ITS MANAGEMENT AND UTILITY. 



267 



middle or at either of the ends, as at c. Such an arrangement would be 

 very complete, and is undoubtedly the most economical stmcture that can 

 be erected for the cultivation of greenhouse exotics. 



With such materials as these, most of the plants usually found in our 

 greenhouses may be safely kept during the winter, and indeed many of 

 them much better. The management of such pits is of the simplest 

 kind possible, and may be stated briefly as follows : — Admit as much air 

 as possible at all times by removing the lights entirely during the day 

 when the weather is dry and mild, and by propping them up both in 

 front and at the back when it is cold or rainy. Allow the plants suffi- 

 cient room to grow, that is, place them so that they do not touch each 

 other. "Remove decayed leaves as they appear, and all other matters 

 likely to generate damp or rottenness. Give no more water during winter 

 than enough to keep the plants in good health, and spill as little of it as 

 possible in the pit during the period when it is much shut up. Cover 

 carefully in time of frost early in the afternoon, and uncover as early in 

 the morning as can be done prudently. Frequently examine the plants, 

 and change their position two or three times between November and 

 March. Keep the pots plunged in scoria or ashes, or similar non-con- 

 ductors, to prevent the roots of the plants from being frozen. 



Such pits, and even ones of less sohdity, as well as Common garden 

 frames, are much used by the best commercial cultivators, who find great 

 advantage from their use ; we only wonder that they are not much more 

 generally used in private gardens, particularly in those of amateurs. Of 

 course such pits are used chiefly for small and low-growing plants, 

 that is, from two feet in height to two or three inches. It is, however, 

 to be recollected that many hundreds of plants in the best state of culti- 

 vation are under the above height. Thus the greater part of the beautiful 

 and never-fading family of Erica, Pelargonium, most bulbous-rooted 

 plants, most herbaceous greenhouse plants, and many others, are of this 

 description. The Messrs. Rollinsons, of Tooting, who have been long 

 celebrated for their successful cultivation of heaths, use pits and frames 

 to winter them in : Henderson, of Pine Apple Place, one of the first plant 

 cultivators round London, cultivates thousands of plarts by the same 

 means ; and in pits simply constructed of old boarding, with earth banked 

 round them, the Messrs. Loddiges now keep a very considerable por- 

 tion of their immense stock of greenhouse plants, as do many others 

 of the most extensive London cultivators. We state these instances with 

 the view to give confidence to those who are fond of plants and cannot 



