STOVE PLANTS. 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants 



Ixoras and Gardenias. These are very 

 often injured by not receiving enough 

 water at the root in the dormant season, 

 as also by keeping the atmosphere much 

 too dry. The conclusions we have arrived 

 at on this subject are not based upon mere 

 conjecture, but on experience. Numbers 

 of the best and finest stove plants we ever 

 grew were subject for nearly a score of 

 years to a temperature thiough the winter 

 of never less, except on the occasion of 

 very severe frost, than 65°. Some things 

 were never during that time quite at rest, 

 simply alternating between active growth 

 in the summer and slower growth in the 

 winter. Yet the treatment they were thus 

 long subjected to did not produce the 

 slightest symptoms of wearing out ; on the 

 contrary, the oldest plants were as strong 

 and vigorous as they were the first season 

 they were grown. Ixora coccinea (the 

 king of stove plants) we have cut freely 

 back the first week in September, and 

 have had the same plant in the middle of 

 May bearing a hundred heads of flower, 

 over a score of which were from Qk in. to 

 7 in. in diameter, measured through the 

 centre of the flowers. Many of the shoots 

 springing from the collar of the jilant, and 

 formed Avithin this time, were over Ave 

 feet in length, proportionately strong, with 

 leaves almost as big as a common Laurel. 

 Such growth as this was not produced by 

 starving the plants through the winter in 

 a low temperature, but the opposite ; they 

 were never plunged in bottom heat, but 

 kept elevated wdthin a few inches of the 

 glass in a good house (where they got 

 every ray of light possible), and lowered 

 gradually as the shoots extended. 



The advantage of thus dispensing with 

 a long rest in winter is, that througli the 

 early growth made such plants as Alla- 

 mandas, Dipladenias, Ixoras, Bougain- 

 villeas, and others that either keep on 

 continually flowering so long as they have 

 warmth enough, or make alternate growth 

 and flower, yield double the quantity of 

 bloom possible when kept dormant so 

 long. 



Air. — On the subject of ventilating 

 plant structixres so much has been written 

 that we might have supposed the matter 

 was exhausted, but unfortunately, much 

 has been said which, instead of ventilating 

 it eff'ectually, has only rendered it more 

 obscure. This especially applies to houses 

 where more or less fire-heat is used in the 

 cultivation of the plants they contain. 

 In dealing with the heated inteinal air of 

 a glass structure and the cold external air, 

 we have the most subtile element in exis- 

 tence under conditions most opposite — the 



light-heated air inside searching every 

 crevice in the roof through which it may 

 escape, and the more dense and heavy 

 outside air equally active to gain admission 

 at the doors, wall-shutters, or front-lights. 



The closest glazed, and in other ways 

 the best constructed house we ever saw, 

 will admit sufficient air for the require- 

 ments of the plants in the stove during 

 the winter months, without opening either 

 roof-lights or side-shutters. During the 

 months of November, December, January, 

 and February we never gave a particle of 

 air in the plant stove by opening either 

 side-shutters or roof-lights. It is simply 

 a waste of fuel, in addition to its render- 

 ing the atmosphere unsuited to the occu- 

 pants. After this time, when the atmos- 

 phere is clear, the sun has sufficient power 

 to raise the temperature considerably, and 

 the admission of some air in the middle of 

 the day will be necessary; but unless the 

 weather is unusually mild it must be in 

 small quantities, otherwise the atmosphere 

 of the house will become too dry for the 

 tender young leaves to bear. When air is 

 given at this season, and all on through 

 the spring and summer, it is a matter ot 

 the first importance that water should be 

 freely applied to the paths, and on the stages, 

 so as to counteract the drying influence thus 

 present. As the season advances, and the 

 outdoor temperature comes nearer to that 

 of the house, more air should be given ; 

 but in light houses, such as already ad- 

 vised, with the plants stood well up to the 

 glass, the necessity for admitting it in such 

 quantities as often given is much reduced. 



Shade. — The full measure of light advo- 

 cated will be easily distinguished from ex- 

 posure to the direct action of the sun. 

 This, as is well-kno-nni to even those ol 

 the most limited experience, is highly in- 

 jurious to considerable numbers of stove 

 plants, and raust be guarded against ac- 

 cordingly by the use of something to break 

 the full force of the sun's rays ; but what- 

 ever means are resorted to for the protec- 

 tection of plants from the action of the 

 sun, the material employed should in all 

 cases be of a movable character, so as to 

 be easily dispensed with when not re- 

 quired. Nor should the fabric used be 

 thicker than is positively necessary foi 

 the description of plant it is employed 

 to protect. All dark-coloured material 

 should be avoided — the whiter it is the 

 more light it will admit. There is a 

 strong but very thin linen fabric manu- 

 factured, known in the trade under the 

 name of scrim or gauze canvas ; it is the 

 best, most durable, and in the end the 

 cheapest material that can be used for 



