CONSERVATORY. 



CONVOLVULUS. 



the growing and flowering season; in 

 order that the plants may make 

 no more wood than what they can 

 thoroughly ripen. Walls used for 

 purposes of this kind are called con- 

 servative walls ; and next to conserva- 

 tories, they form the most interesting 

 scenes to the lovers of plants in an 

 ornamental garden. 



CoxsEHVATORT. — This term ori- 

 ginally implied a house in which 

 orange-trees and other large shruhs, 

 or small trees, were preserved from 

 ; frost during the winter ; but, at pre- 

 sent, it is applied to houses with 

 ' glass roofs, in which the plants are 

 groA\Ti in the free soil, and allowed 

 to assume their natural shapes and 

 habits of growth. A conservatory is 

 generally situated so as to be entered 

 from one of the rooms of the house 

 I to which it belongs ; and from which 

 I it is often separated only by a glass 

 i door, or by a small lobby with glass 

 I 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 

 Camellias, Myrtles, kc. 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 sKould, as much 

 as possible, be all of the same degree 

 of vigour, otherwise the stronger 

 kiods will fill the soil with their 

 roots, and overpower the weaker. 

 This, to a certain extent, takes place 

 in all conservatories, and is unavoid- 

 able. The only remedy for the evil 

 is occasionally to cut in the large 

 roots of the stronger plants, and 

 prune in their tops, and every six or 

 seven years to take up all the plants, 



1 excepting, perhaps, some of the 

 j climbers, and to renew the soil, and 

 I replant 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 

 1 under side of the rafters, may be 

 j clothed with creepers ; but great 

 I care must be taken that these do 

 . not exclude too much light from the 

 I plants beneath them, which may 

 always be known by the etiolated 

 sickly appearance of the latter. The 

 most suitable plants for conserva- 

 tories are those that flower in the 

 winter season, or very early in 

 spring ; such as the Acacias, Ca- 

 1 mellias, iMalaleucus, Metrosideroses, 

 Banksias, Oleanders, &c. ; and for 

 I climbers, the Kennedyas, Zichyas, 

 Hardenbergias, Bigaonias, Tecomas, 

 Ipomoeas, Cobras, Passifloras, Tac- 

 sonias, Clematises, kc. 



Convalla'ria. — SmiIdcece.--lLhe 

 Lily of the Valley. — A well-known 

 and very fragrant little flowei', said 

 to be found wild in some parts of 

 England. It requires rather a diy 

 soil, which should be tolerably light. 

 The plant is increased by dividing 

 the 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 light. 

 S:»lomon's Seal is also a kind of 

 con val] aria. 



Convo'lvulus. — Convolvidacece. 

 — Well-known splendid climbing 

 plants, hardy and half-hardy, annual 

 and perennial. They all require a 

 rich but light soil, and "wiU grow 

 well in a compost of equal parts of 

 heath-mould and loam, enriched 

 with about the proportion of a fourth 

 part to the whole of decayed leaves, 

 or thoroughly rotten manure ; and 

 they should be trained against stakes 

 or trellis work, as their stems are too 

 feeble to support themselves. Most of 

 the tender kinds of Convolvulus were 



