SOILS AND POTTIN(J, 195 



dry before potting. This is one of the most essential points 

 in plant culture ; and after a plant is fresh potted, be careful 

 to water the soil with a fine rose pot. 



In repotting hard-wooded plants, especial care must be 

 paid to drainage, and in this matter it is always best to err 

 on the side of extra quantity in the use of sand. A general 

 opinion exists that such plants as the Erica, Boronia, Les- 

 chenaultia, Eriostemon, &c., do not require much water ; and 

 they are consequently treated to a small quantity only at 

 each watering. This notion, however, is not well founded, 

 and we cannot too strongly impress upon the minds of 

 amateur plant-growers the necessity of giving sufficient 

 water at each application to thoroughly wet the soil, after- 

 wards withholding that element until the "ball" of earth 

 again shows signs of dryness — a condition which can only 

 be properly appreciated by practice. 



During the summer months most greenhouse plants 

 are benefited by being placed in the open air, where many 

 of them will make their growth, and set their flower buds ; 

 but such plants as Azaleas and Camellias must not be stood 

 out until they have done growing, a,fter which full exposure 

 will be very beneficial to' them, tending to thoroughly ripen 

 the wood and to set the buds. Let it be perfectly under- 

 stood by our readers that we do not consider this removal 

 to the open air indispensable to their well-being. 



Damp and Mildew are the great enemies of greenhouse 

 plants, especially during the winter season. The former may 

 be prevented by the occasional application of fire heat, to dry 

 up the superfluous moisture, .only at the same time an 

 abundance of air must be admitted to prevent the plants 

 from being affected by the increase of temperature. Mildew 

 is a desperate enemy if allowed to gain a footing amongst 

 specimen plants. It is a diminutive whitish fungus, which 



K 2 



