NOV.] THE HOT-HOUSE. 597 



Fresh air must be admitted into the house every mild and warm 

 day while the weather continues open, but especially when the ther- 

 mometer is above 70 ; you must be attentive, however, to close the 

 house immediately on any sudden unfavorable change of weather, 

 and always sufficiently early in the afternoon to retain a considerable 

 warmth in the house during the night, which will, sometimes, in the 

 early part of the month, supersede the necessity of fire, or at least 

 of but very little. 



The art of managing tender exotic plants consists principally in 

 keeping the air of the stove or hot-house in a proper and regular 

 temperature of heat, in duly proportioning the quantity of water to 

 the different natures and necessities of the various kinds of pjants, 

 in judiciously admitting a sufficiency of air at suitable opportunities, 

 and in keeping the bark-pits, when they are used, in a proper state 

 of fermentation ; all which must be duly attended to, or the desired 

 success cannot be expected. 



Pick off constantly all the decayed leaves from the plants, and 

 throw them out of the house ; clean their leaves and stems from 

 filth, which many kinds are subject to contract; wash off and destroy 

 all insects which infest any of them, frequently stir the surface earth 

 in the pots to keep it from contracting moss, &c., and keep all the 

 house clean, sweet, and in neat order. 



CARE OF YOUNG SUCCESSION PINES AND OTHER PLANTS. 



The young pines or other plants in succession houses must have 

 the same care as above ; and those in bark beds, under garden frames, 

 are to be diligently attended to ; the outside lining must be kept to 

 the full height of the frame all around, and in a regular and con- 

 stant state of warmth ; the glasses must be carefully and sufficiently 

 covered every night, and by day in a very severe frost, but the plants 

 should have as much light as possible, and air whenever it can be 

 given with safety : decayed leaves must constantly be picked off and 

 taken out of the frame, but watering will seldom be necessary at 

 this season, as the steam arising from the bed will occasion a moist 

 atmosphere about the plants. Observe that the more succulent kinds 

 will not keep as well in such a place as in a dry stove, or on shelves 

 in the hot-house. 



The garden pits erected with brick and furnished with flues, in 

 which you have tender exotic plants, must also have a lining of hot 

 dung placed around them to their full height, in order to prevent 

 the frost from penetrating in through the wall ; moderate fires must 

 be made in the flues every evening, and in severe weather, to keep 

 up the internal heat when that of the pit is found not to be suffi- 

 ciently strong: the glasses must be "well covered with mats, &c., 

 every night, and even by day when the weather is cloudy and the 

 frost very severe. 



