62 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



five degrees, and those sufficiently advanced should be disbudded 

 directly the bunches can be discerned, and tied in when necessary. 

 Unless the vines are in flower, maintain a thoroughly moist atmos- 

 phere. Figs as they progress in growth must have plenty of mois- 

 ture at the roots, and be kept well syringed. The temperature 

 should range from 60' to 70° through the day, with a fall of ten 

 degrees at night. Peach and nectarine trees in bloom must have 

 plenty of air to insure the bloom setting. Those started earlier will 

 now require disbudding. Begin with the foreright shoots first, and 

 proceed gradually. Keep the trees regularly syringed, watch closely 

 for mildew after easterly winds, and apply sulphur directly it makes: 

 its apjDearance. See that the inside borders are in a proper state as 

 regards moisture. Cherries and plums must be started very slowly, 

 and have an abundance of air when in bloom ; 45" to 50" will be 

 plenty high euough to begin with. Pines in fruit may have a rise 

 of five degrees from last month, if the weather is mild and open ; 

 otherwise, let them remain the same. Succession plants "must not 

 be excited into growth yet, or they will suffer irreparable injury. 

 "Water when necessary, but guard against its getting into the 

 hearts of the plants. Fresh batches of asparagus, seakale, and 

 rhubarb must be put in for succession. 



Pits and Frames. — Where the frames are full of bedding 

 plants, draw off the lights during the middle of the day, if the 

 weather is open and dry, otherwise give an abundance of air by tilt- 

 ing the lights at the back. Make up a nice hotbed for propagating 

 purposes, and raising seedlings. Bedding plants must now be pro- 

 pagated largely, as soon as the cuttings can be had, so as to give 

 the plants plenty of time to get strong and well hardened off before 

 the time for turning them out into beds. 



Tree Ferns. — It is singular that no mention of the beautiful arborescent Ferns 

 is to be found in the classic authors of antiquity ; while reference is made to Bam- 

 boos, to the Banyan, or Indian Fig-tree, and to Palms. The first mention of arbore- 

 scent Ferns is by Oviedo, a Spanish writer, in 1535, in describing the vegetation of 

 Hayti. " Among Ferns," says this traveller, " there are some which I class with 

 trees, because they are as thick and high as Pine trees. They mostly grow among 

 the mountains, and where there is much water." Between the tropics, on the 

 declivities of the Cordilleras, the true region of arborescent Ferns lies between about 

 3200 and 5350 feet above the level of the sea. They seldom descend lower toward 

 the plains than 12S0 feet. The mean temperature of this region is between 64° and 

 70° Fahr. 



Evaporation of Water from Plants. — Some researches have recently, ac- 

 cording to the Quarterly Journal of Science, been undertaken by Von Pattenkofer, 

 on the amount of evaporation which takes place from the foliage of plants. Th« 

 experiments were made in the case of an oak-tree, and extended over the whole 

 period of its summer growth. He found the amount of evaporation to increase 

 gradually from May to July, and then decrease till October. The number of leaves 

 on the tree was estimated at 751,532, and the total amount of evaporation in the 

 year at 539 06 cubic centimetres of water for the whole area of the leaves. The 

 average amount of rainfall for the same period is only 65 cubic centimetres ; the 

 amount of evaporation is thus 8| times more than that of the rainfall. The excess 

 must be drawn up by the roots from a great depth, and thus prevent the gradual 

 drying of a climate, by restoring to the air the moisture which would otherwise be 

 carried off bv the drainage. 



