Feb.] GREEN-IIOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 1013 



quantities, still however by no means too liberally; as, altliough 

 this very nece&sary stimulus is indispensable to them at this 

 period, a superabundance of it would be extremely injurious, 

 and would not only, as it were, cloy them, but also keep their 

 roots in a state unfavorable for affording the necessary food for 

 the growth of the plant. Those that as yet show little or no 

 signs of vegetation, should be, as recommended last month, 

 kept rather dry, at all events till towards the end of this, or the 

 beginning of next month. 



GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF GREEN-IIOUSE AND 

 CONSERVATORY PLANTS. 



These plants w^ill require to be often looked over, and ail 

 decayed leaves and branches cut or picked off as they occur. 

 The surface of the pots in the former, and that of the bed in 

 the latter, will require to be often stirred up to prevent the 

 growth of moss, as well as to prevent the generation of damp. 

 Supporting the plants where they stand in need of it, and turn- 

 ing those which are portable in the latter, and all of those in 

 the former, is an indispensable trait in their culture at this 

 season ; for, if left long in the same position, the sides which 

 are the most shaded, or farthest from the light, will become 

 naked and leafless, and ultimately render them very unsightly. 



In the progress of this v/ork v/e have frequently noticed the 

 erroneous practice of what may be termed a general shifting or 

 repotting of plants ; nothing can be worse in practice, particu- 

 larly in the cultivation of tender exotics. All plants do not 

 begin to vegetate at the same time, nor do they all alike de- 

 compose the food supplied them at their roots. Some rapid 

 growing species will exhaust the mould in the pots in a few 

 weeks, while others that grow less luxuriantly will subsist for 

 several years upon the same body of mould. These things 

 being taken into consideration, the repotting should be regu- 

 lated accordingly. Some plants will now be beginning to ve- 

 getate, and therefore they should be examined ; and, if in 

 need of larger pots, or even of fresli mould in the same sized 

 pots, which is often necessary, as it is always desirable to have 

 plants in as small pots as possible, they should be attended to at 



