210 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Deoembek 25. 
I 
plants from one such position to another, it is advisable | 
to choose a shady day, and either to set the plants on ! 
damp moss, or diminisli transpiration from the foliage, i 
by giving them frequent slight syriugiugs during the day, 
so tliat the evaporation may be supplied from moisture 
outside rather tlian from the inside of the foliage. 
I introduce this matter here, in this side-wind way, 
because it is extremely difficult to convince young gar¬ 
deners and amateurs of its importance, and because it 
has a distinct bearing upon the question of air giving. 
Sometime ago, I was asked to look at a little greenhouse, 
in December, and though the enthusiastic owner had 
watered every plant, and was watering them again, still, j 
do what he would, many of the plants would hang their , 
heads in a complaining mood. The weather had been i 
dull for some time; a sharp frost had taken place ; 
during the night; that had been duly guarded against, j 
and no more, as the Hue was at 11 o’clock next to cold. i 
The sun being bright, much air was given to keep down 1 ; 
the temperature, though the outside air was dry enough { 
to crack the lips of beauty, and chop the hands of us i 
rough workmen, and the thermometer showed a number 
of degrees below the freezing point on the north side 
of a wall. Tlie sashes were immediately jnilled up ; 
close, the plants syringed all over with water about 55^, j 
and in an hour the plants were all right. About two j 
o’clock, a little air was given for about half-an-hour, to i 
allow the mist-heated moist air to escape, and, from that j 
day to this, this amateur thinks twice before he admits I 
large quantities of dry, frosty air, among his plants, even i 
though the sun be shining brightly. He will rather | 
let the house rise 10° more than usual, will see that the , 
fires are extinguished early, when it is likely to be a 
bright morning, so that fire-heat and sun-heat shall not 
meet together; and in extreme cases will either shade, or 
throw water on the outside of the glass, and slightly 
sprinkle the plants within, in preference to rattling 
down the sashes by feet or yards. A few inches 
opening for several hours, will, in such circumstances, 
be sufficient. The cold air that enters at the point j 
of the roof will thus be heated and moistened by ' 
passing through tlie hottest and moistest air that j 
is escaping, and will thus be softened before reach* ' 
ing the plants. If there is any heat in the flues, 
situated as the one is under consideration, less air still 
will be wanted at the top of the house, as the fresh air 
will be mollified by coming at once in contact with 
the flue; and though thus somewhat dried, moisture 
may be communicated to it by evaporating pans placed 
along the flue. Except in dry, frosty weather, such 
evaporating mediums will not often be required in 
greenhouses in winter. 
In the circumstances referred to by our correspondent, 
moving the top sashes for two or three inches, and 
the bottom ventilatoi's in front much the same for 
several hours, from nine till two, would keep the 
plants healthy. If the sun came out, more should 
be given; if the wind was stormy, a little less, 
though none of the things mentioned would suffer at 
40°. In such cloudy weather there will not be a I 
great difference from the inside and outside temperature 
when no fire is used. Where growing and blooming i 
are desired, firing should bo resorted to to keep the , 
house at an average of 45° at night, and from that to , 
50° during the day, and if at all sunny 5° to 10®. More i 
will do harm ; and when fire is used during winter, air ' 
sliould be given mostly from the openings opposite the I 
heating medium. If heat is applied, there is no danger | 
of a stagnant atmosphere, with but very little or no 
opening in the top sashes. A little, however, should be 
admitted, unless very cold. 
2nd, “ Bright sun, very cold wind; in fact, March 
weather—Is it bettor to keep down the temperature by 
sliading, than to give much air?” 
Decidedly so. But with proper precautions this 
shading will very seldom be required. No directions 
will ever supply the place of thoughtfulness and general 
intelligence. Descend into the veiy minutite; tell every 
little secret about every conceivable process; still we can 
never make gardening a mere work of routine. Rules 
must be varied according to circumstances. It must be 
left to the good sense and the general intelligence of the 
subject possessed by the operator, to vary his practice 
according to circumstances. The giving of fresh air is 
so continually insisted upon, that young beginners con¬ 
ceive they can never admit too much of it, and a clear 
sky and sunshine in winter are eagerly seized upon as 
good opportunities for increasing the quantity. Now, 
supposing that the outside temperature in the shade 
ranged from 40® to 50°, and the air was mild, and not 
in violent commotion by winds, and the sun was shin¬ 
ing brightly, though with the oblique rays it presents 
us in winter, for all such plants as those referred to it 
would hardly be possible to give too much air. A little 
might be left on even at night were we sure of the 
weather continuing mild. In fact, were it not for the 
expense of keeping up the heat, the plants have quite as 
much need, if not more need, rather, of fresh air at 
night than during the day. The evils of drawn, weakly 
growth are produced from a highish temperature and a 
dull, dark atmosphere, rather than from a little moie 
heat when the sun is shining. Sun-heat, while it e.x- 
pands, will also consolidate growth. 
When we speak, therefore, of keeping such and such 
plants in a certain average temperature at night, and 
another during the day, we wish it to be clearly under¬ 
stood that these averages are not to apply to extremes. 
For instance, we wish a house of greenhouse plants to 
be from 45® to 50° at night in winter. A very severe 
frost comes ; the thermometer falls 20° below freezing, 
and is likely to continue; and, therefore, rather than 
resort to very large fires, the heat IVom which will rob 
pots and plants alike of their moisture, we would rather 
be content to let the house sink within safety limits for 
5® or 8® below the usual average ; and, in extreme cases, 
we would, if we could, use some mode of covering part 
of the glass, in preference to having large fires. 'Tlie 
plants will relish this much better than being excited to 
elongate and part with their ])eculiar juices, merely in 
obedience to a dry heat, which, unlike tho sun’s rays, 
gives them nothing in return. 'Then glance at {he 
necessary treatment next day. 'The first thing an intel¬ 
ligent, thinking person will do, will be to examine his 
outside thermometer, in contrast with the previous even¬ 
ing, look upon the sky, and endeavour to prognosticate 
what the day will be. 'Then examine the thermometer 
in the house, and feel with his hands the heating me¬ 
dium, and thenee judge what, if any, attention the fur¬ 
nace may require. We know that very often all this is 
just inverted, and that, without ever thinking of any of 
these matters, the furnace is at once set a roaring with 
a large fire ; the idea that such a course maybe alike 
mischievous and wasteful never forming the least 
matter of consideration. “ Sure it is cold enough for 
anything ; and ain’t it safest to warm the house well; 
and don’t I know what is wanted well enough, without 
touching pipes and flues, and straining my eyesight in 
reading the figures on these annoying, bothering glasses.” 
And need we wonder at the result at times ? 'True, in 
very severe weather, and from the fact that the cold is 
generally most intense for about half-au-hour or so 
before and after sunrise, and the house is not much 
above the point of safety, it may be advisable to light 
the fire early in the morning, but not to throw in great 
heat until the weather can be prognosticated. 
For instance ; we have a black frost, the air is enough 
to cut you in two, and tho dark-lead appearance of tho 
atmosphere says, as plainly as possible, there will bo no 
