268 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



First as to glass houses, etc., etc. The first house I ever built 

 had a nearly flat roof. It suited admirably both for the plants within 

 and the cats without. The cats used to scamper over it quite easily, 

 and now and then one would fall through and run about amongst 

 my geraniums to find a place to get out again ; and at last, made 

 desperate with the prospect of permanent imprisonment, make a 

 place of exit by smashing of a lot of glass. I one day saw a huge 

 torn cat that I knew to be guilty of nibbling my carnations, and 

 other feats of destructiveness, take up his seat peaceably in the sun 

 on the edge of a frame in front of my low roofed greenhouse. Pre- 

 sently two or three more cats appeared on the top of the house 

 together, like a little party assembling by agreement. The huge 

 torn made a spring on to the roof, and joined them, and they com- 

 menced on my glass some extraordinary gambols. " This must be 

 put a stop to," says I to myself, and I ran towards the house, threw 

 up my hand, and uttered the "sheesh," Avhich people usually employ 

 to scare cats away. They all bolted except one, and that was the 

 very torn aforesaid, for as ill-luck would have it, he had thrust one 

 of his legs through a hole in the glass, and began to struggle terribly 

 to extricate it. In another moment he went clean through into the 

 midst of my melons and geraniums. I had the good sense (it was a 

 wonder I had any sense, so scared was I at what might happen) to 

 run instantly and open the door. Confound him ! instead of seeing 

 that escape was easy, he commenced leaping up frantically in order 

 to get out the same way that he came in. Up and down- — up and 

 down he went, as if madness had seized him. Every time he leaped 

 he smashed the glass with his head ; every time he came down the 

 glass rattled about him, and terrified him more. Oh, it was an 

 awful scene ! I went along the front of the house, and looked down 

 into it in order to frighten him out, but he was too bewildered either 

 to see me making faces at him from without, or the door standing 

 open for his escape. Presently he made another leap under my 

 very eyes, and I felt the splinters of glass fly fast in my face, and 

 next instant saw him run through the whole body of plants that 

 stood on the front stage, scattering them on all sides, and joy ! joy ! 

 he bolted out and was gone ! There was a track of blood in the 

 course he pursued, and that is all I know as to extent of his suffer- 

 ings, for I never saw him again. Now, strange to say, I do not know 

 what is the maximum of slope which a cat can run upon ; if I did, a 

 rule might be given to the effect — never have the roof of a glass- 

 house below an angle of — . It strikes me that a roof at forty- 

 five degrees would be too steep for cats ; however, I have mine 

 always sharper than 45°. Never while I live in town, will I 

 again build a greenhouse or a pit with a roof over which cats can 

 perambulate. If I must have a nearly flat roof, I will protect it 

 with wire netting, and surround it with palisades of spikes. They 

 shall be tickled in the toes as badly as if put upon hot bricks ere they 

 shall enjoy a war-dance on my glass again. 



Cats make runs, and appear to give preference to the be3t flower- 

 beds and borders for this purpose. When I find an alley cut through 

 my plants by cats rushing along at night, I put in a lot of small 



