499 
On the Management of Plants in Rooms. 
before a supply of water is given, which should then be pretty copious, 
but always empty it out of the pan or feeder in which the pot stands, 
as soon as the soil is properly drained. The water used for the pur¬ 
pose, ought always to be made about the same temperature as the 
room in which the plants grow,—never use it fresh from the pump,— 
either let it stand in a warm room all night, or take off the chill by 
adding a little warm -water to it, or the growth of the plants will be 
much checked. 
3rd, Filthiness collected on the leaves, —may either arise from insects, 
or dust, the former may be speedily remedied, by placing the plants 
under a hand-glass, or anything that is convenient, and burning some 
tobacco until they become well enveloped in the smoke;—and the tat¬ 
ter, may be removed by occasionally washing them on the head with 
pure water, either by means of a syringe, the rose of a watering-pan, 
or with a sponge, when the filth still adheres. 
4th. Being potted in unsuitable soil, —is by far the most difficult 
part of the business to rectify, for no certain line can be drawn, unless 
each genus was treated on separately; however as this cannot be done 
in a paper like the present, a few general remarks, which, perhaps 
with some little exceptions, may be found to be pretty coirect, must 
suffice. 
All plants whose branches are fragile or slender, and roots of a fine 
thready, fibrous texture, with general habits like the Ericce, as Di- 
osma, Andersdnia, Epdcris, &c. will require the same soil, (peat 
earth) and very similar treatment to Cape Heaths, (p. 455) Those 
whose wood and general habits partially differ, and whose roots are 
of a stronger texture, as Acacia, Ardtsia, Stenocdrpus, Tetrathica, 
Tristdnea, &c. will require a portion of sandy loam,—in many cases 
about equal parts; and where the habits, &c. differ materially from 
the Heath, only a small portion of peat earth will be required, and a 
compost may be made a little rich, by the addition of well rotted dung, 
or a similar soil to that prescribed for Pelargoniums, page 102. Al¬ 
most all Cape and other bulbs, as Spardxis, Ixia, Gladiolus, Tritdnia, 
&c. thrive best in light rich sandy loam, without any mixture of peat, 
fShrubby and herbaceous plants, with luxuriant roots and branches, as 
several species of Myrtus, Jasminum, Hibiscus, Hermdrmia, He. 
liotropium, &c. require rich loam, lightened with leaf soil, without any 
portion of peat. Plants with powerful roots, and but slender heads, as 
Veronica, Senecio, Scutellaria, Ruellia, Maurdndia, &c. require a 
light sandy soil, mixed with a small portion of leaf mould and very 
rotten dung. At the time of potting, always lay plenty of broken pot¬ 
sherds at the bottom of each pot, to give a good drainage. 
It will be seen thai these directions do not allude to either Orrhii- 
deous. Succulent, or Aquatic plants. 
