332 



THE ORCHIDE-E HOUSE. 



specimens are placed. The house is heated by Kewley's hot -water ap- 

 paratus, with one fire and four pipes, two on each side of the house, which 

 answers the most sanguine expectations of the proprietors. Being 

 anxious to satisfy om*selves upon the capabihties of the hot-water system 

 during this severe winter (1S38), we have appUed to many of our friends 

 for statements, and are happy to find that in no case has a deficiency of 

 heat been experienced when the apparatus has been erected upon correct 

 principles. The following extract from ^Ir. W. Rollinson's letter, now 

 before us, says, " during the severe frost on Friday, January the 19th, we 

 were able to command a heat of seventy -five degrees of Pahi-enheit." The 

 external temperature at the same time was ten degrees below zero at 

 Claremont, and there could not have been much difference in the tem- 

 perature at Tooting, being within ten miles. 



Upon the whole this house is by far the neatest and best fitted up of 

 ny we have had an opportunity of seeing ; but this is less a matter of 

 wander when we consider that the Tooting nursery, taking it as a whole, 

 both in regard to cultivation and keeping, is second to none in the neigh- 

 bourhood of London. If the collection of Messrs. Rollinson do not 

 amount to so great a number of species as that of Messrs. Loddiges, there 

 can be no doubt in saying that they are by far the best cultivated. 



Next to these in respect to collection and keeping, is that of Mr. 

 Knight, who, by the bye, was the first nurseryman who followed Messrs. 

 Loddiges in cultivating this tribe of plants, and in the formation of his 

 collection must have expended a considerable capital. He purchased the 

 collection of the late 'Mi. Cattley, long considered the best private cul- 

 tivator ; and afterwards that of the late Mrs. A. Harrison, of Liverpool. 

 The possession of two such collections in addition to his own, very 

 rapidly raised ^Ir. Knight to a position of eminence in this particular branch 

 of culture. 



We have already obseiTcd that !Mr. Knight's house is upon nearly the 

 same principle as those above described, only being divided as it were 

 into two, by means of a wall up the centre, but through which there is 

 a communication. ^Miile speaking of this waU, we may here observe, 

 that almost the only pan of !Mr. Knight's culture we disapprove of is, 

 that of attempting to cover this wall with epiphytes. This is no doubt 

 a very natm-al expectation when we consider the habitats of many of 

 them. It appears, however, fi'om the state of such plants as have been sub- 

 jected to this mode of culture in this collection, and also in that of the 

 Kew gardens, where this mode has been long in use, that however well 



