JANUARY. 



JANUARY. 



have become dry, but water them copiously. 

 The fancy varieties, being the most deli- 

 cate, should be kept in the warmest parts of 

 the house, and their foliage thinned out 

 occasionally. Fumigate occasionally to 

 prevent the appearance of the green fly. 

 All watering should be done in the morn- 

 ing, and none should be permitted to fall 

 on the leaves of the plants. Give air when 

 the external air shows a temperature of 40. 

 If the temperature without is below this, 

 and the weather dull, air may be admitted 

 without injury to the plants through the top 

 ventilators for a short time by raising the 

 fires so as to produce a few more degrees of 

 warmth in the house, so that the air admit- 

 ted may be more rapidly warmed. In 

 watering, especially at this time of the year, 

 it is better never to water any plant until it 

 is dry, and then to give the soil in which it 

 is growing a good soaking, and then to 

 refrain from watering until it is dry again. 

 The faster a plant grows, the more water it 

 requires. 



Pelargoniums. Pelargoniums which are 

 strongly rooted may be shifted into larger 

 pots and stronger soil, using silver sand 

 freely, taking care that the pots are clean 

 and dry and the drainage good. Stop 

 some of the plants required for succession, 

 remove decaying leaves, and thin out weak 

 shoots. Stake and tie out the shoots of 

 those sufficiently advanced to admit air to 

 the centre. In plants of dwarf habit, peg 

 the shoots down to the edge of the pot to 

 encourage foliage. Stir and top dress the 

 soil from time to time, if required : a water- 

 ing once or twice with lime water and soot 

 imparts a rich dark colour to the foliage, 

 and destroys worms in the soil. Where 

 early flowers of the pelargonium are re- 

 quired, and a stove or hothouse or other 

 forcing convenience is at hand, remove a 

 few plants of early flowering sorts thither 

 from the greenhouse for forcing. 



Position of Plants in Greenhouse. Bulbs, 



such as hyacinths, crocuses, narcissi, &c., 

 should be placed in positions that are warm 

 and sheltered, and also shady. All plants 

 should be kept from draughts, which are as 

 injurious to them as they are to human 

 beings. Hard-wooded plants may be 

 placed in the coldest parts of the house. 

 Soft-wooded and herbaceous plants should 

 be placed in the warmest parts of the house 

 and close to the glass. 



Temperature. In the greenhouse main- 

 tain a temperature at of least 40 by night 

 and 50 by day, which will keep the plants 

 from being excited unduly. The warmth 

 at either period should not be suffered to 

 decline below the heights stated. 



January. Hothouse, Work in. 



Routine Work. The routine business 

 here during the month commences in 

 earnest in January. A few plants of all 

 kinds for ornamenting the house and con- 

 servatory should be introduced and started 

 gradually ; Indian azaleas, bulbs, roses, 

 and lilacs, if already somewhat advanced, 

 should have others brought forward to suc- 

 ceed them. In the warm pits or frames 

 attached to the hothouse, a good stock 01 

 pinks, sweet-williams, lilies of the valley, 

 &c., may be started towards the end of the 

 month. 



7emferature. The temperature of the 

 forcing house should not be suffered to fall 

 below 50 ; and as the days lengthen, the 

 temperature should be increased 4 or 5, 

 until it attains a minimum temperature of 

 60 and a maximum of 70 by artificial 

 heat, and an increase of 10 by sun heat ; 

 giving air daily, even if for a short time 

 only, and keeping the atmosphere always 

 moist and genial by syringing or watering 

 the pipes and flags. 



January. -Kitchen Garden, 

 Work in. 



Asparagus. The surface soil shouli 



