OR, HOW I BECAME A FLORIST. 69 



" But I could not stand upright in such a low place. 

 They are hardly three feet high in the centre." 



" All that is provided for. Come and see." 



So we got out, and walked through the garden to- 

 wards a long shed that extended across the ends of all 

 the houses. At the door I was introduced to the proprie- 

 tor, Mr. Clockwell, a quiet, gentlemanly young man, plain- 

 ly dressed as if about his work. Opening the door, he 

 bade us enter, saying : 



" I shall be glad to show you everything, and give you 

 whatever information you desire." 



Inside the door, we passed down a few steps and found 

 ourselves in a narrow, but very long shed, having windows 

 on one side and a number of small doors on the other. 

 Entering one of these, we were at once within a long and 

 narrow building, with a pointed-glass roof overhead. A 

 path extended through the centre, leaving just room to 

 walk and not strike the roof with your head. On either 

 side low tables, on which were placed growing plants in 

 pots, ran along from end to end. 



In another house the tables had board edging and were 

 filled with soil in which plants were growing. In a third, 

 instead of tables, a low bed of border of loam filled each 

 side of the path, and in this taller plants were growing as 

 in a garden. Everything was in the most perfect order, 

 and all the plants looked bright and healthy. 



" You see, Mrs. Oilman," said Mr. Felix, " the advantage 



