as an early Marhet FrmL 23 



of September, would generally be found about Q5°, a little before 

 sunrise: using no artificial heat (besides the bark bed) as long 

 as the natural temperature of the atmosphere exceeded 55°; at 

 which temperature (viz, 55°) we kept the house by night, during 

 the winter months, till the third week in March, when we shook 

 the plants out, and shortened their roots about one half; and 

 repotted them in the same-sized pots, prepared as follows : — 

 The pots, if not new (new ones being preferable), being well 

 cleaned, an oyster-shell, about the size of a penny, is placed 

 over the hole; around which, broken bones (such matei'ials 

 being best), or potsherds, broken to about the size of kidney- 

 beans, and sifted, to exclude the dusty particles, are laid about 

 half an inch deep ; over which is placed a layer, about a quarter 

 of an inch deep, of the thready part of half-decayed loamy turf; 

 and the remaining space is filled up with the following compost : 

 turfy loam, chopped to the size of walnuts, bruising it as little 

 as possible, 6 parts ; night soilj 1 part ; leaf mould, 1 part ; and 

 silver sand, 1 part. The plants, being potted in this compost, 

 were plunged in a bark bed, in a dung-heated pit, two thirds 

 of the depth of their pots (at which depth, a thermometer 

 inserted stood at 90°) ; shading them from the more powerful 

 rays of the sun, and keeping them as close as possible, yet not 

 allowing the temperature to exceed 90° : the minimum, by night, 

 being generally from 65° to 70°. In the course of about fourteen 

 days, we exposed the plants to the full sun ; from which time 

 they required to be plentifully supplied widi water, and the 

 greatest attention to be paid to the watch-sticks (sticks stuck in 

 the bark, to be occasionally taken out, and felt, to ascertain the 

 heat), lest the roots, on reaching the sides of the pots, should be 

 burnt. At this stage we gave air at 80% and allowed the tem- 

 perature to rise to 95°. As the season advanced, we sprinkled 

 the plants overhead more frequently: in April, about once a 

 week ; in May, about once in four days ; and, in the hottest 

 weather, every other evening. In June we turned them out of 

 the pots, and leaving their balls entire. We then potted the 

 largest of them in No. 12-sized pots, leaving the surface of the 

 soil 1|: in. below the top of the pot: the balls of the rest we 

 partially reduced, and potted in No. 24'-sized pots. The bark 

 bed was then forked over, and made good by sifting out the 

 rotten bark from the top and sides, and adding fresh at the bot- 

 tom. After the bed had been well trodden and levelled, we 

 replunged the plants in it about two thirds the depth of their 

 pots ; keeping them close, and shading them, &c., as before. 

 The temperature, at sunrise, was now about 75° ; the maximum, 

 by day, was 100°, giving air, as before, at 80°. The second 

 week in August, we shifted the plants in No. 24-sized pots into 

 No. 12s; topsoiling, at the same time, those already in 12s. The 



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