GREEN-HOUSE PLANTS. 



an- firll houfed, they fliould hsve as miicli free air as the na- 

 ture of the feafoii will admit, by opening the windows every 

 mild day to their full extent ; and if the air is quite tem- 

 perate, they may renr.iin open in the nights for the firll 

 week ; but in cold nights they (hould be conftantly (liut ; 

 thii work of admitting air innfl: be conftantly attended to 

 all the winter ; for, without a due portion of this elfential 

 article in mild wt-alher, the plants loon lofe their fine ver- 

 dure and aifume a fickly ycllowifh colour, become difeafed, 

 and the young fhoots, in many forts, grow moxddy and rot 

 off, and the leaves of the plants drop ; therefore, never 

 otnit every mild day, when not very damp or foggy, to 

 open fome or all of the windows little or much, according 

 as the air is more or leis temperate ; the proper time during 

 v.-inter for this, is from about eight, nine, or ten in a morn- 

 ing, till three, four, or five in the evening, accordi}ig to the 

 mildnefs of the day ; but as the days lengthen and the warm 

 weather increafes, give more air in proportion, earlier and 

 later in the day as may be judged proper, being careful 

 always to (hut all clofe in due time every eTeiiing, as foon as 

 the (harp air approaches. In foggy weather, it is advifable 

 to keep the windows quite clofe ; for the great damps occa- 

 fioned by fogs are very pernicious to thefe plants whilll 

 they are confined in the houfe ; alfo, when boiilerous or 

 cold cutting winds blow towards the front of the green-houfe, 

 the whole (liould be kept fiiut ; or only, if thought ne- 

 ceifary, fome of the upper fafhes drawn down a little way 

 at top, above the reach of the wind rufliing immediately 

 i.pon the plants: likewife, in all frolty weather,] the houfe 

 ihould be kept clofe, except the froft is moderate, and the 

 middle of the day funny and warm, when fome of the win- 

 dows may be opened a little, but (hut clofe again if the 

 liin is clouded, and at any rate before the air changes cold : 

 in fevere weather, the (hatters, &c. (hould be (lint every 

 '.light, alfo, occafionally when the froft is exti-emely rigo- 

 rous and no fun ; and likewife, in fuch weather, the aflift- 

 ;i;ice of fire-heat as liereatler directed may be neceflliry. 

 As the fpring approaches, and the weather grows warmer, 

 enlarge the portion of air accordingly, admitting it alfo 

 both earlier in a morning and later in the evening as the 

 • lays lengthen ; for then the plants will alTume a growing 

 -late, and a confiderable porcion of air is requifite every 

 mild day, both to ftrengthen the new fiioots and inure the 

 plants by degrees to the air againft the time for removing 

 then\ fully into it again for the funimer.feafon. 



And watering will alfo be necelTary to moft of the forts, 

 but muft be aiiorded them as fparingly as poffible during 

 the winter months, and fcarcely any (liould be given when 

 I he houfe is obliged to be fliut clofe through the feverity of 

 the weather : there are no certain rules to be given, for the 

 i.pplication of tliis ; fome plants require only a little water 

 once a week, or ten or twelve days in mild weather, fuch 

 as the orange and lemon trees, myrtles, oleanders, (hrubby- 

 goraniums, and other woody kinds ; all that is nece'iary being 

 juft to preferve the earth very moderately moift ; the pots 

 and tubs muil therefore be examined witli proper attention, 

 r.nd vrater given to fuch only as are in want. The her- 

 b;'.ceous kinds ihould be rather more fparingly watered tlian 

 the (hrubby iorts ;. and all the fucculent tribe have water 

 but feldom, fome not ofiener than once a fortnight or three 

 weeks, and that always but very fjiaringly at each time ; 

 :iild fome that are very fucculent require but very little from 

 November till March ; indeed all the fucculents (liould only 

 have it novi' and then at this fealon, when the earth in the 

 pots becomes very dry and hard. 



