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THE SOUTHEKN PLANTER. 



As greenhouse plants differ materially from 

 each other in habits, so also the soil suitable 

 for them must vary in proportion. For a gen- 

 eral idea on the subject, the following, with 

 some few exceptions, will probably be found 

 pretty near the mark : s 



All plants whose branches are fragile, and 

 roots of a fine thready fibrous texture, with 

 general habits like Erica, as Diosma, Ander- 

 sonia, Epacris, etc., will require the same soil 

 (peat earth,) and very similar treatment to 

 Cape Heaths. 



Those whose wood and general habits par- 

 tially differ, and whose roots are of a stronger 

 texture, as Accacia, Ardisia, Slc?iocarpus, 

 etc., will require a portion of sandy loam — in 

 many cases about equal parts ; and where the 

 habits, etc. differ materially from the heath, 

 only a small portion of peat earth will be re- 

 quired, and the compost maybe made a little 

 rich by the addition of well rotted dung. 



Almost all Cape and other bulbs, as Spar- 

 axis', etc., thrive best in a mixture of light 

 rich sandy loam, leaf-mold, and a. little peat. 

 Shrubby and herbaceous plants, with luxuriant 

 roots and branches, as Myrtus, etc., require 

 rich loam, lightened with leaf-mold. Plants 

 with powerful roots and but slender heads, as 

 'Veronica, Senecio, etc., require a light sandy 

 soil, mixed with a small portion of leaf-mold 

 and very rotten dung. 



Never pot the plants in a soil too wet : it is 

 better to keep the soil rather dry than other- 

 wise. Nor ever sift the soil, but chop and 

 break it as fine as possible, because sifting de- 

 prives it of the fibrous particles, among which 

 the roots grow very rapidly. Always in pot- 

 ting give a good drainage with broken pots. 

 ' In the beginning of June the plants may 

 ,be removed to their summer station^ out of 

 doors. Always place them in an aspect screened 

 from the effects of the mid-day sum but yet 

 •where they will be able to receive the sun mor- 

 ning and evening ; while in this situation they 

 must be supplied with water as often as they 

 require it. 



In the beginning of September again exam- 

 ine them throughout, and pot all that require 

 it', and top-dress the remainder ; by no means 

 let this be done later than the middle of Sep- 

 tember, or the plants will not have time to re- 

 cover before winter. 



Not later than the first week in October, 

 prepare to remove them back into the green- 

 house. Clean and properly tie them up, pre- 

 vious to setting them on the stage. 



After they are removed again to the house, 

 give them abundance of air, day and night, and 

 continue gradually to decrease it as the wea- 

 ther becomes colder, 



Propagation. — The propagation of green 

 house plants must be performed at different, 

 times of the year, according to the nature and 

 habits of the plants, and the state of growth 

 in which the cuttings will strike with the great- 

 est freedom. 



Some grow the best when the wood is quite 

 young and tender, as Fuchsia, A?idcrso?iia , 

 Adenandra, etc.; others when it begins to as- 

 sume a brownish color, called half ripened, as 

 Heliotr opium, Goodcneia, Pimelia, etc.; and 

 others when it has become quite hard and 

 ripe, as Arauceiria, Aida?c, Melaleuca, etc. — 

 Bait as a general rule, half-ripened cuttings 

 will do the best. Some plants, however, will 

 not grow from cuttings of the stem at all ; 

 these are propagated by cutting off large pieces 

 of the roots, planting them in pots of soil, 

 and plunging them in a little bottom heat, as 

 some species of Accacia, etc. 



All hard-wooded plants make roots best in 

 clear sand, but soft-wooded kinds should be 

 planted in a mixture of loam ; therefore after 

 well draining the pots or pans intended to re- 

 ceive the cuttings, fill them, according to the 

 nature o*f the plants to be propagated. On 

 no account plant soft-wooded and hard-wooded 



cuttings in the same pot. 



-eadily without a 



Plunge the pots in a cu- 



Some sorts will 

 little bottom heat. 



cumber frame, or pit of any kind, where they 

 will receive the benefit of warmth. 



After putting in the cuttings, give them a 

 gentle sprinkling of water through a fine rose ; 

 keep the frame as closely shut down as can be 

 until the cuttings are struck, which will be in 

 about three weeks or a month, with some few 

 exceptions. Look them over, and water as 

 often as they require it. 



Those sorts requiring to be covered with 

 bell or hand glasses will require to have the 

 glasses taken off occasionally and wiped, to 

 prevent the cuttings from being injured by 

 damp. 



When the cuttings have struck root and are 

 beginning to grow, then pot them in small pots 

 filled with soil suitable to their nature ; replace 

 them for a while in the frame, and gradually 

 expose them to the air, until they bear the tem- 

 perature and treatment of the other plants in 

 thejxeenhouse. 



ctdw the seed of greenhouse plants in pans 

 or pots filled with a light soil, as early in the 

 spring as possible ; place the pots in a very- 

 gentle heat, keep the soil damp by covering with 

 moss, and occasionally sprinkling with water ; 

 and when they are about an inch high s .$)ot 

 them off into small-sized pots, and treat them 

 in the same manner as cuttings,-— Floricidtu 

 ml Cabinet. 



