THE NATURAL CONDITIONS OF PLANTS. 61 
gathered a fine crop of grapes in a closed house, 
and by adopting the plan mentioned in a former 
part of this work, as practised in Ceylon, of 
laying bare the roots, so as to cause the leaves 
to fall off, and thereby give the plant rest, 
such crops of fruit would, most probably, he 
insured. 
My pool of water in this house is much larger 
than in the former, containing about two hun- 
dred gallons. Here the fish luxuriate amidst 
Anacharis Alsinastrum, Pontederia crassipes, 
Pistia Stratiotes, Villarsia reniformis, and other 
aquatics. 
I have thus described, imperfectly indeed, some 
of the results attainable in a temperate climate, 
and there cannot be a doubt, that in dry tropical 
countries the application of the same plan might 
be equally striking and beneficial. In ordinary 
horticulture much is effected by closely imitating 
the natural conditions of plants. Thus, my friend 
Dr. Royle, who has paid especial attention to this 
subject, informed me that there were certain 
plants in his garden, at Saharanpore, which he 
could only keep alive by surrounding them with 
small trees and shrubs, so as to give them a mois- 
ter atmosphere than they could otherwise have 
obtained ; and he mentions in his beautiful work, 
the “ Illustrations of the Flora and Fauna of the 