In executing the bufinefs of watering in general, care 

 fliould be particularly taken to do it with great moderation 



at the time the plants are in tlie green-houfe, as when voir 

 once over-wet tiie earth at this leafon, it will continue in 

 that ftate for a long time, and by chilling the tender fibres 

 of the roots of the plants, often caufe the lofs of the leaves 

 of many of them, and even the death of fome kinds. In 

 a funny day, from about eleven o'clock to two, is the moft 

 proper lime for having this fort of work done. 



Soft water, if poffible, (hould be iifed, or at leaft fucli . 

 as had been expofed to the air two cr three days, as frc-fli ' 

 fpring water is much too cold : and during frolty weather 

 great attention is requifite to keep ail the windows clofe, 

 night and day, unlefs when very moderate, as jull obferved. 

 and the middle of the day is funny and warm. ; when fome 

 part of the houfe m?y be opened a little for two or three 

 hours, having particular regard to (hutting all clofe in due 

 time in the afternoon, before the air changes to become 

 fliarply cold : but in very fevere frofts it mufl be kept clofe 

 night and day, and the (butters or other covt-rs of canvafs 

 or mats be alfo ufed every night ; alfo, occafionally in the 

 day time, when the weather is intenfely fevere, and no fun 

 appears, and there are no flues for fires to keep out the- 

 froft. The (butters, or other (belters, befides the glades,, 

 (hould however be ufed as little as poffible in the day-time,, 

 except in cafes of particular neceflitv, as every opportunity- 

 ought to be taken for the admilfion of light and frefii air, 

 as much, as the temperature of the weatiier will pofTibly 

 admit, as m.oft of the plants only want protedion from fro It 

 and the common (lielter of the houfe, which, with fliutting 

 the faili?s clofe every night, \\'ill be fufHcient for tlie pur- 

 pofe. 



In cafes where there are flues for fires, it will be advife- 

 able to make moderate ones at fuch times as the froft cannot 

 be otherwife kept out, efpecially on niglits ; but this muft bv 

 no means be continued longer than is neceflary to guard 

 againft very fevere frolls and the danger of the plants. 



In very cold, foggy, damp weather, a moderate fire now 

 and then in the flues alio proves very beneficial in exfelling 

 the damp unwholefome vapours, fo pernicious to all plants 

 of this nature. Whillt the plants are in the houfe, all de- 

 cayed leaves, &c. ihould likewife be conftantly picked off, 

 being neceffary both to preferve the beauty and health of' 

 the plants. The decayed leaves of the fucculent kinds 

 (hould be cut off clofe with a Iharp knife ; the plants in 

 general ftiould likewife be occafionally cleaned from any 

 filth they may contraA in the houfe, fuch as duft, cob- 

 webs, &c. 



General Melhsd of Culture of the plants. — Tliefe forts of 

 plants generally want Ihifting into larger pots and ■ fre(h 

 earth as they advance in growth ; fuch as are fail growers, 

 as fome of the (hrubby geraniums, &c. annually, or everv 

 other year ; and fome plants in large pots, S:c. once in two 

 or three years, and others not fo often, efpecially fome lar;-^ 

 grown American aloes, orange and lemon-trees, and thole 

 in large tubs, having a confiderable fubftance of e.irth about 

 the roots. Sometimes thefe and other (imilai- kinds, whea. 

 not convenient to ftiift them, have the top earth, and a little 

 down round the (ides, loofened to fome moderate depth in: 

 the fpring, removing the loofened foil, and filling the fpnce 

 up with frelh compoft. But as the plants in genenil in- 

 creale eonfiderably in proportion to their nature of growth, 

 (lufting into larger pots or tubs, with fome frelh earth, 

 fliould not be omitted occafionally »s it may ftem necc(rir\-, 

 as it proves beneficial to moll of the forts. They may moll 

 of them be fliiftcd with the ball of earth about their roots- 

 entire ; but others, that are weak and fickly, require ihift- 

 ing into entire trclh earth prepared for the purpole. 



The moft proper time for fltifting all the forts is in April,. 



