146 



THE JARDIN FLEURISTE AND OTHER 



Fig. 54. 



The propagating which seemed most successful^ is carried 



out on a difierent plan to ours. 

 No pans are used in this house, 

 but very small pots, a shade 

 larger than a thimble : in each 

 a cutting is placed, the little 

 pots are placed in the tan, and 

 covered with large circular bell- 

 glasses, as shown by fig. 55. 

 The greater part of the house is 

 occupied with these, all being of 

 the same size. But there are 

 some special arrangements for 

 propagating the more difficult 

 subjects, and among them may be noticed what appeared 

 to be an improvement — the bell-glasses, which are somewhat 

 of the ordinary shape, being provided 

 with an aperture at the top of about 

 two inches in diameter, into which 

 a piece of sponge is squeezed to 

 absorb the moisture from the inside. 

 Nothing could be more business- 

 like than the arrangements for pro- 



Propagating pot used in the 

 Jardin Fleuriste : full size. 



Fig. 55. 



Small cutting-pots under 

 bell glass. 



pagating in this house. We will 



next glance at a few of the more re- 

 markable collections and structures. 



Imagine yourself prepared to visit a propagating establish- 

 ment, and then finding yourself ushered into a grand con- 

 servatory of Camellias — a second being in connexion with it 

 filled with Aralias, Yuccas, Beaucarneas, tree ferns, Nicotianas, 

 Dasylirions, Dracjenas, and a host of such plants, all in fine 

 condition and well arranged ; and another, on the other side, 

 containing healthy palms in vast numbers. These are 

 arranged in three longitudinal beds, while all along the 

 sides of the house is a belt of the smaller and younger 

 kinds, plunged in tan to give them a little encouragement. 

 To look along the pathway between these long beds is 

 like glancing into a fresh young tropical palm grove, in such 

 perfect health are the plants. When it is considered that 



