TOWN AND SMALL SUBURBAN GARDENS. 



727 



Chinese, in which every plant is portable, 

 and capable of being removed so soon 

 as its flowering is over, to be replaced 

 by others to flower in succession. With 

 the aid of a small reserve-garden this 

 could be easily effected ; and in the ab- 

 sence of this, if the taste become general, 

 there would be no difficulty in procuring 

 a supply from commercial growers. The 

 plants could be arranged either by being 

 plunged in the parterres or being set in 

 groups on the surface, as done in some 

 conservatories. The other would be of a 

 much higher cost — namely, covering the 

 whole with glass. In such a garden the 

 valetudinarian could enjoy a dry and 

 pleasant promenade, while the erratic 

 man might wander through it until he 

 becomes himself again, and the admirer 

 of flora enjoy a never-failing supply of 

 flowers throughout the whole year. 



The following estimate will give some 

 idea of the cost of roofing over such a 

 garden, presuming it to be, as is very 

 generally the case, walled in on all sides, 

 and taking one of these at 40 feet by 60 

 feet — that is, 2400 square feet in area. 

 The roofing of such a space — with cast- 

 iron valleys, ornamental tubular columns 

 for support, wooden astragals and ridges 

 glazed with Hartley's patent glass, includ- 

 ing a tank under ground for the reception 

 of the whole of the rain-water that falls 

 on the roof — that is, 3600 cubical feet, 

 taking the depth of rain at 1 8 inches per 

 annum, with the necessary ventilation — 

 would cost about £160; and if heated 

 with hot water to the extent of repelling 

 frost, which is all that is required, an 

 additional cost of £25, the stoke-hole and 

 furnace being placed in a covered vault 

 under ground, or otherwise placed in 

 some convenient part of the offices. 



In such a covered garden the most 

 fastidious might ramble about without 

 being seen by the prying eye of an over- 

 inquisitive neighbour, as Hartley's glass 

 has the property of being translucid 

 without being transparent — that is, it 

 admits the rays of light to pass through 

 it in sufficient amount for the growth 

 of plants, but prevents any object with- 

 in from being seen from without. Here, 

 also, the weather would be set at de- 

 fiance, and as much comfort and pri- 

 vacy enjoyed as in the drawing-room. 

 In this respect, we think that, particu- 



larly for ladies, such covered gardens 

 would be an invaluable addition to the 

 luxury, or even comfort, of a town resi- 

 dence. Many may be startled at such a 

 proposition, because, perhaps, their house 

 does not front the meridian sun. This 

 is a matter of far less importance, in 

 many cases, than is generally believed. 

 No doubt the sun is the all-invigorating 

 element of vegetable life, but many 

 plants of very great interest adapt them- 

 selves to a very small share of its in- 

 fluence so long as abundance of light is 

 admitted to them ; and there are few 

 houses of that description, where such a 

 structure is likely to be erected, so situ- 

 ated that such a covered garden might 

 not be with all propriety constructed. 

 One reason why plants do not thrive in 

 close pent-up town gardens, is the want 

 of a circulation of air, more especially 

 close to the ground, the air there becom- 

 ing stagnant and replete with deleterious 

 gases, in consequence of its remaining 

 stationary and unchanged. This would 

 not be the case were the whole covered 

 with glass, as the increased temperature 

 immediately under the roof would, in 

 consequence of its buoyancy, draw up 

 the colder and impure air from the sur- 

 face. This circulation would be pro- 

 moted if a supply of cold air were ad- 

 mitted close to the surface of the floor by 

 apertures cut in the wall next to the 

 street, or otherwise ; and it might be 

 increased to any useful extent by throw- 

 ing in warm air by means of hot-water 

 pipes, or otherwise, placed near to the 

 ground. Indeed, we have no hesitation 

 in stating, that by means of the differ- 

 ence in gravity between warm and cold 

 air, if properly balanced, a far more 

 healthy and purer atmosphere may be 

 created within such a covered garden than 

 that of the natural atmosphere in town 

 gardens in general. In a sanitary point 

 of view, such a garden would be invalu- 

 able to invalids, for in it the temperature 

 could be assimilated to that of Madeira 

 or any other climate suited to the case of 

 the patient, and the hygrometric condi- 

 tions regulated to any degree of humidity 

 or elasticity, and to an extent that even 

 our most perfectly fitted up drawing- 

 rooms, saloons, &c, do not and cannot 

 equal. 



The day is, we apprehend, not far dis- 



