12 MAN AC E:\I E:\ T OF 



as can be admitted when the weather will allow. Those 

 persons who have no other place than the house to 

 keep them in, will find that they derive immense advan- 

 tage from being, during fine weather in spring or au- 

 tumn, turned out of doors in the evening, and taken 

 in again in the morning, the night-dews contributing 

 greatly to their health and vigor. 



" 2. Injudicious watering does more injury to plants 

 in rooms than we imagine. To prevent the soil ever 

 having an appearance of dryness is an object of impor- 

 tance in the estimation of very many ; they, therefore 

 Avater to such an excess that the mould becomes sodden, 

 and the roots perish. Ohers, to avoid this evil, give 

 scarcely water enough to sustain life. This, however, 

 is by no means so common a practice j for, in general, 

 if anything appears to be the matter with the plant 

 large doses of water are immediately resorted to, for 

 an infallible restorative. This overplus of water will 

 show its bad effects by the very dark color, and flabby 

 disposition of the leaves; but if the plant receives too 

 little water, its leaves will turn yellow and eventually 

 die. 



"The best plan is, to always allow the soil in the pot 

 to have the appearance of dryness (but never sufficient 

 to make the plant flag), before a supply of water is 

 given, which should then be pretty copious ; but al- 

 ways empty it out of the pan or feeder, in which the 

 pot stands, as soon as the soil is properly drained. 

 The water used for the purpose ought always to bo 



