'.32 
THE GREEN HOUSE. 
sashes early in the afternoon, and enclosing 
some of the sun's warmth, and there is not a 
prospect of frost during the night, artificial heat 
is better dispensed with. As regards frost, it 
is always a matter of judgment when fires are 
necessary to counteract its effect ; and as 
heat applied when not required is so much 
waste, as well as being injurious, we can only 
recommend watchfulness in this particular, 
which should not be lost sight of until quite 
late in the evening, and should be made an 
early morning's thought. When frost does 
not exist to any injurious extent at night, it 
sometimes increases in intensity in the morn- 
ing, and this especially requires to be attended 
to ; for it not unfrequently happens that the 
whole amount of injury done by frost takes 
place about day-break. Those who would 
cultivate plants successfully, must not grudge 
the early and late attention. Slight fires in 
the day time will sometimes do good in drying 
up superfluous dampness, but they should be 
made when the weather is dry and mild, so 
that good ventilation may at the same time be 
afforded. Ventilation is an important matter 
in the winter season ; it is desirable always to 
admit as much fresh air as can be clone, but 
this must not be carried so far as to lower the 
temperature below what would be a desirable 
point ; and especially as regards its admission, 
it is important that it should not be let in in 
large volumes, but distributed as evenly as 
possible over the whole structure, by opening 
every one of the ventilators to that extent 
which will make the aggregate amount of 
ventilation required. 
Watering. — In all plant-houses, the water 
employed during winter should first be 
warmed to the temperature of the house, and 
it should in most cases be applied only in the 
morning, so that no unnecessary dampness 
(which would render the condition of the 
plants more hazardous as respects a sudden 
and unexpected fall of the temperature) may 
be occasioned at night. Syringing may be dis- 
pensed with, and no water should be unne- 
cessarily thrown about the house, to cause 
undue dampness. Plants in bloom or growth 
should be watered just enough to keep the 
soil moderately moistened, and those which 
are in a dormant state should have conside- 
rably less than this amount. 
Insects, fyc. — At various intervals during 
the winter advantage should be taken of spare 
time to have the plants carefully examined, 
and all insects, especially the scale insects, re- 
moved. All those plants with thick leaves, 
such as Oranges and Camellias, should have 
the leaves washed when dirty. 
Flowers. — The supply of flowers must be 
kept up from the forcing-house ; they should 
frequently be re-arranged, so as to give them 
an appearance of freshness, and all the dead 
and decaying flowers should be looked to, and 
removed daily. The beds should be raked, 
and the paths swept ; if stone, whitened, so 
that every thing may always bear the impress 
of order. 
THE GREEN HOUSE. 
This is, perhaps, the most inactive month 
of the year, so far as plants are concerned ; 
and, in fact, except in the case of those which 
are being excited for some special object, it 
little matters how inactive they remain ; the 
more inactive they are, all other points being 
equal, the more likely are they to pass through 
the trying ordeal of winter management un- 
harmed. In a general way, nothing whatever 
should be done to disturb the repose of the 
plants, but every thing should be resorted to 
which is likely to secure it. Much fire heat 
may be economised, if the houses are provided 
with shutters covered with asphalte felt, to be 
put on at night to exclude frost. 
House foe Miscellaneous Plants. — 
Temperature, #c. — A low temperature is 
proper now, in order to secure the repose 
of the plants ; 40 degs. is high enough, but 
sometimes on fine days the temperature will 
rise higher than this. At night, so that 
frost is excluded, nothing more will be re- 
quired. To effect this, no doubt, fires will 
be necessary, but fire heat, it must be re- 
membered, becomes injurious when it is 
carried beyond its legitimate purposes of pro- 
tecting the plants ; no more fire heat should, 
therefore, be given at night, than will serve to 
keep the temperature to about 34 or 35 degs., 
and the amount of heat required to effect this, 
will of course depend on the degree of exterior 
cold. Except in very severe weather, no fire 
heat will be required in the day time, unless 
it be occasionally lighted for the purpose of 
drying the interior of the house, which must 
at the same time be freely ventilated. The 
state of the weather must regulate the degree 
of ordinary ventilation ; some fresh air should 
be admitted daily, and on mild days the house 
should be opened as much as possible ; in very 
severe weather it will only be safe to open the 
ventilators a little way during the middle of 
the day ; of course ventilation is not to be 
carried so far as to let in frost. In regard to 
watering, the plants will divide into two classes ; 
bulbs at rest and succulents, which will require 
none, or perhaps, just a little at long intervals, 
to prevent their shrivelling ; and shrubby 
or other plants, not growing to any extent, 
but not quite so inactive as the former, which 
will require to have just enough to prevent 
their getting quite dry. No dampness should 
be suffered about the house, nor should any 
water be spilled or dropped about unneces- 
