MANAGEMENT OF GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 81 



being soddened in water, than from being kept mode- 

 rately dry. Having before intimated that exotic plants 

 will generally thrive best in a temperature and soil 

 similar to that in which nature first produced them, it 

 may be necessary to remind the reader, that we have 

 the means of attaining suitable composts from our own 

 soils, and from sand, decayed leaves, rotten dung, 

 and various kinds of peat, bog, and rock mould ; these 

 ingredients being judiciously mixed and prepared, 

 may be suited to all the various kinds of plants, and 

 should be used as occasion requires. As the roots of 

 plants make considerable growth in the course of a 

 summer, it will be necessary to examine them by 

 turning them out of the pots ; this may be done early 

 in September, at which time all matted and decayed 

 roots should be pared off, and the plants shifted into 

 larger pots, which being filled with suitable compost, 

 and watered, will be ready to be removed into the 

 house on the approach of cold nights, which is gene- 

 rally early in October. 



Green-house plants require an annual pruning, and 

 should be occasionally headed down, in order that 

 their size and appearance may be improved ; the best 

 time for doing this is soon after they have done flow- 

 ering, and while they are in a growing state. Having 

 endeavoured to furnish my readers with the artificial 

 means of preserving tender plants in a climate foreign 

 to that which nature has provided for them, I shall 

 call their attention to another class of plants well cal- 

 culated for the windows of a house. 



I allude to the many beautiful varieties of the Chi- 



