714 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



without bottom-heat beyond that of the general 

 temperature of the house, or sometimes upon 

 pavement, under which tanks or gutters of 

 heated water are made to circulate; while others 

 place them on top, or plunge them partially in 

 beds of small stones, heated by means of hot- 

 water pipes. No doubt some tropical plants re- 

 quire the stimulus of a degree of bottom-heat, 

 during their growing season, several degrees 

 above that of the atmosphere their tops are 

 placed in, and all sickly plants do so to bring 

 about a healthy action in them. 



It is well, therefore, to have the means of bot- 

 tom heat at our command, and of these we greatly 

 prefer a bed of small stones or rough gravel, on 

 which to set those plants which do not require 

 such root excitement, or to plunge those less or 

 more that do so. This bed should occupy the 

 centre of the house, and on it the taller and 

 larger plants should be set, the smaller ones 

 being arranged on neat cast - iron ornamental 

 grating tables around the sides and ends next to 

 the glass, as under these the hot-water pipes for 

 heating the atmosphere of the house should also 

 be placed. The heat arising from them through 

 the openings of the grating will keep the roots 

 of the plants somewhat warmer than the general 

 air of the house. The majority of tropical plants, 

 during the commencement of their growth in 

 spring, and also through the whole period of 

 their development during summer, require a 

 slight excitement at their roots, to the extent 

 of placing the roots rather in advance of their 

 branches and leaves. Where a contrary prac- 

 tice is followed, its effects will soon be seen 

 in the sickly and miserable appearance of the 

 plants. The objection to plunging in ferment- 

 ing material is the want of uniformity in tem- 

 perature, the exclusion of air to the roots, and 

 the liability of the soil around them to become 

 sodden and waterlogged, to say nothing of the 

 expense and untidiness of appearance. During 

 winter, and under a diminished amount of light 

 and solar influence, there is possibly no necessity 

 for bottom-heat, unless in peculiar instances, such 

 as that of plants of very difficult culture ; and 

 even with these extreme caution is necessary, 

 that, while the roots are not allowed to suffer 

 from cold, the plants should not be put into a 

 state of excitement until towards spring, when 

 light and sun-heat become their natural con- 

 comitants. 



When such plants are planted out in deep 

 borders under the surface line of the heat of the 

 house, and perchance not very effectually drained 

 below, the roots, instead of being in advance of 

 the foliage, are considerably behind them. This 

 must be guarded against ; and unless such bor- 

 ders are vaulted underneath, and heated, we 

 would say distinctly that no tropical plant 

 should be planted out. Young tropical plants, 

 whether propagated by seed or otherwise, should 

 be forwarded to fit them for being brought into 

 the larger structures, as should also all sickly 

 plants, whether cut down or not ; and this is 

 best effected by placing them in low pits, or in 

 a close propagating house, and plunged into a 

 bottom temperature suitable to their various 

 circumstances. 



Autumn and winter treatment of tropical 

 plants. — Towards the beginning of September 

 ventilation must be gradually lessened, and the 

 house shut up by three o'clock in the afternoon, 

 so as to enclose a sufficiency of solar heat to 

 maintain the temperatare with the least amount 

 of fire-heat ; but fires, from this time forward, 

 supposing them to have been extinguished 

 during the two previous months, should be 

 lighted in the afternoon on all cold or damp 

 foggy days, in particular, if only to the extent of 

 slightly warming the water in the hot-water 

 pipes, increasing it as the days shorten and the 

 nights become colder, to assist in maturing the 

 young wood and buds of the plants, or, in other 

 words, to lengthen out a moderately warm and 

 dry autumn. Growth, however, must not be 

 prolonged, the maturation of the wood and buds 

 being all that is required. Moisture must also 

 be diminished, and the rambling and fast-grow- 

 ing shoots pinched back, unless in cases where 

 the flowers are terminal. At this time, also, a 

 general arrangement of the plants should take 

 place, insects be carefully destroyed, plants re- 

 quiring it pruned of superfluous branches, and 

 neatly tied up. The whole structure should be 

 carefully cleaned, and all repairs required at- 

 tended to, the glass washed clean, and, where 

 practicable, the wood-work and walls, where 

 such exist, coloured white. As November ap- 

 proaches, allow the thermometer to fall gradu- 

 ally to 55° or 60° as a night heat, and from 60° 

 to 65 u as a day temperature, unless there be 

 any very rare plants requiring a higher mini- 

 mum, and these had better be accommodated in 

 a house or pit by themselves during the winter, 

 as any greater heat would be unsuitable to a 

 general collection. Syringing over-head should 

 also be discontinued. 



Too much fire-heat, and too little ventilation, 

 are the stumblingblocks with many amateurs 

 and inexperienced gardeners. The lower the 

 external temperature falls, the higher they keep 

 the internal ; and to aid their heating apparatus 

 in effecting this, they all but hermetically seal 

 the ventilation for the time being. In such 

 an atmosphere as is created by this few plants 

 can exist, much less grow ; and hence it is, that 

 with an imperfect house, an apparatus incapable 

 of heating the house to an extreme degree, and 

 the open laps and fractures in the glass roof to 

 admit fresh supplies of air, plants are able to 

 struggle through a winter, even in defiance of 

 the utmost wish of their owner. A lower tem- 

 perature during the night than during the day, 

 and as free an amount of ventilation as can 

 prudently be given them, with a great diminu- 

 tion of water both at their roots and over their 

 heads, are the principal conditions required for 

 maintaining stove-plants in a healthy condition 

 during the dark months of winter. 



Where stove-plants are required to be in 

 flower during this period, they must for the 

 most part be produced in heated pits or small 

 houses, constructed and managed for the express 

 purpose. There are abundance of plants that 

 will flower at the time naturally, or with very 

 little excitement given them. While these are 

 in flower they may be placed in the general 



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