December 2G. 
239 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
In connection with this, it will he of importance for 
beginners to digest all that has been written in this 
work, on protecting, air-giving, and a lowering of 
temperature, withing the bounds of safety, in preference 
to using strong fires when they can be avoided ; because 
they, among other drawbacks, involve more .frequent 
waterings than would otherwise be necessary; and 
these, again, in the general absence of sunlight, would 
tend to debilitate the constitution of the plant. Let 
the amount of watering, therefore, be regulated by the 
stimulus given to the perspiring processes. When a 
strong sun breaks out suddenly after dull weather, it is 
also often much more preferable to dust the foliage gently 
with water from a fine syringe, in preference to 
drenching the roots, when the plants show any signs 
of flagging. In such circumstances, it is often not the 
want of moisture of the roots that causes tho distressed 
look of the. plant, but its inability, after a state of 
sluggish inaction from dull weather, to meet at once 
the excitement to activity from an unclouded sunbeam. 
The damping of the foliage blunts the force of the sun's 
rays; moisture is supplied to the atmosphere from 
another source than perspiring through the foliage and 
stems of the plant, and it gradually becomes inured to 
! the change from shade to sunshine, the relative and co- 
1 relative action between leaves and roots being again also 
restored. A slight shade, in such sudden changes, is also 
often very beneficial. In an extreme case, I have seen 
syringing the roof with common water outside beneficial; 
it just blunted the force of the beams, until the plants 
were prepared to right themselves. In flat-roofed 
houses such precautions will be little required in winter. 
The rays, however bright, fall at too oblique an angle 
to be of any inconvenience. 
In cool greenhouses, where the object is more to pre¬ 
serve than to grow, much of the same rules may be 
observed as in the cold pit; only so much precaution 
need not be particularly and essentially insisted on, as 
fire heat can always be used for the driving off extra 
damp. To prevent, even here, any extra drying, it would 
be advisable to have evaporating-pans, on the heating 
medium, at the warmest end of the house. Health in 
the plants, and economy in the keeping of them, will, 
: however, be best secured by using and spilling no water 
! that can be avoided. Unless in very dry or frosty wea¬ 
ther, there will generally bo too much moisture, instead 
of too little, in the atmosphere. Plants, comparatively 
dry, will bear an amount of cold, uninjured, that would 
ruin them if wet. Let all keep this in mind, who, in 
these times, have to think of every bushel of coals or 
cinders used in koeping their favourites from frost and 
j other injuries. Turn poet if you will, and launch out 
! into the incomparable beauties of flowers, and dwell 
with rapture ou the associations which even a single 
j leaf or a withered bloom may inspire; yet, prepare 
yourself for the fact, that these very loves! and ducks! 
and 0! such beauties! will be tho very first to yield 
when retrenchment takes the field. Well is it that the 
: love of the natural is so strong as to be retained when 
nearly all other of love is gone. The lady with sorrow 
resigns her flowers, when a pinch between income and 
expenditure comes; the poor street basket-woman en¬ 
dures many a privation, yet feci some solace from a 
plant in a broken teapot—brimful of hopes aud fears to 
| her—the almost only luxury she knows on earth. 
Similar rules will apply to plants in sitting-rooms. 
They will want watering ofteuor in winter than those 
even in houses; because there is every chance that the 
atmosphere will be drier from the fire-heat necessary to 
keep the inmates comfortable. As light falls on the 
plants only on one sido, they cannot be too near the 
glass, uuless where them is danger from frost, as the 
great thing is to keep them healthy aud slowly growing. 
If, after dull weather, the sun shines powerfully, it may 
bo necessary to place a muslin curtain for a short time 
in front of them, or to move them a little further from 
the glass. In very severe weather, anywhere about 
tho middle of the room would be the safest place ; aud 
in extreme cases, having a counterpane, or other cover • 
thrown over them. The drier they are, in such circum¬ 
stances, if they do not suffer, tho better. If tho air of 
the room is dry, sponging the leaves will bo better than 
1 drenching the roots. 
In such circumstances of cold, when the plants are 
j removed from the window, the cooler they are to be safe, 
the better. As little stimulus to grow as is possible 
should be given when they are not receiving the full 
j benefit of light. Some of our friends remove their 
plants near the chimney corner in cold nights. Cold 
must it be, and low the fire, if they do not suffer 
from such a position. The middle of the room, where 
they could be covered over, would be better. Not 
satisfied with this comfortable, snug cover at night, some 
of our friends keep them in such a place for days, in 
cold weather; water them as they require it, and the soil 
soon dries, and then they marvel that they might take 
the shoots and twist them round their fingers. No 
true sturdiness and solid additions can be added to the 
plant, unless in light. In dull weather, even when fhe 
plant stands in the window, let waterings be moderate, 
and your plant will be all the hardier. Neutralise the 
[ dry air of the room by frequent sponging aud syringing 
of the leaves. This will also remove all obstructions to 
i the bark and leaves performing properly their allotted 
functions of respiration and perspiration. This cleaning 
of the foliage, and not too much watering at the roots, 
is the grand secret of window-gardening; and by atten¬ 
tion to it, I have seen plants, outside and inside of 
windows in London, that would have rivalled similar 
plants in tho open country. 
All plants in a state of rest should know little of the 
water pail in winter. Many, such as Euchsias, may be 
kept even in a dark place, the roots just as moist as 
i plunging in a dampish material should supply. Many 
other things, such as bulbs, if placed in soil, in the 
medium state of beiug neither wet nor dry, should 
t receive no water until the roots have freely grown. An 
amateur rotted a line lot of Hyacinths by drenching the 
soil well after potting the bulbs. If ho had saved 
himself the trouble of watering, potted his bulbs in 
dryish soil, and covered them over with two or three 
inches of earth, ashes, &c., enough of moisture would 
have been absorbed to encourage vegetation, and lie 
would have had something different from disappoint- ! 
| ment for his money. 11 . Dish. 
FRANCISCEA CONFERT1FLORA. 
The Francisceas aro all charming plants, producing 
numerous, pretty, and, when first expanded, blue flowers. 
Some of them are also very fragrant, especially F. lati- 
folia. Beautiful though they all are, yet the most lovely 
is tho one I have selected to write about this week. 
The generic name is given in honour of Dr. Francis, 
and the specific name (confertijiora) means, crowded- 
flowered. It is a low-branching shrub, native of Rio 
Janeiro, and has not been long in British gardens. 
Mr. Bentham names it Brunsfelsia confertijlora. The 
flowers are produced in clusters at the ends of the 
branches. When they first expand they are of a most 
pleasing lilac-blue, but afterwards become clear lilac. 
Each flower is full as large as a shilling; aud I have 
had as many as six expanded at once on one branch, 
and half-a dozen branches full of bloom on one plant, 
and that plant not more than a foot high. Tho leaves 
are also rather crowded at tho summit of each branch; 
