6 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



placed that are not liable to be injured by the heated air. Often 

 in winter, when the fires are kept up very strong, and powerful 

 steaming resorted to, in order to counteract the effects of strong 

 fire-heat, these plants are removed for a considerable distance 

 fi-om the end where the heat enters, and are disposed of in 

 other parts of the house. The front parapet is found a con- 

 venient situation for placing small or handsome specimens while 

 in flower, as they are there seen to greater advantage than 

 when mixed in the general collection. In regard to plant- 

 stoves heated by hot water, the pipes may either be placed 

 exactly as the flues above described, as they occupy little space, 

 or they may be placed under the footpaths, and covered with 

 a neat ornamental grating of cast-iron. In placing hot water 

 pipes under the foot-patlis, accommodation can better be found 

 for the reservoirs, than if placed above the floor-level. We 

 have repeatedly expressed our opinion favorably to the hot- 

 water system, and for the culture of stove-plants consider it of 

 the utmost importance. In the cultivation of tropical plants, 

 it does not often occur that they are planted out in the con- 

 servatory manner, as the rapidity of their growth, and the 

 great size to which many of them attain, render this mode of 

 culture unnecessary. The larger growing species are much better 

 cultivated in large pots or tubs, and in these, specimens may 

 be grown to a height sufficient for any house which has been 

 yet erected in this country. The climbing species may, how- 

 ever, be planted out, as from their habits they can always be 

 kept within due bounds by the pruning-knife, and seldom 

 succeed well if not in very large pots, which may not be always 

 conveniently disposed of in situations where they should stand. 

 Although the majority of stove-plants are better cultivated in 

 pots or tubs, than when planted out, it must be still acknow- 

 ledged that the pots have not always the most agreeable ap- 

 pearance. In order to remedy this defect, without plunging 

 them in the bed, which we would not advise, unless in cases 

 of the most robust growing kinds, whose roots can sustain no 

 injury by this mode of treatment, we would suggest the idea 

 of covering them with moss, which may be always kept fresh 

 by occasionally renewing it ; but even this is not often neces- 

 sary, as the humidity which a v.cll-manaocd bark or moist 



