THE PLANT STOVE. 
■191 
of heat or cold, or wetness or drought, will 
one and all cause them to drop their flower 
buds without expanding them ; extremes 
and sudden changes should therefore be 
very carefully avoided. 
Pelargonium-House. Temperature, fyc. 
— This structure requires to be a little in ad- 
vance of the two preceding, as regards tempe- 
rature, because the plants will be slowly pro- 
gressing : a very slight advance is however 
sufficient ; and this is not to be given by any 
direct application of artificial heat, but by 
ventilating rather less fully, though not less 
freely, and by closing earlier in the afternoon, 
and watching more strictly to prevent injury 
from frost at night, by the slight use of fire 
heat when found to be necessary for this pur- 
pose. The reasons for this more generous 
management are these, that the plants are 
more in a growing state, and they are also 
more liable to sustain injury if submitted to 
frost. It is not, however, to be inferred from 
this, that the plants are to be nursed up ten- 
derly, for if vigorous healthy plants are re- 
quired, this would be acting in the way least 
likely to secure them. The house must be 
ventilated daily, and at every available point ; 
the ventilators too should be opened early in 
the morning, but they should be closed early in 
the afternoon, so that the temperature may be 
high enough to bear up against the low outer 
temperature at night. The day temperature 
may average 45 degs. and should hardly fall 
below 40 degs. ; while at night it cannot 
safely approach nearer the freezing point than 
35 or 36 degs. Water just enough to keep 
the soil moist, but do not allow any stagnant 
moisture to lurk in the atmosphere, or in any 
way about the plants. 
Pelargoniums. — Pay good attention to the 
thinning regulation and stopping of the young 
shoots, for on this attention being well followed 
up, much of the dwarfness and compactness of 
the plants will depend. Tie down the outer 
branches towards the sides of the pots, and 
get them nearer by degrees, until they are 
brought to hang over ; this makes room for 
the young shoots continually forming in the 
cciitre by the stopping of the shoots, and keeps 
the plant bushy and well proportioned. Every 
shoot should therefore be topped when three 
or four joints ill-length. Attend to removing 
dying leaves, and stirring up the soil occa- 
sionally. Plants provided and intended for 
winter blooming, of course form exceptions to 
the recommendation to stop the branches ; such 
as these may be removed, a few at a time, in 
succession to the forcing-house, to expand their 
(lowers. 
Cinerarias. — Remove the earliest plants to 
the forcing-house to get them into bloom ; and 
shift on a succession of the plants so that the 
supply may not be broken off; these plants 
require regular watering. 
Calceolarias may be potted singly from the 
cutting pots, if not done already, and require 
to be kept regularly watered. 
THE PLANT STOVE. 
If the arrangement of the plants has not 
yet been properly completed, it may be done 
on the first opportunity. Wet days present 
favourable opportunities for attending to this 
kind of in-door work. The resting of the 
plants will now be a main feature in their 
treatment. 
Temperature, $'c. — During this month, 
when the plants will have sunk into a state of 
repose, and every thing likely to excite them 
must be avoided, a day temperature, aver- 
aging 60 degs., will be proper for them, 
and 50 degs. may be regarded as the minimum 
night temperature. Admit some air, if pos- 
sible, daily ; but this must be in a great mea- 
sure regulated by the internal temperature, 
which is not to be brought too low by thought- 
lessly throwing open the house to the influence 
of the exterior atmosphere. Fires will be 
required at night, but they should be no 
stronger than sufficient to keep up the proper 
night temperature ; it is a good plan to have 
them burning more briskly through the day 
than at night, so as to admit of ventilation to 
a certain extent ; but very much fire heat 
will not be needed at all, yet. Atmospheric 
moisture must be limited. Light is very 
essential ; let the glass be kept clean. 
Watering. — Many plants which are at rest, 
especially bulbs and tubers, will scarcely re- 
quire any water, and to all, the supply must 
be limited. As a general rule, the plants 
which are nearest a state of repose will require 
least, though none must now get beyond a 
very limited quantity. 
Gardenias. — When intended ' :>v early flow- 
ering, some of these should be placed where 
they will get a slight bottom heat, and be 
submitted to a comfortable warmth and mois- 
ture about the branches. 
Aphelandras, Poinsettias, tyc, which have 
done flowering, are to be cut partially down, 
and set by in a dry place in the green-house 
till the spring, when they must he brought 
out, cut down, and repotted, and started to 
make their growth. Later plants provided 
for winter flowering should now, of course, 
be encouraged in their growth. 
Sedychiums may be dried off" when they 
have done growing, and set by in a cool place 
till spring. 
Clerodendrons. — Where these magnificent 
plants have dono flowering, and have ripped 
their shoots, let them be removed to n dry 
place iii the grecc-honse till the spring, when 
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