^TOVE PLANTS. 809 



plants and other epiphytes. Small cisterns, too, are in- 

 troduced to contain tender aqua^tics. Along the rafters 

 some of the more elegant species of Passiflora, such as 

 P. quadrangularis, may be trained; and through the 

 branchgs of some of the woody plants, Cuscuta Chilensis, 

 Tropgeolum tricolorum and Jarrattii, and other tended 

 climbers, may be allowed to twine themselves. In the 

 pit may be plunged some of the Palms, those princes of 

 plants, particularly the Chinese Plaintain, Musa Caven- 

 dishii, which is of comparatively humble growth, and 

 often yields its fruit when not exceeding six feet in 

 height. In short, there is no end of those numerous 

 tribes, " the potent sons of moisture and of heat," with 

 "which the teeming regions of the equator are filled; and 

 no suite of stoves in this country, however extensive, can 

 come up to the wishes of the botanist. The manage- 

 ment of this department of floriculture is laborious and 

 trying to the constitution of the operative gardener. 

 A strong heat both in the bark-bed and in the atmo- 

 sphere of the house must be maintained; the air must 

 be kept charged with vapor, and the plants require 

 frequent shifting and repotting. For more detailed in- 

 formation as to the management of particular stove 

 plants, we may again refer to Gushing, who, in his 

 Exotic Gardener^ has treated this subject with a skill 

 and fulness that liave not been surpassed by any of his 

 successors. 



To the precautions recommended for protecting 

 plants placed under glass during the American winter, 

 it is necessary to a^dd that much greater care is requi- 

 site in guarding against the effects of extreme cold 

 and sudden variations on the western than on the east- 

 ern side of the Atlantic. The thermometer in the 

 27 



