6o ex THE CULTURE 



the water I ufe, yet it is not necefTary fo to do, A 

 good way to know if the water be of a proper tempe- 

 rature is to take your mouth full of it, and when it 

 feels neither hot nor cold, then it is in a fit ftate for 

 accelerating the growth of the plants, or for making 

 them grow fad. I make it a conflant rule never to 

 •water the plants but with clean fweet water j and if 

 the water be clean and fweet, I am of opinion it makes 

 little or no dilFerence whether it be pump water^ 

 fpring water, rain w-ater, or river water. However, 

 it is a good quality in water to bear foap, and make a 

 lather therev/ith, which rain and river water readily 

 do ; but the pump and fpring waters are found too 

 hard to do it ; yet this may eafily be remedied in them, 

 by letting them ftand a few days in the open air and 

 fun's rays. 



With regard to the time of the day in which the 

 watering of the plants ought to be performed, I think 

 it is not material, nor do I ever make any rule with 

 refpecl: to the time, but give them water at any hour 

 of the day when I fee they ftand in need of it, and 

 when it beft fuits my conveniency. Thofe w-ho have 

 hot-houfes may get their water warmed there, and 

 thofe w^ho have no hot-houfes may get fome from 

 the houfe, or from fome other place where water i$ 

 frequently heated. One gallon of hot water w411 pro- 

 perly warm feveral gallons of cold water. Late in 

 fpring and in the fummer months the water may be 

 warmed by expofmg it to the rays of the fun. 



A . due proportion and continual fupply of frefii 

 air is at all times neceilary, and m.ore or lefs is re^ 



quired 



