STOVE PLANTS. 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 9 
Ixoras and Gardenias. These are very 
often injured by not receiving enough 
water at the root in the dormant season, 
as also by keeping the atmosphere much 
too dry. The conclusions we have arrived 
at on this subject are not based upon mere 
conjecture, but on experience. Numbers 
of the best and finest stove plants we ever 
grew were subject for nearly a score of 
years to a temperature through the winter 
of never less, except on the occasion of 
very severe frost, than 65°. Some things 
were never during that time quite at rest, 
simply alternating between active growth 
in the summer and slower growth in the 
winter. Yet the treatment they were thus 
long subjected to did not produce the 
slightest symptoms of wearing out ; on the 
contrary, the oldest plants were as strong 
and vigorous as they were the first season 
they were grown. Ixora coccinea (the 
king of stove plants) we have cut freely 
back the first week in September, and 
have had the same plant in the middle of 
May bearing a hundred heads of flower, 
over a score of which were from 64 in. to 
7 in. in diameter, measured through the 
centre of the flowers. Many of the shoots 
springing from the collar of the plant, and 
formed within this time, were over five 
feet in length, proportionately strong, with 
leaves almost as big as a common Laurel. 
Such growth as this was not produced by 
starving the plants through the winter in 
alow temperature, but the opposite ; they 
were never plunged in bottom heat, but 
kept elevated within a few inches of the 
glass in a good house (where they got 
every ray of light possible), and lowered 
gradually as the shoots extended. 
The advantage of thus dispensing with 
‘a long rest in winter is, that through the 
early growth made such plants as Alla- 
mandas, Dipladenias, Ixoras, Bougain- 
villeas, and others that either keep on 
‘continually flowering so long as they have 
warmth enough, or make alternate growth 
and flower, yield double the quantity of 
bloom possible when kept dormant so 
long. 
Arr.—On the subject of ventilating 
plant structures so much has been written 
that we might have supposed the matter 
was exhausted, but unfortunately, much 
has been said which, instead of ventilating 
it effectually, has only rendered it more 
obscure. This especially applies to houses 
where more or less fire-heat is used in the 
cultivation of the plants they contain. 
In dealing with the heated internal air of 
‘a glass structure and the cold external air, 
we have the most subtile element in exis- 
tence under conditions most opposite—the 
light-heated air inside searching every 
crevice in the roof through which it may 
escape, and the more dense and heavy 
outside air equally active to gain admission 
at the doors, wall-shutters, or front-lights. 
The closest glazed, and in other ways 
the best constructed house we ever saw, 
will admit sufficient air for the require- 
ments of the plants in the stove during 
the winter months, without opening either 
roof-lights or side-shutters. During the 
months of November, December, January, 
and February we never gave a particle of 
air in the plant stove by opening either 
side-shutters or roof-lights. It is simply 
a waste of fuel, in addition to its render- 
ing the atmosphere unsuited to the occu- 
pants. After this time, when the atmos- 
phere is clear, the sun has sufficient power 
to raise the temperature considerably, and 
the admission of some air in the middle of 
the day will be necessary; but unless the 
weather is unusually mild it must be in 
small quantities, otherwise the atmosphere 
of the house will become too dry for the 
tender young leaves to bear. When air is 
given at this season, and all on through 
the spring and summer, it is a matter of 
the first importance that water should be 
freely applied to the paths, and on the stages, 
so as to counteract the drying influence thus 
present. As the season advances, and the 
outdoor temperature comes nearer to that 
of the house, more air should be given; 
but in light houses, such as already ad- 
vised, with the plants stood well up to the 
glass, the necessity for admitting it in such 
quantities as often given is much reduced. 
SHADE.—The full measure of light advo- 
cated will be easily distinguished from ex- 
posure to the direct action of the sun. 
This, as is well-known to even those of 
the most limited experience, is highly in- 
jurious to considerable numbers of stove 
plants, and rust be guarded against ac- 
cordingly by the use of something to break 
the full force of the sun’s rays ; but what- 
ever means are resorted to for the protec- 
tection of plants from the action of the 
sun, the material employed should in all 
cases be of a movable character, so as to 
be easily dispensed with when not re- 
quired. Nor should the fabric used be 
thicker than is positively necessary for 
the description of plant it is employed 
to protect. All dark-coloured material 
should be avoided—the whiter it is the 
more light it will admit. There is a 
strong but very thin linen fabric manu- 
factured, known in the trade under the 
name of scrim or gauze canvas; it is the 
best, most durable, and in the end the 
cheapest material that can be used for 
