THE MANAGEMENT OF GREEN-IIOUSES. 



67 



guide for any who propose to follow our 

 directions, the measure of the various sizes 

 may be thus estimated, especially necessary 

 perhaps, because some writers say three- 

 inch, or six-inch pots, instead of sixties or 

 thirty-twos. The measure runs thus : — 



Wide. Deep 

 Thumb pots, sixty to the cast, are.... '2i in. 2,j 



Sixties, that is, sixty to the oast 3 3^ 



Forty-eights, forty-eight to the cast... 4£ 5 



Thirty-twos, thirty- two to the cast 6 6 



Twenty-fours, twenty-tour to the east. . 8 8 



Sixteens, sixteen to the east 9£ 9 



Twelves, twelve to the cast 11 10 



Eights, eight to the cast 12 11 



Sixes, six to the cast 13 12 



Fours, four to the cast 15 13 



Twos, two to the cast 18 14 



Besides these, there should be a number 

 of bell-glasses, of the sizes necessary for 

 most of these pots, so that the edge of the 

 glass should come half an inch within the 

 edge ; pruning and budding knives, and 

 pruning pincers, a very handy instrument, 

 by which a lady may, without exerting 

 much strength, snip oil* a branch as thick 

 as her little finger; bass matting in skeins 

 or lengths should hang across nails all 

 ready for use, for although the bass gets 

 harsh and dry, it only requires wetting 

 when used to make it tough. Everything 

 should be ready for use without delay, for 

 nothing is worse than to be obliged to leave 

 a job to procure anything that may be want- 

 ing. Labels of wood or zinc of all proper 

 sizes, and wooden ones, should be painted 

 black, because when used they should be 

 covered with white paint where the writing 

 is to be placed, and a sharp-pointed stick 

 will make a distinct mark through the 

 white paint, showing the black underneath 

 it ; the white paint cannot be laid on too 

 thin at the time the writing is to be done. 

 Wire trellises for climbing plants of such 

 sizes and shapes as are best adapted for 

 the several species, and boxes or pans about 

 six inches deep for the purpose of sowing 

 seeds in, will be found requisite. A small 

 nest of drawers for the preservation of 

 seeds, as well for the borders as the house, 

 and shelves for placing things on out of the 

 way; watering pots of various sizes; a 

 portable garden engine or syringe with 

 roses of various sized holes for the distri- 

 bution of the water in different degrees of 



quantity and force. All these things are 

 desirable, and anything short of this makes 

 more work, although it is quite possible to 

 do without any of them but the pots and 

 the soils, and these, if the worst come to 

 the worst, might be put in some corner out 

 of doors. It is noi our business to show- 

 how things may be done; we have shown 

 how they ought to be done, and the nearer 

 these conditions can be complied with, the 

 better. We next come to the 



CHOICE OF PLANTS. 



As a greenhouse is, properly speaking, a 

 house for the protection of plants from frost, 

 and no more, and is the only description of 

 house in hundreds of establishments, we 

 look for a tolerably miscellaneous collection 

 of different families, likely to make the best 

 show and continue in the best health. A 

 hundred families of plants would do well 

 in a greenhouse, but nobody with any taste 

 would try to grow a large number of fami- 

 lies, but would more judiciously endeavor 

 to grow a number of the best varieties in 

 each family of more choice genera. And 

 some few may be commenced with as the 

 most eligible, while others may be left to 

 be picked up as they may be met with and 

 admired. The following are essential, 

 because they can scarcely be beaten for 

 effect : — 



Azalea indica, half a dozen varieties ; 

 Camellia japonica, the same number; Ge- 

 raniums, the like number ; Hovea Celsii 

 and ilkijolia ; Chorozema vaiium and 

 rhomb earn ; Acacia armala ; Epacris gran- 

 diflora, miniata, impressa, and ccnnpaiu/lala 

 alba; Boronia serrulata ; Calceolaria, 

 six varieties ; Cereus speciosissimus ; Epi- 

 phylltjm JenhinsoJiii and truncation ; (the 

 three latter better known as Cactus specio- 

 sissimus, JenkinsoJiii and truncal us); Cine- 

 raria, six varieties; Orange, Lemon, and 

 Lime; Crowea saligna; Cyclamen per- 

 iicum, and persicum roseum ; Daphne indica 

 odorata ; Erica, six varieties ; Fuchsia, six 

 varieties; Hydrangea; Ixia, six varieties; 

 TkopjEOLUM tricolor, Lobbiaiium, azureum ; 

 Ckassula coccinca and falcala ; Cvtisus 

 racciuosus ; Lii.ium japonicum, two varie- 

 ties; Veubf.na, six varieties; Stypiieija 

 tubijlora. Although we could mention 

 plenty more, there are already mentioned 



