108 INSECT PESTS 



whatever is in his hand, and says tensely, " It is enough, 

 / must have glass," 



A start of some sort must be made somehow. Even 

 if it only be a couple of old window-sashes over a hole in 

 the ground, stiU the magic word " glass " conjures up 

 visions of beautiful things to come, a smiUng wife beam- 

 ing over baskets of early radishes and lettuce, the children 

 browsing from punnets of mustard and cress free, gratis 

 and for nothing off father. The newly-dug plot is all 

 trimmed up ready to receive battaUons of seedHng onions, 

 cabbage and sprouts. The young tomatoes are to come 

 wheeUng out like a squadron of cavalry whole weeks 

 before the man who has no glass has had his sleepless 

 nights rewarded by the first pale sign of a seed-leaf in 

 his frost-bound boxes. Indeed the man with the window- 

 sashes is seen to walk to his business with a firmer tread 

 in the morning, and look the world in the eye with the 

 bold gaze of one who does things. 



And yet, somehow or other, for one greenhouse or 

 conservatory that is a success there are usually 

 about six others that are either not used, or become 

 glorified bicycle sheds and workshops, occasionally a 

 lumber room. Before proceeding however to define the 

 causes of this I may as well dispose of the distinction 

 between a greenhouse and a conservatory ; so if we want 

 to be nasty nice let us say that a greenhouse is a glass 

 structure where the actual growing is done, a conservatory 

 being a more ornamental but similar kind of erection 

 where we permit ourselves with all due modesty to do 

 the " showing off." Let us, however, content ourselves 

 with the greenhouse, and the conservatory will look 

 after itself. 



Of course the reason why a greenhouse becomes derelict 

 is because it proved a failure in the first season. Why 

 was it a failure ? I believe the main fault in dozens of 

 cases is that the wrong aspect was chosen, or perhaps 

 there was not enough attention paid to the vital question 



