264 
OPERATIONS FOR DECEMBER. 
flower is manifested it should be encouraged, in preference to the rigid repose needed by the 
majority. Such plants should always be set apart from the others where there is convenience 
for it. The greatest aridity and exemption from watering will scarcely prove injurious to the 
species of Mammillaria and Echinocactus P or, indeed, to any cactaceous plants. Aloes, 
Mesembryanthema and Stapelice should also be very cautiously and sparingly watered, and need 
little more heat than is sufficient to preserve them from frost. 
No favourable opportunity of giving air should be neglected. A close, pent-up atmosphere, 
is most injurious to plants at this season, and should never be prolonged beyond what is unavoid- 
able in consequence of the state of the external air. In foggy or rainy weather, when the 
atmosphere is loaded with moisture, it is better to keep all plant structures closed ; but in clear 
dry or sunny weather, if there is no frost, the ventilators of the greenhouse should remain open 
throughout the day. Stoves must also be ventilated, but more sparingly. Plants in pits and 
frames are more liable to suffer through excess of moisture than those in houses ; the lights must 
therefore be opened so as to cause a regular but gentle draught to pass through. Very cold or 
rough winds must be guarded against. 
Where a greenhouse or stove is furnished with a shade attached to a roller, a great saving of 
fuel will be effected by drawing it down over the glass in cold weather, and especially when accom- 
panied by winds. A saving of full six or seven degrees of heat, if not more, will thus be obtained 
at much less trouble than would be necessary to maintain it by fire, and is, moreover, less inju- 
rious to plants. If a somewhat stouter material be made use of than that ordinarily employed for 
shading, the saving of heat will be much more than above stated. Houses devoted to Cape 
Heaths should always be provided with a covering of this kind in winter, as the plants are very 
impatient of fire-heat. Straw mats constructed of the same dimensions as each light, are amongst 
the best protecting materials for pits and frames, and may be made by labourers in wet or stormy 
weather. 
The forcing-house must now be kept in active operation. Tree Pseonies, Persian Lilacs, 
Deutzias, and all hardy plants intended for forcing, should be placed in a cool frame or green- 
house, for a few weeks, before they are subjected to a higher temperature. Few plants have a 
more truly ornamental effect when well managed in forcing than Chinese Azaleas, and Rhodo" 
dendrons, especially the hybrid varieties of R. arbor eum. None of them, however, will bear to be 
rapidly accelerated without suffering a serious diminution in the beauty of the flowers ; they must 
therefore be excited slowly and gradually. The latter require to be liberally supplied with water, 
and should have the foliage damped frequently with a syringe. Keep the glass perfectly clean, in 
order to get all the light possible ; for this is an important point in forcing. 
In all plant receptacles a scrupulous attention to clearing away dead stalks, leaves in a state 
of decay, and any parts affected with mouldiness, cannot be too strictly enforced. The green 
mosses too, which grow rapidly at this season on the surface of the soil, should be removed from 
time to time, more particularly in the frames, where, owing to the usually greater humidity of 
the air, they spread faster, and prevent the soil from drying. 
Now that all the leaves are fallen from the trees, advantage should be taken of dry days to 
collect them together, and lay them up in heaps in the compost ground to rot ; or if a gentle heat 
is required to bring a few plants forward in any of the pits having a trench round the outside, 
they may be employed for that purpose, observing to cover them over securely, that they may not 
blow about, and again bestrew the garden. When well decomposed they form a mould the most 
valuable of all ingredients in composts, either for potting, or enriching the borders. Where they 
are plentiful they may be dug into the shrubbery-borders at once ; and in this state are more 
useful to stiff adhesive soils in improving their mechanical texture, than when applied in a 
thoroughly decayed condition. 
Whatever alterations are necessary in any part of the pleasure ground they should receive 
immediate consideration, and be hastened as much as possible ; for it is bad policy to have these 
to interfere at a later season with the timely despatch of the numerous operations which will soon 
demand the entire attention. Planting and pruning may still be performed, if not already 
completed. Collect soils for potting, and always have a sufficiency under cover from the weather, 
to be ready for any casual want. Tropseolums showing renewed signs of growth may be potted, 
but must have little water for some time after. Gladiolse, Watsonias &c. must be potted and 
placed in a cold frame, if not yet done. 
