Jnly 31, 187S. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



is a thorough command of ventilation, in most cases by sashes 

 moved by a ratchet and cog. The central and largest house 

 in this block of nine is a Camellia house, 21 feet wide and 

 100 feet long, with a domed centre, underneath which the 

 walk branches right and left, but followed in a straight line 

 leads to the flower garden. Being thus an artery of commu- 

 nication it is more ornamental in its construction than the 

 houses on each side of it, and has ornamental plate-glass 

 doors, deluding the eye by reflections of its contents. The 

 first house from the east side is filled in one division with 

 Begonias, Ferns, Crotons, Caladiums, and other fine-foliaged 

 plants, and the second division is an Orchid house, in which 

 Cattleyas predominate. The next range, also in two divisions, 

 is an East Intlian Orchid and Brazilian house, with ample 



provision for heating, and containing a tank capable of holding 

 five thousand gallons of water. In this is an excellent collection 

 of fine Vandas, of which Batecianni was in flower, Catanthe, 

 Saccolabium, &c., together with beautiful plants of Adiantnm 

 farleyense and some other Ferns and fine-foliaged plant.s. In 

 the second division was a choice collection of Dendrobiums 

 and Oncidiums, with many other genera. The next range is 

 a propagating house, also used as a refuge and hospital ; and 

 the fourth a stove, admirably set out with Crotons, Ferns, 

 Dracfenas, and miscellaneous fine-foliaged plants. This con- 

 tains a two-thousaud-gaUons tank. At right angles to the 

 last two and the Camellia house, which forms the centre of 

 the block of glass, is a long fernery with another large tank 

 containing many hundreds of gallons, with Passifloras, Clero- 



T E R RACE 



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PLAN OF FLOWER GABDEN AT WE8TONBIBT. 



dendrons, Stephanotis, and other climbers on the roof, and 

 further on Tbyrsacanthus rutilans and I'oinsettias make it 

 aglow with brilliant colours. Another cross house, to the left, 

 is at present filled with Fuchsias, Coleus, and the like, and in 

 winter is kept gay with Hyacinths and other bulbs. The re- 

 maining four houses are respectively used for double Geraniums 

 for cut flowers ; for specimen .\zaleas ; for Epacrises, Tree 

 Carnations, and Primulas ; and for Poinsettias, which are 

 planged in the bed, but at present for fine-foliaged Begonias. 



It is really a relief to have thus got over even this brief sketch 

 of the contents of a block of houses so extensive that to have 

 entered into details respecting them wonld have occupied a 



great amount of space, and tired the reader, for Mr. Lucas 

 does not leave things half done. His houses are amply, nay 

 profusely furnished; his plants, ihough not remarkable for 

 size, are evidently such that he could make them so if he 

 desired, and then they are in multitudes. But he had not 

 done with us, for ho next introduced us into a Palm house, 

 .50 feet long by 20 wide, in which were a lot of Livistonas, 

 large tree Ferns, and a vast uumber of Gloxinias dried off ; 

 then into a north-aspect house where there were something 

 like a thousand Amaryllises, a class of flowers which he makes 

 a speciality, growing thorn most successfully, and having raised, 

 in addition, many fine varieties. 



