380 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR DECEMBER. 



bring forward the blossoms more 

 rapidly than they would progress 

 in the ordinary greenhouse tempe- 

 rature. 



Ericas. — The Heath tribe are im- 

 patient of heat — that is, artificial 

 heat — and will for the most part 

 bear a little frost ; but the object 

 should be to preserve them from 

 both. They cannot have too much 

 air in mild weather, and it is in- 

 finitely better to cover the glass 

 than to apply fire heat even in 

 frosty weather. On this account 

 pits are better than even a green- 

 house for the main stock. The 

 cuttings of Ericas may be taken 

 off to strike whenever the plant is 

 at rest ; therefore at every season 

 of the year some are fit to strike. 



Fuchsias should be kept in a 

 nearly dry dormant state, and in 

 any cool i^lace where they will not 

 get much frost. A store-room, or 

 shed, or loft, or cellar, will do, pro- 

 vided these conditions are com- 

 plied ^vith ; they are even not very 

 impatient of frost — not too severe 

 — if they are nearly dry at the root. 

 Cut them close in to a stem, or 

 close down to the soil, before they 

 begin to grow, though the old 

 plants are better destroyed (if 

 not reserved for planting out) as 

 soon as cuttings can be got in 

 spring. 



Geraniums may be checked the 



instant there are two good joints 

 to a shoot ; this, however, is to 

 depend upon the form intended for 

 the plant. AVhenever the growth 

 has extended as far as it is required 

 in any direction, the ends may be 

 pinched out. Cuttings that have 

 been potted off, and filled their pots 

 with roots, should be shifted to 

 others of a larger size, and due 

 regard be paid to the form they are 

 growing, with a view to restrain 

 them within proper bounds. 



Insects. — The green fiy, or aphis, 

 is very liable to increase rapidly on 

 free-growing greenhouse plants at 

 this season, and if unmolested they 

 soon become so numerous as to dis- 

 figure the plants, and do consider- 

 able damage. Fumigation with 

 tobacco smoke, or the smoke of 

 tobacco paper, is the best remedy. 

 Two or three successive mild fumi- 

 gations should be given, rather 

 than one veiy strong, which is apt 

 to do injury : syringe well after- 

 wards. If the smell of tobacco is 

 an objection, burn cascarilla for a 

 deodoriser. 



Rhododendrons of the hybrid 

 kinds, and well-chosen ones of 

 Catawbiense, will begin to swell 

 their buds ; but they must not be 

 excited with too much watering, 

 as they will grow into leaves and 

 branches, and their flowers -will 

 be blighted. 



THE END. 



WINCHESTER: FKI^TED BY HUGH BARCLAY. 



