220 
GLASS AND GLASSES — ACHIMENES PICTA. 
less ones, and the thickness of the glass gives 
all the strength that is required, however 
large the square. Those who have to choose 
glass for horticultural purposes, should bear 
in mind, that clearness is as desirable for that 
as for any other application. All the light is 
wanted in winter time, even for a common 
garden-frame ; and wavy, or knotty, or im- 
perfect glass is improper for plants, for it is 
desirable to see them when they are growing, 
without taking off the lights ; and knots and 
waves are objectionable, because they very 
frequently concentrate the rays of the sun on 
the plant's foliage and burn it. Among the 
most prominent of the other houses which are 
taking up the subject of cheap glass, are Cogan 
of Leicester-square, and Claudet and Hough- 
ton of High Holborn, both of whom keep all 
the glass and glasses used in gardening; and 
it need hardly be said, that persons who devote 
themselves to particular objects can always 
supply better and cheaper than others who 
merely supply things in common with all other 
articles in the trade. One great improvement 
has arisen out of the reduced price and in- 
creased size of glass. Those who have the 
fronts of their houses, that is, the space between 
the lowest part of the rafters and the top of 
the brick-work, glazed with small panes of 
glass (generally from five to seven inches, by 
three to six. or even much less) and lapp°d, 
are enabled to put one slip of glass the full 
length, that is, if it do not exceed three feet 
in height ; and the improvement which this 
makes in the appearance must be seen to be 
appreciated. The getting rid of the cross marks 
made by the lapping, enables us to see the 
plants through, as clearly as if there were no 
glass ; and the neatness of the appearance, to 
say nothing of its superiority in use, is enough 
to tempt any body who can afford it to cut 
out the present patchwork, and substitute slips 
the entire length of the upright glass. In 
most houses, this varies from eighteen to thirty 
six inches : the expense may be easily reckoned. 
In a front thirty feet long, and two feet high, 
there will be under sixty feet of glass ; and if 
three feet high, would require under ninety 
feet, — ninety eightpences. The glass, there- 
fore, would be two pounds in one case and 
three pounds in the other ; and if all the pre- 
sent glass were battered to pieces to make way 
for it, it would be well worth the sacrifice ; 
but many will prefer to take out their front 
sashes, and make new ; the whole might be 
computed, glazing and all complete, at little 
over one shilling per foot, and the old sashes 
would sell for something. We feel assured, 
that every gentleman who has a greenhouse 
in any conspicuous part of his grounds, with 
the upright portion in front glazed with little 
bits or squares, will be highly gratified with 
the change it would make in the appearance 
of his house, to remove the upright sashes 
altogether, and have new ones made, so as to 
take panes of glass the whole height, and the 
width that would best suit the size of the large 
plates, that is, that would cut least to waste. 
The width of six inches, or from that to 
nine, would be found ample for all the pur- 
poses of strength and effect, for it would be 
unwise to have any more width than is ne- 
cessary, inasmuch as a break would in that 
case be of more importance than a dozen with 
six-inch squares ; but a three-feet length, with 
anything from six to nine inches wide, would 
be much stronger than even the six-inch squares 
are of the thin glass ; hand-glasses should now 
be made with metal frames, and have only 
eight pieces of glass in them, four for the 
roof and four for the sides, and with care 
these will last much longer than any that are 
formed of smaller squares ; let the sides be 
eighteen inches by eight, and the top rise at an 
angle of forty-five, and this glazed with the 
thick glass would be strong and lasting, for 
the breakage of hand-glasses is not by great 
violence, but by trifling blows, that would 
have no effect on such glass as may be had at 
the houses we have mentioned ; but we should 
use the glasses that are blown in one piece 
wherever we could do so, and especially for all 
purposes of propagation. 
<s^jjtl 
ACHIMENES PICTA. 
(Bentham.) 
THE PAIKTED ACHIMENES. 
One hardly knows whether most to admire 
the leaves or the flowers of this plant : at any 
