AND CONSEEVATOHT. 215 



CHAPTER XVII. 



THE CONSEEVATORT AND WINTER GARDEN. 



Having now treated of tlie several sections of greenhouse 

 plants that appear entitled to first consideration in these pages, 

 we propose to offer a few remarks on the furnishing of the 

 conservatory. It is too much the custom to devote the con- 

 servatory to ignoble purposes which necessitate labour and 

 anxiety in proportion to their worthlessness. To grow soft- 

 wooded plants in a lofty, airy, roomy edifice is always a mis- 

 take, for while they are unsuitable in character, the condi- 

 tions are unfavorable to their prosperity, and they neither 

 grow nor flower as they ought to justify the keeping of them. 

 The noblest conservatory plants require far less skill and 

 entail less expense to do them perfect justice than the ephe- 

 meral flowering plants that look so fresh and bright when 

 thriving in a warm, damp, low-roofed house, when there is no 

 fear of their being " lost" in a large perspective. The first 

 step towards a proper recognition of the kind of embellish- 

 ment required is to remember that a conservatory is not a 

 stove, or a greenhouse, or a pit, or a hand-light, consequently 

 it should not be used as any one of these things, or as all of 

 these things combined. We employ the several structures 

 enumerated, the conservatory alone excepted, for production 

 simply; and, therefore, although a tasteful arrangement of 

 plants is everywhere or everyhow to be desired, yet where 

 •production is the primary proposal, mere display is of secon- 

 dary importance. On the other hand, we may, and do, and 

 should employ the conservatory for production, but display is 

 the matter of first importance, and therefore the conservatory 

 claims the first labours of the "hand of taste." If it be 

 necessary to tie out a plant to a forest of rude stakes, it may 

 be done in the greenhouse ; if it be necessary even to suspend 

 a plant head downwards, and make the pot containing it the 



