292 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR JANUARY. 



Oraiu/e and Lemon trees will be 

 the better for a little top-dvessinc( 

 of sheep's dun^, or still better with 

 a moistening of the wliole soil with 

 liquid manure, being a spadeful 

 of sheep's dung stirred, after soak- 

 ing, in nine gallons of water, and 

 the watering with this sliould be 

 once to four times with i^lain water. 



Rhorl ode n (Irons are advancing 

 quite rapidly, and a few weeks' 

 fine weather will scarcely fail to 

 bring the early ones into flower. 



Routine. — The routine work at 

 this season consists chiefly in at- 

 tention to cleanliness. In dull 

 damp weather especially, but more 

 or less at all times, what are called 

 soft-wooded plants, such as the 

 Geraniums, are very liable to 

 throw off some of their lower 

 leaves, especially if from fear of 

 cold draughts the house has not 

 been enough ventilated. These 

 leaves soon become mouldy under 

 the progress of decay, and it is 

 of the utmost consequence to the 

 healthiness of the plants to have 

 them removed, or the decaying 

 matter will damage that whicli is 

 living. Any leaves, moreover, that 

 from any cause have been injured — 

 often those upon which water has 

 been carelessly spilled or allowed 

 to stand, or those which receive 

 cold drip from the roof — will all be 



liable to this decay when the house 

 is more than usually closed up. 

 The yellow dying leaves sliould 

 therefore be picked ofi" carefully 

 without wounding the stems, and 

 the fallen dead leaves should be 

 picked or swept up. The latter 

 should be done every morning, 

 and the former as often as once a 

 week; but it should be made a 

 rule to pick off such leaves when- 

 theyare seen, allowing them no ever 

 time or opportunity to damage tlie 

 plants. At this season, too, cleanse 

 by washing the leaves of such 

 plants as may have become filthy, 

 either from the presence of insects 

 or the growth of a minute fungus 

 which often attacks greenhouse 

 plants, forming on the leaves little 

 black spots, which spread into large 

 patches if not removed. A piece 

 of soft sponge and some warm 

 water may be used. Such plants 

 as Camellias, Oranges, Myrtles, 

 and all the larger leathery-leaved 

 plants, are much benefited by this 

 washing, which is, moreover, highly 

 advantageous to them, if only to re- 

 move the dust — and in the neigh- 

 bourhood oflarge towns, or of cities, 

 the sooty particles — with which in 

 time they become coated, and 

 which at this season cannot well 

 be removed by the summar}' pro- 

 cess of syringing. 



