370 
FERNS : BRITISH AND FOREIGN. 
sirable to resort to some other method; such as by 
using several kinds of dulled or rough glass. 
In former years., the fruit and plant-houses at Kew 
were glazed with a very dark-green glass called 
Stourbridge-green, and which was patronized by the 
late Mr. Aiton. Fine crops of fruit were produced 
under it, also the tropical plants in the Botanic 
Garden flourished without the aid of canvas or shade 
of any kind. Not many years ago, solitary squares 
of this glass might be seen in the roofs of the 
old hot-hcuses, which strongly contrasted with the- 
modern clear glass. My experience with this glass led 
me to recommend green glass for the Palm House, 
which was adopted ; but the modern-made green tint 
does not appear to be so fixed a colour as that of the 
old Stourbridge-green. 
The Palm House in the nursery of the late Messrs.. 
Loddiges, at Hackney (now things of the past), affords 
another example of successful plant-growing without 
the aid of canvas or other moveable shading material. 
On the late Mr. George Loddiges being consulted 
respecting the glazing of the Kew Palm House, 
he was asked if they shaded theirs ; his reply was, 
“ Oh, no; our thick rafters and sash-frames, with 
sooty glass, just afford the amount of light necessary 
for the plants.” Under this roof, in an atmosphere 
of stillness and gloom, Palms, Ferns, Orchids, and 
numerous other tropical plants, grew in the greatest 
luxuriance, which, with the proverbial solitude of the 
place, and when viewed from the elevated platform,, 
gave the idea of a ravine in a tropical forest. 
To judge by the above examples of Kew and Hack- 
ney, it appears that fruits and plants were successfully 
