FOHCING VIOLETS. 309 



find the conditions of the light of tlie seasons varying to suit tlie neces- 

 sities of vegetable life. The production of chlorophyl, or the colouring 

 matter of the leaves, was shown to be due to tiie joint action of light 

 and actinism — tlie first being necessary to efl'ect tiie secretion of the 

 carbon, and the latter for the oxidation of this deposited carbon. 



FORCING VIOLETS. 



BY E. H. 



In the latter end of September, or beginning of October, I generally 

 commence forming my violets. Being marked out for a one-light box, 

 I commence placing a layer of wood on the surface of the ground, and 

 so continue to the height of three feet ; then put on a layer of strawy 

 litter on the top of the MOod, so as to prevent the soil falling through ; 

 on the top of this I place a layer of turf all over the bed, after which 

 the frame is put on, and filled to about eighteen inches of the glass, 

 with good rich mould. When the mould is settled in a day or so, 

 take the plants up with ball of earth attached to them, and plant them 

 in the frame, putting a little dry earth between the plants, and giving 

 them a good soaking of warm water ; the frame is closed up for a day 

 or two, until they have taken fresh roots. After the plants are esta- 

 blished in the frame, put a lining of stable-dung all round the frame ; 

 the heat of the dung affords a bottom-heat to the violets, and by re- 

 placing the lining when required, a degree of lieat sufticiently to force 

 the violet to a very high degree of perfection, can always be main- 

 tained. I have had hundreds of violets in a one-light box, by follow- 

 ing this method. 



THE NOBLE CONSERVATORY IN THE ROYAL . 

 GARDENS OF KEW. 



This magnificent building will soon be covered in, and the nearer it 

 comes to completion the more majestic and astonishing it appears, 

 When finished it will far exceed everything of the kind in Europe, 

 and very probably everywhei-e else. It is built from tlie design of 

 D. Burton, Esq. It consists of a centre and two wings. The length 

 of the House is 362 feet; the centre portion is 100 feet wide and 

 6G feet in height ; the wings are 50 feet wide and 30 feet high. Tiie 

 whole is of iron, stone, brick, and green-coloured sheet glass. There 

 is an iron gallery all round the interior of the centre part, at 30 feet 

 from the floor. The house will be heated by hot-water pipes and 

 tanks, distributed above and beneath tlie floor. The smoke will be 

 conveyed by an under-ground flue, within a brick tunnel 6 feet high, 

 to a distance of 160 yards from the house, to a shaft or ornamental 

 towxT 60 feet high. Tiiere will be 45,000 feet of glass, and it was 

 constructed in tlie house as to curve, so that it will throw off with- 

 out sustaining injury, any object of moderate weiglit that may lay 

 upon it. 



