12 
MANAGEMENT OF 
as can be admitted when the weather will allow. Those 
persons who have no other place than the house to 
keep them in, will find that they derive immense advan¬ 
tage from being, during fine weather in spring or au¬ 
tumn, turned out of doors in the evening, and taken 
in again in the morning, the night-dews contributing 
greatly to their health and vigor. 
“ 2. Injudicious watering does more injury to plants 
in ro.oms than we imagine. To prevent the soil ever 
having an appearance of dryness is an object of impor¬ 
tance in the estimation of very many ; they, therefore 
water to such an excess that the mould becomes sodden, 
and the roots perish. Ohers, to avoid this evil, give 
scarcely water enough to sustain life. This, however, 
is by no means so common a practice ; for, in general, 
if anything appears to be the matter with the plant 
large doses of water are immediately resorted to, for 
an infallible restorative. This overplus of water will 
show its bad effects by the very dark color, and flabby 
disposition of the leaves; but if the plant receives too 
little water, its leaves will turn yellow and eventually 
die. 
“ The best plan is, to always allow the soil in the pot 
to have the appearance of dryness (but never sufficient 
to make the plant flag), before a supply of water is 
given, which should then be pretty copious ; but al¬ 
ways 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 purpose ought always to be 
