GREEN-HOUSE PLANTS. 



1 



being covered with a -piece of tile or oyilcr-fliL-ll before the 

 ir.ould is put in, to prevent their being Hopped up, and the 

 earth from being waihed out below. 



'I'lie beft modes of propagating the difierent forts, the 

 nature of the earth in -ivhich they fuccecd beft, and the fcn- 

 fon moll proper for raifnig tlieni, are full)' explained under 

 the culture of the refpcdivc kinds, and may be feen under 

 their proper heads. 



Cencnil Mdlml of Ajuiw^rmciil of Green-houfe Plnnts. — 

 As moll plants of this fort are capable of bearing the open 

 air from the latter end of May till October ; but the reft of 

 the year demand the proteftion of the grceu-houfe, they, of 

 courfe, require to be let out into it as foon as the weather 

 begins to be fuitable, in the fpring and fummer months ; 

 efpecially for fuch as all the fevcral varieties of myrtles, ge- 

 raniums, oleanders, ciftufts, pldomifoa, {hrubby after, tree- 

 wormwood, tree-candy-tuft, yellow Indian and Spanilh jaf- 

 mincs, Indian bay, &c &c. And this ihould be done in 

 the lall week in May, or firll in June, according as the feafon 

 proves more or Icfs favourable for all the other lorts : but it 

 ihould not be attempted tdl the feafon is become perfectly 

 fettled, and there is a fair profpctt of fummer being arrived, 

 as there are often very cold nights and frequently frofty 

 mornings in May, and even in the beginning of June, which, 

 if the plants were fully expofed, would pinch the ends of 

 their young (hoots and leaves, and greatly injure them. A 

 mild warm day (hould be chofen for this work ; and if a 

 warm rain, it will be of much advantage, as it wafhes the 

 leaves and branches from the duft they have contracted, and 

 greatly refreihes the plants that are thus expofed to it. 



Method of Setting out the p/aw/j.^This is done in the more 

 hardy forts in thin pots about the middle of May. 



When lirft brought out, it is proper to place tlicm in fome 

 iheltered funny place, for a fortnight, till they are inured to 

 the open air ; then to fet them in any open expofure, where 

 they are to remain for the fummer. And as foon as they 

 are brought out, they fhould be cleared from all dead leaves, 

 and all dead wood ; and the earth on the furface of the 

 pots be llirred, taking a little of the old out, and addinc; 

 fome frelh mould in its Head, which will prove very benefi- 

 cial ; then give moderate watering, not only to the mould, 

 but alfo over the heads of the plants, to clear them effectu- 

 ally from all dirt and tilth which they have contracted in the 

 green-houfe during the winter. 



In putting them out, they may be placed according to 

 the fancy of the proprietor ; fonie of the handfomeft plants 

 being occafionally placed to adorn fpacicus fore-courts, or 

 arranged on each fide of large walks contiguous to the main 

 habitation ; and others near ornamental garden- buildings ; 

 they are alio fometimes difpofed in groups, or fmall clumps 

 in the moft conlpiciious places, in different parts of the 

 pleafure-ground ; exhibiting different forts in each group, 

 in order to caufe the greater variety and effect in fucli litu- 

 ations. 



As foon as they have been thus placed out, their chief cul- 

 ture is, to fupply themplentifully with water during the lum- 

 mer feafon, m hot dry weather : all the woody or (hrubbv 

 kisds in particular ; likewife the herbaceous kinds that are 

 not very lucculcnt, require it three times a week at leaft : 

 and in a very hot dry time once every day. The fucculent 

 kinds mull alio have a moderate fupply of water two or three 

 times a week in dry weather ; the proper time for watering 

 all the forts at th s feafon is, either in a morning before nine 

 o'clock, or in the afternoon about four or five ; for, if per- 

 formed in the middle of the day in fummer weather, the fun 

 would exhale a great part of the moifture before it effected 

 its intended operation on the fibres of the plants : this bufi- 



nefs (liould be duly attended to in dry weather. As tlie 

 mould roots, and fibres of the plants are circumfcribed 

 within the narrow limits of a pot or tub, the earth, as well 

 as the fibres, dries very faft in fummer, and neceftarily re- 

 quires frequent refrefhments of water, to preferve that due 

 and conftant degree of moifture which is requillte for the 

 fupport of healthy vegetation in the different plants. 



Even moderate rains fhould not prevent watering occa- 

 fionally, efpecially fuch plants as have fpreading heads, 

 which prevent the rains, unlefs very heavy or conftant, 

 from falling in fufficient quantities on the earth of the pots, 

 to moift'-n it properly. And in hot weather, if fome mow- 

 ings of (liort grafs are fpread on the furface of the orange- 

 tree tubs and others, it will greatly preferve the moifture. 

 During this feafon, it will alio be a good practice to loofen 

 the furface of the earth now and then in fuch pots and tubs 

 as have a tendency to bind or become ftiff by time. 



Manner of taking in the plants. — About the beginning of 

 the autum.n, as towards the latter end of September, the 

 more tender kinds of thefe exotic plants mult be removed 

 into the houfe ; the fucculent tribe, in particular, fliould be 

 removed to flielter at the firlt approach of exccfTive wet and 

 cold nights. The oranges, lemons, and all the other fpe- 

 cies Ihould be moved into fhelter in due time, either in the 

 end of September or early in Oftober ; for, if they are 

 permitted to remain in the open air till attacked by (harp 

 weather, it changes the beautiful verdure of their leaves to 

 a rufty yellow hue, which they do not recover during winter ; 

 therefore, about the latter end of September, or beginning 

 of Oftober at lateft, the principal plants (hould be brought 

 in ; the fucculent and otliers of a more tender temperature, 

 as early in the former month as the cold weather begins to 

 come on ; and continue moving in all the others as the cold 

 increafes ; and by the middle of October have the whole 

 colledtion in the houfe. As the time approaches for mov- 

 ing in the different forts, clear them perfectly well from 

 decayed leaves, &c. all the pots being well cleaned, loolen- 

 ing the furface of the earth in each pot, and adding a little 

 frefh mould. As the different forts are brought occafionally 

 into the green-houfe, they may be placed proniifcuoufly till 

 the whole are in, and then be arranged regularly, as thev 

 are to remain for the winter ; leaving all the windows quite 

 open till tliat time. When the whole is brought in, they 

 Ihould be difpofed in regular order, fo as to appear to the 

 beft advantage, both in refpeCt to their general arrangement 

 and variety, and fo as each may have an equal portion of 

 fun and air ; the talleft plants being arranged in the back, 

 the others in their fevcral ranks, according to their degrees 

 of height, gradually down to the lowell in front ; and as there 

 is a vaft variety both in fi/.e, fhape, and colour, of the 

 foliage, they (liould be difpofed fo as to fet off each other 

 and give a pleafing variety to the whole ; and if pofTible, 

 they ihould Itaiid clear of one another ; by which each 

 plant will be feparately confpicuous, and the whole exhibit 

 a greater air ot freedom and variety, as well as admit an 

 equal portion of fun, and a more free circidation of air 

 among them. 



When the plants have been thus collefted in, their prin- 

 cipal culture is the fupplying them with freih air at all 

 opportunities in mild weather, and giving moderate water- 

 ings occafionally, picking off decayed leaves, cutting out 

 calual decayed (hoots, and making occafional moderate fires 

 in feverc weather, alfo, fometimes to difpcl great damps and 

 noxious fogs from them. 



With refpeCt to giving air, it fliould be admitted every 

 mild, calm day, by opening the windows more or lefs, ac- 

 cording to the temperature of the weather. When the plants 



are 



