and beauty with which they invest the landscape, or of the utility they confer as articles of food, medicine, 
and clothing, are all subjects of never-failing interest to a reflective mind. But every one has not the 
opportunity of enjoying this contemplation in the field ; and even if he had, the produce of one climate 
differs so widely from that of another, that his own district would furnish him with a mere fraction of the 
numerous vegetable families. Knowledge, however, has so far overcome this difficulty; for by the aid of the 
sheltered garden, the conservatory, and hothouse, the genera of any country can be brought within the 
compass of a few superficial acres. What can be thus accomplished by the scientific gardener, may be 
imitated on a small scale by domestic culture, and with comparatively less expense, as our apartments yield 
that shelter and temperature which it costs the gardener so much to obtain. 
The individual, therefore, who can rear in his window-recess, in his lobby, or around his porch, the 
shrubs and flowers of his own and other lands, has always a subject for contemplation before him ; some- 
thing to engage the attention, and to preserve the mind from the listlessness of ennui, or from positively 
pernicious pursuits. Any member of a family who has a little stand of plants to water, to clean, and prune, 
has always a pleasant daily recreation before him ; his love and care increase with these objects ; the simple 
duty becomes necessary to his existence ; and he has thus, what so many are miserable for the want of, 
namely, something to occupy hours of listlessness or leisure. Again, plants are objects of beauty and 
ornament. Why is yonder lowly cottage more lovely and inviting than the large farmhouse on the other 
side of the river ? Simply because its walls are trellised with the rose and honeysuckle, and its porch with 
the clambering hop, whose dark-green contrasts so finely with the whitewashed front ; while the latter is 
as cold and uninyiting as bare stone-walls can make it. So it is with any apartment, however humble. 
The little stand of flowers in the window recess, with their green leaves and brilliant blossoms, add a charm 
and freshness to the place ; and we will answer for it, that wherever these are, the furniture, though mean, 
will be clean and neatly arranged. 
The in-door culture of plants is also intimately connected with the sanitary condition of our dwellings. 
The oxygen of the atmosphere is indispensable to the respiration of animals ; it purifies their blood, and 
affords them internal heat ; and, united with certain elements, is expired in the form of carbonic acid gas 
(a compound of oxygen and carbon.) This gas, which is deleterious to animal life, constitutes the main 
nourishment of plants which absorb it, appropriate its carbon, and restore its oxygen to the atmosphere, 
again to be breathed in purity by men and animals. It is true that pure air is necessary alike to the life of 
plants and animals ; but the amount of oxygen absorbed by the former is by no means equal to that which 
they restore, and thus through their agency the atmosphere is kept in healthy equilibrium. It is only 
during the day, and under the influence of light, however, that carbonic acid is employed for the nutrition of 
plants ; that which they absorb during night is returned into the atmosphere with the water, which is con- 
tinually evaporating from the surface of the leaves. From this explanation it will be understood how the 
night air of an apartment containing flowers is said to be less healthy than the atmosphere which pervades 
it during the day ; though under ordinary states of ventilation, no danger need be apprehended from this 
source.* Besides their directly purifying influence, plants also tend indirectly to the health of dwelling 
apartments. For their sake the window that contains them will be oftener cleaned, the sash will be more 
frequently thrown open, and the air and sunshine intended for them will also lighten and purify the interior 
of the apartment. 
It may perhaps be objected that such a recreation requires more time than you can bestow ; that it is 
tooexpensive for you; and that it requires a greater knowledge of horticulture than you possess. To all 
these objections we answer — No. If your little conservatory is once in a healthy condition, a very small 
amount of care will be sufficient to preserve it so. A few minutes before or after breakfast will keep a large 
array of plants in excellent order ; and the duty may be intrusted to any grown-up member of a family. 
We know a surgeon in an extensive provincial practice — one of the most laborious of callings— and yet this 
gentleman has managed, during the last ten or twelve years, to conduct the most extensive conservatory of 
cactacese and epiphytes in Scotland, besides constructing most of the shelving and erection with his own 
hands. As to the expense, it is a mere trifle, unless the individual indulges in the purchase of new and pet 
varieties, as advertised by the nurseryman. Common flower-pots can be had from any pottery from one 
penny to sixpence each, and ornamental ones for about a third more. The soil costs nothing; and a very 
respectable show of geraniums, hydrangeas, monthly roses, verbenas, scented myrtles, fuchias, cactuses, 
aloes, and the like, may be had by exchanging slips with neighbouring cultivators, or originally from some 
gardener for a trifle. 
* From recent experiments on the respiration of plants, Mr. Heseldine Pepys has arrived at the following general conclusions : — 
1. That vegetation is always operating to restore the surrounding atmospheric air to its natural condition, by the absorption of carbonic 
acid, and the disengagement of oxygenous gas ; that this action is promoted by the influence of light, but that it continues to be exerted, 
although more slowly, even in the dark. 2. That carbonic acid is never disengaged during the healthy condition of the leaf. 3. That 
the fluid so abundantly exhaled by plants in their vegetation, is pure water, and contains no trace of carbonic acid. Should this be the case, 
growing plants cannot, under any condition, impair the purity of the atmosphere, but rather the reverse ; unless to be sure the odour* 
which they emit be too powerful to be agreeable. 
