370 FERNS : BRITISH AND FOREIGN. 



sirable to resort to some other method; such as by 

 using several kinds of dulled or rough glass. 



In former years, the fruit and plant-houses at Kew 

 were glazed with a very dark-green glass called 

 Stourbridge-green, and which was patronized by the 

 late Mr. Aiton. Fine crops of fruit were produced 

 under it, also the tropical plants in the Botanic 

 Garden flourished without the aid of canvas or shade 

 of any kind. Not many years ago, solitary squares 

 of this glass might be seen in the roofs of the 

 old hot-hcuses, which strongly contrasted with the 

 modern clear glass. My experience with this glass led 

 me to recommend green glass for the Palm House, 

 which was adopted ; but the modern- made green tint 

 does not appear to be so fixed a colour as that of the 

 old Stourbridge-green. 



The Palm House in the nursery of the late Messrs. 

 Loddiges, at Hackney (now things of the past), affords 

 another example of successful plant-growing without 

 the aid of canvas or other moveable shading material. 

 On the late Mr. George Loddiges being consulted 

 respecting the glazing of the Kew Palm House, 

 he was asked if they shaded theirs ; his reply was, 

 " Oh, no; our thick rafters and sash-frames, with 

 sooty glass, just afford the amount of light necessary 

 for the plants." Under this roof, in an atmosphere 

 of stillness and gloom, Palms, Ferns, Orchids, and 

 numerous other tropical plants, grew in the greatest 

 luxuriance, which, with the proverbial solitude of the 

 place, and when viewed from the elevated platform, 

 gave the idea of a ravine in a tropical forest. 



To judge by the above examples of Kew and Hack- 

 ney, it appears that fruits and plants were successfully 



