GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 5 
injured, and applying water to them before 
they have time to heal up is the most 
likely means for their destruction. Indeed, 
we have no hesitation in saying that there 
are more newly-potted plants killed from 
this cause than from all others put together. 
All hard-wooded plants should be potted 
firmly, and at each succeeding potting, 
through the whole course of their exist- 
ence, see that the new soil is made quite 
as solid as the ball of the plant, otherwise 
the water will find its way down the sides 
of the pot, and death, or an unhealthy 
condition, will soon follow. In potting 
always use a lath to ram the new soil 
down, so as to insure its being made 
thoroughly solid, and finish off by leaving 
the soil for half an inch round the side of 
the pot a little higher than the inside of 
the ball, which prevents the water from 
settling too much through the new soil. 
Never fill the pot too full of soil, as this 
makes watering a tedious operation. In 
the case of plantsin from 18 to 25-inch 
pots, 13 inches or 17 inches is not too much 
depth to leave—smaller plants in propor- 
tion. In potting always keep the collar 
of the plant well up. In shifting large 
specimen plants use two strips of strong 
canvas, 6 inches wide and 2 yards long. 
These put under the ball of the plant, after 
it is removed from the old pot, by which 
means two men can with the greatest ease 
lift the plant into the new pot, without 
injuring the roots or breaking the ball, as 
too often is done in getting the plant into 
the new pot. The canvas can easily be 
removed, one piece at a time, by tilting the 
pot over on one side. After potting, 
always place the plants where they can be 
kept a little closer—that is, where they 
will receive less air—for a few weeks, and 
shade carefully from the sun. Keep the 
surface they stand on, and the sides of the 
pot, syringed several times a day, if the 
weather is hot. After from two to four 
weeks of such treatment, gradually inure 
them to the sun and full air. 
Tyine.—It should be borne in mind, in 
dealing with this subject, that the majority 
of greenhouse plants are naturally of a 
formal habit ; others ina state of nature 
are weak growers, half procumbent, and 
under artificial cultivation are certain to 
be somewhat weaker—consequently they 
must have sufficient support to keep them 
in something approaching the shape they 
would assume naturally. Plants that have 
to be conveyed to exhibitions must have 
their shoots properly secured, to prevent 
their chafing, else there is no possibility of 
moving them without their flowers being 
disfigured. Plants for home decoration 
require only sufficient support to keep 
them in something like their natural 
shape. 
In tying a plant never use more sticks 
than are absolutely necessary to steady it, 
and display the flowers to the best advan- 
tage. Where it can be done, keep some 
of the shoots higher than the rest, and 
this will tend to break the objection- 
able even surface that the plants other- 
wise have. One of the greatest evils in 
tying, so far as the health of the plant 
goes, is the practice of forcing the sticks 
too far down amongst the roots. For weak- 
growing plants, like many of the Heaths, 
Aphelexis, and Dracophyllum gracile, the 
sticks ought never to enter the soil deeper 
than 3 inches ; in the case of plants with 
heavy branches that require a few stron 
sticks, these may be put deeper, and wil 
not do much harm if not used in too great 
numbers. 
In tying a plant of any kind, some con- 
sideration should be given to its natural 
habit. Ifa low spreading bush, it merely 
requires sufficient support to keep its 
branches in their natural position. If it 
is an upright grower, assuming more or 
less of the pyramidal form, then it is neces- 
sary in the early stages of its existence to 
cuard against its ultimately becoming 
naked at the bottom, by training the 
strongest branches in a horizontal position 
from the collar, or as near down to it as 
they can be got to the sides of the pot. 
The points of the shoots will naturally 
turn up of their own accord ; and any that 
are over-strong may have their points 
pinched out. The reason for keeping the 
strongest branches low will be obvious. 
If they are allowed to remain in their up- 
right position, bringing only the weaker 
shoots to the outside of the plant, the 
strong branches run away with all the 
strength and starve the weaker ones, which 
ultimately die. The plant is thus left 
naked, and, in the case of very many green- 
house plants, worthless, as the greater 
number of these will not bear heading 
down sufficiently low to refurnish the base. 
But in training plants of this naturally 
somewhat upright habit of growth they 
should not be kept so low as to destroy the 
natural habit of the plant, but be allowed 
to grow so that their height will consider- 
ably exceed their diameter. Never over- 
crowd the branches, especially whilst 
young, and in all cases keep them 
only close enough to furnish the plant 
sufficiently. . In tying any plant care 
should always be taken that the material 
is not drawn too tight, or the branches 
will be injured. This is so evident that 
