WATERING. 



557 



WATERING. 



plants depends upon the nature of the water 

 used for watering plants. Hard water is 

 objectionable, and it is only rain water and 

 water from rivers and ponds, in other 

 words, soft water, that should be used 

 when it is possible and practicable. The 

 springs about Norwood defeated a friend of 

 ours for years in his attempt to grow plants 

 and flowers for show : it appeared to be 

 charged with iron, and nothing did well 

 with him until he sent for all the water he 

 used to a pond a mile or two away. Even 

 pump water, apparently clear, is often far 

 too hard to do well for watering plants, but 

 this hardness may be removed by keeping 

 it in shallow tanks a considerable time 

 before using. It is, however, far the best 

 plan to contrive that every drop of rain 

 water be saved for the use of the gardener. 

 Every roof that offers the opportunity 

 should supply its contribution to tubs or 

 tanks so placed as to receive it, and 

 nothing but rain or river water should on 

 any account be used if it can be avoided. 

 Plants under glass should always be 

 watered from tubs or tanks kept at the 

 same temperature as the plants are growing 

 in ; therefore some vessel must always be 

 kept in the house. Nothing does much 

 greater mischief to plants than chilling 

 them with water of much lower tempera- 

 ture than the atmosphere they are in. On 

 this account, even soft-water wells will not 

 supply it so warm as it ought to be ; and if 

 it must be used direct from the well, it is 

 desirable the chill should be taken off by a 

 little heated water. This attention to the 

 water used is most important in forwarding 

 the cultivation of so-called florists' flowers 

 and plants. 



Watering. 



In watering fresh-potted plants, it is 

 important that the whole of the soil be 

 effectually moistened, which can only be 

 accomplished by filling up two or three 



times with water. No fear need be enter- 

 tained of over-watering : if the plants have 

 been rightly potted, all surplus water, 

 beyond what the soil can conveniently 

 retain, will drain away. Irregular water- 

 ing is frequently the cause of failure in 

 plant-culture, even with experienced 

 growers. A certain amount of tact is 

 necessary in giving plants, which have 

 been so neglected, just as much water as 

 they should have, and no more. In water- 

 ing, much depends on the weather, and 

 also on the season : plants require less in 

 winter than in summer. The proper time 

 to water them in winter is when they are 

 in bloom, or growing rapidly in summer, 

 as soon as the least dryness appears ; but a 

 little practice will be more useful than a 

 lengthy description. In giving air, it may 

 be observed that all plants which are not 

 tender, that is, all plants which are natives 

 of temperate climes, may he exposed to the 

 air at all times when the thermometer 

 indicates a temperature above 40, except 

 in case of rough winds or heavy rains. 

 Hardy plants may be exposed at any tem- 

 perature above 32 ; for, although frost 

 will not kill them, it may spoil their 

 appearance for a time. Plants in bloom 

 should never be kept close, or exposed to 

 wet or wind : the flowers last longest in a 

 soft, mild atmosphere, free from draught. 

 Plants should never be wetted overhead in 

 cold weather, or, rather, while they are in 

 a cold atmosphere ; and never, except to 

 wash off dust, should those having a soft or 

 woolly foliage be so treated ; but some 

 plants, as the camellia, myrtles, heaths, 

 and others with hard leaves, may be plen- 

 tifully syringed, or watered overhead from 

 a fine rose, in warm weather, especially 

 when in full growth. 



Plants in full growth coming into bloom 

 always require more water than plants past 

 their meridian and waning to decay. 

 Therefore Chinese primroses, chrysanthe 



