THE CONSERVATORY. 



723 



direction, and to which the astragals are secured, 

 as well as the runners which form the lower 

 part of the top ventilation, are also thinly 

 clothed with climbing plants. During the heats 

 of summer the partial shade afforded by plants 

 thus trained is rather beneficial than otherwise 

 to the plants below, and this shading can be 

 increased or diminished by a judicious arrange- 

 ment of their branches. Towards autumn these 

 should be pretty well cut in, and, as the sun 

 declines, cut back still farther, so that little 

 more obstruction is caused to the admission of 

 light than that necessarily occasioned by the 

 framework of the structure. Climbing plants 

 are a great ornament to a conservatory, as most 

 of them are profuse flowerers ; but care must at 

 all times be taken that they are not allowed to 

 ramble too much and cause undue shade. This 

 can, however, be always regulated by a judi- 

 cious use of the pruning-knife, a knowledge of 

 the habit of the plant, and a tasteful eye. 

 Houses arranged as those we have instanced 

 should be of glass, either to within a few inches 

 of the floor, or to not more than 2 feet from it. 

 In such as have opaque side walls, the same 

 effects cannot be produced. Even one opaque 

 side wall, although it may be covered with 

 camellias or other evergreen plants trained 

 against it, will give a one-sided appearance to 

 the structure — a want of balance or uniformity ; 

 and even should it be on the north side, it will 

 exclude light which would be beneficial to the 

 plants growing within. Vide also another of 

 our designs, fig. 511, for J. P. W. Butt. Esq., 

 Grovefield, Gloucestershire. 



Undue shade during spring, autumn, and 

 winter, must be guarded against ; but, on the 

 other hand, shading by artificial means is of 

 great importance during the powerful sunshine 

 of summer, but this shading must be so regu- 

 lated that, while the full force of the mid-day 

 sun is modified, light is not intercepted. This 

 is best effected by having the power of covering 

 the roof, during bright sunshine, with thin can- 

 vass, which, while it prevents the flowers from 

 fading too rapidly, admits sufficient light in a 

 subdued form, and which is found to be highly 

 advantageous to the plants. By judicious shad- 

 ing, plants may be kept in bloom much longer 

 than they otherwise would, and the enjoyment 

 of the conservatory be greatly increased. We 

 have noticed this, vol. i. p. 555, and given an 

 illustration of our mode, fig. 790. Shading by 

 such artificial means is a very different thing 

 from allowing the roof to become covered by 

 climbing plants ; or, still worse, by unneces- 

 sary waste of timber in its construction, as is 

 the case with all roofs formed of heavy rafters 

 and framed sashes, or by high architectural 

 ornaments over the sides, with the view, in the 

 estimation of some, of giving effect, or of hiding 

 part of the roof. In these latter cases the 

 shade produced is the same in dull cloudy days 

 as it is in bright sunny ones — in the dark months 

 of winter, when every ray of light is of so much 

 importance, as during the scorching influences 

 of the dog-days' fiercest sunshine. Too much 

 light cannot be admitted into any plant-house ; 

 but by having a properly- appointed shading 



apparatus we have it in our power to regulate 

 it according to circumstances. 



Some persons have an objection to the ap- 

 pearance of large tubs or boxes, be they ever so 

 ornamental in form, when placed on the floor of 

 their conservatories. We have pointed out (vol. 

 i. p. 362) how this can be remedied. We have 

 also, at p. 363, noticed the evils of planting out 

 permanently conservatory plants. To those, 

 however, who differ from us in this opinion, we 

 would say, let the bed or border be elevated at 

 the least 2 feet above the floor level ; let it be 

 completely drained below with not less than 2 

 feet of broken stones, flints, brickbats, &c. and 

 under that drains should be placed both for the 

 escape of superfluous water, should such happen 

 to occur, and also for the admittance of air to 

 the roots of the plants ; and, as a precautionary 

 measure, such borders should be vaulted beneath, 

 as a substitute for drainage, and hot -water 

 pipes placed either in the vaults, or, on the other 

 hand, amongst the stone of the drainage ; so 

 that in the event of the borders becoming cold, 

 or the plants sickly from deficiency of root 

 action, a moderate heat might be readily thrown 

 in by causing a portion of the heated water 

 which warms the atmosphere of the house to flow 

 through them. The depth of conservatory bor- 

 ders should not exceed 2^ feet, and in their pre- 

 paration a course of fresh rich turf should be 

 laid immediately over the drainage, to prevent 

 the finer particles of soil above being washed 

 down into it. Upon this a compost consisting of 

 fresh light yellow loam and sandy peat, roughly 

 chopped up, and mixed together in equal parts, 

 should be laid, and in this the plants set, 

 their roots carefully spread out, should they, 

 from long confinement in pots or tubs, have 

 become matted, or contorted into a spiral form. 

 No plant whose roots have been long confined to 

 the narrow limits of a pot should be planted 

 with its ball entire. If the above materials are 

 dry, and have been exposed for a few weeks to the 

 sun and air to sweeten them, they will be in far 

 better condition for the purpose than had they 

 lain for months, and by repeated turnings, 

 chopping, and sifting, been reduced to the 

 state of fine mould, a practice long followed, but 

 now considered obsolete. When the plants are 

 planted out, a little top - dressing of finer com- 

 post may be laid over the surface for appear- 

 ance' sake. During the decomposition of the 

 vegetable matter in such soils as the above, the 

 roots of the plants will be nourished, decomposi- 

 tion and consolidation taking place soon enough, 

 however rough the compost may be at the time 

 of the formation of the beds. The orange tribe, 

 as well as camellias, require rather a stronger 

 compost, and many moderately -rich lightish 

 loams will be sufficient, without the addition of 

 peat, earth, sand, or other admixture. When 

 conservatory plants are kept in a portable state, 

 their arrangement on the floor can be changed 

 to suit their various conditions ; those in flower 

 somewhat elevated, or brought more into view, 

 while others that have passed that state may be 

 placed more in the shade. When the house and 

 plants are large, they can be grouped so that 

 a free passage may be had amongst them, which 



