CHAPTER IX. 



Conservatories and Greenhouses. 



These are costly and mainly afforded only by the wealthy. As an ornament of 

 architectural value, no villa is complete without them, and even the owner of 

 the city mansion does not seem well satisfied till he has added one of these 

 elegancies to assist the look and feeling of taste. 



Usually they are quite costly, and both interior and exterior are highly decora- 

 ted, and as objects of effect on the lawn, or among the shrubbery, they are worth 

 all their value in their embellishment of rural art. 



Still, even the person of moderate purse, may have one not very showy, yet 

 very convenient, and well adapted to this purpose, viz: The keeping of plants in 

 larger quantities than the ordinary space of the window, or parlor garden, and 

 also in a better and more successful atmosphere than that of the living room. 



It would take a volume alone to point out all technical details necessary to 

 anyone about to build one. For an extensive design, the advice of a horticul- 

 tural architect is indispensable, but for home purposes, a design such as any car- 

 penter can erect is seen in one of our succeeding plans. 



Conservatories and green-houses are also somewhat distinct in their uses. 

 The one is mainly devoted to ornamental purposes, and the exhibition of 

 plants in full beauty of growth and bloom, while in the humbler green-house, 

 propagating boxes are the chief furniture used by the gardener, for the produc- 

 tion and forcing of his young plants. Still either term is appropriate, and the 

 term greenhouse includes both. 



Costly conservatories are built of iron and glass, more moderate ones of wood 

 and glass. In building them, due heed must be given to ventilation. If in small 

 home conservatories, they are not well heated, it would be well to have heavy out- 

 side shutters, so as to be rolled down at night, or double window panes of glass; 

 usually a flue from the furnace which warms the house will, in most lati- 

 tudes, give sufficient warmth, provided the furnace will keep up a uniform degree 

 all night. This, after all, is not regular in large conservatories ; and then the 

 only satisfactory mode of heating is by pipes of hot water from a furnace speci- 

 ally constructed for the purpose. 



