33-i THE FLORAL WOE.LD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



GROWING STOVE-PLINTS IN A COLD-HOUSE. 



BX It. DE TEEKISIEK. 



[HIS may sound paradoxical, but it is strictly and mathe- 

 matically correct. I manage it thus : — In a spare corner 

 of a common glass-house I have put up a block of clay 

 bricks. In this I have set a fireplace, i.e., some fire-bars, 

 with a small door, and a horizontal flue running level with 

 the fire-bars to a length of about five feet. From the farther extremity 

 of the flue rises some earthenware piping, by way of chimney. This I 

 have surrounded with ten to twelve laches of clay. Over the fireplace is 

 aloft or hollow space,forraing a sort of cavity in the brickwork about 

 two feet six inchesin depth, which is filled with tan covered over with 

 peat-earth. In the tan I have formed miniature frames with panes 

 of glass. 



When a fire is lit in the fireplace, it warms the bricks through, 

 as also the tan and peat-earth. The heat rising in the tan, communi- 

 cates itself to the glass boxes and their contents, setting up a gentle, 

 close, moist heat. The syringe must be freely used. 



In the aforesaid frames I grow, if the expression may be per- 

 mitted, Berfolonias, SoneriJas, JDicJiorisandras, etc. Under such con- 

 ditions, these beautil'ul little specimens of the Almighty's handiwork 

 thrive amazingly. To describethem is difl&cult,indeed impossible, but I 

 must make an attempt. Imagine charming little rosettes upon beau- 

 tiful green, speckled, some with white and some with pink. What 

 enhances the beauty of the foliage is that the spots stand out as in 

 relief. In Bertolonia margariiacea the leaves are studded with innu- 

 merable small pearls ; in Bertolonia roseo-punctatissima tiny rubies 

 shine forth from a like setting. The flowers of these plants, pretty 

 aa they are, are their least ornament. In another frame I grew a 

 collection of small kinds of Maranta. These, too, are charming 

 plants, with handsome velvety leaves striped in many colours. They 

 thrive equally well in this warm, moist temperature. Another frame 

 contains Dichorisandra,Eranthemitm, Fittonias, a few Crotons, etc. 



All these plants do wonderfully well under the conditions de- 

 scribed, and at comparatively email cost. In the course of twelve 

 months I burn 120 fr. (£o) worth of coal, or, more correctly speak- 

 ing, coal-dust, which stands me in only half as much as large coal. 

 In winter, that is to say in the coldest weather, I keep the fire going 

 from 6 A.M. to 10 p.m. This does not last long, as the winters in 

 this neighbourhood (Cherbourg) are very mild. In February and 

 March I light the fire at 10 a.m. and keep it in until 8 p.m. In April 

 and May I begin at 4 p.m. and continue the fire till 8 p.m. During 

 the montlis of June, July, August, and September I leave off" firing 

 altogethei", resuming about October 15th. 



I hav3 not yet tried Anactocliilus ; but I am convinced that these 

 delightful little orchids would also do well. Here would be another 

 jewel to add to my collection. Unfortunately they are expensive 

 plants. I ought to add that in summer, when the sun sends its rays 



