THE CONSERVATORY. 



The Winter Garden proper, or Conservatory, is a delightful spot in which 

 to spend an hour occasionally during the cold storms of winter a little 

 Eden of our own making a tropical summer brought to our own doors. 

 All who can afford the expense, we think, should enjoy this luxury. It costs 

 something, to be sure, but the money is not wasted. The making of the 

 building gives employment to those who need it, very likely ; the purchase 

 of plants encourages the florist to continue the culture of these beautiful 

 objects. . Money spent in luxuries that are elevating and refining is well spent. The florist who 

 grows plants for sale finds that the demand is greatest for small specimens. He therefore crowds 

 every possible space with plants so as to secure as great a return as possible. Amateurs, how- 

 ever, who erect conservatories for pleasure make a great mistake when they imitate the florist in 

 this respect. Private conservatories are made for pleasure, and should be arranged somewhat in 

 the manner of a garden, with a few large and beautiful plants, and broad walks, where the pro- 

 prietor and his family can lounge away an hour pleasantly, in a measure free from care. 



What a blessing a rich man would be to a neighborhood, if he were to build such a conser- 

 vatory as we have described, and say to his neighbors and their children that it was constructed 

 partly for their pleasure, and that, at certain times, say two or three days in a week, all were 

 invited to call and enjoy its pleasures at their convenience. Something of this kind is by no 

 means uncommon in Europe, and we have often had the pleasure of uniting with the public in 

 visiting the private, yet magnificent, grounds and houses of many gentlemen, both in England and 

 on the Continent. The idea that the people will injure or destroy plants or flowers is entirely 

 fallacious. Tens of thousands of people, on some days, visit the Kensington gardens and 

 conservatories, yet nothing is harmed. Indeed, if we wished to give an object lesson on good 

 manners, we would point to the gardens where the masses of the people congregate. The 

 American people need education on this point. We have given in the engraving something 

 of an idea of what we think an amateur conservatory should be. 



B 



