1877. ] 
VILLA GARDENING FOR JANUARY. 
21 
will serve to keep the material open. When the vines are in full growth, they 
require plenty of tepid water to be applied to both roots and leaves, and the 
house should be shut up early in the afternoon, to utilise as much as possible the 
heat of the sun. The temperature may rise as high as 05° after the house is 
shut up ; the best time to syringe is when the ventilators are opened in the 
morning, and at shutting-up time in the afternoon. Eed-spider will be kept off 
by frequent syringings, and should thrips appear, it will be necessary to fumigate. 
—J. Douglas, Loxford Hall Gardens^ Ilford. 
VILLA GAKDENING FOR JANUARY. 
HE out-door garden being practically closed to gardening operations, for 
the soil is so thoroughly saturated with moisture, that getting on it is 
® likely to do it much more harm than good, the greenhouses and pits 
afford many little matters of occupation for the lover of flowers. 
The Cold Greenhouse : If this be a house without means of artificial heating, 
the plants in it cannot well be kept too dry during the prevalence of so much 
moist, dull, mild weather. Some persons have an idea that plants of a tender 
character cannot be wintered in a cold house, but experience proves that many 
things can be wintered unharmed, if but a few precautions be taken. Such 
plants as Cinerarias.^ Calceolarias., Pelargoniums., both of the show and zonal 
sections; Mimulus., Azaleas., Ilerhaceous Begonias., Fuchsias., and others of 
which these may be taken as fair representatives, can be successfully wintered 
in such a house, if so be they receive some attention. All these plants are, more 
or less, at a state of rest at this time of year, and those that may be said to be 
growing, of which the Cineraria., Calceolaria., and Pelargoniums are the best 
representatives, only require just sufficient moisture at the roots to keep the 
plants from flagging. Many and many an effort is put forth to winter a few 
plants, and if failure comes, it conies through damp rather than frost and 
cold. Now, but little water should be given, and in giving it care 
should be taken that none of it falls on the leaves, or any drips from 
the plants on to the leaves of plants below them. If the shelves and the 
soil of the plants be dry when frost comes, then the possibility of harm is re¬ 
duced to a minimum. A strong paraffin lamp will keep out much frost, and the 
plants can be made additionally secure by placing a few newspapers over them. 
This is a capital plan. Give a little air, except when the wind blows cold, and 
even then a little air can be given on the side of the house opposite to the 
quarter from which the wind is blowing. 
The Warm Greenhouse: By this is meant a house heated by means of hot- 
water pipes or a brick flue ; and here many tender plants can be wintered, and 
by means of a few winter-flowering plants, such as Cyclamens., Bouvardias, Zonal 
Pelargoniums., Hyacinths., &c., a pleasing display of bloom can be had. The 
common fault of amateur gardeners is that they fire-up too much, and by doing so, 
get the house filled with a dry atmosphere in a greater degree than is really re- 
