GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



527 



If the central portion of the house is to be 

 planted with permanent plants, it is essential 

 to provide efficient drainage by means of drain- 

 pipes, over which 8 or 10 inches of coarse brick 

 rubble or clinkers may be placed, and over 

 these a layer of fibry turf, grass-side down- 

 wards. The space left for soil should average 

 about 2 feet in depth. As over-luxuriance of 

 growth is objectionable in the plants perma- 

 nently planted out, a simple soil, such as fibrous 

 loam, is to be preferred, adding brick rubble 

 and coarse sand to ensure porosity and also 

 to keep the mass in a healthy state. The soil 

 should be chopped coarsely, and the whole 

 well mixed as it is put into the bed A fine 

 soil is for many reasons objectionable. 



In furnishing the house with plants, especi- 

 ally such as are to be permanent features, it 

 is necessary to have regard to the conditions 

 as to light and heat. If both foliage and 

 flowering plants are to be accommodated, it 

 is difficult to lay down rules for planting. 

 Pleasing effects may be produced by giving 

 prominence to such striking plants as Dracsenas, 

 Palms, Cycads, and Tree-Ferns. It is necessary 

 to avoid crowding; and to leave spaces, more 

 particularly around the sides, for plants in 

 pots. This secures a frequent change of group, 

 and gives an opportunity of introducing flower- 

 ing plants in their season, most of which can 

 be more successfully grown in other houses 

 and exhibited to advantage when at their best 

 by removal into the conservatory. 



If side-stages are provided, these are easily 

 furnished with the smaller decorative plants, 

 which, as a rule, are to be obtained in well- 

 equipped gardens in great variety, and which 

 are always a source of interest. It is pleasing 

 to observe that a more natural and picturesque 

 arrangement of the plants is being obtained now 

 than formerly. 



Foremost among the plants suitable to form 

 the principal features in a conservatory must 

 be placed the Palms, usually of majestic pro- 

 portions and elegance. Many of them, however, 

 attain large dimensions, and their use, except in 

 very large houses, must be limited, selecting for 

 small arrangements the slender- growing kinds 

 and such as are of low stature. For central 

 positions they should have well-formed stems, 

 of sufficient height to stand clear of the other 

 plants. Particulars as to habit, height of stem, 

 and temperature required by Palms will be found 

 in the chapter devoted specially to them. 



Cycads are also remarkably effective when 

 used in the conservatory. Most of them, how- 



ever, require a stove temperature, the only 

 exceptions being Cycas revolata, Dioon edule, 

 Encephalartos Altensteinii, E. villosus, E. horridus, 

 and Macrozamia spiralis. 



The forms of Cordyline australis, popularly 

 known as Dracaenas, are most elegant for isolated 

 planting, Aralia Sieboldii and A. papyrifera 

 are also very eligible and of distinct character 

 for planting out or for pots; when grown well 

 they attain large climensions 5 flowering freeh- 

 and producing racemes cf berries which are 

 very ornamental They require an abundance 

 of water. The closely-allied genus Panax also 

 affords a few species of striking appearance 

 for the conservatory, namely, P. crassifolium, 

 P. longissimum, P. Master sianum, and P. tri- 

 foliatum. Aralia leptophylla, A. eleganiissima, 

 and A. Veitchii are good plants for the con- 

 servatory when planted out and allowed tc 

 assume their proper character. 



Such genera as Agave, Dasylirion, Beau- 

 carnea, Yucca, Musa, Araucaria, Acacia, As- 

 pidistra, Rhododendron, Bambusa, Phormium, 

 Doryanthes, &c, &c, may be made to contri- 

 bute to the beauty and interest of the large 

 conservatory. 



The stately grandeur of the arboreal Ferns 

 renders them particularly suitable for a large 

 conservatory. Those available for this purpose 

 are: — 



Alsophila aspcra. 



Dicksonia antarctica. 



„ australis. 



>> 



arborescens 



„ excel sa. 



J5 



fibrosa. 



„ procera. 



„ 



Latharai. 



„ robusta. 



?» 



squarrosa. 



Cyathea dealbata. 



5) 



Young io?. 



„ Dregei. 



Hemitel 



'a Smithii. 



„ gracilis. 



S5 



capensis. 



„ medullaris. 







Tree-Ferns do not require a large amount of 

 pot-room, as they derive the greatest portion 

 of their nourishment from the moisture sup- 

 plied to the stems, which should be frequently 

 well damped. We would, therefore, strongly 

 recommend their being plunged in pots, in 

 preference to their being planted out. 



The flowering plants that can be advanta- 

 geously planted out in such arrangements are 

 few; neither can permanent brilliancy be so 

 fully or satisfactorily ensured in this way as 

 by adding plants in pots— this plan affording 

 an unlimited opportunitj T of lighting up the 

 house with fresh and varied aspects at different 

 seasons of the year. However, there are one or 

 two exceptions, such as Luculia grafissima, a plant 

 that is somewhat impatient of root restriction, 

 but which is quite at home planted out in such 



