146 ON HOTHOUSE PLANTS. 



every autumn, and covering the surface over with sand or coal 

 ashes, for the pots to stand upon ; when these should be arranged 

 according to their different sizes, without plunging, as the heat 

 arising from the fermenting substances will increase the temper- 

 ature of the house, and produce a mild congenial heat to the 

 roots of the plants, which will greatly facilitate the growth of the 

 more tender species. The pots remaining unplunged on the bark 

 bed, will not be so subject to have their roots injured with worms, 

 which is always the case when plunged in the bed, and which 

 are very pernicious to the young roots. During the winter months, 

 when there is but little sun to dry up the moisture, great care 

 must be taken not to give any of the plants too much water ; it 

 is preferable to give them little, and frequently, as they may ap- 

 pear to require it, than to deluge the pots with too much mois- 

 ture, in their quiescent state. When the flues or hot water pipes 

 are pretty warm, the pouring of water upon them will produce a 

 fine steam, very beneficial to the plants, and also obnoxious to 

 the insects, whose depredations should always be kept in subjec- 

 tion. When the Aphis, or green fly infests the young shoots, 

 recourse must be had to fumigation with leaf tobacco, or be 

 plunged over head in a solution of tobacco water. The advan- 

 tage of a mild or rather calm evening, should be taken, and the 

 houses well filled with the fumigating bellows, which will instant- 

 ly destroy these noxious depredators. The plants will require 

 to be well syringed the following morning, in order to displace 

 any of the fly that may cling to the foliage ; and if they do not 

 appear all to be destroyed, a repetition of fumigation should be 

 resorted to the ensuing evening, which will effectually clear the 

 plants of these insects. When the weather is at all favourable, 

 the syringe should be frequently applied in the evening, and the 

 house shut up warm ; this moist heat will, in general, keep the 

 red spider under, especially in the early part of the season ; but 

 if this intruder begins to get a head, a little sulphur sprinkled 

 over the hot pipes, or flues, will keep them in abeyance. The 

 white mealy bug and scale are more difficult agents to ged rid of, 

 and require to be brushed off as soon as they begin to appear, 

 otherwise they will become very troublesome. Frequent fumi- 

 gations of tobacco will, also,« considerably check their pro- 

 gress. 



The soil that appears most appropriate for the growth of the 

 greater portion of stove plants, is sandy loam, consisting of the 



