STRUCTURES ADAPTED TO PARTICULAR PURPOSES. 73 



8. Greeu'kouses, Conservatories, ^c. — The principal dis- 

 liiiction between a green-house and conservatory is, that in the 

 former, the plants are exhibited upon shelves and stages, while, 

 Hi the latter, the plants are generally planted out in a bed in the 

 middle of the house prepared for their reception. In many- 

 instances, however, there is no other distinction than in the 

 name ; as these structures are sometimes so arransfed that the 

 middle portion is appropriated to the growth of larger plants 

 planted out, while the sides are surrounded with shelves for the 

 reception of plants in pots, as in a common green-house. And 

 to this arrangement there can be no special objection, especially 

 where the structure is of small dimensions, which admits of the 

 sides being shelved for plants in pots, without destroying the 

 character of the house, or the plants, by their distance from the 

 glass. We have seen a few instances, a very few, where the 

 two characters were amalgamated together, forming a most 

 interesting conjunction ; but, unless the specimens exhibited be 

 very large and well-grown, their effect, when situated upon the 

 centre bed of a common-sized house, surrounded with shelves, 

 is meagre and defective in the last degree. 



Properly speaking, a green-house is not a receptacle for large 

 plants, and hence it should have adequate means within it for 

 standing the plants within a proper distance from the glass. 

 This is absolutely necessary with regard to those classes of flow- 

 ering plants that are fitted to adorn it, both in winter and sum- 

 mer. Some are of opinion that green-houses are of no further 

 service than merely to store away a miscellaneous assortment 

 of rubbish during the months of winter, for the obvious purpose 

 of preserving them until the next summer, that they may turn 

 them out under trees, or in out-of-the-way corners, to keep them 

 from being burnt up by the hot summer sun ; and, as a matter 

 of course and of custom, the green-house is converted into a 

 lumber-room, or something else. And there it stands ! what i3, 

 or ought to be, the chief ornament of the garden, deprived of its 

 character, for want of taste, and divested of its interest, for lack 

 of skill! Visitors say, "Let us have a look at the green- 

 house." " No," replies the gardener, apologetically, " it 's not 



