THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[July, 



this winter. I had two hands firing at night ; 

 while one slept six hours the other fired. Taking 

 it all in all — leaving out pipes — hot water is the 

 cheaper, but for a large business, or even from 

 five large greenhouses up, steam is cheaper, all 

 counted. For a few houses hot water would be my 

 choice. But, as I am situated now, steam is a 

 great saving to me. On my dwelling alone I save 

 from $ioo to )J{i5o in one winter on base burners 

 and coal for them. I expect to burn sixty tons of 

 best hard coal this winter. 



GREENHOUSE DECORATIONS. 



BY N. ROBERTSON, GOVERNMENT GROUNDS, 

 OTTAWA, CANADA. 



This is a subject that we hear very little about, 

 but one of very great importance to the appearance 

 of a greenhouse. In what state do we generally 

 find them ? Plants put on the benches, apparently 

 more for convenience than with any idea of giving 

 effect to their decorative capacity, which if placed 

 in another position to contrast with each other, 

 they would do. 



I do not know that any definite rule could be 

 laid down for this purpose, but a few hints on one 

 of my methods of arrangement, may benefit some 

 by drawing their attention to it; as it seems to me, 

 it has been unthought of in very many cases. 



I will give you, as an example, one of my own 

 houses and try to describe the plan, so as to be 

 understood. This house has a center bench seven 

 feet wide, with a passage running all around, an 

 outer bench, four feet, doing the same. In the mid- 

 dle of my center bench I run a line of my tallest 

 plants, diversifying their foliage as much as possible. 

 In this line I have a row of turned wooden stands, 

 placed at such a distance as will not shade the 

 plants below. These stands rise to a height that 

 will not show the flower-pots. On these I have 

 placed such plants as fan palm, anthuriums, 

 pandanusps, &c., with very fine effect. From this 

 line my sides slope downward to the passages, giv- 

 ing variation to the foliage as much as I can. A 

 foot from the front I have a line of smaller stands, 

 run all around about four feet apart, which rises 

 considerably over the other plants, and if the pots 

 are kept clean will be no eye-sore — or fancy pots 

 may be used. I never put on them a larger pot 

 than a six inch, with such plants as primulas, cycla- 

 mens, or some of the smaller growing Bromeliads. 

 This house, facing the noon-day sun, with center 

 bench so arranged, gives me on its back side a 

 fine chance to grow shade loving plants, such as 

 marantas, ferns, &c. 



My outside shelf is arranged same as the other, 

 only all sloping to the passage. It has its row 

 also of those stands, at the same distance from the 

 front of the bench. The back part of this outer 

 shelf I devote mostly to ferns, some of the droop- 

 ing varieties look most graceful on these stands ; 

 besides this they take many plants from the 

 benches that occupy much room, and standing 

 amongst other plants are never seen properly to 

 show off their beauty. In fact want of space for 

 my plants caused me first to adopt this stand 

 method ; and I now think a house is very incom- 

 plete without them. The expense is small ; any 

 turner can make them with little trouble, being 

 only an upright and a round top put on, the 

 lower end turned down to fit an auger hole made 

 in the benches, a shoulder being left on for better 

 support. Smallest sizes could not cost more than 

 fifteen cents each ; for large plants they must be 

 stronger. The stands to be painted green. Even 

 in the spring of the year, when a large stock of 

 bedding plants are being got ready, I make them 

 very ornamental by placing them ribbon fashion 

 on my benches, instead of having them scattered 

 all over the house. Thus placed when you go to 

 put them outside you have them all together ; this 

 often looks so pretty that one is almost inclined to 

 have a portion of the house so the whole year. 



Cleanliness in your house, your wood work 

 neatly painted, and your pots nicely washed, all 

 dead leaves removed ; of the latter nothing need be 

 said, as it is not only unsightly but the cause of 

 many other annoyances. I hope that these few 

 hints may do good, and bring some one else to 

 the front with his opinions on this subject. 



[Excellent suggestions for others besides garden- 

 ers.— Ed. G. M.] 



FACTS ABOUT STEAM HEATING. 



BY E. C. REINEMAN, PITTSBURGH, PA. 



A great, deal has been said in your columns 

 about steam heating, and its advantages in all 

 respects in heating greenhouses, over all methods. 

 I thought I would give my own experience, it being 

 more practical than some others, and so may be of 

 some value to parties contemplating putting in 

 steam for heating purposes. So much is claimed 

 for steam heating, in regard to saving time, fuel, 

 attention, regulation of temperature, first cost of 

 construction, &c., that it is really astonishing that 

 every florist in the country does not take advantage 

 of the inducements offered and saddle around at 

 once and put in steam, especially those in the 



