FEB.] THE GREEN-HOUSE. 159 



for the changes of weather are so sudden, that a few hours inatten- 

 tion might do irreparable injury to your plants, especially to the 

 more tender kinds. The safest method now of admitting air, is 

 by sliding down the upper tier of your front windows, less or more 

 according to the weather, which will not only admit the fresh, but 

 discharge any foul air which has been generated in the house. 



In frosty weather, keep your lights all close, and if very severe, 

 defend the windows at nights. If you have roof-lights, protect them 

 as directed in January ', page 79. 



Fires may also occasionally be used, and indeed are indespensi- 

 ble at times ; but these ought never be resorted to, except when 

 absolutely necessary, either to keep out the frost, or to dispel 

 damps ; and even then, you are to be very cautious, not to create 

 thereby too strong a heat in the house, never above 40 or 45 of 

 Fahrenheit's thermometer ; for this would cause your plants to push 

 and get into a fresh state of vegetation, which would be extremely 

 injurious to them during any of the winter months. 



Another thing to be regarded, is to keep the plants of all kinds 

 free from casual decayed shoots and leaves, for those are not only 

 hurtful to the plants while in the house, but appear very unsightly ; 

 therefore, whenever such appear, let them be constantly taken off; 

 keep also the pots, &c. and green-house always neatly clean. 



The latter end of this, or any time next month, you ought to 

 loosen the earth in the top of the pots or tubs of your oranges, 

 lemons, and other plants in general, and take out about and inch 

 deep or more, adding some fresh in its stead ; this will prove very 

 beneficial to the plants ; and whoever will bestow that little dressing 

 upon them, will see the advantage of it in a short time. 



Your pots of Cape bulbs, such as Ixia's, Gladiolus's, Lachenalia's, 

 Morea's, Watsonia's, Lapeyrousia's, Walchendorfia's, Tritonia's, 

 Antholiza's, Cyanella's, and Oxalis versicolor. Babiana's, Mas- 

 sonia's,Geissorhiza's,Melanthium's, and Melasphserula's, 8cc. which 

 are now in a state of vegetation, should be kept all towards the 

 front of the house, and as near the glasses as possible ; lest they 

 should draw up weakly, and thereby produce but indifferent flowers. 



Hot-beds for raising Green-house Plants. 



Make hot-beds to sow tender exotic seeds in, observing to work 

 the dung well, turning it over two or three times while it remains 

 in the heap, at intervals of four or five days ; make the beds as di- 

 rected for cucumbers, page 4, to the height of three feet six inches ; 

 put on your frames, and lay eight or ten inches of good fresh tan 

 even over the bed ; if that cannot be conveniently had, lay on six 

 inches of dry earth ; when the bed comes to its heat, sow your seeds 

 separately in pots, and plunge them into the tan, or earth ; some of 

 these will not vegetate for a long time, and others, frequently lie in 

 the ground a whole year. When the heat of the bed is on the 

 decline, add a fresh lining of hot dung as directed for cucumber and 

 melon beds. Or these seeds may be sowed in pots, and plunged 

 j-ato the bark-bed in the Stove. 



