GRINDELIA. 



149 



GROTTOES. 



stirred with a flat stick ; taking care, 

 liowever, not to go so deep as to 

 injure the roots. "When trouble is not 

 an obj ect, all greenhouse plants are the 

 better for repotting once every year, 

 either in spring or autumn ; and when 

 the ball is taken out of the pot for 

 this purpose, it should be carefully 

 examined, and all the decayed pai-ts 

 of the roots should he cut ofl\ 

 Sometimes when the ball of earth is 

 turned out, nearly half of it will fall 

 off almost without touching it ; and 

 when this is the case, it will generally 

 be found that there is a worm in the 

 pot. Worms do a great deal of mis- 

 chief to greenhouse plants in cutting 

 through the roots, as their instinct 

 teaches them to make their way 

 through the earth straight across the 

 pot and back again ; and they cannot 

 do this without tearing the roots 

 asunder every time they pass. Ano- 

 ther point to be attended to in the 

 management of a gi-eenhouse is, 

 keeping the plants as near as possible 

 to the glass ; as unless this be done, 

 the plants will become what gard eners 

 call "drawn up," and \innaturally 

 tall and slender, from the efforts they 

 make to reach the light. 



Grevi'llea. — ProteacecB. — Aus- 

 tralian plants, with very curious 

 flowers, which should be grown in 

 a mixture of equal parts of sand, 

 loam, and peat. They are increased 

 by seeds, which ripen freelj^, or by 

 cuttings of the old wood, in sand, 

 under a bell-glass. GrevUlea cms- 

 trails with red and yellow flowers 

 is very nearly hardv. 



Grinde^lia W. (Do\\iAi2. Br.) 

 — Co?»//os2Vre.--Perennialandannual 

 plants, with large showy yellow 

 flowers . The leaves of some of the 

 species are covered with a white 

 glutinous matter, that looks like 

 milk. Nearly all the species are 

 natives of ^Mexico, and they should 

 all be grown in a mixture of loam 



j and peat. The pe)-ennial species all 

 require the protection of a frame 

 during winter, 



I Grottoes are covered seats, or 

 I small cells or caves, with the sides 

 [ and roof constructed of rock-work, or 

 ' of brick or stone, covered internally 

 with spar-or other curious stones, and 

 \ sometimes ornamented with marine 

 I productions, such as corals, madre- 

 ! pores, or shells. A kind of gi-otto is 

 also constructed of roots ornamented 

 J with moss. Perhaps the most gene- 

 I rally effective grotto is one formed 

 I with blocks of stone, without orna- 

 ments either externally or internally, 

 having the floor paved with pebbles, 

 ! and a large long stone, or a wooden 

 I bench painted to imitate stone, as a 

 I seat. The roof should be rendered 

 j waterproof by means of cement, and 

 j covered with ivy ; or a mass of earth 

 may be heaped over it, and planted 

 I with periwinkle, ivy, or other low- 

 ! growing evergreen shrubs, which may 

 ' be trained to hang down over the 

 i mouth of the grotto. In some cases 

 ; it answers to cover grottoes with turf, 

 , so that when seen from behind they 

 j appear like a knoll of earth, and in 

 I front like the entrance into a natural 

 ' cave. As grottoes are generally damp 

 j at most seasons of the year, they are 

 more objects of ornament or curiosity 

 I than useful as seats or places of 

 I repose. One of the finest grottoes in 

 I England is that of Pain's Hill, 

 1 formed of blocks of stone, with sta- 

 I lactite incrustations hanging from the 

 roof, and a small stream running 

 across the floor. Pope's grotto at 

 Twickenham, the grotto at "Wey- 

 bridge, and that at Wimbome St. 

 Giles's, which has cost 10,000^., are 

 also celebrated. A fountain or a 

 gushing stream is a very appropriate 

 ornament to a grotto ; though, where 

 practicable, it is better in an adjoin- 

 ing cave, when a person sitting in 

 the grotto can hear the murmur of 



