G R E 



G R E 



ture of the weather will possibly admit, as most 

 of the plants only want protection from frost 

 and the common shelter of the house, which with 

 shutting the sashes close every night will be 

 sufficient. 



Where there are flues for fires, it will be ad- 

 visable to make moderate ones at such times as 

 the frost cannot be otherwise kept out, espe- 

 cially on nights ; but this must by no means 

 be continued longer than is necessary to guard 

 against very severe frosts. 



In very cold, foggy, damp weather, a mo- 

 derate fire now and then in the flues also proves 

 very beneficial in expelling the damp unwhole- 

 some vapours, so pernicious to all plants of this 

 nature. 



Whilst the plants are in the house, all decay- 

 ed leaves, &c. should be constantly picked off, 

 being necessary both to preserve the beauty and 

 health of the plants. The decayed leaves of the 

 succulent kinds should be cut off close with a 

 sharp knife j the plants in general should like- 

 wise be occasionally cleaned from any filth they 

 may contract in the house, such as dust, cob- 

 webs, &c. 



General Culture of the Plants. — This sort of 

 plants generally want shifting into larger pots 

 and fresh earth as they advance in growth ; 

 such as are fast growers, as some of the 

 shrubby geraniums, &c. annually, or every 

 other year; and some plants in large pots, &c. 

 once in two or three years, and others not so 

 often, especially some large grown American 

 aloes, orange- and lemon- trees, and those in 

 large tubs, having a considerable substance of 

 earth about the roots. Sometimes these and 

 other similar kinds, when not convenient to 

 shift them, have the top earth, and a little 

 down round the sides, loosened to some mode- 

 rale depth in the spring, removing the loosened 

 soil, and filling the space up with fresh compost. 

 But as the plants in general increase considerably 

 in proportion to their nature of growth, shifting 

 into larger pots or tubs, with some fresh earth, 

 should not be omitted occasionally as' it may 

 seem necessary, as it proves beneficial to most 

 of the sorts. They may most of them be 

 shifted with the ball of earth about their roots 

 entire; but others, that arc rather weak and 

 sickly, require shifting into entire fresh earth. 



The most proper time for shifting all the sorts 

 is iu April, or before they are removed into the 

 open air for the summer ; but it may be occa- 

 sionally done in autumn, as in August, or the 

 beginning of September, in time lo"~strike fresh 

 root before winter. In the work of shifting, 

 each plant should be drawn out of its pot or tub 

 with the ball of earth about its roots entire, then 



all the dry matted fibres round the outside of the- 

 ball pared off and cleared away, also some of 

 the old earth at the sides, bottoms, and tops : then 

 having the new pots and fresh earth ready, the 

 holes at the bottoms of the pots should be covered 

 with pieces of tiles or oyster-shells, and some of 

 the fresh earth put in; placing theplantinthepot, 

 and filling up the vacancy all around with more 

 fresh compost, bringing it an inch over the top 

 of the ball, giving a good watering, to settle 

 the earth close in every part : after this it is ne- 

 cessary to place the plants to have shade from 

 the mid-day sun for a week or fortnight. 



Such plants as are become of a weak sickly 

 nature should, at shifting, have all the earth 

 taken clean from about their roots, having them 

 washed, and then planted into entire fresh 

 earth. 



The larger sorts of plants, such as the orange- 

 trees, lemons, citrons, American aloes, and 

 others of similar growth, should be shifted, 

 when large, from pots into tubs hooped with 

 iron, having two iron handles at top for the 

 convenience of lifting them in and out of the 

 green-house, as they sometimes grow to so large 

 a size as to require two, and sometimes three or 

 four, men to move them. 



All such plants as are not shifted annually 

 should, in spring, have the earth in the tops of 

 the pots or tubs loosened to a little depth, also a 

 little way down round the sides, taking the loos- 

 ened earth out ; and in its stead adding a quan- 

 tity of fresh mould, giving it directly a little 

 water to settle it close. This should never be 

 omitted. 



At any time when the surface of the earth is 

 observed to be stiff, whether in the shifted or 

 unshifted plants, it is of much service to stir it 

 an inch in depth occasionally, and add a little 

 fresh compost when necessary. 



The mould or compost into which the plants 

 are to be shifted is of considerable importance. 

 The best is obtained from commons where sheep 

 and cattle pasture, particularly in low places, 

 where the finest grass grows, and the soil is- 

 deepest. A foot of the top soil with the turf 

 should be taken off, and if a sandy or hazel 

 loam it will do alone; but if a strong loam, 

 some sand and black peaty or moorish soil 

 should be added. Such soils should be laid in 

 a heap six winter months or more, and fre- 

 quently turned over. Some plants, as aloes, 

 mesembryanthemums, ixias, and exotic lilia- 

 ceous plants in general, require a soil which is a 

 degree lighter, and which does not retain the 

 water, but lets it pass readily. A little coal- 

 ashes at the bottom of each pot is useful in this 



