326 General Notices. 



tie. The bass should be placed evenly round the pod just below the shoul- 

 der.— (7^<. p. 375). 



Treatment of Azaleas. — The main stock of these will now be out of bloom ; 

 and, after the gorgeous display which we have seen this season, T think I 

 was not far wron^ in saying a few weeks back they were likely to become 

 very general favorites. The jfirst thing to be done with them now will be 

 to remove the flowers and seed-pods as quickly as possible, and get them 

 into a house or pit where they can be properly shaded, and where a moist 

 atmosphere can be maintained at all times. Pot such plants as require it, 

 using plenty of sand and a little three-years' old cowdung with the peat ; 

 but as they will do for a long time in small pots, do not overdo them. The 

 best of my plants, which have done blooming, are now standing in a pit, 

 under sheet glass, where they are shaded, but kept at a brisk growing tem- 

 perature during the day, and syringed copiously, and shut up closely every 

 afternoon just before the sun leaves the pit, but air is admitted again about 

 nine o'clock. The second plants are under the shade of a late vinery, anil 

 receive just the same treatment as Vines, the fruit of which is just set : 

 here they will remain until they have made their growth, and then they will 

 be placed under sheet-glass to set the bloom. Prune in any straggling 

 shoots, and endeavor to get nice, round, compact plants. — {lb. p. 358). 



Exposing Greenhouse Plants in Summer. — It is a common practice all 

 over the country, to set greenhouse plants, heaths, &c., out of doors dur- 

 ing the summer months, without any protection whatever, either to the tops 

 or bottoms of the plants, under the vain impression that the plants will be 

 benefited by such treatment. Plants, when fully exposed to the sun and 

 air, after a time become so dry as to nearly make it impossible to render 

 them moist again; hence, the scorched and stinted looking plants which 

 may be seen in summer. The pots of plants should always be moist : per- 

 sons with common observation will have noticed that all the youngest and 

 most tender roots of plants always extend next to the pot ; consequently, 

 they are the most liable to injury from any sudden check, occasioned by the 

 sun drawing all the moisture out of the pot, and, therefore, out of the soil 

 also. It is no uncommon thing to see the soil quite dried away from the 

 pot, and when the water is supplied, it sinks down the outside of the soil as 

 fast as it can be poured in, and the soil inside is not wetted in the least. How 

 can any person expect plants to grow by such unnatural treatment? Be- 

 sides, it is a great waste of time to be so frequently watering, as is very 

 often the case ; the whole morning and evening are often spent in this way. 

 If plants must be turned out of doors, they ought always to be plunged in 

 some porous substance ; although, at the same time, it ought to be some- 

 thing that will hold moisture ; for instance, very rough peat, moss, or saw- 

 dust. I have seen sand used by some, but I consider it holds the wet too 

 much, which is an evil almost as bad as the former. The pots should al- 

 ways be placed on slates, or some other material that will prevent the worms 

 from entering, as they are great pests if once allowed to enter. They 

 should also be shaded from the sun with some light material, and protected 

 from heavy rains. By following the above plan, a great deal of time will 



