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3DECEMBES—SIBST WEEK. 



DECEMBER. 



FIEST WEEK. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Every endeavour should now be made to keep these 

 houses as gay as possible. Fire-heat to be applied occa- 

 sionally during dull, dark, or rainy weather, taking care 

 not to raise the temperature too high — say greenhouse 

 from 50° to 55° by day and from 40° to 45° by night ; 

 conservatory 60° by day and 50° by night. Chrysanthe- 

 mums to be removed as soon as they get shabby, to be 

 succeeded by early Camellias. The Euphorbia jacquini- 

 flora is well worthy of attention now ; it requires but a 

 very moderate allowance of water at this season, as 

 the least saturation or interference with the root action 

 will cause the leaves to turn yellow while the plant is in 

 flower. Poinsettia pulcherrima is also worthy of parti- 

 cular attention as a noble ornamental flower at thi3 

 season. The old Plumbago Gapensis and rosea still 

 retain their places amongst our best plants at this 

 season. Acacias and Cytisuses, being yellow and showy, 

 give, with the other flowers, a variety of colours to beau- 

 tify the whole. Gesnera zebrina should not be forgotten ; 

 the elegant markings of the leaves contribute to enhance 

 the beauty of this beautiful winter flower. 



Heaths. — As lire-heat is generally injurious to this 

 tribe of plants it is advisable to be very cautious in its 

 application. They can bear a good deal of cold and some 

 degrees of frost without sustaining any very serious 

 injury ; but they cannot bear the drying influence of 

 fire-heat without serious damage to their foliage, and 

 which is very frequently death to the plants. They will 

 require but very little water, especially the large speci- 

 mens, which should be very particularly examined as to 

 their state of dryness or otherwise, as a guide to the 



