THE PLANT-STOVE. 
405 
time to come, is that of watering. Now, the 
supply must be limited; give no more than 
enough to moisten thoroughly the mass of 
earth. This is, in fact, something like the 
state they should be in for the greater part of 
the year ; it is the extent of evaporation in 
summer, and its almost total absence in 
winter, that makes all the difference as to the 
application of water. Thus it will be evident 
that the actual amount required, as well as the 
frequency of its application, will vary with 
the changes of the seasons ; and as the seasons 
do not change suddenly, but by regular gra- 
dations, so must the supply of water be 
gradually varied, to meet the wants of the 
plants. As soon as the limitation necessary 
at the present period comes into full practice, 
the soil towards the bottom of the pots will 
be liable to get dry, while the surface is moist; 
and this, not being observed, gets worse and 
worse, until the plant dies suddenly, and inex- 
plicably to all outward appearance, but in 
reality is starved for want of moisture. This 
must most scrupulously be watched against ; 
and it is in reference to this point that the 
advantage of the West Kent Garden-pot, and 
the contrivance for potting, previously noticed, 
partly consists. Mr. Barnes, one of our best 
cultivators, always keeps small probes, formed 
of stout iron wire, close at hand ; and a few 
holes carefully made with these through the 
mass of earth, will allow the water to pass 
downwards, and moisten the bottom part of 
the mass; but this must be done very care- 
fully. 
Mildew. — If any of the plants are affected 
by mildew, they should be dusted with dry 
flour of sulphur, without delay; and great 
attention should be given that all routine 
matters, as watering, airing, &c, are duly 
performed. 
Camellia-House. — The Camellia-house 
must now again be fully occupied, as little 
advantage is gained from exposing these 
plants for too long a period. The plants 
will, however, still enjoy an abundance of air; 
in fact, the house need not be entirely closed 
even at night before the latter part of the 
month. The earliest forced plants of last 
year will have their bloom buds considerably 
advanced, and they, should be kept in the 
warmest part of the house, for they will soon 
be required again for the forcing - house, 
to give a few early flowers. The others 
require little other attention after they are 
properly housed, beyond very careful watering 
and good ventilation. 
Pelargonium-House. — The management 
of this house was so fully entered on at 
p. 351, that there is less than usual to say 
Row, inasmuch as the same general features 
of treatment, mollified a little to suit the more 
advanced state of the season, will still be 
applicable. 
Pelargoniums. — As they go out of flower, 
the plants must be cut down, and when they 
have shot out afresh, repotted into smaller 
pots, the young shoots being thinned to a 
proper number, conveniently placed to form 
a handsome bushy plant. If more stock 
plants are required, the cuttings may be 
planted several in a pot, in which they may 
be allowed to stand during the winter. Those 
intended for autumn and winter blooming 
must be so managed, as regards stopping and 
removing the flower-buds, that some of them 
may be had in succession throughout this 
period of the year. The best plan is to dis- 
continue stopping a certain number, propor- 
tionate to the stock, say every fortnight. 
Seedlings should be encouraged, so as to get 
strength to bloom finely by the spring. 
Rooted cuttings should be potted singly into 
pots, in size proportioned to their strength. 
Calceolarias. — The latter end of the month 
is an excellent time for propagating Calceola- 
rias by cuttings, consequently the stock should 
then be filled out ; and as soon as the young 
plants are rooted they must be potted singly, 
and from time to time repotted to get them 
strong enough to bloom finely in the following 
spring. Get the seedlings potted on, for 
blooming in good time in the spring. 
Cinerarias.- — The earliest plants of these 
excellent winter flowers should be helped for- 
ward by being repotted, and furnished with a 
little weak clear manure water, oncein a week; 
and successions! supplies must be prepared by 
potting a few of the forwardest plants at short 
intervals of time. If the opportunities that 
have presented themselves of obtaining a suffi- 
cient number of stock plants, have not been 
taken advantage of, young plants which will 
come in late, may still be had by slipping oft" 
some of the suckers from the base of the 
growing plants. 
Fuchsias. — We have little to add respecting 
these. The plants which are still blooming 
will be assisted greatly by occasional waterings 
of manure water. 
THE l'LANT STOVE. 
The majority of stove plants will now have 
reached the maximum of their growth, and 
instead of being encouraged to continue grow- 
ing on, a gradual suspension of the stimulating 
agencies, — heat and moisture, — should take 
place, so that the next month or two may be 
devoted to the maturating and perfecting of 
the growth they have already developed. Of 
course, those plants which naturally bloom at 
this season of the year, or later, are not in- 
cluded in these directions ; neither are those 
which are being somewhat artificially induced 
