THE GREEN -HO USE. 
159 
portion of fresh air, daily, will doubtless be 
necessary to effect this, as the sun is now 
getting powerful. 
Watering. — When the plants are in a free 
growing state, as they should be at this season, 
they are benefited by being watered some- 
times with diluted manure water: every alter- 
nate, or every third application, may be of 
manure water, which should always be used 
quite clear and fine, like clarified ale. Clear 
soot water, made by stirring some soot into a 
tub or cistern of water, and allowing it to 
stand till it is quite clear, is an excellent 
stimulant for potted — or, indeed, any other 
plants. 
Shading is necessary here, as in the case of 
the other structures referred to. 
Grafting, <yc. — This may still be done, and 
a quantity of small Orange plants, procured 
in this way, will be very convenient for 
forcing, while they are small. Those that 
were done last month should be examined, and 
the bandages loosened if necessary. If they 
were covered with glasses, these had better be 
removed gradually, when the union is effected. 
Oranges, cS'c. — Orange trees, Lemons, 
Citrons, and Shaddocks, should be treated in 
the same way as the Camellias, as regards re- 
potting and setting them to grow, but they 
need not be induced to grow quite so early in 
the season. The repotting of large Orange 
trees — or rather the retubbing them, for 
they are usually grown in tubs — is an opera- 
tion of some magnitude, the large masses of 
soil being somewhat unwieldy. The tubs which 
are constructed in a quadrangular form, with 
one side moveable, and the bottom slightly 
smaller than the top, are the most convenient 
and the most elegant. "When these tubs, or 
boxes, are employed, the trouble of removing 
them, or of examining and renewing the soil, 
is rendered much lighter and easier to per- 
form. These plants prefer what is known as 
a strong loamy soil, and also require a very 
efficient drainage. They ought, as well as the 
Camellias, to be syringed two or three times a 
day while growing. 
Rhododendrons. — When these have done 
blooming they may be repotted, if necessary ; 
but they do not require so much heat and 
moisture as the Camellias and Oranges. 
Where they are not too large they may, there- 
fore, !«' removed with advantage to the heath- 
house) or the mixed green-house, when the 
temperature of this house is increased for the 
Camellias. 
Daphnes may be repotted, it' necessary, 
and kept in the same house with the Camellias, 
with the treatment of which, that they receive 
may be assimilated. 
Neriums will be growing freely, and will 
require large supplies of water. It i- an in- 
teresting experiment for the amateur to place 
cuttings of these plants in phials of water, and 
to observe them closely, as they produce roots 
in the water. 
Magnolias. — Those which are kept in-doors 
do well with similar treatment to that of the 
Camellia. 
Geranium-House. — Pelargoniums. — The 
plants that were shifted into their blooming- 
pots during the previous month, require atten- 
tion now, to the proper distribution of their 
branches. For the purpose of exhibition, it is 
thecommon practice tosupport nearly every truss 
of bloom by a separate stake ; but, whatever 
advantage there may be in this plan, it is not 
to be recommended for imitation — it has too 
much of an artificial appearance. A few 
stakes are, however, necessary in order to 
support the heavy trusses of bloom, and to 
afford the means of fixing them at somewhat 
regular distances. Whatever stakes are used 
let them be painted of some dull neutral in- 
conspicuous colour, so that they may not be 
much observed ; and let them be as slender as 
may be consistent with the office assigned to 
them. It is worth consideration, whether some 
wire contrivance might not be hit upon, which 
would serve the purpose required, and which, 
from its lightness, and being painted some dull 
colour, might not offend the eye. It is idle to 
talk of growing plants entirely without stakes, 
for, even where there are no more than half a 
dozen trusses of bloom, it is next to impossible 
that in their natural position, they could pro- 
duce the display they do when fixed and 
regulated by some means or other. 
Potting.- — Continue to shift some of the 
later plants occasionally, for producing a suc- 
cession of bloom. 
Pruning. — Those intended for very late 
flowering should still have the points of the 
shoots removed : this is one of the principal 
means of securing a succession. No better 
principle can be adopted as a guide in per- 
forming this operation, than to omit a few each 
time the operation becomes necessary. Cut 
down the early flowering plants which are 
gone out of bloom : these will bloom again in 
the autumn. Take them out of the pots, and 
reduce the balls of earth, when they have shot 
out ; thiii the young shoots, if necessary, and 
repot them as they may require. Do not give 
them much water when the}' are cut down, 
until they have shot out afresh. 
Temperature, S'C. — Admit plenty of air 
daily, so as to keep the temperature as lew as 
practicable, especially during the hottest part 
of the day. Syringe the floors, paths, walls, 
and every other available surface, in order to 
maintain a moist atmosphere. The growing 
plants may also be freely syringed, but not 
those ill bluoin. 
