04 
DOMESTIC GARDENING. 
the principles by which their treatment should 
be regulated, so as to give some reasonable 
hope of a successful result ; and, intermixed 
with these, we shall introduce so much of 
detail, as may appear to be necessary to fully 
elucidate our subject. 
We commence with an enumeration of the 
situations in which we have to show that 
plants may be cultivated, and by a statement 
of some of the peculiarities of each. 
The " most stupendous " structure to which 
we have to refer, consists of a very common 
appendage to town residences, viz. a balcony 
covered and surrounded by glass sashes, so as 
to enclose a space immediately in front of the 
windows. The first question which presents 
itself, in considering the fitness of such a 
place for the purposes of floriculture, is its 
aspect, — that is, to which of the points of the 
compass it may be exposed. On this head we 
may state, that flowering plants may be grown 
with a degree of success but very triflingly 
varied, under any aspect, excepting only the 
northern : the other aspects will vary princi- 
pally with reference to season : thus, the 
southern will be the earliest; the western next; 
and the eastern the most tardy with respect to 
the blooming season of particular plants : this 
estimate of their qualifications is, however, 
liable to be affected by other circumstances. 
The northern aspect, though generally unsuit- 
able for the cultivation of flowering plants, and 
the produce of flowers, is particularly suited 
to another, and widely different class of plants; 
which may be cultivated, not indeed for their 
gay colours, and splendid array, but for pure 
unassuming simplicity and gracefulness, rival- 
ling even the " gayest of the gay." These 
plants are the ferns, and some allied genera. 
And thus we see, that whatever may be the 
situation, with reference to its aspect, there 
is no reason why it may not be adorned with 
the fair forms of vegetation. 
The next consideration, partly indeed con- 
nected with the preceding, is the degree of 
light admitted to the interior, and among the 
plants. The aspect having a very great in- 
fluence on the admission of this element, the 
question may be determined in a very similar 
manner. In proportion to the intensity of 
light, equally and evenly distributed, and 
always with certain limitations, the general 
result, as affecting flowering plants, will be 
successful or otherwise ; and this is so, be- 
cause light is essential to the exercise of the 
functions by which, partly, life is maintained ; 
and by the perfect exercise of which, the floral 
parts are formed and developed. The ferns are 
a less highly developed race of plants, and hence 
they thrive, and attain their perfection, in situ- 
ations where light is less abundantly supplied 
to them. 
Another consideration of importance arises 
from the circumscribed area, which, in most 
instances, must be enclosed in these covered 
balconies ; this renders the interior atmosphere 
liable to be very suddenly acted on by exterior 
circumstances ; and the change which is thus 
wrought so suddenly in the confined atmo- 
sphere, becomes seriously hurtful, and in many 
cases fatal to plants. In the case of a sun- 
burst, the atmosphere would become over 
heated, and the evaporation from every source 
of moisture, caused by this increased heat, 
finding egress even at the minutest crannies, 
would soon rob the air of its constituent mois- 
ture, and this in its turn would rob the plants 
of their vital juices : the effect of this would 
be to scorch and destroy the foliage; at best, 
a disfiguration, but frequently far more ex- 
tensive and serious in its results. The remedy, 
which must be timely applied to be of use, 
would consist in providing a shade or screen to 
intercept the intense solar rays ; the admission 
of cooler air, by opening the sashes ; and the 
maintenance of due humidity in the atmo- 
sphere, by insensible evaporation from a moist- 
ened surface. 
We have said nothing yet of the effect 
of cold. This being, in gardening matters, a 
relative term, we cannot particularize until we 
come to name individual plants; for what would 
be considered too cold a state of the atmosphere 
for some, would be regarded as being over- 
heated with reference to others ; we can only, 
therefore, speak in very general terms here of 
the effects of cold on plants. The first remark 
we make is, that a structure, whether it be a 
princely conservatory, or the more humble 
edifice we have had in view, must be devoted to 
a particular class of plants, having wants in 
common with respect to the temperature as well 
as the humidity of the atmosphere. The diffi- 
culty — the attention required, as well as the 
expense of maintaining a high temperature, 
are forcible arguments towards making choice 
of that class of plants which will thrive with 
the least possible degree of artificial or applied 
heat. The provision, then, which it becomes 
necessary to make for such plants as these, is 
to secure them from the effects of frost, or in- 
tense cold ; this is only requisite during the 
depth of winter, and for a short period in the 
spring. A judicious choice of plants, however, 
which will bear a considerable declension of 
temperature, is by far the most important 
practical point, and one which most of ah will 
be conducive to complete and satisfactory re- 
sults. The means of thus far preventing the 
effects of cold, are very varied in practical 
application, though in principle they are ne- 
cessarily and essentially similar. The most 
simple, economical, and effectual plan, would 
consist in attaching a hot-water pipe to the 
