172 THE HOT-HOUSE. [FES. 



The best time of the day fo<r the admission of fresh air, is 

 from about twelve, to one, two, or three o'clock ; but for the time 

 of opening or shutting the glasses, let the weather be the guide. 



Of Kidney-beans in the Hot-house. 



Now plant some more kidney -beans, of the early white, cream- 

 coloured, yellow, or speckled dwarfs, Sec. in pots or boxes, and 

 place them in the hot-house to succeed those planted last month ; 

 or if none was then planted, this is a very successful time, superior 

 to the former month, for planting a good hot-house crop ; and 

 managed as directed m January > page 97. 



Do not forget to refresh with water, those kidney -beans which 

 were planted last month ; they will require it two or three times a 

 week : give also necessary waterings to the young beans advancing 

 for successive crops. 



Of blowing Roses and other Plants early. 



You may now, in the beginning of this month, set pots of roses, 

 and honeysuckles, Sec. in the hot-house ; or pots of bulbous roots, 

 carnations, pinks, and double sweet-williams, or of any other desira- 

 ble flowering plants, either of the shrub or herbaceous kinds, which 

 you desire, by way of curiosity, to bring to an early bloom, supplying 

 them, when in growth, with plenty of water. 



Likewise, about the middle and end of the month, you may in- 

 troduce more of the same sort of flowering-plants to produce flowers 

 in regular succession. 



You may also introduce pots sown with seeds of any desirable 

 annuals, of moderate growth, to flower early, such as mignonette, 

 balsams, ten-weeks stock, &c. &c. 



Of Cucumbers in the Hot-house. 



Where it is desired to raise early cucumbers in the hot-house, 

 some seed may now be sown as directed last month, or young plants 

 planted therein, from any common hot-bed. See Hot-house for 

 January. 



Early Strawberries. 



You may now introduce into the hot-house, pots of the scarlet 

 and alpine strawberries, either to succeed those of last month, or as 

 a first introduction. Let them be two years old bearing plants ; 

 place them near the glasses, or plunge them in the bark -bed to for- 

 ward them earlier, giving proper supplies of water. 



If some fresh plants are taken into the hot-house every three 

 weeks, you may obtain a constant supply of early fruit, till those in 

 the open ground ripen. 



Or pots of strawberry plants kept in moderate dung hot-beds 

 to forward them, may be removed in successive order into the hot- 

 house ; they will produce a supply of early fruit in regular suc- 

 cession 



