152 



CASSELL'S POPULAE GARDENING. 



down to the drainage really require a good supply 

 of this important element. Practised growers can 

 tell hy the appearance of the plants when water is 

 needed, and the unskilled can easily ascertain for 

 themselves by an examination of the soil, and the 

 ring of the pots — if dull and heavy, they may he 

 considered wet enough ; if sharp and hollow, water 

 will do no harm, although they may not be suffering. 

 If proAdsion has been made for storing soft water, 

 this will be found the best for watering and swinging 

 with. The temperature should not be below 80^ 

 when it is applied, and the quantity, it is hardly 

 necessary to repeat, should be sufficient to permeate 

 every part of the balls of the plants to which it is 

 given. 



Summer Treatment. — By the end of April 



^ the steadily-maintained bottom heat of 80°, com- 

 biued with the stimulus produced by the supply of 

 tepid water in the early part of the month, will have 

 started the plants into good growth. The stems 

 will now begin to swell out, and the dark green 

 leaves, by taking their natural mode of growth, and 

 spreading themselves out in every direction, so as to 

 secure the greatest amount of light, will soon show 

 that the space of two feet allotted to each plant, 

 while giving them plenty of room, is by no means 

 extravagant. If the weather is fine and mild the 

 temperature may bo gradually raised to 70° as the 

 mean for the night, or, properly speaking, the morn- 

 ing, as after bright, sunny afternoons, when a goodly 

 amount of sun-heat can be shut in, the house may 

 stand about 75"^ at banking-time, and gradually fall 

 to 70*^ at daylight. A little night aii-, admitted 

 through the front sliding ventilators placed opposite 

 the hot- water pipes, will do good service in keeping 

 the foliage stout and healthy until the days increase 

 in length and brightness, when this danger, as the 

 necessity for sharp firing decreases, will be reduced 

 to a minimum. 



As sun-heat and daylight increase, so must the 

 amount of atmospheric moisture, by keeping the 

 evaporating-pans full of water, and damping the 

 walls, paths, and surface of the bed at intervals 

 during the day. Overhead syringing at this early 

 season need not be frequent, otherwise the water 

 which finds its way into the axils of the leaves will 

 descend to the surface roots, and more than coimteract 

 the good it is expected to produce. An occasional 

 dewing over, however, with a very fine sji'inge, which 

 will deposit the water in the form of spray, after 

 the house is closed with strong heat, will be bene- 

 ficial; for, while cleansing the foliage, it will soon 

 be absorbed by the atmosphere, and so produce con- 

 ditions in which the Pine makes the most satisfactory 

 progress. 



Strong fire-heat, at all times objectionable, must 

 be reduced as much as possible by every means 

 ^-ithin the cultivator's reach consistent with the 

 maintenance of the proper day and night temperature. 

 The former can be considerably increased by giving 

 a chink of air at the apex as soon as the sun begins 

 to play upon the glass, by gradually increasing it 

 until the highest point, 85'', is reached, and by shut- 

 ing up very early in the afternoon, with the prospect 

 of the confined solar heat raising it to 90°, or a few 

 degrees more. As a matter of course, the house will 

 be immediately sjiinged to coimteract the di'awing- 

 influence which would otherwise be produced. To 

 husband the heat so enclosed, the blinds should be 

 let down when night air is given, and drawn up 

 again when it is shut off in the morning. With 

 many Pine-growers who have an abundance of hot- 

 water power at their command, this important matter 

 does not receive the attention it deserves; indeed, 

 some disregard night-shadmg altogether; but let 

 them try the expeiiment with two houses in every 

 respect alike as to heating and aspect, and they ■wdll 

 soon find that the consumption of fuel is considerably 

 reduced, while the warmth and steady humidity of 

 the interior are preserved beyond theii' expectations. 

 Ail admit that gi-owing Pines must have a plentiful 

 supply of moistm-e ; that this, as well as heat, escapes 

 more rapidly on bright moonhght nights than when 

 the sky is overcast and cloudy ; and, further, that the 

 cold glass is a rapid condenser; therefore, if the 

 glass could be kept as warm as the interior of the 

 house, no heat would escape ; but as this cannot be 

 more than partially attained, good non-conducting 

 shading through the night will be found an invaluable 

 boon to the Pine-grower. 



By the middle of May the roots will have found 

 their way to the crocks and sides of the pots, and 

 under the influence of the great amount of sun-heat 

 which can now be shut in, growth will be very 

 marked and rapid. This will, of course, necessitate 

 more frequent attention to syringing and watering, 

 or rather to the production of more atmospheric mois- 

 tiire by damping the walls and paths, and dewing 

 the plants overhead occasionally, to keep the foliage 

 clean and fresh. Every plant should be examined 

 once a week, and if the soil appears djy some two 

 or three inches from the surface, water, tinged with 

 guano, may be given in quantity sufficient to reach 

 the drainage ; but the requirements of individual 

 plants being doubtful, they may be allowed to stand 

 over imtil the following week, as the moistui'e given 

 to coimteract sharp fire-heat through the night, and 

 the long period through which they are kept in a 

 humid, feeding atmosphere after closing for the day, 

 prevent the waste one might imagine : hence the 

 importance of keeping the roots well in hand, and, 



