MANAGEMENT OF GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 77 



OBSERVATIONS 



ON THE 



GENERAL MANAGEMENT OP GREENHOUSE 

 PLANTS. 



Having already exceeded my limits, I am compelled 

 to be brief in my observations on such ornamental 

 plants as are generally cultivated in hot and green- 

 houses. This description of plants embraces those 

 which are collected from various climates, and thrive 

 best in a temperature and soil similar to that in which 

 nature first produced them : hence they who propagate 

 exotic plants, must provide suitable composts, and also 

 separate departments, where the different degrees of 

 heat may be kept up, according to their nature and 

 description. Some of these are raised from seed sown 

 in the spring, others by layers, suckers, and offsets 

 detached from the old plants, and many by slips and 

 cuttings, planted at different seasons of the year, ac- 

 cording to their varied natures, and state of the plants. 

 Many kinds require the aid of glass coverings and 

 bottom heat, created by fresh horse dung, tan, &c. 



Were I to attempt to give directions for the propa - 

 gation of all the varieties of useful and ornamental 

 exotic plants cultivated in various parts of our country, 

 it would require an entire volume. The catalogue of 

 greenhouse plants alone kept by the enterprising pro- 

 prietor of the Linnean Botanic Garden at Flushing, 

 occupies fifty pages of close matter ; it would, there- 

 fore, be impossible to do justice to the subject, without 



