1071 THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. [Oct. 



course are to be thrown away, and tlic whole space dedicated 

 to the plants to which the house may be said to belong. 



In arranging plants in houses, the first object in view with 

 the cultivator is, and justly ought to be, assigning to each 

 plant, or species of plants, situations or stations in it suitable 

 to their respective natures, as some prefer the sun and some 

 the shade. By far the greater part, however, prefer the 

 former, and in any kind of arrangement they should occupy 

 situations as much exposed to its influence as possible. Some 

 families may be termed unsociable, that is, refusing to prosper 

 when mixed with others different from themselves in some 

 particulars, although often natives of the same latitude. Such 

 has long been known to be the case with that numerous and 

 delightful family Ericciy or heaths; and hence probably the 

 idea first originated of appropriating separate houses for them. 

 Although it must be admitted that such an arrangement is to 

 be preferred, it is not always that circumstances will admit of 

 it ; and in order that such a delightful genus of plants should 

 not be discarded from collections on a small scale, we would 

 recommend the idea of grouping them by themselves, either at 

 one end of the green-house, if the number cultivated be con- 

 siderable enough, or if only few in number, that they occupy 

 a part of the front trellis or shelves nearest the glass, and 

 always in the coldest end of the house. Almost all plants 

 with small heath-like leaves succeed best when fully exposed 

 to the sun and light ; and as a rule, from which tliere can be 

 few exceptions, all youug plants, propagated during summer, 

 should also be accommodated upon the shelves or trellises, 

 either towards the front or ends of the house, so that they may 

 be not only exposed to the light, but also under the more 

 immediate eye of the cultivator. 



That numerous division of plants, denominated succulent, 

 and which contains many genera of green-house plants, can 

 dispense with the genial rays of sun-shine for a greater length 

 of time, without much inconvenience, than many others, if we 

 except that interesting, although too generally neglected, di- 

 vision of plants, denominated Ferns ; these may occupy back 

 shelves ; the former where there is no damp or likelihood of 



