MONTHLY CALENDAR. 419 



■spider. Specimens and choice plants nearly done blooming should have the 

 faded blooms picked off, and be well washed with the sj'ringe ; they should 

 be placed in a cool shady situation to recover themselves before potting, which, 

 as before advised, should on no account take place until a fresh growth has 

 commenced. Shading will be necessary to all descriptions of plant-houses, 

 unless the roofs are covered with creepers ; paths, floors, &c., keep damp by 

 throwing water over them, to preserve something like humidity in the atmo- 

 sphere of the house, which, under the extreme dryness of the external air, is 

 extremely difl&cult to keep up. Achimenes, gesnerias, gloxinias, &c., as they 

 begin to show for bloom, should be moved to more airy quarters, keeping 

 them, however, partially shaded for a time. Achimenes must be carefully 

 attended to with water while growing. 



1247. At the latter end of the month, as the solar light will be approaching- 

 the maximum point, and solar heat nearly so, fires may be discontinued in the 

 orchard -houses except on the evenings of wet days, when a little fire will be 

 necessary to allow of admitting air freely in the morning. As plants at this 

 season will be making way fast, air must be admitted liberally, which, in con- 

 junction with light, will help to arrest the rapid "growth of those plants whose 

 disposition to bloom mainly depends on a free exposure to both at the same 

 time. Eemove to houses with a north aspect, or under the shade of a north 

 wall, any plants whose period of blooming it is desirable to prolong. Place in 

 their blooming-pots the priucii)al stock of chrysanthemums, using for potting 

 a rather heavy loam with a portion of well-ivtted cow-dung. 



1248. Seedling Chinese primroses, cinerai-ias, and other plants required to 

 furnish the winter supply of bloom, should now be forwarded by shifting into 

 pots. Keep them in a cool frame where a slight shade can be given them in hot 

 weather, or else turn the frame to the north. Look to the stock of plants 

 out of doors in showery weather, to see they are not suffering from imperfect 

 drainage. Throw screens over delicate plants during heavy rains, especially 

 such as have been recently potted. 



1249. At the end of the month, Chinese azaleas and camellias intended 

 to bloom early next season, and which have by this time nearlj'- completed 

 their growth, should be exposed to more light and air, to harden their wood 

 before setting them out of doors. As soon as the wood is somewhat firm, and 

 the buds for next season make their appearance, is a favourable time for 

 repotting such as require it, and if caution is used to prevent exciting them 

 into a second growth, the blooms will be finer than when the plants are potted 

 "before the years's growth commences. Plants intended for forcing should on 

 no account be over-potted at any time, and both camellias and azaleas are often 

 shy of bloom when forced after a large shift ; another advantage in keeping 

 plants for forcing rather tmder-potted, is that they are often required to 

 be turned out of their pots to fill vases, tazzas, &c., in the drawing-room, 

 "when in bloom, which can be done without much injury to plants when they 

 haxe completely filled their pots with roots. 



1250. Ericas or Heaths. — This important genus of greenhouse plants, which 



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