Book IT. WOODY BARK-STOVE PLANTS. 925 



6692. In fuming the plant carefully out of its pot, observe if the roots have perforated it in any part, 

 so as to render it impossible to part them without breaking the one, or lacerating the other; in "which 

 case prefer the former as the slightest damage : however, when the ball of roots is divested of its pot, 

 let the broken tiles, or whatever substance may have been used as draining, be carefully picked out 

 without tearing off the roots that may have grown amongst them : also any caked or mossy substance on 

 the surface, which will come easily off with the fingers. Then proceed to loosen the earth and matted 

 roots, by gently patting them on the side of the ball with the hand ; or otherwise, by pressing it so as to 

 open the pores of the earth without cracking the roots ; shake off any loose earth, and having a proper 

 sized pot, ready prepared, put in a quantity of the fresh mould sufficient to raise the crown of the roots to 

 about half an inch below the rim of the pot, on which set the plant ; and add more earth, lightly shaking it 

 in among the fibres ; let the whole be pressed moderately light, but not so as to render it hard "in the least 

 degree, nor by any means using a stick for this purpose, another never -failing attendant on the former 

 practice, by which the roots are extremely liable to be torn or bruised ; add mould sufficient to raise the 

 surface level with the rim, as it will settle to a proper depth with watering, and smooth the whole off 

 neatly with the hand. 



6693. Two or three assistants will be found necessary, where there is much of this work to be done ; 

 one of those should be employed in supplying pots and other necessaries ; the others in washing and 

 cleaning from insects, &c. any plants that may happen to stand in need before shifted ; and in tying them 

 up properly to their sticks afterwards : new sticks should be had at least once a-year, to hot-house plants 

 in particular ; as the old ones very often harbor more or less of the several pestiferous insects which infest 

 these departments. This done, let the plants be set on a level spot together, and moderately watered 

 with a fine-rose pot, held at a distance above their tops so as to give the leaves a good rinsing; but 

 observe to give no more water than is sufficient to settle the fresh mould to the roots, and by no means 

 to slush or give the surface that puddled appearance, so very disagreeable to be observed in departments 

 where neatness should be the uniform and leading principle. Having thus finished the first division, 

 let them be immediately taken to the stove, to be' set on the fresh-turned tan for the present, and 

 those that remained there, taken to the shed to be treated and shifted in the same manner as the others. 



6694. When the whole are shifted, they may be partially plunged for a few days ; setting the pot about 

 half its depth loosely into the tan, to avoid the danger that attends too violent a'heat arising in the pit ; 

 which is frequently the case, when it has been recently turned or augmented. However, there must be 

 a pretty brisk fire-heat kept up in the house, until the plants recover from their inactive state, the un- 

 avoidable consequence of their roots being so recently disturbed. They will be much benefited at this 

 time by a moderate use of the hand-syringe, in the morning before the sun has begun to act upon them 

 with force ; also by raising a strong" steam in the house, to be done by throwing water on the tops 

 and sides of the warm flues. But when they are freely treated in this manner, they require but little 

 from the water-pot ; as over watering is very pernicious to plants in general, and at no time is it more 

 particularly so, than when they have been lately shifted. However this must unavoidably depend on the 

 judgment of him in whose care they are placed ; as some of them will require considerably more than 

 others. In a few days, when the danger of a violent heat is over, the plants may be plunged neatly in the 

 tan up to the rim ; but observe that it is not left scattered on the surface of the pots, as it would give 

 the work an extremely slovenly appearance; a few inches of clean sawdust laid over the tan, gives 

 a clean and neat appearance, which, in most gardens, is a particularly essential part of the curator's 

 conduct. All the plants which require the aid of tan-heat, being properly plunged, and the remaining 

 ones regulated on the different benches or shelves ; let the place be well cleaned out, when little more will 

 be necessary for a few weeks than watering when requisite, squirting, steaming, and attention to the 

 degree of heat necessary to be kept in the house at this season. This should in general be about sixty 

 degrees. If it is kept much lower, it will considerably retard the plants in recovering their vigor; and 

 if many degrees higher, the free-growing kinds will soon over-top, and materially injure the weak and 

 more tardy sorts unless prevented ; besides themselves becoming unsightly, the consequence of being 

 drawn, or forced into long weak ungainly stems. 



6695. Insects. As the heat increases with the advancing season, the different species 

 of insects to which these departments are liable, will multiply incredibly. Those which 

 seem to make the greatest havoc amongst plants in the hot-house, are, the green fly, the 

 thrips, the mealy white bug, the great scaly bug, the small scale, or the pine-bug, and 

 the red spider, which, although the smallest, is by far the most destructive of any of the 

 species that exist in these departments. 



6696. For the fly and thrips, there is no process which seems to take so much effect on them, as a 

 strong fumigation of tobacco ; repeated twice or thrice, according to the strength the insects may have 

 attained. 



6697. For the bugs, there is none of the several expensive methods mentioned in different authors so 

 effectual, as simply picking them off"; this may be said to be tedious, but then it has surety to plead in 

 its behalf; besides, that the plants are in no manner disfigured bv the operation ; but unless regularity 

 be observed in looking for them, examining plant by plant, and leaf by leaf, from top to bottom, and 

 also any incisions or cracks that may be in the bark of the stem, &c. there will be a constant and tiresome 

 employment ; on the contrary, if regularly done, one operation will be of more service than five, if ex- 

 ecuted in a careless inattentive manner. As each individual plant is picked, it should be carefully 

 washed with a strong lixivium of soft soap and water, which will have a powerful effect on their eggs, 

 which are in general sufficiently small to elude the eye, or perhaps so situated within the young buds 

 that they cannot be got at without materially injuring the future growth ; the wash will, however, 

 penetrate into these secret holds, and in general be fully adequate to their destruction. 



6698. When the plants are out of the house in summer, every part of them should be well washed with 

 strong soap-suds, in which a little of the same tobacco,as used for fumigating, has been infused ; in par- 

 ticular, all the joints of the wood-work, and also whatever nail-holes or other crevices may happen to be 

 therein ; as in these places some of the species, more especially the white mealy bug, is much inclined 

 to secrete itself for breeding. This operation will, however, if performed in spring and autumn, be a 

 great means of their extinction, and will tend in a great degree to check the multiplication of the 

 others. 



6699. The red spider, the last and most pernicious of the species mentioned, is to be overcome 

 neither by fumigation nor picking ; but by the free but well directed use of common water ; either bv 

 steam or with the hand-syringe. The steam, by creating a fine dew in the house, prevents the insect 

 from extending its slender web from leaf to leaf, and thus checks its progress ; while the syringe, by su- 

 perior force, breaks the ligaments of those already made, and in most instances washes the insects to the 

 ground; where, although it may recover its fall for the first or second application, it is in the end sure 

 to perish. They will sometimes, however, elude the greatest diligence, for a while, by collecting under 

 large horizontal leaves, which serve them as citadels against the attacks of the water; but here they 

 will soon betray themselves, by extracting the fluid substance of the leaf for their support, in consequence 

 of which it loses its verdure and becomes conspicuous ; this, when found, should be picked off, and taken 

 out of the house immediately ; for if left anywhere among the plants they will in a little time establish 

 themselves on others. If they happen to be discovered before the leaf has lost its beauty, they may be 

 nibbed off with the hand on a sheet of paper, and expelled the premises. If at anv time the quantity 



