300 ROOMS WATERING, &c. [Jan. 



ticular attention to the tribe of Cactii, which are varied, 

 beautiful and truly interesting, and grow admirably in dry 

 rooms, with or without full exposure to the sun, and in any 

 temperature from 45 to 85, requiring only small portions 

 of water once a week in winter, and twice or thrice a week 

 during summer: they also only require fresh soil once a 

 year, or even once in two years, for large plants will be 

 found sufficient. The variety now cultivated is truly asto- 

 nishing, and we doubt not, but in a few years, large horti- 

 cultural buildings will be erected for their express culture ; 

 and, to the inexperienced amateur, there is not a family of 

 plants that will give more satisfaction, or, when properly 

 studied, will afford greater interest and amusement. 



JANUARY. 



PLANTS that are kept in rooms generally are such as re- 

 quire a medium temperature, say from 40 to 60. Sit- 

 ting rooms or parlours, about this season, are, for the most 

 part, heated from 60 to 70, and very seldom has the air 

 any admittance into these apartments ; thus keeping the 

 temperature from 10 to 15 higher than the nature of the 

 plants requires, and excluding that fresh air which is requi- 

 site to support a vegetative principle. Therefore, as far 

 as practicable, let the plants be kept in a room adjoining 

 to one where there is fire heat, and the intervening door 

 can be opened when desirable. They will admit sometimes 

 of being as low as 38. 



If they be constantly kept where there is fire, let the 

 window be open some inches, once a day, for a few minutes, 

 thereby making the air of the apartment more congenial, 

 both for animal and vegetable nature. 



WATERING, &c. 



All that is necessary is merely to keep the soil in a moist 

 slate, that is, do not let it get so dry that you can divide the 



