592 - THE HOT-HOUSE. [Dec. 
must be regulated by a thermometer, never letting the air of the 
house be colder than 52 degrees of Fahrenheit, nor warmer, at this 
season, by fire heat, than 62 or thereabouts, for it is very injudicious 
to force the plants now into a fresh state of vegetation; all that they 
want at present is to be kept comfortably warm and rather in an 
inactive state; consequently as the heat of the day in sunny weather 
increases, you must slacken your fires or put them totally out, as 
the case may be, always renewing them in the afternoon or when- 
ever you find the due warmth on the decline. 
It will be generally necessary to attend the fires till eleven or 
twelve o'clock at night, when, if wanted, a sufficiency of fuel must 
be added to support a proper degree of heat till morning; and in 
extremely severe weather it may sometimes be necessary to sit up 
all night to guard against untoward consequences: at all events 
you must be up very early in the morning to renew the fires. 
If the hot-house is furnished with shutters or covering of any 
kind, as noticed in page 97, they will now be of considerable use, 
both for the preservation of the plants and the saving of fuel. It 
will, however, be very proper to hang thick mats every severe night 
in front of the upright sashes, which will prevent the wind from 
rushing in immediately on the plants, through any deficiencies that 
may be in the work. 
If the bark-bed was properly made or renewed in October, or in 
the beginning of November, it will yet be in a proper state of 
warmth, which is now essentially necessary; if, however, towards 
the end of the month it is found to be much declined in heat, it 
should be forked up to revive it, as directed in January, but more 
particularly so if it contains pines for fruiting next season, which 
must be now kept rather in a slow state of vegetation than dormant. 
Succession pines, or other plants in pits or in the succession- 
house, require the same care as above; observing not to force them 
by too much heat, lest the pines start to a fruiting state at an un- 
timely period. They are never fit to produce handsome sized fruit 
until they are two years old, at which age they, in October, should 
be placed in the fruiting-house for the ensuing year's bearing. 
The pines and other plants in the hot-house, &c. will still require 
to be watered occasionally; the former not oftener than once a 
week, the shrubby kinds in small pots perhaps twice a week, but 
the succulent sorts should at this season have but very little, and 
that only when you are able to perceive that they are in absolute 
want of it; and then let it be given round the edges of the pots, 
and not to the plants themselves, for if it should stagnate about 
the stems it would infallibly rot them. The varieties of Cactus 
Melocactus or Turk's Cap, with many others of the most succulent 
kinds, should at this season have no water given them, except in 
cases of great necessity. 
When there happens to come a fine sunny, calm day, it will be 
proper to admit some fresh air into the house by sliding some of 
the glasses, in the warmest part of the day, a little way open, even 
if but for half an hour; but be sure to close them again in due time, 
and especially if the weather changes to cold or cloudy. This is 
