281 GA.RDEN MANAGEMENT. 



three weeks this liming should be repeated, and, except under extreme circum* 

 stances, no future attacks from caterpillars need be apprehended. In pruning 

 gooseberry-trees, for which January is a favourable season, keep the tree thin 

 of branches ; but let those left be trained to some regular shape, and never 

 permitted to grow ramblingly across each other, but radiating in a cup-like 

 form from their common centre, so as to be six or eight inches apart at the 

 extremities and hollow in the centre. Pi*une out all worn-out branches, re- 

 taining young shoots to supply their places, retaining also, where practicable, 

 a terminal bud to each branch while shortening long stragglers. The same 

 remarks apply to currant-trees. Young gooseberry-trees designed for stand- 

 ards should be pruned back to a clean stem for 10 or 12 inches, retaining the 

 best properly-placed shoots to form the head, cutting out all irregularly-placed 

 shoots, keeinng them, as nearly as possible, of the same length and form. 



775, In making new plantations, place them eight feet apart each way, if iu 

 continuous rows ; if intended to be placed round the quarters, or to divide the 

 ground into compartments, prune them up to a clean stem 12 or 14 inches 

 high ; otherwise the foliage will impede the growth of the crops sown beneath 

 them. But the best mode of growing gooseberries is as standards, and the 

 bushes should be trained three feet high before they are suffered to form 

 a head. According to the present system of training, the branches are borne 

 to the ground by the weight of the fruit, and its bloom is destroyed by being 

 draggled on the soil and splashed by heavy rains. 



§ 6.— The Culture of Flowers under Glass. 



776. The Conservatory. — The interest and beauty of this house will now 

 Increase day by day. Let a minimum temperature of 45° be maintained, 

 allowing for a rise of 10° from sun-heat, and give as much air as the state of 

 the weather and the maintenance of a kindly genial atmosphere will permit. 

 The less fire-heat that is used the longer will the flowers continue in blossom ; 

 therefore, in very cold weather, suffer a depression of 5° from the above, 

 rather than increase by artificial heat. Keep the heating apparatus cool in the 

 morning if there is the sHghtest chance of bright sunshine. Nothing destroys 

 flowers so fast as the sun shining upon a house while the pipes or flues are 

 also in operation : this remark applies to all heated flue-structures, although 

 specially so to consei-vatories. Flowers reveal its effects sooner, but ij, is doubt- 

 ful if they suffer more from this cause than other plants in full growth : in the 

 one case, the effect is apparent at once, in showers of dead flowers ; in tlie 

 other, it is hidden for months, but not the less potent and injurious, except on 

 dull wet days, than when fires are necessary to expel damp, and maintain the 

 temperature while air is freely admitted ; lay it down as a rule, that the 

 conservatory fire is drawn right out, or shut off by the valves when that cannot 

 be done, on every morning promising sunshine. 



777, Camellias in full flower must now be liberally watered at the roots: 

 during the expansion of a heavy crop of buds, the demand on their roots is 



