■WINDOW GARDENING. 75 



In Mr. "Ward's glass Cases, and in all closed horticultural structures, the atmos- 

 phere surrounding the plants is maintained in a humid state, hy the watery 

 evaporation which takes place from the surface of the leaves, under the influence of 

 sun-light, and which, becoming condensed by the neighbouring glass, trickles 

 down to the soil, and is again absorbed through the roots of the plants, or, 

 by saturating the atmosphere with moisture, checks the foliar exhalations. In 

 ventilated places this transpired moisture is, of course, carried off, and its accumu- 

 lation being thus prevented, the amount of the watery juices exhaled is propor- 

 tionably greater. The only generally available means of counteracting this 

 evaporation is to supply the soil of the pot with an increased quantity of fluid, 

 but, unfortunately, this plan can only be adopted with a few plants, and with them 

 only in the growing season. "Were it followed indiscriminately, it would be 

 productive of a greater evil than the aridity of the atmosphere — we mean a sodden 

 soil — and speedily cause the death of the plant. So numerous, however, are the 

 plants from which selections may be made for window culture, that it would be 

 easy to choose a considerable number which would flourish on the window, almost 

 as well as in the greenhouse ; of this character are the Acacias, and, in general, 

 most South Australian plants, together with others which are natives of those 

 extra- tropical countries in which an arid atmosphere obtains during a great part of 

 the year. The cuticle of the leaves of such plants is of a peculiar texture, and 

 enables'them to resist the extraordinary dessicating influence of the climate ; and 

 they therefore suffer less injury in warm, dry apartments than those plants furnished 

 with leaves of a more delicate nature. For the same reason they also suffer less 

 from the dusty particles constantly present in the atmosphere of a sitting room, 

 and which are quite as injurious to those plants in which the breathing pores are 

 numerous, as the excess of dryness. 



Another class of subjects eminently suited to bear the parched air of rooms, are 

 the^Succulents, which receive as little injury under such circumstances as the plants 

 previously referred to ; and a third group readily suggests itself in the Bulbous 

 plants, which comprehend some of the finest and most easily managed plants in 

 cultivation. The latter have this additional recommendation, that when out of 

 flower [they may easily be disposed of, and require little or no attention until the 

 commencement of the following season. There are others nearly, if not quite as 

 suitable ; but we defer, until the conclusion of this notice, a complete list of the most 

 desirable window plants. 



(To be concluded in our next.) 



