THE GREEN-HOUSE. 
140 
examining to see how their roots are affected. 
If the pots are very full, they should he 
shifted into larger ones without their fibres 
being damaged. Bulbous rooted plants are., 
very likely to start this month, and as they 
are supposed to have had a long season of rest, 
they may be shifted, well watered, and placed 
in warmer situations ; Gesneras and Gloxinias 
must have abundant room and water, and they 
should be placed out of the way of any drip, 
for as much of their beauty is in their foliage, 
so must it be preserved against damage ; the 
drip will rot a leaf on the spot where it falls, 
and make it very unsightly. As these plants 
throw up several shoots, they must be regu- 
lated as to number. We prefer selecting 
one only, and taking the top off that it may 
branch out; nevertheless, if large, spreading, 
bushy subjects be wanted, several may be 
kept growing, and in that case, the most vigo- 
rous should be kept trained in the centre, and 
the less strong ones outside ; generally, each 
shoot has a stick to support it ; we, however, 
prefer making a plant stand by itself. The 
various subjects which are rising for bloom 
must be well watered ; climbing plants must 
be fastened to their supports as they advance 
in growth, for if neglected a few days, half the 
leaves will come wrong side outwards. 
Orc hideous Plants, whether in pots, 
baskets, of on logs of wood, now require 
syringing, and when the sun comes out strong 
they must be shaded, especially the blooming 
ones, or those near blooming ; dry heat is very 
destructive to incipient as well as advanced 
flowers, especially those of the fleshy texture, 
peculiar to many orchideous plants. The 
effect upon some is singular ; for instance, the 
Oncidium papilio, or butterfly plant, instead 
of flowering with broad expanded wings, as it 
were, will, if kept too dry, bloom with a 
narrow skeleton-like flower, which persons 
unaccustomed to their culture would almost 
set down for another variety ; and this more 
or less applies to most of those species which 
are remarkable for broad and expansive, 
though delicate, wing-like flowers. Some of 
the Catleyas, Stanhopias, and Oncidiums, are 
particularly beautiful, and depend much on uni- 
form heat and moisture. It is not every plant 
that requires such treatment, therefore orchi- 
daceous plants should, if possible, be in a 
separate compartment of the stove, if not a 
separate building altogether; and if not possi- 
ble to separate them by a partition, they should 
be surrounded with moss, which will retain 
the moisture, and be placed at the warmest 
end, where a shade can be thrown over the 
glass during the strongest heat of the sun. 
Those orchideous plants which are grow- 
ing on logs, with moss about them, should 
be well supplied with moss where they have 
become bare ; and plants growing on the walls, 
which is a very common, and for many sub- 
jects a very successful mode of growing them, 
should have a good quantity of that material 
all over the wall, where there are no plants, 
as well as where there are some, for their roots 
run strangely about, when there is anything 
to cling to. 
CONSERVATORY. 
This, in a garden establishment, is like the 
show room of a manufactory. The manage- 
ment should be as nearly like that of the 
green-house as possible, but as it is generally 
a more lofty building, and requires more 
attention to avoid frost, and, moreover is 
generally considered a place of comfort for a 
walk from the house, you calculate on keep- 
ing up the temperature to 40", 45°, or even 
50°. Besides requiring it for the comfort of 
a visit, you must always bring in all the 
beauties as they arrive near perfection, and 
therefore you will often have stove plants as 
well as those from the green-house, and forced 
flowers, and these would be chilled, and soon 
spoiled, unless some regard were had to the 
temperatures such subjects require. The con- 
servatory must be kept clean ; all littering 
things be removed ; dead leaves, or dead 
blooms, being unsightly objects, must never 
be allowed to remain an hour,, if it can be 
avoided. Look to any climbers that may be 
growing permanently in the conservatory, and 
have them fastened properly as they grow. 
Shade such parts of the house as contain any 
rare objects in flower, because a few hours' 
hot April sun would make them flag ; Bhodo- 
dendas and Azaleas are especially liable to 
this after forcing, and sometimes do not re- 
cover again ; remove all subjects that are 
past their prime, if they look untidy.. It is 
not so however with Camellias, because the 
plant is very handsome even without bloom ; 
all you have to do, is to remove the decayed 
flowers; besides which, the conservatory is the 
best place for them to make their growth; 
water effectually; to do this you.must examine 
every plant. 
THE GREEN-HOUSE. 
The plants here are generally very mis- 
cellaneous — Geraniums, Epaeris, Heaths, Ca- 
mellia japonica, the varieties of Acacia, 
Hovea, Chorosima, &c; many of which, where 
full collections are grown, having separate pits, 
or houses, are in more moderate establish- 
ments grown together. Most of these subjects 
require merely protection from frost ; they 
want no heat beyond that which is sufficient 
to banish frost. If 32°, being the freezing 
point, be avoided, there is not one of these 
subjects that will be the worse for never suf- 
fering the warmth of 35°. Such being the 
