NOV.] THE GREEN-HOUSE. 595 



kinds, will seldom suffer by being left out before the middle of this 

 month ; but leaving them much longer unprotected would be impru- 

 dent, unless your stock is so numerous that you wish to try experi- 

 ments on their hardness. 



In mild weather your green-house plants should have plenty of 

 free air admitted to them every day, by opening the glasses, &c., 

 always observing to close the house in due time in the afternoon, 

 and in wet or frosty weather; even in very severe weather, you may 

 happen to find an hour or two in the middle of the day in which to 

 slide down the upper lights, to admit fresh air and suffer the foul to 

 pass out ; this may be often done when it would be quite imprudent 

 to raise the lower sashes. But if a very rigorous frost should set in 

 towards the latter end of the month, it may be necessary to make a 

 fire in the evening, to prevent its penetrating into the house ; how- 

 ever, this should not be resorted to while you can keep out the frost 

 by means of good shutters, or by fastening mats in front of the 

 windows at night; for too much heat at any time, but particularly 

 in the early part of the season, is of serious injury to the green- 

 house plants, which require nothing more than merely to be kept 

 from frost. 



Occasional, but gentle waterings, must now be given to all the 

 plants ; some will require to be watered three times a week, while 

 others, particularly the succulent kinds, will not need it more than 

 a little once a week ; but as the state of the weather sometimes 

 makes a very material difference in this, there is no saying how 

 often, or how much at a time, ought to be administered ; however, it 

 will be safer to give a little and often, than too much at a time, 

 which should now be administered in the forenoon of fine days, that 

 the damp may pass off before the windows are shut, lest the steam 

 occasioned thereby might create a mouldiness, and injure the plants. 



Pick off all decayed leaves from the plants, and throw them out 

 of the house ; for if they are suffered to remain in it, they will rot 

 and infect the air, which foul effluvia being imbibed by the plants, 

 will infect them also, and bring on disease and vermin. 



Examine the tubs and pots occasionally, and if the earth cakes or 

 binds at top, loosen it to a moderate depth; and where decayed 

 branches or shoots occur, prune them off as soon as observed, and 

 cast them out of the house. 



The myrtles and other plants which are in frames, or pits, must 

 now be duly attended to, in like manner as those in the green-house. 

 The frames or pits, to the full height of the glasses, must be lined 

 around with horse-dung, leaves, straw, fern, or the like, to keep the 

 frost from penetrating in at the sides and ends ; the plants must have 

 plenty of fresh air at all favorable opportunities, and be effectually 

 protected at night and in frosty weather, by laying a sufficient cover- 

 ing of mats, straw, boards, &c., over the glasses, observing not to 

 deprive them of the benefit of light but while absolute necessity re- 

 quires it. 



