320 BRIEF REMARKS. 



hundreds of plants, all vieing with each other in gratifying my senses. 

 Let me confess tiiat, amidst all my joy in possessing this store — greatly 

 heiglitened by the praise I received from my friends — tliere was in my 

 mind a hidden sorrow. These must all perish, thought I, before the 

 blast of the wintry winds. I talked the matter over with my wife. 

 We read in your book how slight a covering might preserve them. 

 We longed for a greenhouse, but the expense seemed so great. I 

 could g-et notliino^ built under 20/ or 301. I besian to consider wliether 

 I could not manage to raise something by ray own hands. I meditated 

 and calculated, and having entered deeply into the design, I found, by 

 examination, that the materials were not so very costly, if I could find 

 time to use tliem. I did not doubt niy ability to form a habitation for 

 my favourites, if the materials werewitliin my reacii. Many times of an 

 evening I drew out plans suitable for my garden, marked out the posi- 

 tion of the building, and went to bed to dream of the preservation of 

 my plants. Surely, where tliere is a will there is a way ! One fine 

 evening a friend, used to bricks and mortar, heard my longings for a 

 greenhouse, and, willing to gratify my wish, offered to lay the founda- 

 tion. He had seen my plan, we had even marked out the dimensions; 

 and about my premises lay, as luck would have it, some 300 bricks 

 and a moderate supply of mortar. We went to bed, and my friend 

 rose early. At six o'clock I walked dov/n tiie garden, where I found 

 the foundation dug out, and nine inches of brickwork already laid. 

 Eigiiteen inciies of wall were raised that morning, and there tiie work 

 stayed. The foundation measured eleven feet by seven ; and our plan 

 was that the front should be four feet high altogether, rising to seven 

 feet at (he back, How the plates (I began to learn builders' terms 

 now) — how these were laid, all unplaned ; how the frames were rab- 

 beted, and the glazing accomplisiied (upwards of 150 feet of glass 

 all puttied in by myself), and the whole painted inside and out, and a 

 nice sliding sasli in the roof, and a swinging one in the fi'ont, and a 

 little narrow door in one corner — how liiese were all done it seems 

 now quite a mystery ; yet before the middle of September I could shut 

 the door of my little building and say, " Here is a home for my tender 

 nurslings !" A wide shelf in the front, and a stage leaning against the 

 back, completed mj"^ furnisiiings; and I counted room for 250 pots, or 

 more, of 60's and 48's. The beginning of October warned us that the 

 time was come when the plants must be housed; carefully we took 

 fhem from the ground, potted them, shaded them for some days under 

 your directions, and MJien they were removed to their winter quarters, 

 few showed any signs of decay. Kone can know, but by experience, 

 the inward joy 1 felt at the result of a little industry. My house had 

 cost me less than 5/. 



At length the frost came, and my ne.xt thought was, how to keep 

 him out. I matted the top; being low this was not difficult; but still 

 my thermometer told me that I was too cold within, I determined to 

 find a stove, and after some consideration I purchased one at Cadman's, 

 Newgate-street, for IS*., and a sack of fuel for 5*. ; this, with the 

 exception of a slight smell, answered tiie purpose admirably, as it would 

 keep a-liglit, by management, for twelve hours easily, but the fuel was 



