PLANTING. 



unquestionably by bot water, be- i 

 cause by this mode there is less j 

 danger of producing excessive heat ; 

 and the heat, from being accompa- 

 nied by moisture, is more congenial 

 to vegetation than the dry heat of 

 smoke-flues. Where hot- water pipes 

 cannot be conveniently procured, or 

 in the given locality are more expen- 

 sive than smoke-flues, then these 

 may be adopted ; taking care to 

 supply moisture to the atmosphere 

 of the pit, by placing pans of water 

 on the flues ; or by keeping the sur- 

 face of the soil, or the path if there 

 be one, moist by a supply of water 

 from time to time. The construc- 

 tion and the heating of xjits are so 

 well known to gardeners, builders, 

 and ironmongers, that very little 

 need be said on the subject. They 

 may be of any convenient length — I 

 six feet, eight feet, or ten feet in j 

 width, three feet high above the 1 

 surface of the ground behind, and 

 of such a height in front as that the | 

 slope of the glass may form an angle i 

 vnth the horizon of between 20° and | 

 30°. The depth to which the pit is : 

 sunk in the soil will depend on the ; 

 uses to which it is to be applied, i 

 When it is merely to preserve plants | 

 from the frost of winter, it need not [ 

 be sunk into the soil at all ; but j 

 when it is to contain a bark-bed, | 

 the depth of that bed, which may | 

 be between two and three feet, i 

 should be excavated from the soil. I 

 When the pit is to be entered by i 

 the gardener, in order that he may I 

 walk upright, there should be a I 

 path immediately under the back 

 wall ; and this will require the pit | 

 to be at least seven feet in depth, j 

 In this, as in all other cases, suffi- 

 cient drainage must be provided ; j 

 and if the walls and floors are built 

 and laid hollow, the entrance of 

 moisture and the escape of heat will 

 be prevented. In general, the pits 



which are heated by tan or dung 

 have the material placed in the beds 

 inside ; but in some cases it is placed 

 around the pit, in what are called 

 linings, between two feet and three 

 feet inside, and as high as the walls 

 of the pit outside, so that the heat 

 penetrates through the wall to the 

 dung or soil within ; and to facili- 

 tate this, the lower parts of the walls 

 are built with open brickwork. Pits 

 of this kind are called MacPhail's 

 pits, and are admirably adapted for 

 growing hothouse plants, and for 

 every description of forcing. 



Pitcai'rnia. — BromeliacecB. — 

 Handsome herbaceous stove-plants, 

 with pine-apple-like leaves, and very 

 singular scarlet or pinkish flowers. 

 They should be all grown in sandy 

 peat and rich loam. 



Pitcher Plant. — See Nepe'x- 

 THES and Sakrace'nia. 



PiTTo'spoRUM, — Pittosporece. — 

 Handsome evergreen bushy shrubs, 

 which require a slight protection 

 dui-ing winter. P. Toblra is a native 

 of China, which has been known to 

 live out of doors for several years in 

 a sheltered situation, but which 

 should be protected from very severe 

 frosts. It should be grown in a 

 rich light soil ; and it is propagated 

 by cuttings, which should be struck 

 in sand under a hand-glass. P. flava, 

 introduced in 1 854, has bright yellow 

 flowers. Most of the species have 

 terminal tufts of white fragrant 

 flowers, and broadish, shining, dark- 

 green leaves ; and they are all very 

 ornamental. 



Plantain Tree.— See Mit'sa. 



Plant Cases. —See Glass Cases. 



Planting is the operation of in- 

 serting plants in the soil, either in 

 the free ground or in pots. The 

 simplest kind of planting is that 

 which consists in removing small 

 seedling plants, or such as have been 

 struck from cuttings or layers ; and 



