NOVEMBER. 



717 



NOVEMBER. 



there should, however, never be any on 

 them. Shift when necessary into larger 

 pots ; pot off and prick out late seedlings ; 

 water forward plants with clear manure 

 water ; and smoke with tobacco as soon as 

 a single aphis appears. 



Orchids. See that they are clean, 

 dryish, keep in a temperature of 65, and 

 let them sleep. 



Pansies. Some of these may be kept 

 and brought into bloom at the warmest 

 end of the house. 



Pelargoniitms. A temperature of 45 

 will suit these during the month. If 

 worms make their appearance in the 

 pots, water three or four times in suc- 

 cession with clear lime water. The 

 repetition is necesSary to insure their 

 destruction, as these pests seem to have 

 the power of casting their skins when 

 injured, and so escape. But as they 

 cannot carry on this evasive system in- 

 definitely, a few repetitions of the lime 

 will effectually destroy them. Remove 

 every dead leaf ; thin out and train the 

 shoots ; shift late-flowering plants into 

 their blooming pots ; and give fire heat 

 enough to drive out damp and enable you 

 to change the atmosphere during mild days 

 or gleams of sunshine. 



November. Hotbeds, Frames, 

 &c., Work in. 



Bedding Plants. Where the chief stock 

 of bedding plants is kept in pits and 

 frames, they will require frequent looking 

 over, to guard against damp, careful 

 watering, proper protection from frost, 

 and all the air that the external atmo- 

 sphere will permit of. 



Bulbs in Frames. Bulbs may be grown 

 and flower in cold frames, and will be 

 found to answer admirably when treated 

 in this way. If spring- flowering bulbs are 

 potted and placed close together in the 

 frames, and covered with about 4 inches 



of light soil or old tan, and left so till 

 February, they may then be uncovered 

 and exposed to the light ; they will then 

 begin to grow and flower to perfection. 

 When plunged in this way, they need not 

 be uncovered until the time stated ; indeed, 

 they will flower best if not uncovered till 

 they grow through the covering. 



Cucumbers and Melons. These will 

 require the same treatment as that recom- 

 mended in January (which see). Heat is 

 most necessary, and, to a certain degree, 

 the more the better. In some families 

 cucumbers and melons are wanted all the 

 year round. This, of course, necessitates 

 the culture of them at this time of the year 

 as well as any other ; and although the 

 difficulty is greater, in proportion to the 

 shortening days and colder air, still they 

 can be grown, and in some cases must be 

 grown. 



Cucumbers and Melons, How to Grow. 

 The main secret in growing cucumbers and 

 melons is a steady moist heat that never 

 j falls below 70, and is better kept up to 

 80, and may advantageously be elevated 

 to 90 in the daytime. They must receive 

 no chill ; so long as the roots work kindly, 

 and the leaves revel in a sweet moist heat, 

 they will do well. It is needless to repeat 

 directions that have already been given in 

 full; but this much more may be said, the 

 causes of success or failure should be ob- 

 served or remembered ; it is only by so 

 doing that proficiency is to be attained. 

 The best cultivators will own that they 

 have had many failures ; but failure has 

 given no discouragement, but rather 

 afforded a stimulus to increased effort till 

 success has rewarded their pains. 



Seeds in Cold Frames. Seeds of 

 radishes, lettuce, and small salading, may 

 be sown any lime during the month or any 

 time in the winter. They will germinate 

 slowly, but may come in very useful in the 

 spring ; the latter will be ready in about a 



