926 



PRACTICE OF GARDENING. 



Part III. 



of water necessary to be used in these operations, should occasion the earth to become over-wet, in 

 those pots particularly which are plunged in the bark-bed, the syringing must be omitted, and use made 

 of the steam only, until they again become reasonably dry. Neither should it be performed when the 

 sun acts freely upon the plants, lest their leaves become in consequence disfigured. For the water forms 

 itself into little spherules, the surfaces of which collect the rays of the sun in a grpater or less degree 

 according to their convexity j and thereby the leaves are disfigured by being burned in the focus of each 

 spherule. 



6700. Summer treatment. As the season advances, it will become necessary to ad- 

 mit a reasonable portion of air on all fine sunny days ; and also to decrease the strength 

 of the fires at night : but in these particulars, the only criterion to be guided by, are exr 

 perience and observations on the weather, the variations in which render it utterly im- 

 possible to lay down any certain rule to act by, further than the admonitions of the ther- 

 mometer ; observing to keep it pretty near to sixty degrees. About the beginning or 

 middle of May at farthest, fires may be omitted entirely ; as the natural heat of the sea- 

 son united to that of the bark-bed, will in general be found sufficient to keep the mer- 

 cury up to the above-mentioned point. 



6701. Towards the latter end of June, the plants by this treatment will generally be in a very luxuriant 

 free state of growth ; it will be therefore requisite to raise the pots quite out of the tan-bed, to check and 

 harden them a little, so as to be able to bear the air of the green-house for a few weeks, which will be 

 of considerable advantage to them the ensuing winter. Should any of them remain of a sickly appear- 

 ance, (and that a few may be in that state, in large collections, must be reasonably expected,) or any 

 particular tender sorts among them, they must be removed to a separate house, as already hinted, v/here 

 the tan being previously forked up, and othenvise properly prepared for their reception, they must be 

 immediately rcplunged : if no such house is convenient, a large deep hot-bed frame, set on a good bed 

 of well-prepared dung, will answer nearly as well for this purpose ; having nine or ten inches of rotten 

 tan or sawdust spread regularly over the bed within the frame, in which the pots are to be plunged. 



6702. When the bed has been gut ready, a few days should elapse before the plants are set in it, that 

 the steam and violent heat may have sufficient time to evaporate. At the expiration of five or six days, 

 however, the plants in their pots maybe set on the surface; where they should remain a little time 

 longer without being plunged; but particular care .is necessary that the frame at this time may not be 

 kept too close, which would occasion the heat to ascend more rapidly than the plants could well bear; 

 to avoid this, give plenty of air in tlie daytime, and also a little at night, with a mat hung before it to 

 prevent the sharp air entering into the frame. When the heat of the bed has attained a proper tem- 

 perature, so that there may be no danger of the roots being burned or otherwise injured, let the plants 

 be plunged, and afterwards treated in the same manner as if they were still in the hot-house : only ob- 

 serving to keep those that are in a weak state rather dry; as nothing can be more injurious to a sickly 

 plant than too much moisture, by reason of its inabihty to imbibe the usual quantity through want of 

 vigor. The plants which remain, intended to be set in the green-house, must now have a considerable 

 increase of fresh air on all fine days ; and also (the pots being quite out of the tan) they will require a 

 greater portion of water than has been usually given them when plunged. 



6703. As soon as the weather becomes settled, and the night perfectly free from all chilliness and frost, 

 which is seldom much before the middle of July, the plants may with safety be removed from the sfove 

 to the green-house ; and set regularly on the benches lately occupied by the green-house plants ; which 

 they will ornament very much, during the time the latter are set in clumps in the open air. The stove 

 may in this interval be furnished with a few of each of the diflferent tender annuals, to give it some- 

 thing of a gay lively appearance. They will likewise in some measure serve as a kind of natural trap 

 for the spider, &c. ; as they will, should there be any of them left in the house, immediately attack the 

 soft tender leaves of these plants, in which case, as soon as they are observed to be collected in force 

 upon any individual plant, it should be removed to the open air, without loss of time, and another sub- 

 stituted in its room; this practice will contribute towards subduing this formidable enemy, so that, 

 combined with other exertions, by the time it becomes necessary to have the hot-house plants reinstated 

 in the bark-bed, the house should be pretty free from them. These being now in the green-house, will 

 require a little attention to preserve their verdure, such as keeping the glasses close at night and ad- 

 mitting air only on fine days ; thus to exclude any chilling or strong winds that may happen to prevail, 

 which would occasion the leaves to contract a languid yellowish appearance ; however, in course of a 

 week or ten days, they will be able to withstand any weather that may in reason be expected at this 

 season ; unless it happens to be unusually violent, in which case it must be guarded against accordingly. 



6704. The removal of insects, weeds, and dead leaves is the principal care they will require now for 

 about a month or so, also casually tying up any that may want it, and watering ; in which last article, 

 it must be observed, that as they now stand upon dry boards, and the air acting freely on every side of 

 the pot, they must consequently be allowed an increase of water, to counterbalance its effect. The even- 

 ing is the most proper time for watering at this season, as well as syringing, particularly when dry and 

 warm ; for if administered in the morning, the rising heat of the sun exhales it, before it has time to de- 

 scend to the lower roots ; and unless replenished frequently in course of the succeeding day, they are 

 liable to much injury, by being left in an exhausted state until the following morning, and which, it is 

 probable, may not prove more fortunate ; whereas, if administered in the evening, it refreshes them 

 after the preceding day's drought, and having sufficient time to penetrate to the roots, they have the 

 night to recruit themselves against the following day. Besides, in syringing, there is much more dan- 

 ger of having the leaves scorched by the sun's rays, if done in the morning, than if done as here recom- 

 mended : but as either extreme is dangerous, care must be taken to use no more water than is evidently 

 necessary for the health of the plants : for if used to that degree that the earth becomes sour and de- 

 prived of its vegetative powers, the consequences may be rather unpleasant. 



6705. By thus setting the plants in the green-house, it tends to prevent the increase of insects; also 

 their too luxuriant growth during the summer m.onths ; and by hardening and ripening the wood, ren- 

 ders them strong and firm, and therefore more likely to bloom ; which is, in these ornamental plants, 

 the principal object of the cultivator, besides that they are not so liable to be injured by the severities 

 of the succeeding winter. 



6706. Autumn treatment. Towards the latter end of August the natural heat of 

 the atmosphere will be on the decline ; therefore, except on particular fine days, when a 

 small portion of air may be given, the lights must be kept perfectly close ; but more 

 especially so at night : as we have frequently at this season heavy chilling dews, and are 

 also often sui"prised with unexpected showers of rain or hail ; to admit either of which 

 might be very injurious to the plants ; however, by shutting up the house before the sun 

 has withdrawn its influence entirely from it, and thereby warming the enclosed air, they 

 may safely «tand here some days longer. 



