12 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



as they can conveniently stand, and receive as much air as can be 

 admitted when the weather will allow. Indeed, those persons who 

 have no other conveniency than the house to keep them in will find 

 that they derive immense advantage from being, during fine weather, 

 in spring and autumn, turned out of doors in the evening, and taken 

 in again in the morning, the night-dews contributing greatly to their 

 health and vigour. 



Injurious watering does more injury to plants in rooms than 

 many persons imagine. To prevent the soil ever having a dry 

 appearance is an object of importance in the estimation of very 

 many ; they therefore water to such an excess, that the mould be- 

 comes sodden, and the roots consequently perish. Others, to avoid 

 this evil, run exactly into the opposite extreme, and scarcely give 

 sufficient to sustain life. This, however, is by no means so common 

 a practice as that of giving too much ; for, in general, if anything 

 appears to be the matter with the plants, large doses of water are 

 immediately resorted to ; and if recovery is not speedy, this nos- 

 trum is again administered, with but little doubt of its infallible 

 restorative powers. But such persons, like an unskilful physician 

 who gluts the weakly stomach of his patient, only hasten on what 

 they are trying to prevent. This overplus of water will show its 

 bad effects by the very dark colour and flabby disposition of the 

 leaves ; and if the plant receives too little, the leaves will turn 

 yellow, and eventually die. 



The best plan is to always allow the soil in the pot to have the 

 appearance of dryness (but never sufficiently to make the plant flag) 

 before a supply of water is given, which should then be pi-etty 

 copious ; but always empty it out of the pan or feeder in which the 

 pot stands, as soon as the soil is properly drained. The water used for 

 the purpose ought always to be made about the same temperature 

 as the room in which the plants grow. Never use it fresh from the 

 pump ; either let it stand in a warm room all night, or take off the 

 chill by adding a little warm water to it, or the growth of the plants 

 will be much checked. 



Matter collected on the leaves may either arise from insects or 

 dust. The former may speedily be remedied by placing the plants 

 under a hand-glass, or anything that is convenient, and burning some 

 tobacco until they become well enveloped in the smoke ; and the 

 latter may be removed by occasionally washing them on the head 

 with pure water, either by means of a syringe, the rose of a water- 

 ing-pot, or with a sponge, should the dirt still adhere. 



Being potted in unsuitable soil is by far the most difficult part 

 of the business to rectify, for no certain line can be drawn unless 

 each genus was treated on separately. However, as this cannot be 

 done in a paper like the present, a few general remarks, which, per- 

 haps, with some little exceptions, may be found to be pretty correct, 

 must suffice. All plants whose branches are fragile or slender, and 

 roots of a fine, thready, fibrous texture, with general habits like the 

 Ericas, will require the same soil (peat-earth) and very similar 

 treatment to Cape-heaths. Those whose wood and general habits 

 partially differ, and whose roots are of a stronger texture, as Acacia, 



