First Week

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY.



The plants when newly set in the house are very liable to lose a portion

of their leaves: these should be removed, and the plants kept supplied

with water, so as to preserve the soil moderately moist throughout.

Air to be given every day, and also a portion at night, if the weather

continue mild.



Bulbs (Dutch).--All kinds to be immediately potted and plunged in

a convenient situation ready to be removed, when wanted, to the

forcing-house or pit. If potted and treated as advised some time ago, a

few of them may now be excited into growth.



Chrysanthemums.--Take up the plants from the open ground; choose a

showery day for the purpose. After potting to be well watered and shaded

for a few days, then placed in a cold pit, or removed to the greenhouse,

and neatly tied to stakes. The buds to be thinned for a fine display.



Gladioli.--Pot them, and Ixias, Sparaxis, &c.; and to be watered

sparingly until they begin to grow.



Lily of the Valley.--Pot some, to be treated as advised for Bulbs, that

a regular supply of this favourite flower may be had during winter.



Shrubs.--Get in, if not already done. A supply of American plants to be

potted, as advised a fortnight ago, and plunged in old tan until wanted

for forcing.





STOVE AND ORCHID-HOUSE.



Continue to act in unison with the season, allowing the temperature to

decline slightly as light decreases. Although the Aerides, Dendrobiums,

&c., will continue to enjoy a temperature of 80 deg. by day and 70 deg.

by night, the Cattleyas will require 10 deg. or 15 deg. less to bring

them to a healthy state of rest; for if kept in constant excitement they

will continue to sprout buds from their pseudo-bulbs, which generally

adds to the size of the plant at the expense of the blooms.



Achimenes picta.--Promote their growth by every attention, also Gesnera

zebrina, which adds much to the beauty of the stove during winter.



Begonias.--Encourage the different kinds for winter flowering by giving

them larger pots if required.



Euphorbia fulgens and splendens.--These are also worthy of especial

attention, as they contribute to enliven the house at the dullest season

of the year when flowers are scarce.





FORCING-HOUSES.



Cucumbers.--To prolong the season of fine crisp fruit it is necessary

to keep the plants clean and healthy by giving them plenty of top and

bottom heat.



Figs.--The trees having no fruit likely to come to perfection, and whose

leaves are fading, to be kept cool and dry, to induce an early rest. A

seasonal rest should also be given by the same means to trees in pots,

that they may be in a fit state for forcing early.



Melons.--Continue to maintain a warm, dry atmosphere, to give flavour to

the fruit. They will require little or no water after this.



Peaches.--Vacancies to be filled with trees from the walls on the

open ground. This is a plan preferable to having young trees from the

nursery, which are usually some years in covering the space allotted to

them. Where the lights have been wholly removed, after being repaired

and painted, they should be put upon the houses to protect the trees and

borders from unfavourable weather.



Pines.--Ripening fruit to be kept in a dry, warm atmosphere, to give it

flavour. The swelling fruit to have a warm, moist atmosphere. Water to

be given to the plants cautiously; every one to be examined before it

receives any, and manure water to be dispensed with altogether. The heat

of the dung-pits to be kept up by renewing the linings. The crowns and

suckers that are planted in the tan to have no water; all they require

is attention in giving air and keeping up the heat.



Vines.--Attention to be given to the young Vines in pots that are

intended for forcing, that they may not become soddened, which would

injure the young roots considerably. Where netting or any other such

material had been used over the lights that open in houses containing

fruit, to prevent the ingress of wasps, it may be taken down as little

mischief will now be apprehended from their attacks. Mice are sometimes

very troublesome in vineries at this season, and will spoil a whole

house of Grapes in a short time if not prevented. Traps should,

therefore, be kept set, and every means used to prevent their ingress

from the garden. Cover the border when the trees are planted outside,

with a good coat of fern or any other such material before they become

saturated and chilled by the autumnal rains, to be laid on thickly in

layers, beginning at the front of the border, the whole to be covered

with a thin layer of good straw, and fastened down as a thatcher does

the straw on stacks.