Oct.] the GREENHOUSE. 549 
where thej can have plenty of air in mild weather, and give them 
water but sparingly. 
Let it be observed for the benefit and encouragement of those 
who have no hot-houses, that although all the above generas or 
families are commonly considered as hot-house plants, the far 
greater number of species thereunto belonging may be preserved 
in excellent perfection in a good green-house, and also many other 
plants hitherto considered as too tender to be preserved therein: 
experience is the true criterion, and where there are duplicates of 
doubtful plants, an ingenious gardener will make an experiment 
with one of each. Several kinds of plants commonly kept in hot- 
houses would thrive much better in a well constructed green- 
house. 
Between the sixth and tenth of this month, according to the sea- 
son, situation, and shelter of the place, you should take in your 
orange, lemon, citron, lime and shaddock trees, and also your 
geraniums, and every other sort of plant that slight frosts could 
injure or discolour the leaves thereof. Myrtles and the more hardy 
kinds will not be in much danger before the middle of the month, 
nor will the hardiest sorts, such as prunus lusitanica, or Portugal 
laurel, prunus lauro-cerasus, or levant laurel, viburnum tinus, or 
laurustinus, arbutus unedo, or strawberry-tree, lagerstroemia indica, 
daphne odora, fuchsia coccinea, cupressus sempervirens, hydrangea 
hortensis, &c., before the twentieth or twenty-fifth thereof: indeed 
in warm soils and situations, most of these would bear the winters 
of the middle states, in the open ground, if sheltered with mats or 
straw, &c. 
Before they are taken in, pick oft' all decayed leaves, prune any 
decayed, ill-formed, disorderly, or irregular shoots or branches, 
and stir the earth a little in the tops of the tubs or pots. Such as 
appear weakly, should have some of the old earth taken out and the 
vacancy tilled up with fresh compost. 
In placing the plants in the green-house, be particular to arrange 
them in regular order, the tallest behind, and the others according 
to their height, in regular gradation down to the lowest in front, 
being careful to dispose the different sorts in such varied order 
as that the foliage may effect a striking contrast and variety, by 
intermixing the broad and narrow leaved, the simple and com- 
pound leaved, the light and dark green, the silvery, &c., in order 
that the whole collection may exhibit a conspicuous and agreeable 
diversity. 
When all are thus arranged give their heads a good watering, 
which will wash oft' any dust they have contracted, refresh them 
considerably, and add lustre and beauty to their foliage; then wash 
clean and wipe dry all the stage, benches, floor, &c., after which 
the whole will assume a neat, gay, lively, and becoming appear- 
ance. 
The plants now should have as much free air as possible during 
the continuance of mild weather, for if kept too close the damps 
occasioned by a copious perspiration would cause many of their 
leaves to become mouldy and drop off, and, besides, they would be 
