out of the millions in America, there were a half a 

 million that wanted arose each. Nature never made 

 a want without the means of supplying it, and these 

 means we sought for. We "swung around the cir- 

 cle" and tried a?l sorts of experiments. We finally 

 settled upon the mode of growing from soft wood, 

 which year after year proved so fully the true system, 

 that we marvelled at our blindness in so long over- 

 looking it. 



There was no secret to be discovered, but simply 

 an application of well known principles. Like the 

 broken egg of Columbus, it was too simple for the 

 attention of the professional men. 



Each year as it goes by, proves incontestibly the 

 value] of our system, and by it we can grow half 

 a million of roses at less expense than ten thousand 

 by our root grafting. Our roses by this mode are 

 also stronger, with more luxuriant tops and more 

 abundant roots. By it Moss roses can be produced 

 as easily as Remontants,and Romontants as easily as 

 Teas. Even that Mauvais snjet, Griant of Battles 

 is obhged to succumb and make a strong plant. 



It would give me great pleasure to convince Orchis 

 that what I write is not mere assertion, and for this 

 the plants themselves must be their own evidence, 

 not a dozen selected, but whole squares of 10.000 

 each. 



I should like to convince him that there may be 

 things unheard of in his philosophy,and that, unless 

 he is in possession of absolute wisdom, he should not 

 question the sincerity of those who advertise what 

 they possess, viz. ; roses on their own roots, not bud- 

 ded or grafted. 



EMFROVEmENT IN GHEEmHOUSE STRUC- 

 . TURES. 



BY MR. P. HENDERSON. 



In the February number of the Gard. Monthly^ 

 in 1864, I gave to your readers plans and descrip- 

 tions of my Greenhouses, then erecting, far surpas- 

 sing anything we had previously in use. These op- 

 erated so very satisfactory that they were almost 

 universally modeled from by all Nurserymen and 

 Florists, who had seen them in operution. But, 

 even in attaining that high degree of improvement, 

 we have, by further changes in erections made this 

 season, found that these were yet far from per- 

 fection. 



The general plan of the "Improved " erections I 

 made the past summer, in no way differs from those 

 erected and described in 1864. They are the same 

 low houses joined together lengthwise, in sections 

 of 3 each. The mode of heating and ventilating, 



height of walls and benches, are identical,— with 

 these, we have not been able to see any means of 

 improvement. 



The merit of our new plan is, that we get nearly 

 double the amount of light, which is of the utmost 

 importance in all plant growing operations during 

 the winter months ; for, be it for winter flowers, 

 fruits, bedding plants, or vegetables, could we have 

 the roofs of our greenhouses or pits, one unbroken 

 sheet of glass from November to May, so much the 

 better. The nearest practical approach to this, we 

 think, is our recent erections. These are formed of 

 sashes 3 feet 10 inches wide by 6 feet in length, 

 glazed with 8 by 10 glass, put in the 10 inch way. 

 8o that in each sash, there is less than a fifth of 

 wood. 



Every alternate sash is screwed fast to the wall 

 plate at bottom, and ridge pole at top, thus stand- 

 ing in lieu of rafters. Placed between these is the 

 moveable sash, on each edge of which I screwed a 

 fight cap of 2 or 3 inches wide to cover over the 

 joining of the sashes to exclude air and water. The 

 great advantage of this plan is that it dispenses 

 with the rafter which darkned the house to the ser- 

 ious injury of the plants, during the winter month. 

 This is the first time I have ever seen the rafter 

 dispensed with, when sashes were used. And no 

 fixed roof should ever be used for plant growing. 



The idea was suggested to me F. L. Perry, of 

 Canandaigua, N. Y., over a year ago, whether it was 

 original with him or not, I do not know, but 

 whether or not he is entitled to my best thanks for 

 the suggestiougwhich has been of great value to me, 

 as I have no doubt it will be to all who follow the 

 plan. So satisfied am I with its great importance 

 that I have .in contemplation to change all my 

 houses to this system believing that its advantages 

 in one season will more than double the cost of the 

 ch.nge. 



As an example of its advantages, a house planted 

 with BouvardiR on the new plan, gave us an aver- 

 age of 1000 trusses of flowers per day for the month 

 of December, while by the other plan one of the 

 same size gave less than half that number. With 

 Carnations, the difference has been even more mar- 

 ked, those in the 1 ight houses being far superior 

 both in quantity and quality. 



A volume might be filled with the confession of 

 all the blunders we have made in Horticultural 

 operations in the past twenty years, and in none 

 more so perhaps than in Greenhouses and Forcing 

 pits. Many of us have good reason to be satisfied 

 with our business success, but I honestly beUeve, 

 that half the number of years would have sufficed 



