THE FLOKAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



15 



late houses, paint the stems with a mix- 

 ture of soap, sulphur, and soot, and give 

 walls, rafters, and trellises, a general clean- 

 ing, before the vines begin to work. 



PiNEBT. — Great care must be taken at 

 this time of year to prevent injury by damp 

 and sudden fluctuations of temperature. 

 As we have now little sun, the general 

 stock must be kept quiet by a moderate 

 temperature. Young suckers potted off in 

 the autumn will require a steady bottom- 

 heat and air at all favourable opportunities. 

 Day temperature for plants swelling fruit 

 75' to 80', night 65'. Shift to fruiting- 

 pots all the strong succession plants. 



Florists' Flowers : Cimrai'ias. — 

 These will damp off at the collar, or lose 

 their foliage, if any accident occurs to 

 touch them with frost or excess of mois- 

 ture. This is the critical moment for 

 them. Keep down mildew by the use of 

 sulphur and admission of air. Remove 

 decayed leaves, and tie out large speci- 

 mens. Those showing flower may be put 

 on a warm shelf; but the cineraria dis- 

 likes heat as much as it does frost. 



Dahlias. — Now is a good time to get 

 the ground ready, where these are to be 

 planted out, by deep digging and ridging 

 up, to have it sweet and pulverized when 

 they are planted out in May. 



Pelargoniums. — Many will probably 

 want repotting, which must be attended 

 to. Select the plants intended for special 

 purposes of exhibition or decoration, and 

 give them plenty of room near the glass, 

 and a temperature of 50' at night and 60' 

 by day. Water with great care, and give 

 air whenever the temperature outside is 

 not lower than 32'. Those for summer 

 blooming will do best at an average of 45', 

 but young plants that are not over strono- 

 should have a warm place. 



Hollyhochs. — Seed sown now, and 

 placed in a moderate heat, will produce 

 plants that will flower this year. There 

 is only one caution necessary, and that is 

 to beware of forcing them along too fast. 

 We have known many instances of the 

 plants perishing when about to open their 

 blooms through too much stove heat in the 

 first period of their growth. Shift from 

 the seed-pans as soon as large enough to 

 handle, and use a light rich soil. 



Auriculas. — Water very sparingly, 

 keep the foliage dry, riimove dead leaves, 

 and guai-d against cold cutting winds. 

 Give air at every favourable opportunity. 



Carnations and Picotees.— Keep them 

 as hardy as possible, by taking oflf tiie 

 lights whenever the weather permits. 

 Much moisture would now do much mis- 

 chief, but they must not get dust-dry. 



Turn up a few plants occasionally, and 

 see if aphis has attacked them. 



Calceolarias. — Herbaceous kinds that 

 are pretty forward should be repotted, 

 and have a little extra warmth. Shrubby 

 ones will require stopping, but will do 

 better in the ordinary temperature of the 

 house. Green-fly is sure to appear now, 

 and must be checked in good time. 



Camellias. — As they come into flower, 

 treat them liberally. Keep the foliage 

 clean with the syringe, or sponge dipped 

 in tepid water. Keep them from fire-heat 

 as much as possible. Azaleas treat the 

 same, but give a little heat to those wanted 

 early in bloom. Eemembor that sudden 

 changes of temperature, exposure to dry 

 heat, or too copious supplies of cold hard 

 water, will cause the bloom-buds to drop. 

 Force gently, and proportion the supplies 

 of water to the condition of the plants. 

 All hard-leaved plants, such as camellias, 

 oranges, etc., should have their leaves 

 sponged with tepid water. 



Orchid House. — Prepare for potting 

 as the season advances, and have all ne- 

 cessary material in plenty, and in a clean 

 state. Chopped sphagnum, soaked in boil- 

 ing water and put aside where no insects 

 can get to it, fibry peat in blocks, crocks 

 broken to three or four sizes, of which that 

 nearly of the smallness of dust will not be 

 the least useful, and good charcoal from 

 which the dust has been sifted. When the 

 plants are to be shifted, immerse them in 

 tepid water one day previous, so as to wet 

 the ball thoroughly. After repotting, fix 

 the plants finnly to prevent rocking over, 

 and place them in the warmest end of the 

 house to encourage growth at once. The 

 repotting should take place just as they 

 are about to grow. The general collection 

 must be kept in plump condition by 

 sprinkling the floor of the house fre- 

 quently, and at the same time allowing a 

 slight rise of temperature. The syringe 

 should be very sparingly used this month, 

 but as the month advances there will be 

 an increase of light, and a general tendency 

 to growth will become evident. Brassias, 

 Cycnoches, Coelogynes, Miltonias, So- 

 phronites, and Coryanthes are now be- 

 ginning to grow, and may be shifted if 

 needful. This is a good time to increase 

 by division of the pseudo-bulbs any large 

 specimens that are quite at rest. Dendro- 

 biums are* increased by cutting the old 

 bulbs from the plant when they are at rest 

 or just starting into growth, each piece 

 being removed v,'ith a few roots attached, 

 in the same way as an auricula offset. 

 Old flowering bulbs, cut off without roots 

 and laid on sohagnum in a warm and 



