ON TAKING IN GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 255 



however, by no means go to the extreme, giving it only when evi- 

 dently necessary. 



It is a common, but in my opinion, a very erroneous practice, to 

 place pans under the pots, indiscriminately, and by many they are 

 regularly filled with water, twice, or thrice a week, or perhaps every 

 day, whether the plants may want it or not ; and this thev are 

 pleased to term a saving of labour; and it eventually becomes so 

 in fact ; for they have seldom so much care, and trouble on their 

 hands, in the spring, many of the most curious plants being killed 

 by this treatment : for, although it may not perceptibly injure the 

 coarser kinds, its pernicious effects on the tenderer sorts must be 

 evident to the commonest observer; as the earth in the bottom of the 

 pot, by being constantly in the water, becomes coagulated, and sour, 

 and is consequently liable to rot the young fibres, by which the 

 plants in general contract a languid and sickly habit. 



As the close foggy weather advances, water must be given more 

 sparingly, else it will conspire with the atmosphere to increase the 

 damps of the house ; which will inevitably injure the plants by 

 rotting their leaves. These, and dead flowers, should be picked off 

 as soon as they are observable ; otherwise they will make a very 

 disagreeable appearance. 



Early in November all the tenderer Cape bulbs should be planted ; 

 viz: Ixia, Iris, Moraa, Gladiolus, Antholyza, Galaxia, Oxalis, 

 Lachenalia, Ornithogalum, &c. &c. as they generally commence 

 vegetation about this time, and will supply a most beautiful variety 

 of flowers for the ensuing spring and summer. 



When growing they should be kept pretty moist, particularly the 

 stronger species ; otherwise they will not flower freely, and such as 

 do will not be so fine : however, when they have done flowering, and 

 the grass indicates an end to vegetation for the season, they should 

 be gradually dried ; and when perfectly so, either set in the pots in 

 a dry sheltered place, or otherwise taken out of them, and put in 

 separate paper bags, in sorts, until the Autumn : I prefer the latter 

 process ; it is necessary to keep them in sorts, otherwise the strong 

 which are not always the finest kinds, would smother the delicate 

 ones, that in many instances produce the most brilliant, and frequentl v 

 odoriferous flowers. 



The months of November and December, seem to be more noxious 

 to the health of plants, than any other season ; by reason of then- 

 being full of sappy leaves, and the remains of many of the Autumn 

 flowers being still on them, when the weather, (which at this time gene- 

 rally becomes close, and chilly,) renders it sessary to keep the houw 



