58 MEMOIR OF ALFRED SMEE. [CHAP. VI. 



to death. In July, my Hoya carnosa, or wax-plant, gives rise to a dozen 

 or a dozen and a half of fine flowers ; and I am now venturing to try the 

 charming Stephanotis floribunda. During the fall of the year I obtain a 

 fine display of Achomenes, and my ferns and Lycopodiums form an elegant 

 green covering all the year.* 



Now, from observation and experiment, I think I can communicate 

 a great secret as to the plants which will do well in a London atmosphere ; 

 for I find that the tropical plants, as a general rule, flourish nearly as 

 well as in the country. We read that the lights of tropical countries are 

 apt to be yellow, like the dismal yellow lights of London. Palms, bananas, 

 and many plants of this description will thrive. 



Some orchids, although they do not like the sun, require much light, 

 and they do not thrive, though others may be grown satisfactorily. 



I have lately constructed a portable hot-house which can be heated 

 by a candle, oil, or coal-gas. The one which I have is like a Ward's case, 

 but has a compartment to hold water at the bottom, through which is 

 inserted a copper tube, to carry the heated air and warm the water. 

 I hope to be enabled, by this contrivance, to obtain the more beautiful 

 orchids and tropical plants in ordinary dwelling-rooms ; and I question, 

 if I can fully succeed, whether the largest conservatory in the most 

 extensive orchideous house, when cultivated by the hired gardener, can 

 give half as much pleasure as this little portable hot-house. 



My father also, assisted only by a lad, constructed a green- 

 house at the bottom of a narrow strip of ground at the back 

 of his residence in Finsbury Circus. This house he heated by 

 pipes, and in it he grew many varieties of tropical plants. The 

 sugar-cane here throve. Besides, he had a tank in it with 

 hot - house water-plants, and which also contained gold - fish. 

 These gold-fish knew their master, and it was most amusing to 

 see them come to the water's surface when he whistled, and take 

 the morsels of bread from his hand. In ' Instinct and Eeason ' 

 he gives an interesting account of the breeding of gold-fish in 

 this tank in the hot-house at the bottom of his garden. He 

 afterwards converted the hot-house into a green-house, where 

 all the British ferns were to be found growing in the greatest 

 luxuriance. Amidst my father's numerous avocations he always 

 found time to attend to his beloved green-house, and even to paint 

 it whenever it was required. How well do I remember the times 

 of painting the green-house, what fun it was, and what trouble 



* See ' instinct and Reason,' p. 131. Jn the obituary notice of Alfred 

 Smee in the ' Gardeners' Chronicle,' January 27th, 1877, we read 



" Many years ago the tern-cases in his dwelling-house in Finsbury Circus 

 were as remarkable, and attracted almost as much attention, as those of the late 

 N. B. Ward. The writer of these lines well remembers the time when he was 

 in the habit of passing and repassing the windows in Finsbury Circus, with the 

 sole object of ascertaining what were the species that throve under such dis- 

 advantageous circumstances." 



