Dec] GREEN-HOUSE AWD CONSERVATORY 



1081 



DECEMBER. 



GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF THE GREEN-HOUSE AND 

 CONSERVATORY. 



This is the most gloomy month in the year. All the vege- 

 table part of Nature is, as it were, in a state of rest or sleep. 

 Vegetables, if it may be so expressed, require a season of rest 

 to fit them for their various and important duties, and during 

 this season of inactivity, the roots are acquiring fresh strength, 

 that they may, when excited by proper stimuli, perform their 

 various functions in perfection and with vigour. Some plants 

 may, however, be kept in a gi'owing state during the whole of 

 their lives ; but this is only the case with such as are of veiy 

 limited duration, such as annuals, some biennials, and some 

 perennials : the two latter when artificially excited or stimu- 

 lated. Some plants naturally require a long secession from 

 the offices of life, and remain dormant many months, some 

 more than one year ; and circumstances sometimes occur of 

 the roots of plants, when disturbed, continuing inactive for 

 many years. The seeds of many plants, also, retain their ve- 

 getative properties although buried in the earth for half a 

 century. 



In regard to the plants which occupy the green-house and 

 conservatory, most of them at this season will be almost in- 

 active, they therefore require little stimulus, particularly that 

 of heat and water ; the less of either of them that is applied, 

 during this month, the better we have always found the plants 

 to push forth in the spring. Some few, indeed, are even during 

 this montli naturally in flower, but these can only be con- 

 sidered as not sufficiently weaned from their native habits ; 

 and some others will produce their flowers now that have from 

 «ome cause, either intentionally or accidentally, met with a check, 

 or been altered in their economy during the preceding summer 

 or autumn. It may not be unworthy of notice here, as we 

 believe the circumstance is not generally known, at least we 

 have never heard it advanced, nor have we met with any ac- 



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