2 4 THE HOME FLORIST. 



Winter Management, The conservatory in winter should be kept at as uniform a 

 temperature in the night time that is one night with another as possible, and at a figure 

 adapted to the requirements of the majority of the collection. I say night time, because the 

 inside atmosphere is not then affected by influences of sun and clouds, which renders it easier 

 thus to give and observe directions, besides in the day time a uniform temperature is undesirable, 

 as plants in the conservatory require more heat when it is sunny than in cloudy weather. This 

 should be carefully observed by inexperienced operators. A thermometer is indispensable to 

 indicate the temperature. A temperature of 70 or even above, will suit any kind of plants, 

 when the sun shines, provided air is admitted at the same time, while in cloudy days more than 

 IO above a suitable night temperature should be guarded against by checking the fire or admit- 

 ting air. When airing, do not open the ventilators so much at once, as to greatly affect the tem- 

 perature ; a little air daily is desirable if the weather is not too severe. In warm spring, sum- 

 mer and autumn weather the ventilators may be kept wholly or partially open all the while. 

 When the surface of the soil in pots indicates dryness, water should be freely applied with the 

 watering pots, as plants are easily injured by becoming too dry. Looking over the collection 

 every second day in winter, and daily in spring, watering where it is required, is none too often; 

 in a house heated with the flue it is necessary to water daily over the hottest part. Water occa- 

 sionally sprinkled over the plants renders the air humid, which is beneficial to all kinds of plant 

 growths. The matter under head of a Classification of the Amateur's Work for Every Week 

 in the Year, contains much other important information that has a bearing on conservatory 

 management in winter as well as summer. 



Summer Manar/ement. If the glass roof be whitened on the outside with a thin wash 

 made of quicklime and water, the home conservatory can be made a most delightful place all 

 summer, otherwise the scorching rays of the summer sun would create a heat of sufficient 

 intensity to nearly or quite cause the destruction of all plant life in the building; this wash 

 should be applied about the first of June. With doors and ventilators open, by dashing water 

 on the walks, and profusely sprinkling and watering the plants, etc., the atmosphere maybe 

 kept agreeable, and hanging baskets and all plants will thrive amazingly, particularly if abun- 

 dant pot room has been afforded the latter. With the return of August and the two following 

 months, the securing of plants from the open ground will require attention, and fire heat 

 may be started a little in cool nights, but during the day, as late as possible in the season, the 

 ventilators should be kept open. Always have a little sand on the benches where pots are set. 



Propafffltion of all kinds of plants may be successfully done at any time in the con- 

 servatory. The bed in which the cuttings are struck should be boarded up on the sides, under- 

 neath, to cause the heat from the pipes or flue to rise up through the sand, for imparting the 

 desired bottom heat to the bed. See special article on the subject of Propagation. 



Insects, etc. Aphis or Green-fly are very common intruders ; these may be destroyed, and 

 also prevented, by dampening one-fourth or one-half pound of dry refuse tobacco or stems from 

 the cigar maker, and after placing it on a handful of shavings or live coals, on the ground or 

 stone floor, burning to ashes. The smoke thus produced may be strong enough to be insup- 

 portable to human lungs and senses, without affecting plants. The presence of Red Spider 

 indicates too dry an atmosphere, which should be corrected by dashing water about the house. 

 Any plants affected by this insect should daily receive a thorough sprinkling or washing of water. 

 Mealy Bug and Scale may be exterminated by washing and brushing the affected part of the 

 plant. To remove Angle Worms, plants should be tapped out of the pots, and the worms 

 picked from the ball of earth. Should mildew at any time put in an appearance, scatter a little 

 flour of sulphur over the plants after the foliage is wet from watering. 



COLD PITS FOR WINTER PROTECTION. A cold pit, made by excavating the 

 soil in some dry spot in the garden, to the depth of two feet and upwards, and of a size suitable 

 to be covered with glass sash, forms one of the most inexpensive and efficient appliances that 

 can be introduced into the flower garden. It will answer the purpose of wintering tender Roses, 

 Carnations, and many other plants, much better than a cellar, especially if the latter is too dark, 

 too damp or too warm ; and, besides, provides a means of keeping up a succession of flowers of 

 Alba Fimbriata and other Pinks, Roses, Deutzia, Iberis, Violets, Lily of the Valley, etc., 

 during the winter in the house or conservatory, by carefully taking these up from the garden, and 

 after potting, storing them in the cold pit, until they are brought into the heat and better light, 

 which may be done at intervals during the winter and spring. Indeed, a conservatory can 

 hardly be considered completely equipped without a cold pit near at hand to serve such a pur- 

 pose. The sash used to cover the pit may be similar to those made for hot-beds, an ordinary 

 size being six feet long, by three and one-half feet wide. The sides against the soil should be 

 boarded up or walled up with brick or stone, which should run a foot above the surface at the 

 rear, and nine inches above it on the front side, the top of the end walls having a regular slope 

 from rear to front, and all finished to give support to the sash. Bank up the part of the wall 

 that projects above the surface, and scatter an inch or two of coal ashes or gravel in the bottom 

 of the pit, on which to place the plants. About all the attention such a pit requires after the 

 plants are in, is to ventilate when the weather will allow, and to cover the glass with shutters or 

 mats of straw or other material, sufficient to keep out hard frost in severe cold weather. Aside 

 from one thorough watering when plants are potted, water should be sparingly given during winter. 



