298 



THE MOIST STOVE. 



but cold and frosty air carefully excluded, for a very limited quantity is 

 sufficient for tropical plants during their period of repose, and nearly 

 that quantity will find its way into the house through the interstices of 

 the glass and other small openings. The fires should be made in the Dr\' 

 Stove so as to keep the thermometer at sixty or sixty-five degrees, the 

 latter, if the collection contains many very rare plants. The temperature of 

 the Humid Stove by fire heat may range from fifty-two to sixty or srxty- 

 two degrees. This is a matter, although much insisted on by some, in our 

 opinion of very little consequence, for where, let us ask, is there a spot 

 under the sun whose temperature is uniform to within the range of two 

 or three degrees ? Water, whether applied to the roots or over the 

 branches, should, during ^^-inter, be rendered tepid before used, as it is 

 equally unnatural and dangerous to apply cold water to plants in a high 

 temperature, and produces consequences somewhat analogous to that of 

 animals while excessively heated drinking or bathing in cold water, as 

 has been elsewhere noticed. When the flues are sufficiently heated, and 

 indeed they ought to be so for short periods occasionally, were it for no 

 other purpose, a fine vapour or steam may be created by pouring water 

 over them. Indeed, the regular steaming of a stove is one of the most 

 important features in its management, and for this purpose it is necessar}^ 

 to throw more heat into the house to create the steam than would be 

 advisable under any other consideration. Steaming tlirough the winter 

 is of less importance than in spring, of which notice will be taken. 



GENERAL TREATMENT OF TROPICAL PLANTS DURING SPRING AND 

 SUMMER. 



Towards the latter end of February, the plants vnll be beginning to 

 show symptoms of vegetation ; this must not be hurried on by the aid of 

 fire heat, but the sun will have sufficient power in fine days to raise the 

 temperature a few degrees. Advantage ought to be taken of such a cir- 

 cumstance to admit a moderate quantity of fresh air, which ^vill be of 

 much importance to the plants, and cause them to send their buds out in 

 a vigorous manner, which all the heat that could be applied to them 

 without the aid of air would not be able to accomplish, but the reverse, 

 and would cause the buds to push weakly and the shoots small, and 

 susceptible of disease and the attacks of insects. 



The temperature of the Dry Stove may be gradually raised, between 

 the middle of February and the middle of April, from sixty to seventy 

 degrees, and that of the Moist Stove in like manner, but four or five degrees 



