March."] rooms — repotting. 293 
healthy plants will continue to flower from December till 
April. 
Be sure that there is a little air admitted at all favourable 
opportunities. 
MARCH. 
If the plants in these situations have been properly at- 
tended to by admitting air at all favourable times, and when 
the apartment was below 40°, a little fire heat applied to 
counteract the cold, keeping the heat above that degree, your 
attention will be rewarded by the healthy appearance of your 
plants. The weather by this time has generally become 
milder, so that air may be more freely admitted, espe- 
cially from ten to three o'clock. They will require a more 
liberal supply of water, but always avoid keeping them wet. 
Pick off all decayed leaves, and tie up any straggling shoots ; 
give the pots a top-dressing with fresh soil, which will greatly 
invigorate the plants, and will allow the fresh air to act upon 
the roots, which is one of the principal assistants in vegeta- 
tion. For those that require shifting or repotting, see Green- 
house, March ; the plants enumerated there equally apply 
here, if they are in the collection, with this difference, 
that well-kept rooms are about two or three weeks earlier 
than the green-house. After the end of this month, where 
there is a convenience, plants will do better in windows that 
look to the east, in which the direct rays of a hot sun are 
prevented from falling upon them, and the morning sun is 
more congenial for plants in this country than the afternoon 
sun. Where there is any dust on the leaves of any of them, 
take a sponge and water, and make the whole clean; like- 
wise divest them of ali insects. The green-fly is perhaps on 
the roses ; if there are no conveniences for fumigating, wash 
them off as previously directed. Where there are only a 
few plants, these pests could be very easily kept off by exa- 
mining the plants every clay. For the scaly insect, see Ja- 
nuary. If they have not been cleared off, get it done di- 
25* 
