PART II 



CHAPTER I 



THE PLANT HOUSES 



In villa gardens of the first class, where glasshouses of various 

 kinds are required for j^lant culture, there will be a saving of 

 space and expense (and they may be arranged in a manner better 

 adapted to meet their several requirements) if, when selecting 

 the site, every possible contingency is taken into consideration. 

 There are many gardens where convenience and also general 

 effect have been sacrificed by omitting to take a comprehensive 

 view of probable wants at the outset. This may have been 

 the fault of incompetent advisers; but every man who builds 

 a greenhouse, or any other glass structure, ought to ask him- 

 self this question. Will the site I have chosen boar expansion, 

 and can I conveniently add to it if I wish ? Nine out of 

 every ten men Avho commence plant - growing in earnest find 

 themselves, as years roll on, extending their glass erections. 

 It is true that of late years the reduction of the mania for bedding 

 out brilliant exotics has relieved the pressure ujDon the glass 

 department ] still, in the main, the glass erections in every gar- 

 den increase in nmnber ; but even if they do not, it is as well 

 to have plenty of room : if the space is not required for build- 

 ing on it can be put to some other profitable use. In selecting 

 the site for a block of houses there should be an outfall for 

 drainage, and, if possible, some shelter from north and east winds. 

 For plant-growing, span-roofed houses running north and south 

 are best, and if several are required, place them on a sort of 

 platform in parallel lines. There is often much time lost in 

 moving plants from one house to another, and in attending to the 

 necessary work in connection therewith, when some distance inter- 



