THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 16, 1858. 
now lives a large-liearted philanthropic man (doubt- 
| less there are many more), constantly employed doing 
good; and yet, amid his never-ceasing labours, finding 
time for the management of a small garden and a 
small greenhouse abutting on the end of his house; 
the frost excluded by two pipes from a boiler at the 
back of the parlour fire-place. Some people expostu¬ 
lated with lnm for doing so much, as he can only be a 
three-years’ tenant; but then he tells them the plea¬ 
sure he has in such work—hopes his successor will 
have similar tastes; but, if not, he cannot help it: 
there being no reason why he should not make the 
most of the present: and then the fact of his doing 
so will, instead of causing, greatly remove the regrets 
of leaving all behind him. And he does make the 
most of his circumstances : he manages to get vege¬ 
tables and flowers before the most of his neighbours. 
I believe he manages Rhubarb and Sea-kale chiefly in 
liis kitchen. Potatoes forwarded there, and then re¬ 
moved to the greenhouse, will soon be fit to gather. 
Bulbs of all kinds get an early forcing by being placed 
i near the kitchen fire at night, and farther off during 
the day, and then are bloomed successfully in the 
greenhouse and windows. And for what is all this 
labour and care P To please himself? Aye, to be 
sure ; but chiefly to realise that pleasure by pleasing 
others—by tempting the palate of the invalid with an 
unwonted delicacy—by brightening the eye of the 
afflicted with the sight, and the possession of early 
flowers ; besides distributing scores of flowering pots 
amid his friends and acquaintances. “Talk of trouble,” 
I once heard him say ; “ why to me it is no trouble, 
but a perfect luxury to feel I can be useful, and the 
means of procuring and imparting happiness to others.” 
Knowing all this, I could not but regret that, lately, 
on entering some of the tradesmen’s houses in that 
town, and recognising at a glance some of our good 
friend’s productions—and these valued, too, not merely 
for their beauty, but likewise for the associations of 
heartfelt esteem cherished towards the donor—that I 
found these plants, in hardly a single instance, were 
placed in the best position; some standing on tables 
; in the middle of the room, some on side tables at the 
farthest side of the room from the window, some on 
j work-tables near the fire-place, and some getting plenty 
I of heat on the chimney-piece; whilst the day being 
j fine and bright, the slightest recollection—the simple 
knowledge that growing plants can only grow healthily 
in full exposure to light—would have brought all these 
miniature Roses, Chinese Primroses, Violets, Hya¬ 
cinths, Narcissuses, Tulips, &c., to the window-sill. 
In a cold frosty night, the table in the room would 
be the best place. In a cold frosty morning, the plants 
should remain there until the temperature at the win¬ 
dow reached fully as high as 40°; but full health can 
only be realised in growing plants when these are en¬ 
joying every possible ray of sunshine. Plants in a par¬ 
tially dormant state, as old stumps of scarlet Geraniums, 
hardly begun to break their buds, will not require an 
equal amount of light; but neither should they be 
exposed to much heat above keeping them free from 
frost. They will bloom very well in summer if the 
stems are sound; though the buds do not break freely 
until the end of March. Anything like forcing them by 
heat now will just necessitate more light and space for 
keeping them healthy, and robust hereafter. Where 
room is scarce, the Fuchsias kept in lofts, or cellars, 
may also be kept cool (not frosted), and dry until the 
middle of March. If started by the heat of the kitchen 
now, as soon as the buds break, they will require the 
light of the window ; and water must be given accord¬ 
ing as the plant grows : very little being requi*ed 
until the fresh shoots are growing away freely, and 
i thus increasing the perspiring surface. 
There cannot, then, be too much cleanliness, or too 
much direct light for healthy-growing plants at this 
season, when looked at from a general-rule point of 
view ; but an exception m ust be made as respects direct 
sunlight, when a very bright day succeeds a number 
of days of very dull cloudy weather. In such a case 
the extreme comes so suddenly, that the plant is un¬ 
prepared to meet it. In other words, perspiration of 
moisture, Ac., takes place faster from the foliage than 
the roots, from their unused-to-absorbing-rapidly state, 
can at once supply, and the leaves of free-growing 
Geraniums and Chinese Primulas droop and fall. The 
general remedy is to pour water into the pot, whether 
it be dry, or quite moist enough, and then it seems a 
mystery that the leaves will still droop. If the pot 
were dry, of course watering was all right. If the pot 
were a small one, say three or four inches for a neat 
Primula, and were well drained besides, then an extra 
watering, even when the plant did not require it, w 7 ould 
do but comparative little harm. But if the pot were at 
all' large, and moist enough already, then the extra 
watering, w hen not needed, and more especially if dull 
weather succeeded, would be apt to make the wfflole j 
plant diseased and gouty ; the roots being surrounded 
with much more moisture than they were able to act on ! 
by absorption. If, by lifting the pot, and judging from 
its weight—if, by striking the sides sharply with your 
knuckles, and from the dull, instead of the sharp, ring 
emitted, you conclude the soil is damp enough—then, 
instead of watering, just inure the plant gradually to 
the change by moving it further from the window 7 ; 
shading for a few hours with a muslin blind; and i 
sprinkle the foliage with water, to neutralise the 
rapidity of the perspiring process. Many a fine plant 
would often thus be saved, that is rendered sickly, b} 7 
a deluge from the water-pot, when nothing of the kind 
was needed. 
Plants in comparative rest, as Fuchsias, Salvias, ! 
Lobelias, and scarlet Geraniums, are not at all parti¬ 
cular as to the temperature of the water used ; but all 
plants growing in living rooms should always have 
water quite as high as the temperature of the room. 
It should never be below 55°; and if as warm, or nearly ! 
so, as new milk, it will do little harm. Chinese Prim¬ 
roses, Cyclamens, Cinerarias, Hyacinths, Tulips, China 
Roses, &c., showing, and in bloom, may be watered with 
weak liquid manure and clear water, alternately, with 
advantage. In watering, give as much as will moisten j 
every fibre, and only repeat the dose when the soil 
becomes dry, and before the leaves show much sign 
of distress, and air be duly given when possible. We 
may expect that if attention be paid to these minutiae, i 
this season of the year will pass without much dis¬ 
appointment, and more especially if a moistening of 
foliage be frequently given to counteract the dryness 
from the room fires. 
In the greenhouse, the plants mentioned above, and 
also Camellias, Cytisus, and Coronilla, may receive a 
little manure water with advantage. Much care will 
be requisite in watering hair-rooted plants in heath 
soil to see if they are thoroughly watered to the 
bottom and through the ball; and also that the 
moisture is not poured on so as to keep the collar of 
the plant long damp. Climbers beginning to bud 
will also now require attention; and climbers for 
trellises, such as Tropceolum tricolorum, will want 
daily attention in training. Azaleas, Jasmines, and 
even hardy shrubs, as well as bulbs, may be forced 
into bloom as there is opportunity. And wliere much 
is to be done in the flow T er garden, no time should be 
lost in getting up hotbeds for propagating all kinds of 
bedding plants ; forwarding Ackimenes and Gesneras ; 
sowing Cock’s-combs and Balsams, and many flower- 
seeds, intended for out-door or in-door decorations. 
