ON RAISING PLANTS FROM SEEDS. 241 



Whatever soil may be required for the plants, care must be taken 

 not to pulverise it too finely by sifting ; for the tap root in its descent, 

 on meeting with any obstruction in its perpendicular direction, re- 

 ceives an impulse approaching to animal instinct, and, rounding the 

 impediment, forms sooner its lateral fibres and roots, -which are to 

 become organs of nourishment for the future tree, &c. This will not 

 be generally the case with plants placed in earth sifted as fine as 

 snuff; their state of health is shown by the sickly hue of the leaves, 

 which prematurely fall off; and, upon examination, the root will be 

 found embedded, as it were, in a condensed cement, which all the 

 efforts of nature cannot penetrate. 



As soon as the young plants are established in the pots, they must 

 be removed from the frames, and plunged in prepared beds of decayed 

 bark, formed at or under the level of the natural ground ; and occa- 

 sionally supplied with water until the middle or latter end of August, 

 when they are to be raised and the tap root cut off, if it should have 

 passed the aperture at the bottom of the pot. They may remain 

 above ground until housed for the winter, during which season as 

 much air and as little fire heat as possible should be administered. 

 In a general collection, it is impossible to allow every species its 

 proper atmospherical temperature, but long confined air and damp 

 are as injurious to vegetable as they are to animal life. There are 

 generally some bright days occurring during the winter season : those 

 opportunities should be embraced to purify the houses by throwing 

 open the doors and sashes, and keeping up a brisk fire in the morning, 

 as often as may be judged necessary. 



There are few Cape plants but what will resist the effects of some 

 degrees of frost ; the Plectranthus fruticosus, a native of the Cape 

 forests, is the most susceptible of injury from cold, and, if properly 

 placed in the house, proves a warning thermometer against direct 

 injury, as it is the first to suffer, and consequently show the increasing 

 harm. 



Of the South African Leguminosse, the following genera form 

 striking and beautiful ornaments in their native wilds, particularly to 

 those who are charmed with the outward appearance and varied 

 colours of flowers : and phhough the nature of the native soil where 

 they are found to abound maybe variable, a sandy loam with decayed 



