360 The Garde^ier's New Di^ectok. 



common flielter from frofi:, which, when it became (c- 

 vere, I fet my flue to work, which I had conftrufted 

 in the wall of the north fide, and in order to encreafe 

 the warmth, had fhutters for the upright fafli-es, and 

 others that moved in grooves to cover the floping 

 lights, which were alfo of ufe in ftormy weather; when 

 I had occafion to ufe the flue, I did not encreafe the 

 heat more than to raife the Botanical Thermometer to near 

 temperate, and even at the difl;ance of ten degrees below 

 it, I found it fufficient to expel almofl: any froft. 



The eaft and weft ends of this houfe are alfo to be 

 glazed, and at the eaft end I erected a fmall fhed, to 

 inclofe the fire place of the flue, and the door of en- 

 trance. This glafs-cafe was very convenient ; for, in 

 fummer, I raifed many Annuals (which by mifmanage- 

 ment, are dwarfs in our climate) to a great fi/.e; and in 

 winter it was a refervoir to my tender plants. 



But to return to the culture of the Aniaranthus. As 

 fcon as I had planted them in their pots, I funk them 

 up to their rims in the tan ; which if but of a moderate 

 heat, I covered the llope-glafles of the cafe with mats, un- 

 til I perceived the Amarantbnfes had taken new root, when 

 I opened both the front and flope-glaiTes to admit air in 

 the day, in mild weather : By the beginning of July, I 

 had them fix or feven feet high, with ftrong ftems, and 

 preparing to flower ; then I removed them to the green- 

 houfe, placing them as near the front windows as I could, 

 watering them all over, and in ten days fet them out, 

 when I faw an appearance of rain, and near a hedge, 

 where they might be protected for eight d-ays from the 

 violence of the fun, and afterwards gave them a warm 

 and calm fituation, where they flowered, and ripened 

 their feed to great perfedion; which I took care to 

 gather from the flowers, at the top of the fpike or 

 rtalk, but not from thofe on the collateral branches. 

 The foil I ufed for them was good, rich, light earth; 

 and as thefe plants are very free in perfpiring, I took 

 care to give them a good (hare of water in dry wea- 

 ther, which made them grow ftrong and flower well. 



The 



