in the parlor or drawing-room. 215 



on the top surface of the benches or tables, so that the water 

 which ran from the flower pots could pass from one part of the 

 benches to another, crossways or lengthways, and pass out at 

 a notch in the edging around the benches spoken of above; by 

 which means the pots would not stand in the water that runs 

 from the pots to the benches. 



Those benches I placed far enough from the windows and 

 walls, or partitions, to allow a grown person to pass all around 

 between the windows and wall and benches, and to water and 

 syringe the plants, which made a space of about one and a half 

 or two feet in front and at the ends. 



The benches should be of a height in proportion to the win- 

 dows, so as to let the sun shine on the edge of the top of the 

 benches nearest to the windows. The windows should be 

 made to let down from the top, by which means the plants 

 could have air let in upon them, without a strong current pass- 

 ing through them or upon them. This 1 consider a very im- 

 portant matter, as a strong draft or current of air is very injuri- 

 ous, both to the vegetable and animal creation. 



I first used wood fire, then Lehigh coal in grates, and finally 

 Lehigh coal or anthracite coal in a stove; but I greatly prefer 

 the stove, as it keeps a more uniform heat, creates less dust, 

 and I could frequently keep the passage and partition doors 

 open, to assist in airing the plants. 



The plants in rooms should be watered more frequently 

 than in green-houses, and they should be syringed over the 

 tops every evening, about sunset, in dry weather, and twice or 

 thrice a week in wet weather. The syringing will not injure 

 the carpet upon the floor, if the water is wiped up immediately 

 after the drip ceases to fall from the leaves: a dark carpet 

 soils less than a light colored one, if not well wiped up. 



The camellias that bloom best in parlors are those that have 

 a green calyx or buds; those that have a dark calyx or buds 

 are the most difficult to make flower. 



I have bloomed in a parlor, by the above plan, all of the 

 most difficult flowering camellias that are grown in this vicini- 

 ty, though not so finely as they are bloomed in green-houses; 

 but those that have a green calyx, as before remarked, will 

 bloorn nearly as well as in green-houses, and will seed much 

 more freely in a dry heat. 



The camellias that I would recommend as the best to flower 

 in parlors are the following: — Camellia coccinea or splendens, 



