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inserted in each; a little water, previ- 

 ously heated to the requisite tempera- 

 ture, must be given, and the glasses kept 

 perfectly close until the next morning. 

 Any plants not in pots must be moved 

 by tlie trowel with as much earth per- 

 taining to their roots as possible. The 

 shade of a mat is always requisite dur- 

 ing the meridian of bright days until 

 the plants are well established. They 

 must be pressed gradually away from 

 each other, until at least eight inches 

 apart ; nothing can be more erroneous 

 than to allow them to proceed with the 

 stems nearly touching. 



When well taken root, earth must be 

 added regularly over the bed, until it is 

 level with the tops of the mounds ; for 

 if there be not a sufficient depth of soil, 



keep the frames close, and to lessen 

 the opening of the glasses, in propor- 

 tion as the air is cold or the beds de- 

 clining, it never exceeding two inches 

 under the most favourable circum- 

 stances. Water is usually required two 

 or three times a week ; it must be 

 warmed as before mentioned previously 

 to its application. Instead of watering 

 the inside of the frame, it is a good 

 plan to do so plentifully round the 

 sides, which causes a steam to rise, and 

 affords a moisture much more genial to 

 the plants than watering the mould. 



The last stage of growth includes the 

 blossoming and production of fruit. The 

 training must be regularly attended to, 

 and all superabundance of shoots and 

 leaves especially kept away. If the 



the leaves will always droop during hot plants which have been once stopped 



days, unless they are shaded, or more 

 water given them than is proper. 



An important operation for the ob- 

 taining early fruit, but by no means so 

 necessary for later crops, is the first 

 pruning, or as it is termed, stopping the 

 plant, that is, nipping off the top of the 

 first advancing runner, which is to be 

 done as soon as the plant has attained 

 four rough leaves ; this prevents its at- 

 taining a straggling growth, and compels 

 it at once to emit laterals, which are 

 the fruitful branches. When they be- 

 gin to run, the shoots must be trained 



have extended their runners to three 

 joints without showing fruit, they must 

 be again stopped. 



The impregnation of the fruit now 

 requires continued attention ; as soon 

 as a female blossom, which is known 

 by having fruit beneath the flower-cup, 

 opens, or on the second morning at 

 farthest, a fresh full expanded male 

 flower is to be plucked, with its foot- 

 stalk pertaining to it, and the corolla or 

 flower-cup being removed, the remain- 

 ing central part or anther applied to the 

 stigma of the female, which is similarly 



and pegged down at regular distances, | situated, and the fecundating dust dis- 

 which not only prevents their rubbmg charged by gently twirling it between 

 against the glass, but also becoming the finger and thumb. If possible a 

 entangled with each other. Never i fresh male blossom should be employed 

 more than two or three main branches' for every impregnation, and the opera- 

 should be left to each plant, all others' tion performed in the early part of the 



to be removed as they appear. If more 

 are left it causes the whole to be weak, 

 and entirely prevents the due exposure 

 of the foliage to the sun. The greatest 

 care is necessary in regulating the tem- 

 perature ; it must never be allowed to 

 decline below 70^ or rise above 95^. 

 As it decreases, coatings of hot dung 

 must be applied to the sides, and the 

 covering increased. The temperature 

 of the bed, as well as of the exterior 

 air, governs also the degree of freedom 

 with which the air may be admitted ; 

 whenever allowable, the glasses should 

 be raised. The best time for doing so, 

 is from ten to three o'clock. 



It may not be misplaced to remark, 

 that chilly Ibggydays are even less pro- 

 pitious for admitting air than severe 

 frosty ones ; during such it is best to 



day. An attention to this is only re- 

 quisite to such plants as are in frames; 

 those grown in the open air are always 

 sufficiently impregnated by bees and 

 other insects. If impregnation does not 

 take place the fruit never swells to more 

 than half its natural size, nor perfects 

 any seed, but generally drops imma- 

 turely. When the male flowers appear 

 in clusters they may be thinned mode- 

 rately with benefit; but it is almost 

 needless to deprecate the erroneous 

 practice sometimes recommended of 

 plucking them oft' entirely. As the fruit 

 advances, tiles, sand, or other material, 

 must be placed beneath it to preserve 

 it from specking, or a glass cylinder is 

 still better; if a bulb containing water is 

 attached, the fruit grows faster and finer. 

 The same precautions are necessary as 



