January.'] rooms — watering, etc. 289 
to the tribe of Cactii, which are varied, beautiful, and truly 
interesting, and grow admirably in dry rooms, with or without 
full exposure to the sun, and in any temperature from 45° 
to 85°, requiring only small portions of water once a week in 
winter, and twice or thrice a week during summer : they 
also only require fresh soil once a year, or even once in 
two years for large plants will be found sufficient. The 
variety now cultivated is truly astonishing, and we doubt not 
but in a few years large horticultural buildings will be 
erected for their express culture ; and, to the inexperienced 
amateur, there is not a family of plants that will give more 
satisfaction, or, when properly studied, will afford greater 
interest and amusement. 
JANUARY. 
Plants that are kept in rooms generally are such as re- 
quire a medium temperature, say from 40° to 60°. Sitting- 
rooms or parlours, about this season, are, for the most part, 
heated from 60° to 70°, and very seldom has the air any 
admittance into these apartments ; thus keeping the tempera- 
ture from 10° to 15° higher than the nature of the plants 
requires, and excluding that fresh air which is requisite to 
support a vegetative principle. Therefore, as far as practica- 
ble, let the plants be kept in a room adjoining to one where 
there is fire heat, and the intervening door can be opened 
when desirable. They will admit sometimes of being as low 
as 38°. 
If they be constantly kept where there is fire, let the 
window be open some inches, once a day, for a few minutes, 
thereby making the air of the apartment more congenial, both 
for animal and vegetable nature. 
WATERING, ETC. 
All that is necessary is merely to keep the soil in a moist 
state, that is, do not let it get so dry that you can divide the 
particles of earth, nor so wet that they could be beat to clay. 
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