256 THE amatetje's geee>^house 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



EEMINDEES OF MO>^THLT WOEK. 



Jakuaet. — Shrubs to be forced should be taken to the 

 greenhouse or to a warm pit first to prepare them, and the first 

 thing needful is to thoroughly soak their roots, which are 

 often very dry ; see also that they are not heavily laden with 

 flower buds, and that they are in proper trim as to training, 

 &c., both to look well when in flower and to carry their 

 blossoms safely. Hard-wooded plants must have fire-heat 

 during frosty weather, but it must not rise above 40° at night, 

 and 50° by day. Soft-wooded plants may be kept growing 

 freely, but not at a high temperature, which is exhaustive of 

 plants, and productive of red spider. Hang strips of worsted 

 netting over the ventilators, to break the force of cold winds. 

 Eevise sticks and labels and wires used for training, &c., and 

 complete various odd jobs to leave all clear for thehurry of spring 

 work. Keep succulents quite dry. The principal flowers new 

 are salvias, jasminum nudiflorum, fuchsias, cinerarias, primulas, 

 genistas, deutzias, crocuses, and hyacinths. To succeed these 

 there should be in the forcing pit or stove kalmias, azaleas, 

 camellias, rhododendrons, lilacs, weigelias, daphnes, roses, 

 double-flowering plums and peaches, and Andromeda flori- 

 bunda. Therm. 45° average, varying from 35° by night to 55° 

 by day. 



Eebeuaet. — Pire-beat may be used more liberally now, as 

 there is more light, and many early subjects are advancing 

 into bloom. Put cinerarias, primulas, and other soft-wooded, 

 early blooming plants, as near the glass as possible, and where 

 they can be freely ventilated on fine days. Give plenty of 

 water to everything that is growing freely. Hard-wooded 

 plants that have been kept dry all winter will probably need 

 to be plunged to the rim of the pot in a vessel of tepid water, 



