ORANGERIES. 399 



will be occasioned by the number of over- opposite sides. When this bar is lifted up, 



laps being lessened. the hinged sides fall down, and the other 



Where large glass is insisted on, re- two lift out, leaving the ball quite entire, 



course must be had to shading in sum- The roots can be in this way examined, 



mer and covering in winter. Whether old soil be removed, and fresh added, the 



the expense and trouble attending these tree standing all the while upon its 



operations are not more than an equiva- bottom. 



lent for the gain in appearance, it is not Although the orange ranks amongst 



easy to determine. our oldest cultivated exotic trees — and 



orangeries had a recognition in this coun- 

 try before greenhouses or conservatories 



§ 3. — ORANGERIES. — it is singular that so little attention has 



been paid to the cases in which they are 

 Houses dedicated to the culture of the grown, for, with few exceptions, we meet 

 orange and its allies are by no means with little elegance in their design, or 

 common in Britain, although some in- even fitness in the purpose for which they 

 stances exist, as at St Margaret's, Kew, are intended. Our own orange-box pos- 

 Stratton Park, Hampton Court, Welbeck, sesses the latter merits more than most 

 and some other establishments. On the others ; and next to it are the slate boxes, 

 Continent it is far otherwise, as few made to take conveniently to pieces, by 

 country seats are without their orangery, Mr Beck, of Isleworth. They are, how- 

 and, indeed, it may be considered their ever, much less ornamental than the sub- 

 principal plant-house. It is difficult to ject of our woodcut, kindly supplied us 

 account for this taste, otherwise than by by Messrs Mintons, the eminent manu- 

 attributing it to the nearly complete want facturers of encaustic ware, of Stoke- 

 of evergreen trees and shrubs in the open upon-Trent. Fig. 548 is from a design of 

 air over the greater part of the northern 



European continent. Fig. 548. 



The style of house in general use for 

 the protection of the orange during win- 

 ter—for they are arranged in the open air 

 during summer — is often partially archi- 

 tectural, having the front consisting of 

 Doric, Ionic, or Corinthian columns, 

 though also often plain, with glass case- 

 ments filling up the space between. The 

 roof is slated, and the back, and often the 

 ends, are solid walls. The trees are grown 

 in large pots, vases, or boxes, in general 

 entire cubes : sometimes they are slightly 

 tapering towards the bottom, and occa- 

 sionally they are ornamental. For very 

 large trees, they are of oak planking, two 

 inches thick, and are all very properly 

 elevated upon feet, which keeps them 

 clear of the ground, and admits of drain- 

 age and free circulation of air around Mr Pugin, and is manufactured by Messrs 

 them. Large tubs are also frequently Minton in their usual excellent style, 

 used, and these are elevated on stone, The framework is composed of iron, and 

 brick, or wooden stands. may be gilt or otherwise, according to 



Some years ago, finding a difficulty in taste ; and the sides or panels are fitted in 



examining the state of the roots of trees with their beautiful and imperishable 



under our care, we constructed boxes encaustic tiles, in various colours, arranged 



with tw r o of the sides made so as to open, upon the best principles of artistic taste, 



being hinged at the bottom, and, when As will be seen by our illustration, these 



in their place, being kept firm by an boxes stand clear of the ground or floor 



iron bar, which fits into a socket in the on which they may be set, and hence air 



