736 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



the covering, and the cold of the latter will be 

 conducted to the former in every point where it 

 touches. Contact should, therefore, be pre- 

 vented by hoops, or other means properly ap- 

 plied, and the stratum of air which is enclosed 

 will, by its low conducting power, effectually 

 secure the plants. With their foliage thus pro- 

 tected, and their roots well covered with litter, 

 many evergreens might doubtless be brought to 

 survive the rigour of our winters, which are now 

 confined to the greenhouse and conservatory." 



Trees with nailed stems and large branches 

 would be benefited if enveloped in hay-bands, 

 or otherwise covered in spring, because it would 

 prevent the action of cold causing the excited 

 sap to descend, by giving a check to the ascend- 

 ing sap, and hence be exceedingly disastrous to 

 the expanding blossom. By this operation, trees 

 suffer more from spring frosts than by their 

 effects directly on the blossom, as generally 

 supposed. 



Syringing with cold water in the morning 

 early, if the frost has not penetrated to the juices 

 of the plant, may, by washing off the cold dew, 

 prevent the frost from penetrating; and covering 

 from the sun may save a plant partially hurt by 

 the sudden change of temperature, if a bright 

 sunny day succeed a. frosty night ; but if the 

 juices have been frozen till the vessels are burstj 

 and a change of colour takes place in the foliage 

 by the suffusion of the sap, no means hitherto 

 known can save the plant from death. 



Protection is required for plants on conserva- 

 tive walls, or to such as are grown on the open 

 lawns, particularly those which become excited 

 early in spring, not only from frost, but also 

 from those cold cutting winds so frequently 

 experienced during March and April. Night- 

 covering counteracts the former, but it requires 

 day-covering to protect against the latter. This 

 protection, however, should be so placed that, 

 while the plant is shielded on the windward side, 

 the other may be exposed to the sun and air. 



The winter protection of conservative bor- 

 ders consists in covering their surface with some 

 frost-and-damp-repelling medium; and of these 

 few . are better than finely-sifted coal-ashes, 

 moss, vegetable mould, orhalf-spent tan. Either 

 should be laid on during the first week in No- 

 vember, to the depth of 3 or 4 inches, and 

 allowed to remain till the middle of March, 

 when it should be gathered up and removed. 



Both sides of the conservative walls should be 

 furnished with a. prepared border, and both 

 surfaces of the wall itself covered with plants, 

 as some prefer the brightest sun, while others 

 delight in a moderate degree of shade. The selec- 

 tion of plants should be made with reference to 

 the situation. 



§ 14. — MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 



Our previous remarks on the management of 

 greenhouse and stove plants have been arranged 

 with a view to describe the best mode of treat- 

 ment required for each natural group; but when 

 taken collectively, they bear upon plants in 

 general, and in such a light will the general cul- 



tivator view them. Some amateurs and private 

 growers, who abide by the olden practice of at- 

 tempting to cultivate a small general collection, 

 may expect that we should offer a few hints 

 applicable to their case. We can only remind 

 them of what has been already stated, that high 

 cultivation and a general collection, however 

 small, within the limits of one house, are per- 

 fectly incompatible. The season of growth of 

 one favourite genus, or even plant, may be the 

 season of rest in another equally prized; and the 

 temperature to grow the pelargonium, even to 

 mediocrity, will be found too high for heaths, 

 although they are natives of the same country, 

 in consequence of the difference in altitude and 

 other natural circumstances by which the majo- 

 rity of them are affected in their natural habitats. 

 It is in consequence of attempting to grow plants 

 having no natural affinity to each other, as re- 

 gards their seasons of rest, growth, temperature, 

 and habit, that the well-meant efforts of the 

 amateur are so frequently defeated, and their 

 plants bear no comparison to the plants of those 

 who confine themselves to a selection of such as 

 will admit of nearly the same mode of treatment, 

 or who limit their selection to the extent of their 

 means. Instead, therefore, of forming a distinct 

 section under the head of the Mixed Greenhouse, 

 we will briefly notice a few popular genera which 

 have been only slightly referred to in our fore- 

 going remarks, and which, on account of some 

 peculiarities in their culture, are next to inad- 

 missible into any of the groups treated of. 



Pelargonium,. — The varieties of this genus 

 originated by the art of man, have years ago 

 amounted to several hundreds, and year after 

 year numbers are discarded to make way for 

 new or more striking novelties. True species 

 are now seldom met with in cultivation, although 

 of late a revival has taken place in a taste for 

 them. By hybridising them in the first instance, 

 we became possessed of numerous varieties; and 

 by rearing by seed from those, in course of time 

 a tribe was produced, bearing little resem- 

 blance to the originals. This crossing was carried 

 perhaps to nearly its utmost limits, and now 

 even the best of them have almost been sup- 

 planted by another race denominated Fancies, 

 which seem to be the favourites at the present 

 time. Pelargoniums are naturally divided into 

 four sections : 1st, Annuals and biennials, few 

 of which are particularly interesting; these are 

 multiplied by seed : herbaceous sorts, not in 

 particular estimation, and increased by division 

 of the plant : tuberous-rooted sorts, some of 

 which are exceedingly rich in colour, and form 

 excellent parents where brilliancy of colouring 

 is in request; these are chiefly propagated by 

 division of the roots, or by cuttings of the roots 

 themselves; but by far the greater part are ever- 

 green shrubs, and are increased by cuttings, &c. 



Propagation by seed. — When the object is to 

 obtain new or improved varieties, the seed pro- 

 cess is adopted; and as all, or at least the majo- 

 rity, ripen seed freely, the process, for ordinary 

 purposes, is exceec^gly simple. But where 

 improvement is sought for, the points consti- 

 tuting that improvement must be provided for. 

 Those points are, form of thejloicer, which, ac- 



