GREENHOUSE. 



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New Holland or Australian plants, and the 

 latter by those of the Cape of Good Hope, the 

 temperate parts of Mexico, Chili, Peru, &c. 

 For example, the extensive genera of Acacia, 

 Pimelea, Daviesia, Hovea, Dryandria, Banksia, 

 &c., belong to the former, while Pelargonium, 

 Fuchsia, Lophospermum, Merembergia, Poly- 

 gala, Salvia, &c, belong to the latter. The 

 former, for the most part, are capable of with- 

 standing more cold than the latter, and although 

 much longer lived, grow more slowly naturally, 

 and do not admit of the same rapidity of growth 

 which the others do artificially. Indeed, to grow 

 the Pelargonium well, they require even a sepa- 

 rate house or pit for themselves. The first 

 principle in obtaining well-grown plants, is to 

 attend strictly to the formation of a selection 

 consisting only of such as have some near 

 affinity to each other, either in being from the 

 same country, or of somewhat similar habits, and 

 submitting to the same routine of treatment. 

 In some respects, however, their management is 

 the same, and where otherwise it will be noticed. 



Autumn and winter management of greenhouse 

 plants. — Abundance of air must be admitted on 

 all favourable occasions, more especially after 

 those plants which may have been set out of 

 doors for a season have been brought in again, 

 that the transition to them may be the less ex- 

 perienced. All superfluous shoots should be 

 removed from climbing plants trained over the 

 roof or otherwise, so as to obstruct the rays of 

 light as little as possible, as the plants will now 

 require as much air and light as can be given 

 them, to enable them fully to mature their wood 

 and flower buds. Care must nevertheless be 

 taken that the temperature be not lowered too 

 much, else these objects would be completely 

 defeated. Indeed, all climbers should be at 

 this time cut pretty closely in, as their season of 

 flowering will have ceased, so that the pruning 

 necessary to each, according to its habits, may 

 be safely performed. The plants should be all 

 carefully examined, cleared of insects, and such 

 as appear to be defective in drainage, or in 

 want of potting, attended to. This examination 

 can be more conveniently done in the end of 

 September or beginning of October, at which 

 period those which may have been set out of 

 doors, or set in cold pits during summer, are to 

 be again brought in. It has been customary for 

 ages to remove the hardier kinds for about four 

 months annually — that is, during June, July, 

 August, and September — into the open air, 

 placing them in some sheltered situation, yet 

 where they may be freely exposed to the sun. 

 Of the propriety of this there may be doubts. 

 The practice arose, and is no doubt continued, 

 from necessity. This will be referred to in its 

 proper place. A general regulation of the 

 plants should at the same time take place, both 

 of those which have remained in the house, and 

 those which are about to be brought in ; and all 

 necessary pruning and tying up attended to, as 

 it can be better done now than when the house 

 is crowded with plants. The heating apparatus, 

 whatever it may be, should be examined and 

 put in proper working order, so that no accident 

 may occur during winter ; the whole house 

 VOL. II. 



should be most carefully cleansed, and repairs 

 of glass, painting, &c, attended to. As the 

 plants are brought in, they should be carefully 

 examined, to see that drainage is all right, and 

 worms extracted where they exist, which is 

 most effectually and conveniently done by ap- 

 plying a little lime-water in a clarified state to 

 the soil. Every pot should be washed clean, the 

 surface of the soil cleaned or top-dressed where 

 necessary, and the plants arranged so that each 

 may enjoy as full a share of light as its nature 

 requires ; for there are some which will accom- 

 modate themselves to less of that than others, 

 and these, for the most part, are those having 

 large leaves like the camellia and orange, the 

 others having small leaves like the heath, &c. 

 Avoid crowding, which, of all things, is the 

 most to be found fault with in greenhouses, 

 and, indeed, in plant-houses in general ; and 

 rest assured it is far better, and will, in the end, 

 be found more satisfactory, to throw away a 

 dozen of plants than that a dozen and a half 

 should be spoiled from want of sufficient room. 

 In all collections there are, and must be, plants 

 which have become worn out by reason of old 

 age, bad management, &c. ; others attain too 

 large a size for the accommodation afforded them, 

 and not a few are found to flower best while 

 young, while it is the natural habit of others to 

 become tall and straggling, naked of branches, 

 and unfit to support themselves without the aid 

 of props. From amongst these a considerable 

 draft should be made, and this is the time to 

 see to it. It is now a clearly recognised prin- 

 ciple that every individual plant in such struc- 

 tures should be a model specimen in itself, 

 perfect in its habit, abundantly clothed with 

 leaves and branches, alike perfect on all sides, 

 so far as the nature of the plant will admit, 

 standing, as it were, upon its own legs without 

 the aid of crutches. Collections, unless in the 

 case of strictly botanical gardens, are now less 

 cared for than formerly, and even in these we 

 see an evident desire for fine specimens arising. 

 Selections, and those of the most showy and 

 beautiful kinds, are the order of the day, and 

 the high cultivation of these is the standard by 

 which the merits of the cultivator will be judged. 

 The first step towards arriving at this much-to- 

 be-desired end, is, after forming a judicious 

 selection, to keep up a succession of young 

 plants, not starved in thumb-pots as formerly, 

 but grown from the day the cutting or seedling 

 is potted off for the first time with the view of 

 its becoming a perfect specimen; and this is only 

 to be effected by a speedy growth, the plant 

 supplied with plenty of pot and top room, and 

 otherwise stimulated and encouraged. And 

 that it should not, in consequence of these at- 

 tentions, become drawn up and deformed, a 

 regular system of training and modelling, as it 

 were, must be carried on, by stopping the leading 

 shoots, and causing others to form at those points 

 most likely to secure a good foundation upon 

 which to build the future structure of the 

 plant. This will be alluded to more fully after- 

 wards. We refer to it here to show amateurs, 

 in particular, how necessary it is to take courage 

 and fear not, in discarding at this time such 



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