THE GARDENER. 



27 



than three feet ; one foot of the front at the bottom is 

 of brick. The remainder, composed of glass frames, 

 rests on uprights inserted in the foundation wall, on 

 which there is sufficient breadth inside for a row of pots. 



I have noticed the exact inclination of the roof in 

 this instance, because this point is a subject of discus- 

 sion, some maintaining that a flat roof is of great im- 

 portance, in order to have the sun's rays as perpendi- 

 cular as possible in winter — a desideratum no doubt. 

 Yet when we consider how few are the days during 

 which the sun shines in our climate in that season, 

 and how obliquely his rays fall upon us, the degree at 

 which the reflecting glass may happen to be inclined, 

 is not a very essential matter. 



The tan-pit, which is the length of the stovehouse, 

 is three and a half feet wide in tbe clear, and three 

 deep, and inclosed by four-inch brick walls ; along the 

 side of this pit, next the front, is a passage two feet 

 wide, with another at the interior side, a little wider ; 

 the upper side of which, though but four feet from the 

 back wall, admits of six gradually rising steps or 

 shelves for pots. 



A knowledge of the nature and habits of the dlfier- 

 ent exotics, can alone determine the gardener as to the 

 temperature and treatment they should receive ; he 

 must, therefore, if deficient in the necessaiy informa- 

 tion and inexperienced, consult those books which 

 classify the plants, and minutely explain their pecu- 

 liar temperaments. Generally speaking, a very tem- 

 perate degree of heat is sufficient for the plants which 

 are natives of countries from latitude twenty-five to 

 thirty-five ; but this rule is so far from universal, that 

 if a gardener on ascertaining the latitudes of his 

 plants, were to treat them accordingly as to tempera- 

 ture, he would sometimes find himself most egregi- 

 ously in error ; for instance, the Heliotrope of Peru 

 in the torrid zone only requires a temperate heat. 



