350 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN" GUIDE. 



and admit a fresh supply to take its place. Remove all decayed leaves, and train 

 into shape Azaleas and other plants that need that attention. Keep Ericas, Epacris, 

 and other plants of a like nature, at the coolest end of the house, and such things as 

 Chinese Primulas and Cyclamens at the warmest end. The conservatory should 

 now he gay with Chrysanthemums, and to enable the flowers to retain their fresh- 

 ness as long as possible, maintain a dry atmosphere, and remove every leaf imme- 

 diately it exhibits the least trace of decay. Gold and Silver Zonal and Show and 

 Fancy Pelargoniums must be kept in a temperature of about 40° or 45° near the 

 glass, and sheltered from cold currents of air. 



Stove. — Reduce the temperature of this structure to an average of 60 D , with 

 fire-heat alone, and a rise of five degrees with the aid of sun-heat. Keep the 

 atmosphere much drier than hitherto, and water early in the morning, to enable 

 the dampness therefrom to dry up before evening. Ferns must be carefully handled 

 just now, a thorough rest is nearly as essential to their well-being as it is to flower- 

 ing plants ; but whilst guarding against giving them too much water, carefully avoid 

 their suffering for the want of that element. Orchids with fleshy pseudo-bulbs, like 

 the Cattleyas, require just sufficient to keep them fresh and plump, but the Vaadas, 

 and others of like habit, will require rather more. Encourage winter-flowering 

 plants by placing them in the warmest corner of the house. 



Kitchen Garden. — Lift fall-grown Lettuce and Endive, with a good ball of soil, 

 and place them rather close together in a cold frame or orchard-house, where they 

 will be secure from frost. Dampness is the greatest euemy these subjects have to 

 contend with at this season, and provided they can be kept dry by any means, a few 

 degrees of frost will do them no harm. Look sharp after Cauliflower and Lettuce 

 plants in frames, and remove every trace of mildew and decay directly it makes its 

 appearance. Give full admission to the air, but keep the foliage dry, and protect 

 from frost. Either ridge up or trench all remaining vacant quarters, as a thorough 

 exposure to the atmosphere is nearly of as much importance to the ground as a 

 dressing of manure. 



Fruit Garden. — Fruit-trees growing too luxuriantly must be root-pruned, and 

 this is the best season of the whole year for performing that operation. Trees that 

 have been undisturbed for many years past must be cautiously dealt with, and have 

 only half the roots pruned now, reserving the other for next season. More re- 

 cently planted trees may have the whole of the roots cut in at once. Open out a 

 trench at a distance of two or three feet from the stem, according to the age of the 

 tree, and after going deep enough to reach all the horizontal roots, work the spade 

 underneath the ball to sever the tap-roots, which materially assist the production of 

 gross badly-matured wood. 



Pits and Frames. — Auriculas must have air night and day in fine mild weather, 

 and only have sufficient water to prevent the foliage becoming flaccid. The foliage 

 must not be wetted on any consideration. Carnations, Pansies, and Picotees only 

 require protecting from wet and frost, therefore the lights can be drawn off entirely 

 in fine weather, and tilted at the back in mild wet weather. The stock of bedding 

 plants must be frequently examined, and every attention paid to keep them clean 

 and healthy. Mildew commits terrible havoc among the Verbenas at this season 

 of the year, if allowed to get ahead, but if taken in time, and the foliage dusted 

 with sulphur, it is comparatively harmless. Bedding Geraniums of all kinds need 

 very little water just now, and if the leaves do flag a little now and then, it is of 

 no consequence. It is far better to let them flag than to keep the soil too moist, 

 or to give water in damp or dull weather. 



Forcing.— House Strawberry plants, or if the room cannot be spared indoors, 

 form a stack out of doors in the shape of an inverted /^, which can be easily 

 accomplished by laying the pots on their sides in layers one above the other. 

 Prune Vines, Peaches, and Nectarines at once, thoroughly wash every particle 

 of wood with warm water and soft soap, and then dress with Fowler's Insecticide 

 or Gishurst's Compound. Pines must be kept quiet, and the atmosphere of all 

 departments rather dry. The most suitable temperature for this and the next 

 mouth is 60° for suckers and succession plants, and 70" for fruiting plants. 

 Winter Cucumbers must have a genial growing temperature, and means should 

 be adopted for covering the lights in very sharp weather to render less fire-heat 

 necessary for maintaining the proper temperature ; both as a matter of economy, 

 and for the sake of the health of" the plants, maintain a steady temperature of 

 about 50 D , and keep the beds in a moderately moist condition. 



