JANUARY. 
9 
of water they will require will depend mainly on^^the state of their roots, 
if in compost such as we recommended above, and the tubs or pots are 
well filled, we water whenever the soil appears quite dry. The foliage 
will soon indicate when they require water, and is the best criterion to 
judge by. Newly shifted or sickly trees should be kept as dry as 
possible short of absolute flagging. As the days lengthen and solar 
heat increases, the supply of water must be increased in proportion, 
and the heads of the trees washed over three or four times a week from 
the middle of March till they are placed out of doors. This should be 
done with water slightly tepid, and pretty early in the afternoon, for 
the foliage to dry before night; towards the end of April, it should be 
done later in the afternoon, as at that season the foliage will be rather 
benefited by being kept damp ; and when out of doors in dry hot 
weather a good washing overhead, between 6 and 7 in the afternoon, 
will produce good results by keeping the foliage clean and healthy. 
Next to the material of which common garden pots are manufactured, 
wooden boxes are the best and most congenial for the roots of the 
Orange to grow in, and Oak or Teak the best wood for the purpose. 
Slate is, we consider, too good a conductor of heat for placing in the sun, 
and iron the same, though we saw the other day that some of the trees 
in the Crystal Palace have been placed in iron cases. Whether these 
have an inner casing of wood we know not, but, if not, we have no 
opinion of iron being found a good material, though, as the trees are 
always in the building, it is not there so objectionable as it would be 
out of doors. The boxes should stand clear 4, 5, or 6 inches above the 
ground, according to their size, for it is of great importance to the 
roots that all contact with a damp soil or floor should be cut off; and 
if grown in pots these should have a false bottom or be placed on wood, 
to preserve them ^in the same way. In placing the trees out of doors, 
choose a sheltered situation open to the south or south east, but protected 
from the west and north, and also from currents of air coming in any 
direction ; they will stand the full sun and be benefited by it, but they 
should not be exposed to rough winds, which are extremely injurious. 
R. B. 
NEW WINTER FLOWERING PLANTS. 
Fully one-half of our winter flowering stove plants belong to one Natura 
Order—Acanthaceee—and if they be most of them somewhat inclined 
to become what we call leggy —to be, in fact, rather weedy in their 
habit, they have at least good qualities enough to outweigh that one 
fault. They are easily propagated, grow freely, flower profusely, and 
are remarkable for the brilliancy of their colours. They are the weeds 
of the tropics ; but as among our own weeds there are many gems, and 
from the group which has already been introduced to our gardens we 
could but ill afford to lose such plants as Justicia, Thunbergia, Hexa- 
centris, Meyenia, Ruellia, Goldfussia, Aphelandra, and Eranthemum. 
Among these genera we find many of our most useful plants, without 
which our stoves would look rather bare of flower in the dull months. 
