GREENHOUSE PLANTS. LTveenhuuiie niid Stuve Plants. 



3 



house plants in such quantity as they re- 

 quire at the different seasons, and under the 

 vaiied conditions of weather in a climate 

 so changeable as ours, is an important 

 matter, and one on which success or failure 

 much depends. A knowledge that plants 

 with few exceiDtions cannot be kept in 

 health unless they have a considerable 

 amount of air admitted to the houses in 

 which they are grown, frequently leads to 

 much being given when only little, or 

 none at all, should be admitted. Tothecold- 

 chilling draughts allowed to sweep through 

 cool plant houses may be attributed much 

 of the stunted, indifferent condition in 

 which the inmates are often seen. 



We have never met with a single culti- 

 vated plant that could, for any length of 

 time, Avith impunity be submitted to a 

 draught. Even Heaths, much as they dis- 

 like a stagnant atmosphere, will not long 

 bear draughts. Except in mild weather, 

 front air ought nevei' to be given at tlie 

 same side of the house on wliich the wind 

 comes— not even in the autumn, when tlie 

 wood and leaves are hard and ripe. Let 

 -any one who has a vigorous growing plant 

 of anything he happens not to caxe about 

 try the exiieriment of placing it in a cold 

 ■draught ; then after a time let him examine 

 the roots, and he will find that they are all 

 stagnant, showing at once the sympathy 

 that exists between the leaves and roots of 

 plants. 



In the spring especially, Avhen the 

 weather often changes completely in the 

 space of an hour, the intelligent cultivator 

 will at once close the lights on the side of 

 the house where the current comes in, giv- 

 ing air at the opposite side, or none at all 

 according to the external temperature. 

 After the plants begin to move freely in 

 spring, air, proportionate in quantity to 

 the exteinal warmth, should always be 

 given. This should be done early in the 

 morning, before the sun has run up the 

 heat of the house too much, closing be- 

 times in the afternoon before the tempera- 

 tiire gets too low. Even in summer we 

 often have winds of such force as to be in- 

 jurious to plants if the lights are opened 

 much in the direction from which it comes. 

 In warm summer weather air should be 

 given freely through the day, and as the 

 season advances, and growth approaches 

 completion, some should also be given in 

 the nights. 



Shade. — Little shade is required by the 

 generality of greenhouse plants, even in 

 summer, except when they are newly pot- 

 ted, or whilst they are in flower, to 

 preserve the bloom. In all cases it 

 should only be applied when the sun is on 



the glass. In the case of young stock 

 whilst in small pots, ^vith the consequent 

 liability of the soil to dry up quickly, it is 

 often necessary to use a thin shade during 

 bright weather in summer, but this should 

 alwaj's be dispensed with when the sun is 

 not powerful. 



Water. — We now come to the question 

 of watering, which is by far the most im- 

 portant operation in the cultivation of 

 plants. A plant may be put in unsuitable 

 soil, or the potting may not be well done, 

 yet it may struggle on better than circum- 

 stances would lead us to expect if it is pro- 

 perly managed as to water. Not so if the 

 watering is unskilfully or negligently 

 done. It is difficult to treat on this sub- 

 ject in any but general terms, inasmuch 

 a.s, in many cases, each species and variety 

 of plant requires a difference in the de- 

 gree of dryness to which the soil should be 

 allowed to get before applying water, 

 wdiich can only be learnt by practice and 

 close observation, assisted by a geographi- 

 cal knowledge of the countries where each 

 individual species is indigenous — know- 

 ledge whicli consequently gives some clue 

 to the conditions it exists under, especially 

 as to moisture. But this, as will be seen, 

 can only apply to natural species ; with 

 the great numbers of garden hybrids of 

 hard-wooded plants that exist there is no 

 guide excepting practical experience. 

 Take, for instance, numbers of Heaths : 

 Erica Cavendishiana, if kept as dry at the 

 roots as any of the aristat<a hybrids ab- 

 solutely require to be, Avould die the first 

 summer ; and the same difterence as to 

 their requirements exists in numbers of 

 other plaiits equally nearly allied. 



As a rule the slower a plant naturally 

 grows, and the finer its loots are, the less 

 water it requiies. "Wlien any plant is in 

 active growth it is necessary to keejD the 

 soil more moist than when it is at com- 

 parative rest, and also when the roots have 

 full hold of the soil much more water may 

 be given than woirld be ad\asable for some 

 time after potting. "When a plant is watered, 

 see that it receives enough to run through 

 the bottom of the pot ; but in the case of 

 plants that have been recently potted, 

 only give sufficient to just appciu- through 

 the bottom. Xever water a plant in the 

 middle of the day in hot weather when 

 the sun is on it — many deaths are caused 

 by this. When it hajjpens to be neces- 

 sary to give water under such conditions, 

 the plant should be shaded for an hour or 

 two afterwards. For greenhouse plants 

 use water of the same temperature as the 

 house they are grown in. 



Ahvavs use rain-water where it can be 



