24 THE UNHEATED GREENHOUSE 



means at the end, but rather at the beginning of our possi- 

 bilities in this direction ; yet even very hardy plants have 

 a trick of looking self-conscious and rueful in a black frost, 

 and it is the very motive of the cold greenhouse to make 

 hardy plants comfortable and to coax them into earlier 

 flowering. 



Personally I have always been quite content with a small, 

 portable apparatus, called a Heat Radiator, the invention of 

 an exceedingly able mechanician, Mr. Gillingham, of Chard, 

 and constructed on scientific principles. This has been 

 found to answer well in unheated greenhouses of moderate 

 dimensions say from 15 ft. to 25 ft. in length. 



The special advantage of the little brass or copper cylinder 

 which goes by the above name, in addition to its neat appear- 

 ance, is its portability. When it is out of use, it need take 

 up no room in the greenhouse, but may stand in any con- 

 venient hall or passage. Should a change of weather give 

 warning of danger, which sometimes happens very suddenly, 

 five minutes will suffice to place it in position and light the 

 lamp, when a rise of several degrees of temperature will 

 very speedily be shown on the thermometer, which should be 

 in every plant-house. On rare occasions it may smoke, but 

 this calamity for calamity it is is generally due to want of 

 care in trimming the wick, and can be avoided by the most 

 ordinary attention. Few things are absolutely perfect, but 

 the principle of the Heat Radiator is excellent it is not 

 unsightly, and as far as I know, though by no means a new 

 invention, has never been surpassed for simplicity and 

 efficiency, as a temporary means of keeping out frost. 



During those few dreary weeks to which reference has been 

 made it was always a simple matter to keep the air in 

 circulation on chill, foggy days, or a night temperature, 

 according to weather, of between 35 and 40, which was all 

 that was wanted to make Daffodils and winter Iris and a host 



