JAN.] THE HOT-HOUSE. Ill 



are plunged in the bark-bed, a long pipe, made of tin, would be 

 eligible to use occasionally ; this should be in three different joints, 

 in order that it may be shortened or lengthened as you see it con- 

 venient : one of these joints should have a funnel made at the 

 largest end, that by pouring the water out of a handy watering-pot, 

 into the funnel, the water is conveyed to the pots in any part of the 

 bed with greater exactness, without pouring it into the heart of the 

 plants. 



All other tender exotic plants in the hot-house or stove should be 

 supplied with water as they require it. 



The woody kinds will require it often, those of the succulent 

 tribe but seldom ; or at least but very little must be given them at a 

 time. 



Be sure to have soft water for watering the different sorts of plants, 

 for which purpose you may have a tub or cistern in some convenient 

 part of the house to contain it, in which it is to remain till the cold 

 chill is completely off. 



In the management of the plants in the bark-bed there must be a 

 particular regard had to the temperature of the bark, which should 

 be about 90, and the air of the house, that neither be too violent, 

 as also to water them frequently but sparingly, especially the shrub- 

 by kinds, because, when they are in a continual warmth, which will 

 cause them to perspire freely, if they have not a proper supply to 

 answer their discharge, their leaves will decay and soon fall off. 



In very severe weather, when necessity requires strong fires to be 

 kept up for any length of time, and that the internal air becomes 

 thereby of a dry and parching nature, it will be well to sprinkle the 

 flues occasionally with water, to raise a comforting steam in the house, 

 and to restore the air to its true atmospheric quality, which is always 

 most congenial to the health of plants. 



Every plant in the hot-house or stove should be kept perfectly 

 clean from dust or any sort of foulness; if anything of that nature 

 appears on their leaves, let the large-leaved sorts be washed with a 

 sponge, &c., the others by occasionally watering them all over the 

 top. 



KIDNEY BEANS RAISED IN THE HOT-HOUSE. 



Those who have the conveniency of a hot-house may raise early 

 kidney beans with little trouble. The early cream-colored dwarf, 

 early China and Mohawk, are proper sorts for this purpose. 



The method is this : Fill some large pots or oblong narrow boxes 

 with rich dry earth, and place them on the top of the surrounding 

 wall of the bark-bed, or upon any of the shelves near the glasses, 

 observing to plant four or five beans in each about an inch deep, or, 

 if oblong boxes, of about two feet length, plant the beans triangu- 

 larways along the middle, two or three inches asunder; and thus 

 the pots, &c., being placed as above, the beans will soon sprout and 

 come up. 



When the beans have sprouted, sprinkle the earth with a little 



