240 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 20. 
the covering lias not been removed during the day; but 
the weather has been too variable in its character to 
warrant shutting-up close for the space of eight days or 
a fortnight. Writing this on the 12th, there is rather a 
sharpish frost in the evening, and everything at all 
tender has been slightly covered; but the large, fleecy 
clouds that are now gathering seem to prognosticate a 
change by the time the moon sets in the morning. 
Whether that change comes or not, these sudden transi¬ 
tions have been the character of the season, thus in¬ 
volving much more trouble and care. Supposing this 
letter of our correspondent to have been written several 
days ago, the fortnight mentioned would involve the 
last week of November, and the first, and, perhaps, a 
little more than the first week of December. Now, 
unless in the northern position the weather was very 
different from what it was here, the close covering so 
long was wrong. During the mist of the last week 
in November the frost was so slight as to hurt 
no half-hardy plant under glass; and for several 
nights the weather was so close and warm that 
we did not cover even at night. For instance, on 
the last night of the month, the thermometer out-of- 
doors was nearly 50° at bed-time; and next day, the 
first of December, was so clear and bright that every 
plant was exposed to the full influence of the sun; 
plenty of air, back and front, was given to cold pits to 
dry them ; but as the clear sky betokened frost at night, 
the sashes were all shut between one and two o’clock; 
and after thus enclosing an amount of sun-heat the 
sashes were protected as soon as the sun left them. 
Next day, though not very cold, after a sharp night, was 
so dull and foggy that the covering was not touched; 
and the following night being again rather sharp the 
trouble of re-covering was avoided. But during the 
week afterwards, there was only a very slight frost for 
two or three nights; and the days, though rather dull, 
were warmish, ranging from 40° to 47°, a heat sufficient, 
when in an enclosed, dark, moist atmosphere, to cause 
such plants as Geraniums to be excited into action, and 
to bring into development many races of fungous 
moulds that light and air would have kept at bay. 1 
have, therefore, as yet, had little covering during the day. 
When, therefore, I spoke the other week of keeping 
old plants of Geraniums so easily, and with a minimum 
of trouble, recollect, that if I were to give these plants 
sufficient heat to cause the buds to break on their bare 
stems, I should then be obliged to give them light and 
air to keep the foliage healthy. At present, 1 look upon 
the stems and the roots much as I would do on the 
tuber of a Potato or a Dahlia. But young plants struck 
in autumn, be they scarlets or others, will not endure 
this treatment. They must, as a general rule, be kept 
slowly growing. If in cold pits, and severe weather 
comes, in which even during the day it would not be 
safe to uncover the glass, we must not only keep out 
the ice king, but we must be sure, when we keep covered 
up for several days, or weeks, that the temperature within 
is not high and moist enough to stimulate elongation. I 
have had Geraniums, Calceolarias, &c., closely shut up 
for a month, but then I know the inside temperature 
ranged from 32° to 36°, at which there is but little dis¬ 
position to grow, or for moisture to be raised by eva¬ 
poration. In a continuance of such weather, frosty at 
night, and dull during the day, when the trouble of un¬ 
covering and covering again would not have been 
counter-balanced by the good of a little foggy light, and 
yet the thermometer outside was raised a degree or two 
above the freezing point, we would then give a little air 
at the back, by elevating the sashes, shutting up again 
before the glass in the shade indicated the freezing 
point. Coolness, in such circumstances, is quite as 
essential as freedom from frost. In fine, bright days, 
when the frost was thoroughly excluded at night, it 
would always be advisable to uncover for a few hours 
in the heat of the day, when you wished your plants to 
bo growing. 
In a continued frost, and yet days with a fair amount 
of sunshine, the frequency of uncovering becomes a 
question of labour, and the standing still of your plants. 
I have often, in such cold weather, allowed sunny days 
to pass without uncovering cold pits, because, though 
the sun was bright, the air was so sharp and dry as to 
be unfit to circulate among soft-wooded plants, and 
because I knew that the heat of the sun would have 
little or no influence in heating the enclosed pit through 
the covering. In a word, when such plants are covered 
up, day and night, for a length of time, be sure the 
inside temperature is not above 35°. A short time at 
31°, in such circumstances, will be far preferable to 40° 
or 45°. Whatever length of time you shut up, whether 
you give a night of twelve hours, or twelve days, it you 
have done right, you will find your plants exactly as you 
left them ; and this you will never do if they have been 
allowed to elongate in a dark, moist, warm atmosphere. 
The precaution of not exposing to bright sun directly 
after such treatment has frequently been alluded to, and 
if frost should have at all penetrated, the plants should 
be thoroughly thawed for a couple of days before un¬ 
shaded light is admitted. 
PUTTYING LAFS. 
We do not attach great importance to the puttying of 
the laps in glass sashes. It is of more importance to 
give them a good slope from back to front in winter. 
Unless very fine weather should ensue, there will be 
little chance of having it done until spring, as the glass 
ought to be perfectly dry. Our correspondent will also 
excuse us for hinting that it will not prove a remedy for 
the dropping of which complaint is made; because, 
supposing that wet does not penetrate through some 
holes, or bad workmanship in the sash-bars, I believe it 
to be not only possible, but probable, that these moisture 
drops do come from below, and the pots together, and 
that the puttying of the laps would remove one of the 
escapes for it now present; I am the more convinced of 
of this when I find the pit is new. The mortar and the 
bricks together would hold a fair amount of water, and 
it is surprising what an amount of moisture exists in | 
soil apparently dry, and we are not informed that any 
means had been taken to prevent this moisture rising 
from the bottom of the pit whenever there was heat 
enough to abstract it by evaporation. Let our corres¬ 
pondent, next summer, fix a large bell-glass so that no 
air shall enter at its base, on the hardest and driest walk 
to be found, and on a warm sunny day the heat 
will saturate the enclosed air with invisible vapour, 
but the cold of night, acting on the glass, will condense 
that moisture, and it will trickle down its sides in drops, 1 
and wet the pavement that seemed yesterday so dry. 
According to the beat of the weather, and the amount 
of moisture in the air and in your pit, would a similar 
thing take place, the drip hanging from sash-bars, &c. 
being merely vapour condensed by coming into contact 
with a body more cold than the air in which it was sus¬ 
pended. One great advantage of covering the glass, not 
merely of cold pits, but also of forcing houses, in cold 
weather, is that keeping the glass warm little condensa¬ 
tion of moisture is effected, and, consequently, there is no 
drip, and, what is of more consequence still, the ail- 
enclosed is not thus rendered dry by being deprived 
of its moisture. I recollect, when I was groping 
my way in these matters, with no such assistance as 
can be obtained so easily now, noting that in a small 
forcing-house where the glass was covered the atmos¬ 
phere was so moist and pleasant in the morning, and 
the sash-bars next to perfectly dry; but, as soon as the 
covering was removed, and before the sun had gained 
