THE GREEN-HOUSE. 



25 



vines ; as the fruit would never ripen, and indeed the 

 shade that vrould be thrown on the plants below, by 

 vines or other creepers on the rafters, would be so 

 injurious to them as to condemn the practice, even if 

 in other respects advantageous. In a green-house of 

 pots, the plants being set out of doors during sum- 

 mer, the shade of the vines does no injury whatever 

 to the few tender annuals, as balsams, &c., which at 

 that season may be set on the stage as decorations. 



A green-house of pots therefore has this advantage 

 over a conservatory, that it will afford a few grapes. 

 By introducing peach-trees, figs, and other trees or 

 fruit-bearing shrubs in pots, a further variety of fruit 

 may be obtained ; but, with the exception of peaches 

 and figs, we cannot recommend an attempt to go fur- 

 ther, as the space occupied by such articles would be 

 too great; would interfere with the character and 

 beauty of the house, by presenting a number of 

 naked and common forms in large pots of earth ; 

 and after all, supposing the success as complete as 

 could be expected, the result is only a few common 

 fruits a week or two before they ripen in the open air. 

 There are some, however, who prefer a green-house 

 of fruit-trees in pots, to a green-house of verdant 

 varieties barren as to the palate ; but such a taste 

 cannot be considered as elegant or refined. 



Peach trees are sometimes planted in green-houses, 

 and trained up the rafters or on a couple of wires in 

 the manner of vines. This may be tried with one or 



