186 hot-house air plants. [December. 



be a small hole about an eighth of an inch in both ends 

 of each row of glass, to allow a current to dry up the 

 moisture that may arise. Double sashes during the severe 

 months are frequently used ; but shutters are preferable to 

 either 



OP PLACING BULBS, ETC., IN THE HOT-HOUSE. 



If any Hyacinths or other Dutch roots are wanted to 

 flower early, a few of them may be put in the hot-house 

 near the front glass, which will greatly tend to forward their 

 time of flowering. By having some brought in everv two 

 weeks, a continued succession of bloom will be kept up. 

 \ 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 



If there is a tan-bed in the house, and it was renewed in 

 September, the pots should now be half plunged therein. 

 The violent heat will partly be over, and the plants are not 

 so liable to suffer at root in this as last month. It will in 

 part prevent the plants from being affected by sudden changes 

 of temperature. Be attentive in keeping all insects com- 

 pletely under. This is the period that these are most 

 neglected, but by attending to the modes of their destruction, 

 as already given, no species of them will either be hurtful 

 or unsightly. Syringe the plants about twice a week, and 

 always remember that decayed leaves or litter of any descrip- 

 tion, do not beautify healthy plants, neither do they form a 

 part of a well-kept hot-house. 



ORCHIDEOUS EPIPHYTES OR AIR PLANTS. 



Before we close the hot-house subject, it may be interest- 

 ing to some of our readers to know the nature and character 

 of a few of the most desirable of those tropical parasites that 

 have within these few years caused so much excitement in 

 Europe. In several instances, houses upward of two hundred 

 feet long have been erected for their exclusive culture, and 

 unless they do thus have an apartment adapted to their na> 



