should be protected trom 

 rain, and the sun should on no account be permitted to shine on the 

 pots, as this is frequently the cause of much mischief to the plants by 

 its extracting the moisture from the ball of earth, and perhaps entailing 

 death on the plant itself 



I was forcibly reminded of the effect produced on shy-blooming 

 plants, by setting them out of doors during summer, some years ago, 

 when I had under my care a very large plant of Erica depressa, which 

 had been treated as an ordinary greenhouse plant, and kept in the 

 house throughout the year. Having to repair the house, I placed all 

 the plants on a gravel walk in front. This was in July, and they 

 remained there till the end of September. My depressa had only 

 bloomed very sparingly before, but in the following spring I was much 

 gratified by seeing one mass of bloom ; the surprise died away with the 

 decay of its bloom, and the plant, as formerly, remained all the autumn 

 in-doors. The following spring there were no blooms ; but ever since, 

 this and some other shy-blooming varieties have been accommodated 

 with a seat out of doors the last months of summer, and each spring 

 since have bloomed in the greatest perfection. I may add, the plants 

 were completely exposed to the sun, care being taken of their roots and 

 preserving them from rain. 



Respecting the kind of houses for growing plants, I am of opinion 

 that, for purposes of culture only, our houses are by no means what 

 they should* be. To grow a plant is one thing, and to display a plant 

 in bloom is another ; and it by no means follows that what is good for 

 one is so for the other. We think that where very high cultivation is 

 carried on, structures must be erected for the special purposes of culture, 

 and I am pretty certain that we shall find that a series of low light pits 

 or houses will be devoted solely for growing and bringing plants up to 

 the blooming period, when other structures which may have more 

 architectural pretensions, and may be expressly adapted for displaying 

 plants when in bloom, will be in general use. How often do we see a 

 well-finished span-roofed house, half full of plants in flower, requiring 

 a dry cool atmosphere, and close shading from the sun, conditions 

 necessary to preserve the plants in flower, as fresh and as long as possible, 

 while the remainder of the plants probably required exposure, and a 

 course of treatment the reverse they were subject to, owing to its not 

 suiting their neighbours. 



(To be continued.) 



Delphinium oardinale.— It is a hardy perennial, and is repre- 

 sented in coloured plates to be a bright scarlet. 



