LIBRARY 
NEW YORE 
BOTANICAR 
GARDEN 
GREENHOUSE AND STOVE PLANTS. 
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GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 
GENERAL REMARKS. 
THE vast numbers of species and varieties 
of greenhouse plants, hard and soft wooded, 
now in cultivation, afford an all but limit- 
less field for the cultivator to select from. 
Australia, with its wide expanse of terri- 
tory, China, the Cape of Good Hope, the 
temperate parts of America, Southern 
Europe, and the cool mountain ranges of 
the various hot countries of the world, 
have all been put under contribution to 
furnish our greenhouses with plants that 
keep up through the circle of the year an 
unbroken succession of flowers in their 
varied forms and colours. The advantage 
which greenhouse plants present to the 
general cultivator is their requiring little 
artificial heat beyond that requisite to keep 
them during the winter somewhat above 
the reach of frost, with the consequently 
more enjoyable temperature of the struc- 
tures in which they are located in the 
growing season than is possible with the 
stove. Amongst the hardwooded occupants 
of the greenhouse are many of the most 
beautiful, distinct, and profuse flowering 
plants in existence; these properties collec- 
tively commend them to the general culti- 
vator. The better known, and more easily 
managed, softwooded section, contribute 
so much by the beauty and abundance 
of their flowers to the embellishment of 
greenhouses and conservatories, and play 
so important a part in the all but limitless 
arrangements in which flowers and plants 
are now used, that nothing further need 
be said in their favour beyond instancing 
the ease with which they may be grown,— 
eowhich ease alone is worth taking into con- 
Uc sideration. 
©? Position, Form, aND CoNSTRUCTION OF 
Hovsz.—It is a matter of the first import- 
“Sance that greenhouses should be situated far 
€Nenough away from anything that can in the 
= least obstruct or absorb the light which, to 
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the fullest extent possible, is essential to the 
well-being of greenhouse plants. Trees, or 
any dark object, even when situated on 
the north side of a planthouse (unless at 
some distance from it) absorb the hight to 
an extent that seriously reduces the amount 
which reaches the plants; consequently 
care should be taken to build far enough 
away from such. For a like reason, to 
secure the inmates all the light possible, 
on all sides, the span shape is much the 
best ; a house of this description, 18 to 20 
feet wide by from 40 to 50 feet in length, 
is proportionate and convenient, as well as 
generally suited to the requirements of the 
plants. It should consist of 3 feet of brick- 
work all round; the upright side-lights 
should be 2 ft. 6 in. in depth, all hinged 
and provided with opening gear, like the 
roof ventilators. These should consist of 
short lights running the whole length of 
the house, hinged to the ridge, so as to 
open with lever rods ; and this is so much 
an improvement on the old system of slid- 
ing lights that air can be given when re- 
quired in wet weather. It is also in- 
finitely superior to any of the contrivances 
of shutter-ventilation at the ridge, as these 
always tend to darken the house too much, 
The internal arrangement may, with ad- 
vantage, consist of 3 feet side stages over 
the pipes, and on a level with the bottom 
of the side-lights. A path running on 
each side of the house, about 33 feet in 
width, should divide the side stages from 
the centre, which should consist of a flat 
stage about the same height as those at the 
sides, or a few inches higher. Both side 
and centre stages should be made of solid 
slabs of slate, thin flags, or iron plates, on 
which can be placed an inch or so of fine 
sandy gravel that can be kept damp when 
required, and will so maintain a nice 
moisture amongst the plants standing 
thereon. For small stock especially, and 
during the growing season, this is a great 
advantage, preserving a more genial atmos- 
phere, and acting as a preventive against 
