2 ro 



THE FLOWER GROWER'S GUIDE. 



should be kept scrupulously clean, and if rinsed down every morning ought to be dried 

 early, or in time for the use of visitors. 



The temperatures of the structures under consideration should be favourable to 

 plants and agreeable to their owners. Extremes of heat or cold are inappropriate and 

 best avoided. " Stove " conservatories, or those devoted exclusively to the growth and 

 preservation of tropical plants, are among the most attractive, as far as effect goes, 

 as these comprise many very beautiful kinds ; but the heat and moisture requisite to 

 keep them in good health prevent any lengthened stay among them. The more genial 

 warm greenhouse temperature of 45° to 50° at night in winter and 5° higher in the day 

 without sun heat is much more enjoyable to the great majority of people, and also suits 

 a great variety of plants, including climbers. It is a mistake to conclude that flowers 

 last in beauty the longest in distinctly cold houses. They are far more likely to damp 

 and decay prematurely in a very low temperature than they are where a genial warmth 

 and somewhat dry atmosphere are maintained, and any that have been grown in heat, 

 or forced in any way, are the first to suffer from the change to low temperatures. 

 There ought to be sufficient boiler power and hot-water piping to maintain a com- 

 fortable warmth in the house during cold weather without hard firing, as over-heating, 

 by a too-restricted provision of pipes, parches the atmosphere to an injurious extent. 



Glaring sunshine naturally shortens the duration of flowers and also greatly interferes 

 with the comfort of persons frequenting a conservatory. The roof glazed with ribbed or 

 rolled glass, and also well furnished with climbers — more especially during the summer — 

 obviates the difficulty in that direction, but the large squares of clear glass usually 

 employed for the fronts of conservatories should have blinds fitted to them, either inside 

 or outside, those outside keeping down the temperature the more effectually. 



ORNAMENTAL FOLIAGED PLANTS. 

 Every conservatory ought to have a good percentage of plants with ornamental 

 foliage employed in its decoration. These contrast effectively with the flowering plants, 

 and, what is of importance to many gardeners as well as owners, remain much longer, if 

 not constantly, in a presentable condition. Some few of them that will be mentioned 

 are also classed as flowering plants, but it is for their handsome foliage they find the 

 most favour. 



Acacia. — Young seedling plants of A. lophantha are decidedly ornamental, but when 

 they have lost their lower leaves they present a common, unattractive appearance, and 



