JANUARY. 
23 
flower until May will only require careful 
attention in watering, and a steady tempera¬ 
ture. Young plants will require to be kept 
a little warmer as they begin to grow. 
Cinerarias .—These plants will have attained 
a good size by this time, and must have 
corresponding room to keep them dwarf, and 
they will now grow still more rapidly. 
Green fly must be looked after and kept 
down. Towards the end of the month tie- 
out the side shoots. This is done by placing 
a strong piece of bast round the pot under¬ 
neath the rim, to which the outer shoots are 
tied—by this means a dwarf bush is obtained. 
Pelargoniums .—Remove all dead leaves, and 
those small ones at the bottoms of the shoots. 
Plants that require it should he shifted into 
larger pots forthwith; keeping them close 
for a short time, but ventilate freely after¬ 
wards, always avoiding cold draughts. Water 
carefully, but do not let them want it. 
Watch for insects, and fumigate. Keep up a 
temperature of from 45° to 50°. Young stock 
will require but little labour during this 
month; but the large plants, either grown 
specimens or those intended to make exhi¬ 
bition plants, should now be tied out with neat 
small willow sticks. All the stock should 
be kept comfortably warm and tolerably dry ; 
they should not be excited to grow till next 
month. Fancy varieties, however, may be 
helped along with a little more fire heat 
than is judicious for the large kinds. 
FORCING. 
Porcing-ground .—Prepare beds for Aspara¬ 
gus to succeed former crops. Keep the roots 
near the glass, and on fine days pull the lights 
off occasionally; the buds will, by this means, 
acquire more of their natural flavour and 
colour than they otherwise w r ould. Cover 
Sea-kale and Rhubarb roots with pots, and 
then cover with sufficient fermenting material 
to cause a heat of about 80°. Rut a better 
plan is to make a bed of fermenting materials 
and put the roots in it, and exclude the light; 
or they may be forced under trellis in a 
vinery or Peach-house. Bring Ash-leaved 
Kidney Potatoes forward in pots and boxes, 
to be planted out in pits or beds when ready 
for them. Put roots of Tarragon and Mint 
into one of the hotbeds. Sow Mustard and 
Cress once or twice a-week, according to the 
consumption. Sow Early Horn Carrot in a 
slight hotbed; also some Radishes. Have 
always in readiness a good heap of fermenting 
materials; if the weather suddenly becomes 
very cold you will then be able to keep up 
the heat in any of the pits where it may be 
declining. Cucumbers .—Keep a bottom heat 
of from 80° to 90°, and see that it neither rises 
above nor falls much below this point; much 
depends on this, for no matter how well 
treated in other respects, if a steady bottom 
heat is not regularly maintained the growth 
of the plants will be anything but satisfac¬ 
tory. Keep the temperature about 65° by night 
and 70° by day, in severe weather, and in 
mild weather a few degrees higher, always 
allowing it to rise 10° or so more by sun heat. 
Maintain a moist growing atmosphere. Give 
air freely every day, but avoid cold draughts. 
Water but sparingly, at the same time do not 
let them suffer for want of it. Do not let the 
shoots get crowded; rather have them too thin 
if anything. Sow for a spring crop, and place 
them in good bottom heat, and as near the 
light as possible. Melons .—For an early crop 
sow at the beginning of the month some of 
the Scarlet-fleshed kinds; many of these are 
of a much hardier nature than the Green- 
fleshed sorts : they set their fruit more freely, 
and do not require so high a temperature; 
but they all require a good steady bottom 
heat. Towards the end of the month sow 
the Green-fleshed kinds, to succeed the others, 
and place them in a good bottom heat. 
Peach-house .—In severe weather hard forc¬ 
ing must be avoided with everything, but 
more particularly with Peach trees. Do 
not hurry them on any account; a crop is 
often lost by this error. Light is a most 
essential agent in all stages of its culture; 
and when forced it must be flowered under a 
comparatively low temperature. If any of 
the roots are in borders outside, see that they 
are covered from the frost. The borders in¬ 
side should have a good soaking of water when 
forcing commences; they will then require 
but little until the leaf is fully expanded, 
when they will require to be supplied liber¬ 
ally, if the trees are large and healthy. 
Begin with a temperature of 40°, then raise 
to 45°, afterwards to 55°, which ought not to 
be exceeded till the fruit is set. After the 
fruit is set raise the temperature to 60°, this 
will be sufficient until the stoning is over; 
then raise it to 62°, and 70°. This is the 
amount of artificial heat aimed at in a general 
way, but the weather will often cause wide 
departure from it. If the weather be bright, 
mild, and sunny when forcing is commenced, 
little artificial heat is necessary ; and if severe 
and frosty, the above standard will be a safe 
guide. A moist atmosphere should be kept up, 
excepting the time of flowering. Air should 
be given freely, and as early in the day as the 
weather will permit. Trees in flower will 
require all the air possible, and a steady 
night temperature of about 50°. Trees not in 
flower should be syringed with tepid water 
three or four times daily. Pinery .—A steady 
bottom heat is indispensable here ; they must 
not be kept too hot one day and too cold 
another—one regular heat of about 85°. 
Plants in fruit will require a dry temperature 
of about 75°, which may be allowed to rise by 
sun heat to 85° and 90°: they will also require 
a moist atmosphere. Plants in flower will 
require a dry atmosphere. Plants intended 
to fruit during the autumn must be kept 
steadily growing. Water plants in fruit—give 
air daily. Keep young plants of all descrip- 
