354 
THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
procuring good strong young plants from the nursery. If obtained 
at once, they should be placed in the warmest part of the green- 
house, and as near the glass as convenient. Water must be care- 
fully administered to the soil during winter, giving just sufficient 
to preserve it in a healthy state, and the plants must be guarded 
against damp ; giving air on fine days, and avoiding wetting the 
foliage too much. If the plants are supposed to be at all pot-bound, 
examine the roots, and give a moderate-sized shift early in March, 
keeping rather close and moist after shifting, and watering very 
carefully, until the roots get hold of the fresh soil. 
During spring the plants should be placed in a pit or house 
where the night temperature may average from 40° to 45°, allow- 
ing it to rise 10° or 15° with sun-heat and a circulation of air, 
placing them near the glass, and affording them a nice moist atmo- 
sphere. Let the branches be nicely tied out, keeping the stronger 
shoots well down, and pinching out their points, in order to equalize 
the flow of the sap, and secure a compact, close growth ; but stop- 
ping should not be performed immediately before or after repotting. 
When growth fairly commences, take every favourable opportunity 
of exposing the plants to air, avoiding cold, drying currents, and 
moisten them overhead every fine afternoon, with a fine-rosed 
syringe ; also give water more freely to the soil. Towards the 
middle of April, remove the plants to a cold pit, which will be the 
best situation for them after fine weather sets in, and they will be 
found to grow much more freely here in summer than in a large or 
lofty house, where it is always difficult to maintain a moist state of 
the atmosphere. Should cold drying winds occur after removing 
the plants to a cold pit, or frame, give air very sparingly, raising 
the sash on the sheltered side, and use a thin shade to keep down 
the temperature, but give air freelv on fine days, and secure a 
thoroughly moist atmosphere, by sprinkling the floor of the pit and 
the plants overhead early in the afternoon, shutting up for the 
evening, but giving a little air before retiring for the night. A thin 
shade should be used for a few hours on the forenoons of bright 
days, but beginners are apt to use this so as to induce thin weakly 
growth, and this should be avoided. As growth advances, attend to 
stopping any shoot which may be taking the lead of the others, and 
keep them nicely tied out. If a second is wanted, let this be given 
before the roots become pot-bound, and seo to the ball being in a 
proper state as to moisture, and also the soil, for there is consider- 
able risk in shifting pot-bound plants during the heat of summer, 
and still more if the ball or fresh soil is not in a properly moist 
state. Remove the plants to a light, airy part of the greenhouse 
immediately cold damp weather occurs in autumn, and attend to 
them carefully with water, etc., in winter. If the shoots do not 
appear as if they would break strongly and make a close growth, 
cut them slightly back about the beginning of March, and place the 
plants in the warmest part of the house, keeping them near the 
glass, and draw the syringe lightly over them in the afternoons of 
fiue days. As soon as they start into growth, examine the state of 
the roots, and if these are found to be in want of more pot room, 
