GREEN-HOUSE PLANTS. 



315 



season, on newly- worked ground. Otherwise next 

 spring, when growth should be in progress, they will 

 be found to have become unduly buried in the soil, 

 and deep planting is always adverse to nature's 

 teachings and proper progress in the matter of 

 excellence of growth and produce. In favourable 

 localities, sowings of Peas and Broad Beans may be 

 made during a mild period, both in instances where 

 November sowings were honoured in the observance 

 and otherwise. 



Should late rows of Celery require more earth 

 added to the mounds, take care to do so during dry 

 weather. As one row of Celery is used up, give 

 attention to the closing of the soil around the apices 

 of the leaves of succeeding ones, in such manner as 

 to deter the air from entering, to insure perfect 

 blanching of the produce. This simple operation 

 should be done generally about three weeks before 

 each row is actually required for use. During very 

 severe weather, it is well to place a layer of light 

 litter, such as Bracken Fern or light straw, along the 

 sides and over the foliage of each row. Without 

 such a slight protection severe frosts often penetrate 

 down to the crop, and injure if not destroy it. 



Even during this month, should a fine dry period 

 exist, it will be excellent practice to lightly hoe 

 amongst beds of Spinach, Lettuce, Endive, Parsley, 

 &c. The very process of stirring the soil proves an 

 incentive to enduring plant- vigour. Take up, pot, 

 and place roots of Mint and Tarragon in heat. 

 Make sowings of dwarf French Beans, sow small 

 salading ; place light coverings of straw litter, or 

 straw hurdles, &c., over young Eadishes. Take up 

 Parsnips, Horse-radish, &c., when severe frosts are 

 anticipated. Extend and renew the fermenting 

 materials upon Rhubarb and Sea-kale, or take np 

 more stools and place in position for forcing, so as to 

 insure constant supplies. 



Grive attention weekly to Snow's, Walcheren, and 

 similar tender crops hearting in. Spawn Mushroom 

 beds, making up others to follow, and collect ma- 

 terials for further successions. Look through 

 frames of Lettuces and Endives. Renew the bed, as 

 it becomes exhausted from the largest plants, taken 

 up carefully from the contingent still without- doors. 



Following any decided change in the weather, 

 especially if it be a severe frost, the general out-door 

 crops will need looking through, for the removal of 

 dead plants or decaying leaves. Make up vacancies 

 in the autumn-planted Cabbage-beds. Place pro- 

 tection over Cauliflowers in frames, &c., should very 

 severe weather exist. Keep Spinach picked, an 

 operation which benefits the plants when properly 

 performed, the larger and more succulent leaves only 

 being carefully removed. Again look over all vege- 

 table stores ; sort Potatoes, placing those intended 



for seeds, or " sets," in a cool airy place, and as 

 thinly together as possible. 



Carefully give air to house-grown Cucumbers, on 

 all favourable occasions. Keep up a good heat of 

 about 75° by day with lO'* less by night, and a 

 nice atmospheric moisture to counteract its drying 

 influences. Should mildew appear upon the leaves, 

 slightly dust with flowers of sulphur ; give careful 

 attention to deep root- watering, in accordance with 

 the system of artificial bottom heat employed. 



Finally, push forward all ground work ; but do 

 not wheel and tread upon ground during very wet 

 weather ; choose moderately dry weather for all 

 such work. There is a proper time and condition for 

 even trivial operations, and soil once puddled into 

 semi-mud is ruined, or injured, for at least a whole 

 season. 



GREEN-HOUSE PLANTS. 



By William Hugh Gowee, 



Myrsiphyllum {M. asparagoides) is an elegant 

 scandent plant belonging to the Lilyworts, and nearly 

 allied to the genus Asparagus, of which there are 

 several very beautiful species now introduced ; but 

 as they require more heat than is afforded by an 

 ordinary green-house, they must be left for the 

 stove-plant section. The present plant even likes a 

 little extra comfort in winter, so that it will be ad- 

 visable to place it in a snug corner. It is a slender- 

 growing plant, with much-branched zigzag branches ; 

 the so-called leaves, which are in reality modified 

 branches, and assume the appearance of leaves, are 

 ovate-lanceolate, and taper to a point, bright green 

 above, paler below ; the flowers are small, but pro- 

 duced very freely, purest white, and very fragrant. 

 The branches of Myrsiphyllum are admirably adapted 

 for dinner-table decoration, or, when in bloom, for 

 the embellishment of a lady's hair, whilst as a rafter 

 plant it has few equals. There is a variety called 

 M. angtistifolium, but it is scarcely any different ; 

 another plant, named M. falcatum, does appear some- 

 what distinct, especially in its blooms. 



It flowers all through the winter months, and 

 seems to be widely scattered about Africa round the 

 Cape of Good Hope. 



Myrtus. — The Myrtle has always been popular 

 with gardeners and amateur plant-growers ; indeed, 

 the " old lady " population of these realms have 

 always had a peculiar penchant for a Myrtle-bush 

 in the window. Ropart says they were first culti- 

 vated in the gardens of Sir Francis Carew, at Bed- 

 dington, in Surrey. 



The order Myrtaccce is a large one, and contains 



