4 Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
obtained ; otherwise, the softest river or 
spring water that can be procured. In all 
cases let it be exposed for some time to the 
air, and not used, as is sometimes done, 
out of close tanks, where there is an ac- 
cumulation of foul gases. There are few 
hard-wooded plants, when in full growth, 
that do not like weak liquid manure in a 
thoroughly clear, transparent state ; but 
always be careful to err on the right side 
by applying it weak enough. It is im- 
material from what it is made. We have 
used that from the stable and the cow- 
shed with equally good results. 
Soru.—In the successful culture of plants 
in general, but more especially of those 
that have their roots confined in the limit- 
ed space of a pot or box, a great deal de- 
pends upon the use made of suitable soils. 
We cannot always copy Nature so closely 
as to give to every plant a soil exactly 
similar to what it enjoys where found in- 
digenous, but in most cases, by a judicious 
selection, we can come sufficiently near for 
all practical purposes. With few excep- 
tions, slow-growing hard-wooded plants 
with fine roots require peat, or a mixture 
of peat and loam, for their successful cul- 
ture. And we may here observe that 
there is a great difference in the quality of 
the peat found in different parts of the 
country—a difference very much greater 
than mere appearance would lead us to 
suppose. In the northern counties it is 
mostly of a hard close nature on the one 
hand, or too soft and spongy on the other, 
all being deficient in fibre. Light peat will 
be found where the common brake grows 
in thick beds, the fine roots of which are 
the fibre required ; the strong rhizomes 
ought to be carefully picked out previous 
to use, as they sometimes produce fungus. 
Stronger peat for plants that require it 
should be got where rough benty grass 
grows thickly. The grass should be pared 
off as thinly as possible, and about four 
inches thick of the under sod should be 
used ; this will generally be found to be 
darker coloured and much heavier than 
the preceding, and is well adapted for 
most Heaths ; while, for such plants as re- 
quire a somewhat lighter soil, it can be 
mixed with the first-named in equal pro- 
portions. When mixed with the proper 
quantities of sand, according to the re- 
quirements of the several varieties of 
plants, these two sorts of peat, after lying 
in a heap for six months, will be found all 
that can be desired. 
In respect to loam, that .of a yellow 
or brown colour will be found best ; it 
should be obtained from good dry pasture 
land, the older the better, and that which 
GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 
produces the best and finest varieties of 
grass will be the most fibrous. This 
should not have the sward pared off, but 
should be got about two or three inches 
thick, and allowed to lay ina heap for 
twelve months previous to being used. 
For all plants of value use silver-sand, 
such as is generally to be met with on 
commons where peat is found. In most 
cases it requires washing, to remove all 
the fine dusty particles, as the sharper it 
is the better. The objection to pit sand, 
when it is at all of a brown or red colour, 
is that it is generally impregnated with 
iron. Where good silver-sand cannot be 
had, clean river sand may be used, but it 
is necessary to be careful to obtain it from 
a stream where there are no chemical or 
manufacturing works’ carried on, other- 
wise the impurities from these will ren- 
der it unfit for plants. 
Porrine.—For the commonest plant see 
that the pot is thoroughly clean, otherwise 
the next time the plant requires potting a 
considerable quantity of the roots will 
adhere, and the plant be consequently in- 
jured. In all cases see that there is a 
sufficient amount of drainage used. For 
pots from 18 to 24 inches in diameter, 3 
inches of crocks will not be too much, 
smaller pots in proportion ; and to prevent 
the soil getting down and choking the 
drainage, carefully place a layer of the 
largest pieces of the soil used in potting 
over the crocks. As arule the hardest- 
wooded, slowest-growing plants require 
the most sand in the soil. 
In preparing soil for potting never sift 
it, except for newly stuck cuttings : sifted 
soil has always a tendency to become too 
solid, and plants that are potted in their 
early stages in soil so prepared are liable 
to get dry in the centre of the ball. Let 
the soil be broken carefully with the hand 
in pieces varying from the size of an acorn 
to that of a hen’s egg, according to the size 
of the plant to be operated upon, using the 
finest soil for the smallest plants. 
Never pot with soil that is either too 
wet, or too dry ; the first will rot the roots 
with which it comes in contact and will 
become sour ; the latter will seldom take 
water properly. One or two days previous 
to potting any plant see that the ball is 
properly moistened all through, but al- 
ways allow sufficient time for the water to 
drain off, otherwise it will sodden the new 
soil—the object being to allow the longest 
possible time between the operation of 
potting, and the time when the plant re- 
quires water afterwards. Even with the 
greatest care in removing a plant from one 
pot to another some roots are certain to get 
