182 
THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. 
Hecember 9. 
of frost Rud snow. In the one ease, we are lulled into 
carelessness; in the other, we are aroused into action. 
Already complaints are reaching us about having “too 
much of the good” of a warm, dull, driirping autumn. 
Cuttings fairly struck, and secured in pits and frames, 
are already damping off; and where will they be when 
April arrives ? One person has acted so much on the 
defensive, that the glasses wei’e kept close, to keep out 
the dull, foggy, moist air; and when he expected to be 
able to congratulate himself on his wisdom, the moving 
of a sash showed ]\tr. Damp in quiet undisturbed pos¬ 
session. A second has kept them exposed night and 
day, though many have been rotted off by the surface of 
the pot; and the soil, in addition to losing its nourishing 
properties, has been lashed as hard as a brick. A third, 
knowing that growing plants must not be thoroughly 
dry even in this weather, has wisely told young blue 
ajyron to examine all; to take out those that are dry, and 
water and replace again when drained; and, on his 
futui'e inspection, he has the pleasure to perceive that 
the bottom of his pit, so dry erstwlrile, is now as 
thoroughly soused as if a canal from the Nile had been ! 
introduced for irrigation. And here, fourthly, is our | 
friend. Present Time, chuckling with glee over what i 
he calls, “ the stunted rusted things of neighbour 
Loolc-hefore-him,” who beat him, it is true, last season, 
but lot him look out for the next! “ Why, his plants 
have not budged since October; while mine, from the 
attention and heat I have given them, have grown 
several inches, and the leaves are as green as leeks.” 
Hint that there may be sncli a thing as extension, 
without much addition, and you will be met with a , 
stare, that is designed to tell you, that surely, if great ! 
men have found out that i')lants are increased greatly in 
hulk when the leaves are gone, he cannot be wrong in 
coming to a similar conclusion when his leaves get 
fresher every day, and a measuring rule tells him how 
his shoots lengthen by inches. These, and many more 
cases, I will endeavour to meet in a few directions. 
1st. At all times, hut es 2 wcially in lointer, let all stimu¬ 
lants to growth he in proportion to the presence or absence ; 
of light. —It is somewhere about eighteen years since 
I sent an article to “ Loudon’s Magazine,” disap¬ 
proving of a high temperature in hothouses at night. 
Opinions held then have been more than confirmed 
since—though then I had plenty of reasons, theo¬ 
retical and practical. The mentioning of these in 
detail would occupy a number. Let me glance at 
one or two. In circumstances, as respects heat and 
moisture favourable to growth, I kept an account of 
measurements, taken several times a-day, of quick-grow¬ 
ing plants. I found that when the night temperature 
was at all high, increase in length chiefly took place 
during the darkness of night. The next greatest growth, 
as respects length of shoot, took place in dull, shady 
days. In bright days there was always a difference, as 
respects mere progression, in the case of one plant kept 
shaded and another fully exposed to sunlight. I per¬ 
ceived, however, that the plant with most light soonest 
arrived at maturity, bloomed best, and was less subject 
to casualties. I also found that in the case of such 
plants grown fully exposed to light, and with as low a tem¬ 
perature at night as to be safe; and, again, of those with 
a rather high temperature at night, or somewhat shaded 
during the day—when equal weights of similar-looking 
shoots were talten from 2 )lants thus differently treated, 
and exposed, first, to the evaporating influence of a dry, 
heated air; secondly, to being burned in an open vessel; 
and, thirdly, charred in a somewhat close one—that in 
every case the hardy light-treated plants lu'oduced the 
heaviest weight of residuum. Then I cauiO to the con¬ 
clusion, that tlicrc might bo mere elongation and expan¬ 
sion without much addition, on the same priuci])lo that out 
of a small piece of brass the clever worker will manage 
to spin out many yards of wire. Exceptions there are, 
arising from the peculiar nature of jiarlicular plants; 
but, as a general rule, our young friends will do well to 
bear in mind, that the shining of the sun on the leaves 
is necessary to solid additions. 
What care, then, is necessary Hotr for jflants in frames 
and jiits, after such a season of warm, dull, muggy 
weather. Do what could be done, there was too much 
of the wire-drawing as respects growth. Every thing 
should have been done, and must continue to be done, 
to prevent mere elongation, by keeping the plants as dry 
and in as Zow’ a temperature as to be safe. In general 
cases, there has been enough of moisture in the air to 
supply plants in such places without watering the roots; 
and if, during a week’s gloom, an hour’s sunshine should 
flag the foliage, it would be advisable then to dew the 
foliage with a little water, instead of drenching the 
roots. The very flagging, in such circumstances, speaks 
of an enervated state of growth; and frequently, when 
the sun breaks out on a sudden, plants, rendered tender 
and watery by dull weather, will be most benefited by 
a slight shading, removing it, however, as soon as it can 
be done without. On dry days the sashes should be 
wholly off, when the outside temperature is 40° and 
above. No rain, however, should fall on the plants, as 
the moisture, when close, would increase the elongation. 
In misty weather keep the sashes on, but let air 2 )er- 
I meate freely beneath them, back and front; taking it 
away only at night, when there is danger from frost. 
2. Prevent damp from attacking and spreading. No 
better weather could have been chosen for the attacks of 
this insidious enemy. Wherever the plants, in addition, 
have been ke^it close and warm, the slender shoots 
jjresent another favourable circumstance. A low tem¬ 
perature, and abundance of air, as detailed above, are the 
chief preventives. But even these will not be sufficient. 
A few decaying and damping leaves left alone will soon 
spread their contagion. Cleanliness must, therefore, bo 
duly attended to. Not a decaying leaf should stand a 
day. All the fungous damps delight in garbage. Then 
the moving of the plants will be a great advantage. 
You can then roughly rub the outside of your pots; 
place fresh dry ashes, saw-dust, or boards, for your plants 
to stand on. Remove a little of the old surface-soil, and 
fresh dress with dry sandy soil well mixed with powdered 
charcoal. In delicate cases, a little of this powdered 
charcoal, mixed with dry sand, and a little, very little, 
powdered lime, and sulphur, may be scattered or puffed 
among the shoots and leaves. If the frame or j)it is 
deep enough, a raised stage will be a great advantage, ; 
more especially if there are means for letting in air, i 
front and back, beneath the stage, as well as over it by 
tilting the sashes. In extreme cases, lumps of unslacked 
quicklime will help to dry and purify the atmosphere. 
In foggy weather, and there is no artificial means of 
heating, a few bottles of hot-water, corked, will tend to 
set the air in motion. 
Are all plants usually preserved in such places equally 
exposed to injury No. The whole group of Geraniums 
will suffer little, unless unduly elongated by close heat, 
and dull weather. Verbenas, Anagallis, Petunias, 
Senecios, and all of that soft tribe, are easily ruined, 
and hard-wooded plants are easily mildewed. All the 
Calceolaria group will sufl'er little from damp. Half of 
young beginners ruin them by kindness, and a dry 
atmosphere. If nicely rooted, or commencing to root, 
they want nothing more during the winter, than to bo 
kept from frost, have plenty of air, and a dusting froTU 
the syringe in fine sunny weather. 
Suppose we want these qdants chiefly for baskets and 
balconies next season, should we pot them singly in 
autumn in small pots, put several in a. larger qiot, or 
allow the young plants to remain in the cutting pots 1 
Any way, according to your conveniences, the size you 
