70 



THE MANAGEMENT OF GREEN-HOUSES. 



much in this period as any, for they are 

 shaping themselves, and if left to them- 

 selves without being moved, they would 

 assuredly grow one-sided. In the middle 

 of June they may be taken out and placed 

 in a sheltered spot, with plenty of room, 

 distantly shaded from the extreme heat of 

 the sun ; and if there were a canvas house, 

 such as tulips are grown under, nothing 

 could be better, because they can have all 

 or part of the air or sun according to their 

 wants, while they can be entirely protected 

 from those drying winds which injure every 

 tender or half-hardy subject that is exposed 

 to it ; but, in the absence of this, we must 

 be content with the most sheltered spot we 

 can find in the garden. The ground should 

 be such as the roots cannot penetrate, and 

 the watering must be attended to diligent- 

 ly; nor ought a rainy period to prevent the 

 same attention, for it will often be found 

 that a bushy plant throws the rain entirely 

 outside the pot, they therefore require ex- 

 amining in rainy weather as well as in 

 fine. When they have made their growth 

 complete, they ought to be placed in the 

 coolest part of the garden, and the quantity 

 of water lessened considerably; they will 

 want only such moisture as will keep them 

 alive, and as they do not absorb much 

 while at rest, this will be very little.* In 

 September you may restore them to their 

 places in the house, first examining the 

 balls of earth to see if their roots are mat- 

 ted round the sides of the pot ; if so, change 

 these pots for those of a size larger. When 

 the plants have done their bloom and are 

 making their growth, whatever is growing 

 out of form should be cut off. If you want 

 to propagate the Camellia, do it by inarch- 

 ing, and the Azalea by cuttings, in sand, 

 under a bell-glass, and if you have it, in a 

 slight hot-bed, with a little bottom heat. 

 The Azalea and the Camellia grow best in 

 loam (No. 2) two-thirds, peat (No. 1) one- 

 third, and the pot should be one-fourth 

 filled with crocks, 



THE CINERARIA, VERBENA AND CALCEOLARIA. 



These plants are idle and rest in the win- 

 ter months, but flower a considerable time 



•In our dry climate much more water will be required 

 in summer than in England, and the pots must be well 

 watered, dnily. to prevent tlie soil about the roolg from be- 

 coming paiched.— Eb. Hort. 



when they begin. They require a good 

 supply of water when they begin to grow, 

 and should be placed near the light when 

 their flower-stems rise ; when they decline 

 their bloom, they may be parted at their 

 roots, or their side shoots taken off with or 

 without roots ; if without, thev should be 

 potted and covered with bell-glasses, but if 

 with roots, they may be placed in a shady 

 spot in the garden, on a hard bottom. Strict- 

 ly speaking, all three of them may be call- 

 ed frame plants, but the distinction is not 

 easily defined, and they i3o well in a green- 

 house ; they may be placed on the highest 

 back shelf in September, and will seldom 

 require watering ; but, in a good stock of 

 Verbenas and Cinerarias, the plants need 

 not be parted nor propagated, and the pots 

 may be enlarged by change. Many of 

 the plants will flower in winter and early 

 spring. It is only the small newly made 

 plants that need be put up out of sight, for 

 anything that gives a flower in the winter 

 is acceptable. Some of the Verbenas will 

 be dwarf, others require to be supported on 

 a trellis, but the young ones may be turned 

 out into the borders and beds in the spring 

 to flower the whole summer. The Calce- 

 olarias will also require supports for their 

 main flower-stems sometimes, though those 

 are the best that support themselves. The 

 soil in which these plants thrive is, half loam 

 (No. 2,) a quarter cow-dung (No. 7,) and the 

 other quarter peat (No. 1,) well mixed 

 The cuttings strike easily in pots filled all 

 but an inch with the soil, and one inch of 

 sand ; the bottom of the cuttings should 

 touch the soil and go through the sand, but 

 not enter the compost, though they will 

 send their roots into it when they strike. 

 To grow any of these large, they must have 

 constant shifts from small to larger pots. 

 All dead leaves must be removed. 



ERICA, EPACRIS, CHOROZEMA. 



This family is perhaps the most difficult 

 to manage, because so small a neglect is 

 fatal. The soil in which it succeeds best is 

 poor, at least, comparatively so, for it is 

 easily destroyed if much excited ; the com- 

 post that answers best is four-fifths or parts 

 of (No. 1) peat, and one-fifth or part of loam 

 (No. 2.) If it happens that the peat is not 

 sandy, it may be necessary to put sand to 



