Oct.) THE GREEN HOUSE. 549 



where they can have plenty of air in mild weather, and give them 

 water but sparingly. 



Let it be observed for the benefit and encouragement of those 

 who have no hot-houses, that although all the above generas or 

 families are commonly considered as hot-house plants, the far 

 greater number of species thereunto belonging may be preserved 

 in excellent perfection in a good green-house, and also many other 

 plants hitherto considered as too tender to be preserved therein: 

 experience is the true criterion, and where there are duplicates of 

 doubtful plants, an ingenious gardener will make an experiment 

 with one of each. Several kinds of plants commonly kept in hot- 

 houses would thrive much better in a well constructed green- 

 house. 



Between the sixth and tenth of this month, according to the sea- 

 son, situation, and shelter of the place, you should take in your 

 orange, lemon, citron, lime and shaddock trees, and also your 

 geraniums, and every other sort of plant that slight frosts could 

 injure or discolour the leaves thereof. Myrtles and the more hardy 

 kinds will not be in much danger before the middie of the month, 

 nor will the hardiest sorts, such as prunus lusitanica, or Portugal 

 laurel, prunus lauro-cerasus, or levant laurel, viburnum tinus, or 

 laurustinus, arbutus unedo, or strawberry-tree, lagerstroemia indica, 

 daphne odora, fuchsia coccinea, cupressus sempervirens, hydrangea 

 hortensis, &c, before the twentieth or twenty-fifth thereof: indeed 

 in warm soils and situations, most of these would bear the winters 

 of the middle states, in the open ground, if sheltered with mats or 

 straw, &c. 



Before they are taken in, pick oft' all decayed leaves, prune any 

 decayed, ill-formed, disorderly, or irregular shoots or branches, 

 and stir the earth a little in the tops of the tubs or pots. Such as 

 appear weakly, should have some of the old earth taken out and the 

 vacancy tilled up with fresh compost. 



In placing the plants in the green-house, be particular to arrange 

 them in regular order, the tallest behind, and the others according 

 to their height, in regular gradation down to the lowest in front, 

 being careful to dispose the different sorts in such varied order 

 as that the foliage may eft'ect a striking contrast and variety, by 

 intermixing the broad and narrow leaved, the simple and com- 

 pound leaved, the light and dark green, the silvery, &c, in order 

 that the whole collection may exhibit a conspicuous and agreeable 

 diversity. 



When all are thus arranged give their heads a good watering, 

 which will wash oft' any dust they have contracted, refresh them 

 considerably, and add lustre and beauty to their foliage; then wash 

 clean and wipe dry all the stage, benches, floor, &c, after which 

 the whole will assume a neat, gay, lively, and becoming appear- 

 ance. 



The plants now should have as much free air as possible during 

 the continuance of mild weather, for if kept too close the damps 

 occasioned by a copious perspiration would cause many of their 

 leaves to become mouldy and drop oil', and, besides, they would be 



