MONTHLY CALENDAR. 229 



great drawback of killing some of the tender leaves. If any dust or soot has 

 accumulated on the leaves of heaths and azaleas, they will be much benefitted by 

 a good washing. The best mode of proceeding is to hold the plant on one side 

 over a tub of water, turning it round in all directions, while an assistant dashes 

 the water violently upon it with a syringe. Very dirty plants may sometimes 

 require to have their leaves sponged with soap-and-water in addition to this. 

 Water with care, examining carefully the balls of the plants, which, in heaths, 

 sometimes become so hard and dry, that the water refuses to pass through. 

 They should never be allowed to become so, but if found in this condition, they 

 should be plunged into a pail of water for 12 or 24: hours, until the ball is tho- 

 roughly soaked. Pick off the flowers of winter-blooming heaths as soon as 

 their beauty has faded. Carefully watch weak downy-leaved varieties for the 

 first symptoms of mildew, and refrain from syringing any of them overhead in 

 dull weather. Towards the end of the month several species of greenhouse- 

 plants, such as Kalosanthus, Baronias, Chorozemas, DillwjTiias, Pimeleas, and 

 Azaleas, might be shifted into larger pots. Most of these thrive well in good 

 fibrous peat and a little loam, liberally intermixed with sharp silver-sand and 

 chai'coal. One of the chief things to attend to before placing any plant what- 

 ever, but especially any hard-wooded plant, into a larger pot, is to see that 

 the old ball is in a nice healthy growing state. The extremities of the roots 

 should also be carefully untwisted or unwound, to induce them to start at once 

 in the fresh soil. The new soil must also be jDressed firmly into the pots, or 

 the water will pass through it, instead of penetrating through the old mass of 

 roots. More hard-wooded plants are destroyed through inattention to these 

 l^oints, than by all other sources of mismanagement put together. At this season 

 of the year green-fly often attacks Pimeleas, Leschenanaultorias, and other 

 plants : let them be destroyed at once, by fumigation with tobacco-smoke. 



609. Pelargonmms now delight in a temperature of from 45° to 50°, with 

 10° increase by sun -heat. Scarcely any rise of temperature should be per- 

 mitted, however, before the house is slightly ventilated. The sun's rays 

 striking upon plants with any drops of condensed moisture on the leaves, is 

 certainly one cause of the spot on these plants. Cutting draughts of cold wind 

 tire doubtless another cause of the same disease. This must be specially 

 guarded against on bright days, when the air is keen and harsh. Shifting the 

 young successional stock should now be completed. The soil they delight in 

 consists in two parts good turfy loam and one of leaf-mould, with a slight ad- 

 mixture of thoroughly decomposed cowdung, and a liberal sprinkling of silver- 

 sand. The chief work here at present will consist in stirring the surface of the 

 iarge plants, staking, training, and watering. The water should be say 5° 

 warmer than the temperature of the house, and in dull weather, ci- indeed any 

 Aveather at this season, the foliage must be kept dr}'. 



610. Fancy Pelargoniums will bear a temperatm-e of 5° or 10° more than 

 the other varieties. They should be potted in lighter soil, and even more 

 •carefull}^ watered, as altogether their constitutions are more tender. The 

 shoots will now require thinning and training. 



