The Pleasures of a Small Greenhouse 237 



the temperature would go down to forty-two degrees. However, during 

 the day the sun's bright rays would warm up things to nearly scorching 

 point, but to counterbalance the chill that was sure to follow at night I 

 religiously excluded all fresh air, so as to retain all the heat possible. This, 

 we found later, wou'd never do. The temperature must vary but slightly 

 during the twenty-four hours in order to approximate natural conditions. 

 Then came depressing days, and it was feared by those who laughed at us 

 and those who encouraged us that our venture was a failure after all. 



One day at '.unch we told of our trials and disappointments to a clever 

 young architect who was visiting us, and after a careful investigation of 

 the little building he advised us to send for a carpenter, cut out a small 

 groove on the inside of each window-frame with the exception of the roof, 

 and insert a second pane of glass. This increased our expenditure somewhat, 

 so that we counted that with these extras and the necessary plants to stock 

 the place our expense account reached $200. With the extra glass our 

 troubles ceased, and during the intense cold of our Canadian climate we 

 were able to keep the tenderest plants. Before long our carnations bloomed 

 freely, geraniums, begonias, chrysanthemums and other plants added colour 

 and beauty to our winter garden, and we felt that, had our venture cost 

 twice the amount, we were amply repaid. When the warm sunshine of 

 February came to us, our roses, which we had looked upon as failures, budded 

 and blossomed, and then, indeed, we felt that we had reached success. How- 

 ever, there are two sides to all questions, and there are many disappointing 

 features the first year in a greenhouse, and to all who embark in the venture 

 I will give the quaint definition of "patience" as given by a little Scottish 

 maiden to hang as a motto over the conservatory door: "Bide a wee and 

 dinna wearv." 



