TRIENNIAL COURSE. 353 



and is copiously admitted as soon as the sun s rays have 

 acquired considerable power. During summer, the average 

 morning temperature may be from 70 to 75 Fahren 

 heit, but in sunshine it may be allowed to rise to 85 , 

 90 , or even more. The heat is maintained by adding 

 occasional linings of stable-litter, and when it is exhaust 

 ed, the plants are transferred into other beds or pits, more 

 recently made up, and in which fermentation is going on. 

 In flued nursing-pits, the management is precisely the 

 same. The bottom-heat is aided by fresh additions of 

 tan. 



As nothing is to be dreaded from damp where there is a 

 command of fire-heat, more copious waterings may be 

 given, and the plants may be syringed overhead, or slightly 

 steamed, by throwing water on the flues. It is not very 

 common to shift the plants in the nursery during summer ; 

 but it is a good rule to have recourse to that operation as 

 often as the roots begin to mat on the sides of the pot. 

 Before the end of autumn the young plants become vigor 

 ous. The lower part of the stalk should then be thick, the 

 centre, or funnel formed by the leaves should be upright, 

 open, and rather short, and the leaves themselves not long 

 nor very numerous, but broad, stiff, succulent, and free 

 from contortion and deformity. Towards the end of 

 autumn, the plants are taken into the succession-pit, which, 

 in fact, is only a nursing-pit on a large scale. The temper 

 ature for winter should be about 60. About the middle 

 of March, they are shifted into pots nine or ten inches in 

 diameter. At this period, it is not uncommon, in com 

 pliance with the recommendation of Abercrombie and the 

 other older authorities to cut away the whole of the roots, 

 and to repot the plant somewhat in the capacity of a sucker. 



