THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 277 



as they do not encourage mildew in the 

 soils as wooden stakes do. 



Tender Plants in the open ground, 

 such as Fuchsias, Erythrinas, Bouvardias, 

 Oxalis, Alstraemerias, Japan Lilies, Wat- 

 sonias, and other rather delicate bulbs in 

 tbe peat bed, must have some protection, 

 such as coal-ashes piled in the form of a 

 cone over their roots, or heaps of moss put 

 over and kept from blowing away by means 

 of hoops of willow rods. 



Greenhouse. — Greenhouse to have as 

 little fire-heat as will be safe, and to be 

 kept as dry as possible. On tlie occasion 

 of a sudden frost there is a tendency to 

 get np a brisk heat at night, and much 

 harm is inflicted on plants by running the 

 temperature up to 6lP or more, and then 

 leaving the fire to go out, so that, by the 

 morning, they are exposed to a tempera- 

 ture of 35° or less. The amateur must 

 endeavour to avoid such extremes. By a 

 little watchfulness it may generally be 

 known when frost is to be expected; the 

 fire should then be lighted early in the 

 day, and allowed to go very low at night, 

 and be banked up the last thing, so as to 

 burn slowly till morning. 



Alamandas, Dipladeuias, and Stepha- 

 notis to be potted and trained. 



Chrysanthemums may be kept in trim 

 to keep the houses gay for a long time yet, 

 if a little care is bestowed on removing 

 dead leaves and keeping the foliage healthy. 

 Some of the later kinds will now be com- 

 ing into bloom, and a little fire-heat will 

 be good for them if the weather is severe. 

 The whole stock should be looked over 

 now to see that small plants are tallied 

 correctly, to prevent errors in propagating 

 next spring. Put in cuttings at once of 

 the varieties to be grown as specimens for 

 next year. The mild heat of a bed of 

 leaves will promote their rooting, and it 

 is as well to give them a little help, as, if 

 they remain in the cutting-pots a long 

 time before they make roots, they get ex- 

 hausted, and do not grow with a proper 

 vigour. We believe a good deal of the 

 difference in the specimens exhibited is 

 owing to the mode in which the cuttings 

 were struck. As size is of great importance 

 in specimen plants, the sooner the cutiings 

 are put in the better, that they may Lave a 

 long season of growth. Chrysanthemums 

 may be disposed of very easily by setting 

 aside in a cool greenhouse one store pot 

 of each variety it is intended to propagate, 

 and destroying all the rest. That is our 

 way of wintering a large number in a 

 email space. Good stools in 6 -inch pots 

 will furnish any number of cuttings when 

 required. People who have no glass can 



pack the roots close together under a wall 

 or fence, where some dry straw can be 

 thrown over them during severe frost. 



Ericas of the winter-blooming kinds 

 are to be kept as well aired and as hardy 

 as possible. When requiring water, give 

 the roots a good soaking, choosing bright 

 mild weather for it if possible, and repeat 

 the watering the next day, if any doubt 

 whether the ball has been moistened 

 through. After this let them go nearly 

 dry again, but never beyond a certain 

 point of dryness, or the ball will get hard. 

 The general stock of Cape heaths will bear 

 a few degrees of frost without harm, if 

 kept well aired at all favourable oppor- 

 tunities. What is most likely to injure 

 them is a dry fire-heat and a too dry state 

 of the roots. But they will want very 

 little water at this time of the year, and 

 should have no encouragement to grow. 



Gesnera ztbrina is one of the most 

 useful of winter flowers, and should have 

 every encouragement, for its exquisite 

 leaves are almost as attractive as its 

 scarlet and yellow flowers. They will re- 

 quire an average temperature of 65' to 

 70 3 , with plenty of water, and to be 

 syringed occasionally while pushing for 

 bloom; but this must be done with great 

 caution. Any that are to be started now 

 must be potted in a rather more peaty soil 

 than for summer culture, and have veiy 

 little water until in active growth. 



Hyacinths that have tilled their pots 

 with roots may now be pushed on by plac- 

 ing them over a moderate bottom-heat. 

 In the early vinery the dung-bed will 

 answer admirably, as the vapour will give 

 the foliage a rich green healthy hue, and 

 the flowers will come in fine spikes. But 

 they must be prevented rooting down into 

 the dung by being placed on flat tiles cr 

 slates. 



Ixoras to be near the glass, and have 

 plenty of air as the weather will allow. 



Stove. — Stove plants at rest may suffer 

 if allowed to get too dry, especially those 

 having porous foliage and soft stems. In 

 giving air take care not to expose tender 

 plants to cold draughts; in fact, air should 

 never be admitted in a volume at this time 

 of year. The general collection of stove 

 plants will be satisfied with a temperature 

 of 60 3 by day and 50' by night. Orchids 

 require a watchful eye among them; so 

 many diverse climates are now represented, 

 in our collections, that it is no easy matter 

 to keep all at rest together, and it may be 

 better to remove a few that require to be 

 kept growing to the forcing-pit rather 

 than risk the safety of others by too high 

 a temperature. 



