CONSERVATORY. 
166 
CONVOLVULUS. 
to a distance from the roots cf the large roots of the stronger plants, 
plants. 
plants are kept in the open ground, 
the better, excepting during the 
growing and flowering season; in 
The drier all half-hardy | 
order that the plants may make no | 
more wood than what they can 
thoroughly ripen. Walls used for 
purposes of this kind are called 
conservative walls ; and next to| 
conservatories, they form the most 
interesting scenes to the lovers of 
plants in an ornamental garden. 
Conservatory.—This term ori- 
ginally implied a house in which 
orange-trees, and other large shrubs, 
or small trees, were preserved from 
frost during the winter; but at 
present it is applied to houses with 
glass roofs, in which the plants are 
grown in the free soil, and allowed 
to assume their natural shapes and 
habits of growth. A conservatory 
is generally situated so as to be en- 
tered from one of the rooms of the 
house to which it belongs; and 
from which it is often separated 
only by a glass door, or by a small 
lobby with glass doors. It should, 
if possible, have one side facing the 
south ; but if it is glazed on every 
side, it may have any aspect, not 
even excepting the north: though 
in the latter case, it will only be 
suitable for very strong leathery- 
leaved evergreens, such as Camel- 
has, Myrtles, &c. ‘The bed for 
the plants should be of sandy loam 
‘that being the soil that will suit 
most plants), two or three feet deep, 
and thoroughly drained. The plants 
should be of kinds that will grow in 
a few years nearly as high as the | 
glass; and they should, as much 
as possible, be all of the same degree 
of vigour, otherwise the stronger 
kinds will fill the soil with their 
roots, and overpower the weaker. 
This, to a certain extent, takes place 
in all conservatories, and is un- 
_ avoidable. The only remedy for 
and prune in their tops, and every 
six or seven years to take up all 
the plants, excepting, perhaps, some 
of the climbers, and to renew the 
soil, and re-plant either with the 
same or with other plants, or with 
part of both. The pillars which 
support the roof, and, to a certain 
extent, the under side of the raiters, 
may be clothed with creepers; but 
great care must be taken that these 
do not exclude too much light from 
the plants beneath them, which 
may always be known by the etio- 
lated sickly appearance of the latter 
The most suitable plants for con- 
servatories are those that flower in 
the winter season, or very carly in 
spring ; such as the Acacias, Ca- 
mellias, Melaleucas, Metrosideroses, 
Banksias, Oleanders, &c.; and for 
climbers, the Kennedias, Zychyas, 
Hardenbergias, Bignonias, Teco- 
mas, !mpomeeas, Cobea, Passifloras, 
Tacsonia, Clematises, &c. 
ConvaLua‘ria.— Smilicee.—The 
Lily of the Valley. A well-known 
and very fragrant little flower, said 
to be found wild in some parts of 
England. It requires rather a moist 
soil, which should be tolerably light. 
The plant is increased by dividing 
roots, which are very numerous ; 
and though it is generally supposed 
to like the shade, it will not flower 
well unless it has plenty of hght. 
Convo'LvuLus. — Convolvulicee. 
—Well-known splendid climbing 
plants, hardy and half-hardy, an- 
nual and perennial. They all re- 
quire a rich but light soil, and will 
grow well in a compost of equal 
parts of heath mould and loam, en- 
riched with about the proportion of 
a fourth part to the whole, of de- 
cayed leaves, or thoroughly retten 
manure ; and they should be trained 
against stakes or trellis-work, as 
their stems are too feeble to support 
themselves. Most of the tender 
~ the evil, is occasionally to cut in the | kinds of Convolvulus were separat- 
2 
ck’ ha Sia 
Léah\s, 
