MONTHLY CALENDAR. JH 



§ 5.— Plant-Culture under Glass. 



2230. Gardening, like fire, is a good servant, but an exacting and tyran- 

 nical master. Professedly in most cases, taken up for pleasure, it often 

 becomes a source of annoyance for want of recognizing this distinction. 

 As a servant, gardening is the source of much pure and high enjoyment. 

 As a master, it is the cause of much worry and grief. In one word if 

 work is not done until it must be done, or the health or life of our plants 

 compels us to do it, there is no pleasure in the performance, and the chances are 

 that it will be badly done. If we do it when we choose, or because we choose 

 to do it, the doing of it makes us happy, and it will be accomplished in the 

 best manner. Just as the poet, with subject and time prescribed, is fettered 

 and bound when he tries to soar, so is that man who tries to extract pleasure 

 from gardening, and allows his work, either from indolence, ignorance, acci- 

 dent, or uncontrollable circumstances, to master him. Therefore, as this is a 

 leisure season of the year, bring up all arrears of work, and see that you start 

 even with the new year. Better, when possible, to do the whole of Januarj'- 

 work in December, than do one single thing in January that might have been 

 done in December. The re-labelling, cleaning, and arranging of all j^lants 

 should be diligently foi'warded, so that every plant should have its proper name 

 and its best dress on before Christmas. Climbers on roofs and pillars may also 

 have their final pruning, cleaning, and tying ; every dead leaf and visible or 

 invisible particle of du-t removed, and all vegetable house-occupiers be ready 

 to greet their fi-iendly visitors with that best of all welcomes, — bright clean 

 faces. This, so essential to health everywhere, is especially necessary in the 

 conservatory, where nothing offensive to good taste should ever be seen. The 

 interest of this house is often much increased at this season by introducing 

 some pots of Christmas roses, hyacinths, narcissuses, &c., from the forcing-pit. 

 The edges of the beds, shelves, and vases may also be decorated with variegated 

 and plain hoUj^, and pillars from v/hich fuchsias or other climbers have been 

 removed, be wreathed in the same manner. These, with occasional syringing, 

 will keep fresh for six weeks, and very much increase the interest of the 

 house. The chrysanthemums will continue flowering during the month, and 

 camellias be coming on to sujii^ly tlieir place. Rhododendron arboreum grown 

 for several years under glass, will also flower now in the conservatory without 

 any forcing. Or several successive Christmas-days I had a plant with a hun- 

 dred blossoms expanded, each truss of bloom nearly as large as my hat. 

 With a very little forcing the following A-arieties might be got in flower during 

 the month. Except in very sheltered situations and mild seasons, they can- 

 not be depended upon for out-of-door cultivation ; but the}- are splendid for 

 pot-culture : — 



Album,superbum,campanulatuin,pictum, [ princeps Smithii, Smithii coccineum, ve- 

 Gloire de Gand, nobleanum, pulchellum, j nustum, Chandlerii, and Victoria regiua. 

 Beautiful plants of these can be bought from 3«. M. to \Qs, each. 



