THE GREEN-HOUSE. 



7 



passages of this sort may be contrived to connect the 

 green-house with the living-rooms of a house ; but 

 when practicable, it is always preferable to have this 

 structure in direct communication with one or more 

 of the principal rooms, so as it may be seen from 

 them as well as walked into. A green-house, how- 

 ever excellent and well managed, if it cannot be seen 

 and entered without going into the open air, can never 

 afford half its appropriate enjoyments during the 

 winter season. Where the green-house is merely a 

 nursery or reserve of plants to supply the flower- 

 stages of the dwelling-rooms, or to grow various plants 

 for the botanist, it signifies little where it is situated 

 in regard to the house ; but such is not the sort of 

 winter garden to which we are more particularly 

 directing attention. 



It is necessary, before proceeding further, to notice 

 an objection which is made by medical men to plac- 

 ing the green-house against the windows of living- 

 rooms. It is stated, that the moisture, which must 

 necessarily be kept in the atmosphere of the green- 

 house in order to ensure the health of the plants, is 

 injurious to the health of animals ; and that this 

 moist atmosphere, every time the windows or glass- 

 doors are opened, must necessarily interchange 

 with that of the room. This is unquestionably 

 the case ; and therefore we particularly recommend 

 that no living-room should depend for its ventila- 

 tion on such of its windows as may communicate 

 with a green-house. This, as may be observed by 



