March.] THE GREEN-HOUSE. {(,7 



ral, especially if a cold season, and while they are confined in the 

 green-house. 



Keep every plant in the house Tree from decayed leaves; that is, 

 where such appear let them be immediately picked oft"; for these, 

 if generally permitted to remain would injure the plants; besides, 

 they appear disagreeable. 



Any decayed or mouldy shoots should be cut clean oft' to the firm 

 live wood, and where dust, or any sort of filth, appears on the leaves 

 of the plants, let them be cleared therefrom : if those of the oranges, 

 lemons, and other large-leaved kinds, are foul, have a sponge dipped 

 in water and clean them therewith, one by one, and let the small 

 leaved sorts be cleaned by watering, out of a watering-pot, all over 

 their heads. 



Oranges, Lemons, and Myrtles. 



Where any of the oranges, lemons, and myrtles, &c. have naked 

 or irregular heads, you may now towards the latter end of the 

 month, if mild fine weather, begin to reduce them to some regu- 

 larity. The branches or head may either be cut close, or shortened 

 less or more to the place where you desire shoots to rise, to form 

 the head regular, for they will break out in the old wood. 



When any trees are thus headed down, it would also be an ad- 

 vantage to shift them, especially such as are of a weekly growth, 

 in order to add a little fresh earth about their roots; and the method 

 is this: let the tree be taken out of its tub or pot, but preserve the 

 ball of earth entire; then trim oft* with your knife any very matted 

 roots, or dry fibres round the outside, and also some of the loose 

 old earth from the bottom and sides of the ball; and, having fresh 

 compost ready, put some into the bottom of the pot or tub; place 

 the tree therein, till up around the ball with fresh earth, and give it 

 a little water. 



But in heading down any of the green-house plants, if time will 

 not permit, or that you think it not necessary to shift (hem as above, 

 do not, however, fail to loosen the earth in the top of the tub or pots, 

 and a little way down around the sides, and draw this loose earth 

 out; then fdl up the tub again with new compost, and give some 

 water. 



But where any orange or lemon trees are in a very weak or 

 sickly unprosperous growth, it would be adviseable about the latter 

 end of this month, or beginning of next, to prune the heads and 

 shift them into entire new earth, taking the plant clean out of the 

 pot, all the old earth shaken entirely from its roots, and all mouldy 

 and decayed roots cut oft"; then let the whole root be washed in 

 water, and plant it again immediately in a tub or pot of new earth, 

 taking care not to place it too deep, and give water moderately. 



After this shifting it would be a great advantage to the dame 

 plants if you had the convenience of a glass case, &c. in Which 

 previously to make a hot -bed of tan or dung, but tan is much pic 

 ferable; and if in this bed the trees are plunged, they will shoot 

 sooner and more freely, both in root and top, to recover good 



