4 



POPULAR GARDEN BOTANY. 



flowers in winter, to ornament the conservatory or sitting- 

 room; or this portion may be used for propagating young 

 plants. A slate cistern in one corner should not be for- 

 gotten, which may receive rain from the outside ; the water 

 is then of the same temperature as the house, and in a more 

 suitable state for the tender plants. It is a good plan also 

 to have a small building attached, or a portion of a large 

 greenhouse cut off, to be used as a potting-house, fitted up 

 with a convenient table, with shelves and drawers for bulbs, 

 seeds, and tools. 



The house now only requires to be filled with plants, and 

 managed with ordinary care, with the assistance of a gardener 

 who has some experience in the subject : one is generally 

 attached to a good garden, who has the management of the 

 hot-water apparatus, or whatever plan is adopted for heat- 

 ing; who knows w T hen windows should be open or shut, 

 water used or withheld, and all the little details of this 

 kind, which must be attended to by a person who is on the 

 spot at all times and seasons. Still a few plain directions 

 may be useful to note here ; as, that air must be admitted 

 very sparingly in cold weather, but in summer and all warm 

 spring-days very freely, or the plants become tender and 

 grow straggling : in winter, water is to be administered 



