THE CONSERVATORY. 125 



form is the best for use, the best for plants, the most con- 

 venient, and the most economical, it will never get out of 

 fashion. The interior will be all that can be wanted. The 

 outside will be the form of a thousand others ; the least 

 likely to take from, or spoil the beauty of the house; the 

 best adapted to show off the plants, and the easiest managed. 



The luxury, for such it is, of a winter garden under glass, 

 may be imagined better than described, when we speak of 

 one under our owti management. The wind w^as east ; the 

 front park of the mansion covered with snow, which was 

 drifting in our face, and almost blinding us and the horse 

 w^e were driving ; the thermometer down at 22 degrees. 

 IsTothing could be more dreary. A few steps across the haU 

 of the mansion to the drawing-room on the ground floor 

 brought us to another climate. The large glass doors of the 

 conservatory were thrown open ; there was a good fire in the 

 room, but the conservatory ranged 50 degrees, and the centre 

 table had a superb bank of flowers, as gaudy as can be 

 imagined — splendid cameUias, rhododendrons, Hovea Celsi, 

 Azalea indica alba, Epacris grandiflora, three or four heaths, 

 some fine orchideas, especially Oncidimn papilio, numerous 

 bulbs, \iolets and mignonette, a few China and forced roses, 

 formed a mass of beauty so utterly out of season, and contrary 

 to the season out of doors, that, notwitstanding w^e had seen 

 the contrast over and over again, it was so striking after a 

 month's absence that we hardly know whether we felt till 

 then the real charm of a conservatory. 



But we have had occasion ere now to caution those ^vho 

 have conservatories opening into the house. Every day the 

 many gallons of water given to the plants evaporates and rises 

 into vapour to settle on the various objects within reach. 

 Therefore in the drawing-room, or the room adjoining the 

 conservatory, there should be nothing that will take injury 

 from damp, because it will settle in pure water on the walls, 

 and sink into tapestry curtains, the backs of paintings, the 

 covers of sofas and chairs ; in short, it will he or hang in drops 

 on whatever will not absorb it, and sink into all that will. 

 Besides, therefore, having nothing that will take injury in the 

 room adjoining, there should be great care taken to keep the 

 conservatory doors shut, except when really required open, 

 and when open to keep all the communications that go from 

 the room to the house closed. The conservatory should 



