SHADE 7 



year, and all woodwork scrubbed with soft soap to which sulphur 

 or some other such agent has been added. The glass itself 

 needs washing down two or three times during a season, for 

 the accumulations of dirt obscure the light. The air should 

 be filled with that subtle and gratifying sweetness, so suggestive 

 of healthy growth and well-being. The paths, if tiled, ought 

 to be swilled down daily ; if they be cinder or gravel, they 

 should be swept clean at least once a week, or oftener if any 

 rubbish has accumulated upon them. With us, " cleanliness 

 is next to godliness." In the greenhouses it comes first. 



SHADS 



The question of shade, or partial shade, enters into the general 

 management of the houses ; but as this is almost entirely 

 governed by the nature of the plants grown, we are unable 

 to lay down specific instructions. We shall, however, refer 

 to it again and again as often as occasion suggests. 



Speaking generally, roller blinds are far and away the most 

 effective form of shading, but their installation is much too 

 expensive to admit of general use. The great objection to 

 permanent summer shading painted on the glass, whether it 

 be whitewash, " summer cloud," or a smearing of clay, is that 

 when you would like to remove them on a dull day you are 

 not able to do so. We have seen positive injury done during 

 a prolonged spell of dull weather, the absence of sufficient 

 light being deleterious to the health of the plants. For this 

 reason, we look upon movable shading material as being, in 

 the end, more effective and economical, and would prefer blinds 

 made of tiffany, scrim or matting rather than opaque sail- 

 cloth. The object of shading is not primarily to exclude light ; 

 rather it is to arrest the direct rays of the sun, diverting them 

 from such plants as are not sturdy enough to withstand them. 



The points we have here raised in some detail must not be 

 skipped over as being of little importance. In very truth, 

 they are extremely important ; we might almost say " vital." 

 They are observations we feel called upon to make, for through 

 nearly a half-century of practical experience they have forced 



