WINDOW GREENHOUSES. 



305 



4, Respecting artificial heat, I have never 

 Vet Deeded a tire for them. It is true, the 

 room is between two others, and so has nn 

 outside wall but the window front. If the 

 frost is only moderate, I draw a green 

 baize curtain between them and the win- 

 dow ; if severe, I draw two; if a " Mur* 

 phy's" frost occurs, I shall burn a lamp, 

 Even one small lamp in a small room 

 makes a considerable difference in the tem- 

 perature. 



5. If any need larger pots before they 

 flower, I am careful not to break the ball of 

 earth, nor do I ever disturb the roots except 

 at the September repotting, when I give 

 them plenty of drainage and a compost of 

 black heath-sand, rotted turf, and completely 

 decayed stable manure, in equal parts. 



In all this there is very little expenditure 

 of time, trouble, or money ; and the ele- 

 gance and harmlessness of the pleasure 

 obtained is an ample recompense for what 

 is incurred. Besides, I have the satisfac- 

 tion of replacing the rubbish often nur- 

 tured in the cottage windows of my neigh- 

 borhood with similar objects of a kind more 

 Worthy of the attention bestowed upon 

 them. And I confess I am one who take 

 as much delight in seeing a fine flower in 

 a neighbor's window as in my own. 



* * * In my former letter on flowers 

 in windows, I omitted one or two things 

 which may be useful knowledge to some 

 of your readers. In such a situation they 

 are peculiarly liable, especially in dry and 

 hot seasons, to be infested with green fly 

 (Aphis.) And there are few things about 

 which I am more frequently asked than the 

 best method of keeping clear of them. Pro- 

 bably no care will prevent these insects ap- 

 pearing at times, though whatever tends 

 to keep the plants healthy and strong, tends 

 at the same time to prevent the ravages of 

 fly ; for they are most troublesome, in gene- 

 ral, upon a weak plant, or Upon one drawn 

 up by close packing, want of light, or su- 

 perabundant water, and of which the leaves 

 are long stemmed, and of a pale sickly 

 green, — a condition of things very common 

 with us window gardeners, and very neoes- 

 sary to be quickly attended to, as the fly is 

 sure to attack such, and increase the evil. 

 Cuttings that are long in rooting themselves 

 are sometimes prevented by them from 



striking at all ; the whole of the sap manu- 

 factured by the feeble powers of the nas« 

 cent plant being extracted. Now, there 

 are many persons who possess the means 

 of employing the usual remedy- — tobacco 

 smoke, but are not aware of its efficacy, or 

 how to apply it. Such as have a cucum* 

 ber frame, or any other box large and deep 

 enough to place over their whole collectioni 

 should, when fly appears, except it be in 

 frost, set them out of doors under such a 

 cohering ; and on a brick therein lay a red 

 hot cinder or two, and on them a quarter 

 of an ounce of tobacco, not too close to the 

 plants for the hot smoke to burn them, and 

 cover all up close for a quarter of an hour 

 or twenty minutes. On removing the cover- 

 ing, every fly will be found to have per* 

 ished. 



There is, however, another very effectual 

 way, and which, in a collection not exceed- 

 ing a score of plants, will not occupy more 

 time or labor than the foregoing. Take up 

 each plant separately, and either with the 

 breath, or, if you are afraid of your lungs, 

 with a bellows, blow them off. It will re- 

 quire a brisk puff, for they cling most tena- 

 ciously : only let no one who suffers them 

 to remain expect a crop of flowers. 



But now respecting the remedy for these 

 drawn-up and pallid weakly plants. Mv 

 friend Mrs. Wilkins, when she sees any 

 symptoms of this, puts hers out of doors for 

 a time ; and her neighbors, seeing how Well 

 this answers its purpose, follow her exam- 

 ple, and theirs all die, and they wonder 

 how it is they are so unlucky. The fact 

 is, they think the mere doing it will ensure 

 success. While one forgets them, and 

 leaves them out for the night, and a slight 

 morning frost ends the matter ; another 

 places them out when there is wind, even 

 an east wind ; a third exposes them to the 

 sun ; all these errors must be avoided, and, 

 when they are, the plan will generally suc- 

 ceed. I have now (Dec. 13) a large plant 

 in training for a Christinas bloom, which a 

 fortnight atro showed nothing green about 

 the leaves except the ribs; but now, by 

 exposure to the free open air out of doors, 

 presents the appearance it usually would in 

 April. 



But there is another way which, until 

 jried, would be supposed to produce the 



