THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, July 7, 185?. 
215 
LOOKING AROUND US IN JULY. 
Air Giving can hardly now be done to excess in common 
greenhouses and conservatories except in the case of 
occasional storms, or where one part of the house is 
chiefly set apart for growing plants, or where rather 
tender specimens are brought from the stove, when 
such part should be kept closer and moister. In sunny 
weather, such as we have lately had, and especially 
when accompanied by wind, so that the pots dry nearly 
as soon as watered, it is a good plan, even with rather 
tender things, to have plenty of air at night, which will 
invigorate the plants, and do away with the necessity 
of largely increasing the quantity of air during the day ; 
for, when air is given early or left on all night, the sun 
will heat the house very gradually, and the atmosphere 
during most of the day will be more moist than if a 
great quantity of air was admitted when the house 
became very hot. Even in forcing houses, were it not 
for the extra expense in cold weather, we would never 
shut up the houses entirely in the summer months. In 
the case of a greenhouse with abundance of air all 
night, and no great extra quantity rushing through the 
plants during the day, but moisture on the floors, and a 
little shading resorted to to counteract the extra heat, 
plants such as Geraniums will remain much longer in 
bloom and in better health than when exposed to great 
draughts of air during the day. To prevent these 
drying draughts it is often advisable to give air freely 
by the top sashes, and even by the doors, instead of by 
the front sashes; so much so that the air may pass over 
the plants instead of striking at once on stems and pots, 
and robbing the latter quickly of their moisture. 
Watering. —Under ordinary circumstances and in hot 
weather it is scarcely possible to over water. Small pots 
may require it twice a day, but, in general, once will be 
sufficient, with the addition of syringing the floors and 
stages and the lower parts of the plants, when it would 
be inexpedient, owing to the bloom, to syringe over¬ 
head. The general rules for watering must, however, 
be still kept in view, and for three months to come it 
will be advisable to water in the afternoon, which will 
enable the roots quietly to absorb the moisture before 
the sun of the following day begins to evaporate it 
again. When watered in the morning the moisture is 
quickly sucked back again before the plants get the 
good of it. 
Azaleas that bloomed early, and were kept close and 
moist until they made their wood, will now be setting 
their flower buds, and should gradually be inured tomore 
exposure until about the middle of the month, when they 
are placed in an open and yet somewhat shady situation 
out of doors. The roots in the pots will suffer more than 
the tops from full exposure. When exposed, therefore, 
some means should be resorted to for shading the pots 
from the sun’s rays. Later plants may be continued in a 
somewhat close and moist atmosphere a little longer, 
and those just finishing their blooming would be better 
to be well cleaned, and then transferred for a month or 
six weeks to a moist, shady place, as under the shade 
of Vines in a late vinery. Be careful, however, that 
there are no thrips on the Azaleas, or you may regret 
the day they ever got inside of a forcing house. Even 
if there are no traces of them it will be a safe measure 
to syringe them well a time or two with size water, so 
strong that when held between the thumb and finger 
you can just perceive a little clamminess or stickiness : 
a little tobacco dissolved in the water will also be 
an advantage. Failing such conveniences, the plants 
would be better if kept in a part of the greenhouse by 
themselves, somewhat shaded and frequently syringed. 
If not done before, this month would be a good time 
for shifting into larger pots; but the shifts must not be 
j so large as to prevent the roots filling the new soil 
before autumn, or the next year may give you better 
foliage, and more of that than flowers. 
Camellias. —Much the same may be said of these. 
Those intended to bloom in November should either 
now have their buds set, and be out of doors in a 
sheltered place, or fully exposed in the house in which 
they are grown. When a house is planted with 
Camellias, and intended to be early, we should be 
inclined to thinly size the glass of the roof, and leave 
abundance of air on night and day. If not so forward 
the plants would relish a moist atmosphere a little 
longer. If potting should be resolved upon, keep the 
remark above respecting Azaleas in view, and also re¬ 
member that, while Azaleas thrive well in rich, fibry 
peat, the bulk of the compost for Camellias should be 
fibry, fresh loam. 
Cytisus, Genista , and Coronilla will now be all out of 
doors, and, with the exception of fresh potting, the 
principal things they will require will be plenty of 
water at the roots and plenty of syringing overhead. 
Clear soot water and clear sulphur water may frequently 
be used for this purpose, and also soapsuds reduced if 
there has not been much soda or ashes mixed with the 
water. Where that is suspected it is better to make a 
little soap water. These and most of the Acacias are 
subject to red spider and scale in hot, dry weather, and 
the syringe is the grand remedy. 
Calceolarias. —The fine herbaceous ones will now be 
nearly over: what are left of them cannot be kept too 
airy or too cool. Those seeding freely should have the 
smaller seed-pods removed. Those from which cuttings 
or plants are to be taken should be transferred to a 
north border, and either plunged or planted there, and 
the stem so covered with nice, rich, sandy compost, that 
as the young shoots grow they may put out plenty of 
roots, and be plants at once when detached. The same 
situation will suit the young plants for several months. 
Shrubby ones in pots will require abundance of water, 
and will be much benefited by rich top dressings. 
Cuttings of them may be inserted, if firm, short, 
stubby pieces are taken, in a shady place under hand- 
lights; but if the beginning of the month is passed 
over it will be more satisfactory every way to delay the 
operation until the commencement of October. A few 
seeds for early blooming in spring may be sown in the 
middle of the month. Unless for large specimens 
August is early enough. 
Cinerarias. —Old plants of valuable kinds planted 
out or divided should be well attended to with watering, 
and plenty of good plant suckers will ere long be ob¬ 
tained. Seedlings to bloom in November should be 
pricked or pottecl off, and another batch sown for suc¬ 
cession. 
Chinese Primroses. —Those sown early should now be 
pricked off, two or three in a small pot, and ere long 
one in a pot. The best place for them is a board behind 
a wall or hedge with a north aspect. It is not too late 
to sow for spring blooming. Double Chinese Primulas 
should be divided and shifted, and cuttings made and 
potted. Cuttings inserted in a little bottom heat in 
April will want repotting now. 
Pelargoniums. —The earliest of these, florist and fancy, 
will now be nearly over. Less water will be necessary, 
and, after standing in an airy, exposed place in the house 
for a few days, the plants should be moved to one more 
airy and open still out of doors, and all the care re¬ 
quired will be to give them merely as much water as 
will prevent the leaves flagging and the stems shrivelling. 
Anything like storms of rain should also be avoided by 
turning the pots on their sides while the rain lasts. 
When the stems are well browned and hardened the 
plants may be pruned back, doing this freely in the case 
of the old Pelargoniums, but not so freely in the case of 
the more compact, less luxuriant fancies. All the old 
