290 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR JANUARY. 



THE GREENHOUSE. 



Most of the subjects in this 

 house require no artificial heat 

 l)eyoncl tbat which is sufficient 

 to banish frost. If 32°, being the 

 freezing puint, be avoided, the 

 plants will not be the worse for 

 never feeling the warmth of 35°. 

 Such being the case, the object is 

 to keep down the temperature by 

 opening the sashes whenever tbe 

 weather is mild and there are no 

 cutting -winds. The great diffi- 

 culty, however, is during a frost, 

 for the necessity of firing is ob- 

 vious, and the most constant at- 

 tendance is required to see that 

 the temperature is not raised too 

 high ; for it must be checked then 

 by letting out tbe heat at the top 

 of the house, and unless this is 

 done cautiously there will be mis 

 chief. Tlie great disadvantage of 

 increasing the temperature is, that 

 the plants set off growing, or are 

 drawn up weakly, or they are 

 forced into bloom before you are 

 ready for them, or they suffer 

 changes and checks, which per- 

 haps throw off the bloom alto- 

 gether, especially of Camellias. 

 Jive, therefore, all the air you 

 can ; and, if you can so manage, 

 rather cover up against light 

 frosts than use fi^res. Of course 

 you must be prepared, at all risks, 

 to have the aid of fire heat in very 

 severe weather. 



Azaleas are coming forward, and 

 showing what they will be. The 

 Indian sorts are as forward as the 

 hardy ones, although the latter 

 have been warmer than they could 

 have been out of doors. 



Camellias aie rapidly swelling 

 their bloom-buds, and they will re- 

 quire a little attention as to water- 

 ing. As they open the most pro- 

 minent places should be occupied 



by them, on account of their show; 

 for every Camellia flower is a gem 

 at this lime of year, and ouglit to 

 be seen. 



Climbing plants in pots are 

 now requiring adjustment to their 

 various holders or supports, of 

 whicli there are none so effective 

 as shrubby branches of trees, 

 foxTned into a handsome propor- 

 tion, stuck in the pots like live 

 instead of dead trees, and with 

 judicious management the plants 

 literally fill up the position v/ell. 

 There have been so many differ- 

 ent fancies for the construction 

 of trellises that they would occupy 

 a chapter; but we throw out the 

 hint that, whatever form you 

 adopt, it should be natural, and 

 not a mere round or square, to be 

 filled up with whatever the plant 

 is composed of, as is too much 

 the case. There are fifty ways of 

 doing the some thing, and the 

 more natural the more effective 

 and enticing. Plants witii large 

 foliage require a large design, and. 

 muiute flowers and leaves would 

 be lost on anything gigantic. In 

 the absence of any design, upright 

 rods all round the edge of the 

 pot will be the most simple and 

 effective. 



Geraniums. — Checking any 

 shoots that are pushing out of their 

 places by pinching the ends out, 

 and regulating the position of any 

 branches that would be better a 

 little constrained, is the principal 

 business of the cultivator. Keep 

 them near the light ; turn them 

 fretiuently to prevent them from 

 getting one-sided ; give water more 

 frequently than hitherto. 



Hard-wooded plants in general, 

 such as Chorozemas, Hoveas, Eri- 

 cas, and such-like, are in many 

 cases showing their bloom-buds. 

 Correas, iipacrises, and some 



