Feb.] THE GREEN-HOUSE. 167 
for the changes of weather are so sudden; that a few hours inatten- 
tion might do irreparable injury to your plants, especially 10 the 
more tender kinds. The safest method now of admitting air, is by 
sliding down the upper tier of your front windows, less or more ac- 
cording to the weather, which will not only admit the fresh, but dis- 
charge any foul air which has been generated in the house. 
In frosty weather, keep your lights all close, and if very severe, 
defend the windows at nights. If you have roof-lights, protect them 
as directed in January, page 87. 
Fires may also occasionally be used, and indeed are indispensa- 
ble at times; but these ought never to be resorted to, except when 
absolutely necessary, either to keep out the frost, or to dispel damps; 
and even then, you are to be very cautious, not to create thereby too 
strong a heat in the house, never above 40 or 45° of Fahrenheit's 
thermometer; for this would cause your plants to push and get into 
a fresh state of vegetation, which would be extremely injurious to 
them during any of the winter months. 
Another thing to be regarded, is to keep the plants of all kinds 
free from casual decayed shoots and leaves, for those are not only 
hurtful to the plants while in the house, but appear very unsightly; 
therefore, whenever such appear, let them be constantly taken off; 
keep also the pots, &c. and green-house always neatly clean. 
The latter end of this, or any time next month, you ought to 
loosen the earth in the top of the pots or tubs of your oranges, 
lemons, and other plants in general, and take out about an inch deep 
or more, adding some fresh in its stead; this will prove very bene- 
ficial to the plants; and whoever will bestow that little dressing upon 
them, will see the advantage of it in a short time. 
Your pots of Cape bulbs, such as Ixias, Gladioluses, Lachenalias, 
Moreas, Watsonias, Lapeyrousias, Walchendorfias, Tritonias, An- 
tholizas, Cyanelias, and Oxalis versicolor. Babianas, Massonias, 
Geissorhizas, Melanthiums, and Melaspluerulas, &c. which are 
now in a state of vegetation, should be kept all towards the front of 
the house, and as near the glasses as possible; lest they should draw 
up weakly, and thereby produce but indifferent flowers. 
Hot-beds for raising Green-house Plants. 
Make hot-beds to sow tender exotic seeds in, observing to work 
the dung well, turning it over two or three times while it remains 
in the heap, at intervals of four or five days; make the beds as di- 
rected for cucumbers, page 1 2, to the height of three feet six inches; 
put on your frames, and lay eight or ten inches of good fresh tan 
even over the bed; if that cannot be conveniently had, lay on six 
inches of dry earth; when the bed conies to its heat, sow your seeds 
separately in pots, and plunge them into the tan, or earth; some of 
these will not vegetate for a long time, and others, frequently lie in 
the ground a whole year. When the heat of the bed is on the de- 
cline, add a fresh lining of hot dung as directed for cucumber and 
melon beds. Or these seeds may be sowed in pots, and plunged 
into the bark-bed in the stove. 
