42 ON EXPOSING GREENHOUSE PLANTS IN SUMMER. 
plants. The Hydrangea is one of those plants which will not thrive well, or develop 
its flowers finely, if left to itself; and the slight trouble caused by pruning is too 
insignificant to be noticed. It is known to all who are familiar with the habits of 
the plant, that the extremities of its shoots are always feeble, imperfectly swollen, and 
immature ; while, when in the open ground, these parts are often damaged by cold. 
To prune the shoots therefore, down to a point where they are stronger and more 
robust, is a necessary operation ; otherwise, as their points would first expand their 
buds, and the branches from these would necessarily be sickly, they would likewise 
draw away the nourishment from the more healthy shoots, and thus the whole would 
be brought into a state of debility. 
Pruning so as to leave about three buds below the point of severance, is the best 
direction that can be given ; though the process of disbudding is frequently necessary 
afterwards. Each shoot is commonly a flowering one, and unless the stem be very 
strong, it is injudicious to allow it to produce more than one or two bunches of 
blossoms. If more are suff'ered to perfect themselves, it will be at the expense of 
the size and beauty of all, and of the shoot likewise. This thinning of the buds 
should be performed as soon as they are fairly opened, when the most promising 
can be retained, and the remainder rubbed off by the hand. 
They who deem the tendance above described superfluous, will do well to ex- 
periment on the subject by bestowing it on one or two specimens and neglecting 
others. We have no fear of the issue. Our aim is to instruct the amateur how 
to render his plants but a trifling degree inferior to those grown under the most 
favourable auspices, and we are satisfied that, save in extreme northerly or cold 
districts, the plan detailed will be found adequate to the attainment of that end. 
Where the rigour of the locality will not admit of its being effectuated, we would 
grow the plants in rough wooden boxes, and remove them to a cold frame in 
winter, plunging them in the flower-borders during summer. Or, by having the 
boxes slightly ornamental, or employing suitable vases, the specimens can be placed 
about the pleasure-grounds, in conspicuous places, through the summer, and 
returned to their winter quarters in autumn. Expedients of this kind are generally 
resorted to at Chatsworth. 
ON EXPOSING GREENHOUSE PLANTS IN SUMMER. 
Gardeners, like physicians, are mostly divided in opinion on all subjects 
connected with the practice of their art ; and on no topic have more contrary views 
been taken and propounded than on the propriety of giving greenhouse plants a 
month or two of complete exposure some time in the summer. Latterly, indeed, 
the weightiest arguments have been penned against the practice ; and it has been 
commonly regarded as being justifiable solely on the score of convenience or 
