CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR DECEMBER. 



379 



the same time should have all the 

 air possible to prevent their be- 

 coming drawn. Be careful in 

 watering not to wet the foliage 

 nor unnecessarily spill the water 

 about the plants; and let it be 

 done in the early part of the day. 

 These attentions are the more 

 necessary in frosty weather than 

 in mild weather, but it is best at 

 this season to be ever on the 

 guard : and they apply as much to 

 all other greenhouse subjects of 

 free habit that are growing more or 

 less at this season, as Cinerarias, 

 Greraniums, &c. 



Camellia Japonica. — Take cut- 

 tings of the single kinds to strike, 

 and form stocks at any time in 

 this and the next month, so long 

 as they have not stinted their 

 growth. Every cutting should 

 have two eyes, one below and one 

 above ground : they will strike 

 with bottom heat without diffi- 

 culty, though many persons take 

 the pains to have half an inch of 

 sand on the top of the ordinary 

 soil, and let the cuttings go 

 through the sand and touch the 

 soil. 



Chinese Primroses. — These are 

 rising for bloom, and form a pretty 

 object at this time of the year, 

 when flowers are more than scarce, 

 for it is difficult to produce much 

 variety at Christmas. 



Chrysanthemums as they go out 

 of flower should be cut down, but 

 " not too close, and the suckers 

 thinned if they are much crowded ; 

 and the pots may then be set close 

 at the foot of a wall, where they 

 will get little water and some 

 shelter, until they are wanted for 

 propagation in early spring. By 

 no means keep them in frames : if 

 the weather becomes very severe, 

 protect the pots with a little loose 

 open litter. 



Cinerarias. — These must have 

 plenty of room — fine foliage can- 

 not be retained if the plants stand 

 crowded. Neither must they be 

 sufli'ered to become pot-bound, but 

 should be shifted when they re- 

 quire it, without reference to the 

 season. For winter and early 

 spring blooming there are no 

 plants more valuable than those 

 in a greenhouse ; but plants ad- 

 vancing to bloom must be kept 

 from frost. The least frost spoils 

 them. If a few bright days can 

 be caught, any plants that are 

 nearly ready to open their blos- 

 soms may have a watering or two 

 of any weak, clear manure water, 

 which will tend to heighten and 

 brighten their colours amazingly. 

 Nothing is better for this purpose 

 than water in which soot has been 

 well stirred and allowed to settle 

 till it becomes quite clear. 



Climbing Plants. — These require 

 adjusting by cutting out some of 

 the oldest wood and re-ari-anging 

 the young. Some climbers re- 

 quire to be cut down and renewed 

 altogether, as the plants put forth 

 new growth every year, and die 

 down when they have made their 

 growth perfect. Any of this kind — 

 such, for instance, as the Ipomaas, 

 some of which grow from bulbs or 

 strong tubers — when theyhave done 

 their growth for the year, may be 

 cut down, and the plants be placed 

 on shelves out of the way to rest 

 until they begin to grow. The 

 Tropgeolums need not be urged ; 

 but, as soon as they begin of them- 

 selves to shoot, change their pots 

 to clean ones of a larger size. 



Cyclamens in a growing state 

 should be put in the full light, 

 and where they will get air, as 

 well as warmth or shelter. They 

 will bear a little extra heat if it 

 can be given them, which will 



