Greenhouse In America

In America there must be heat; but, how easily will any of the ingenious men in this country find the means of furnishing the necessary heat with hardly any expense or trouble! In most cases the warmth might go from the parlour fireplace; for, all that is wanted, is completely to keep out frost.

There is, here, no want of Sun even in the coldest weather; and, if the green house were on the Eastern side of the dwelling house, the cold would not be any great annoyance. But, at any rate, the heat necessary to keep out frost might easily be obtained.

A Termometre should be kept in the green house. The heat should be about sixty degrees in the day time, and forty five in the night.

In England they need very little fire in their green houses, except in very cold weather, which, indeed, they seldom have. Their great want is that of sun; for, nothing will do well without sun; and America has plenty of this even in the coldest weather.

So that, if the frost were effectually kept out that alone would give beautiful plants in winter. By an additional heat, a growth and a bloom would be constantly kept up; and a green house might be made one of the most beautiful and most pleasant things in the world.

Of the different plants suitable for a greenhouse, and of the particular treatment of each, I shall speak under the head of FLOWERS; and shall, in this place, only add some directions as to management, which are applicable to the whole assemblage.

Air is the main thing, after the keeping out of the frost. Air is given by pushing up, or drawing down, the Lights, which form the top or roof of the green house. Always give air, when there is no fear of frost. Give heat and air at the same time, if the weather be not mild enough to dispense with the heat. For, without air, the plants will become sickly.

They have lungs as well as we; and, though they may live, for a while, without air, they will be an eye sore instead of a delight to the beholder. If the sides and front, as well as the top, of the green house, be of glass, (which is
best,) then air may be given there, instead of giving it by pushing up, or pulling down, the lights at top.

The plants, of whatever sort or size, must be in what the English call pots, and what the Americans call jars. Perhaps I may as well speak, once for all, about the shape and size, and manner of planting in, these pots. The shape is generally well known; but, the pots ought never to be glazed. Plain earthen pots are best as well as cheapest.

There must be a hole in the middle of the bottom of every pot, or no plant will live in it for any considerable length of time, and will never grow in it at all. This hole should be in proportion to the size of the pot; and the pots may be from 4 inches to 18 inches over at top, and from 4 inches to 18 inches deep; being one third less across at bottom than at the top. The smallest hole ought to be of the size of half a dollar.

Besides the pot, there is what the English call a pan, for the pot to stand in, which should be about 2 inches deep, and as wide over as the top of the pot, and, of course, a third part wider than the bottom of the pot. This pan should be made of the same materials with the pot itself.

I have mentioned, incidentally, wooden boxes, as things wherein to place plants; but, I must here caution the reader against the practice, wherever it can be avoided, especially for small plants.

We see plants, thus cultivated, placed on windowsills; and they sometimes grow there pretty well. Orange Trees, Large Myrtles, and other large exotics, are planted in tubs. There would be great difficulty in getting earthen things of sufficient dimensions for these purposes; besides the constant danger of breaking.

But, I am quite satisfied, that where earthenware can be got and used, it is greatly preferable to wood; and this opinion is founded on actual experience. In my hot-bed of 1819, I sowed several sorts of seeds in little wooden boxes. I had no pots at hand, and to get them from New York required more time than I was willing to spare.

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