NOVEMBER. 



710 



NOVEMBER. 



ceeded with. Where much has to be 

 done, a great deal will be gained by begin- 

 ning early in the month so that November 

 the first month of the gardener's year, may 

 be devoted out of doors to preparation for 

 the year that is now at hand. 



NOVEMBER. 



Aspect and Character of 

 Month. 



November, to quote the description 

 given by Peachum, "is drawn with a 

 garment of changeable green, and has 

 black upon his head," to typify the dark 

 and dreary clouds which hang over the 

 gloomy November landscape. The atmo- 

 sphere during this month is saturated with 

 moisture, dense mists and fogs abound, 

 and gloomy, boisterous weather, as a rule, 

 prevails. The mean temperature is about 

 42 Fahr., but the thermometer ranges 

 between 23 and 62. The mean tempera- 

 ture of the earth at a depth of two feet is 

 47.28; at a depth of one foot, 46.01; 

 that of the air at the earth's surface being 

 42.98. 



November. Conservatory, 

 Work in. 



Flowers in bloom. At this season the 

 conservatory should be well furnished with 

 chrysanthemums, scarlet salvias, geraniums, 

 Chinese primroses, &c., and fragrant with 

 the leaves of a giant mignonette; a few 

 ferns and begonias affording a pleasing 

 contrast to the richness of colour exhibited 

 by the flowers. The charm cf the house, 

 however, chiefly lies in the arrangement of 

 the plants, which must be disposed so that 

 the colour of one will be brought out and 

 heightened by the colour of its neighbour. 



Glazed Structures, General Management 

 vf. The remarks on glazed structures, 

 ventilation, and watering, are applicable 



to the hothouse and greenhouse as well as 

 to the conservatory. During the continu- 

 ance of characteristic November weather, 

 every glasshouse should be looked upon 

 and managed as a huge Wardian case, 

 whose first and primary use, under such 

 circumstances, is to keep November out- 

 side, while we, the proprietors, are enabled 

 to enjoy spring, summer, or autumn, at our 

 pleasure, inside. It is the height of stupidity 

 and folly to allow a November fog to 

 inundate a conservatory under the pretence 

 of giving air. Such air is as little wanted 

 by the plants as by those who come there 

 to enjoy them, and is equally inimical to 

 the health and well-being of all concerned. 



Glazed Structures, Ventilation of. This 

 is emphatically the dead season. Plants 

 under glass, though in the best possible 

 health, would rather sleep just now than 

 grow ; and if a dry atmosphere and rather 

 a low temperature is maintained, houses 

 may be kept shut up close for a fortnight or 

 three weeks together, not only with perfect 

 impunity, but with positive benefit to the 

 plants ; but this supposes that the external 

 atmosphere is ungenial. This, however 

 is not always the case. Embrace every 

 opportunity of admitting the external air 

 to conservatories and greenhouses when it 

 is of a temperature of 45 ; also change 

 the air of stoves, &c., during the few hours 

 of sunshine that often come to chase away 

 even a November fog. In fine, the more 

 fresh air the better, provided it be warm 

 and genial ; the less the better when it is 

 otherwise. Plants will live and thrive, it 

 is true, for weeks in the same atmosphere, 

 when adverse circumstances render a 

 change dangerous, and they will bear this 

 treatment better now than during any 

 other season of the year ; and yet, as a 

 general rule, the more fresh air the better. 



Water, Hoiv and When to. In watering 

 thirsty roots, see that the flowers arid 

 succulent leaves are kept dry. This is * 



