HARD-WOODED PLANTS 23 



ture is very low , this will be far better than firing up 

 to maintain the 45 which is considered to be the regula- 

 tion minimum temperature in normal weather. At all 

 times there should be ventilation, and even in frosty 

 weather some air should be admitted through the top 

 ventilators, indeed, when the weather is mild, full venti- 

 lation from all points, short of creating great draught, 

 ought to be provided, the only time when one can 

 permit oneself a little license in the way of keeping 

 the plants somewhat closer than usual being just for 

 a week or two after they are potted, to encourage 

 root growth. It must always be remembered that the 

 new annual growth must be given full opportunity 

 of becoming well ripened before winter, and this 

 cannot happen in a close atmosphere. During the 

 brightest weather of the spring and summer months, 

 a light shade may be necessary ; but full advantage of 

 the autumn sunlight should be taken to ripen up the 

 newly made growth. In some cases it is an advantage 

 to put the plants in the open air during autumn, plung- 

 ing the pots in ashes to prevent the roots from parching, 

 and to leave them out while the weather remains fine 

 and mild ; but they must on no account be left out in 

 continuous rain. 



With regard to watering, sufficient has been already 

 said as to the care which should always govern opera- 

 tions. Plants must not be allowed to be dry for long 

 together, neither must they be watered before they 

 have reached that stage of dryness at which water is 

 needed. No exact rule can be laid down to indicate 

 when a plant should be watered, and experience is the 

 only safe guide to the requirements in this way ; the 

 gaining of this experience being the one great stumbling 

 block which stands in the way of the would-be grower 

 of hard-wooded plants. A fairly safe test is, however, 

 the old fashioned one of tapping each pot with the 



