96 
Rustic A dornments. 
A defect of daylight is as likely to tell, slowly perhaps, but surely, upon the 
health of the inhabitants of a house as a poisonous atmosphere or insufficiency 
of food. The obstruction of the daylight, therefore, is in itself an evil, and 
every instance in which it is contemplated to occupy any considerable portion 
of a window with an object that will exclude the light from the room should 
be considered with reference to the health of the family first, as of the utmost 
importance. Generally speaking, exclusion of light necessitates also exclusion 
of air; the window that is blocked up ceases to be a ventilator, and the 
chamber it should illuminate and sweeten becomes altogether unfit for 
occupation by human beings. The value of fresh air is perhaps sufficiently 
understood, but it is otherwise as regards the value of light. Photography 
compels us daily to observe the effects of the subtle powers of light in rapidly 
changing the colours of certain chemical preparations, yet we are slow to learn 
that the blanched cheek and trembling hand oftentimes represent debility 
induced by dwelling in darkness. The ruddy hue of health was never known 
to warm the cheeks of habitual dwellers in-doors, or of those shut up to 
sedentary employments, or such as breathe constantly a vitiated air. It is 
next to impossible to have abundance of light without having plenty of air 
also as a corollary, and both are primary essentials of health and cheerfulness, 
more especially to such as are much within doors. We have known instances 
of injury through undue indulgence in the tastes of which this work is intended 
to be the exponent, and we cannot proceed further without offering this 
brief word of caution against riding this particular class of hobbies too fast 
and too far. 
Window gardens of all kinds belong to the town much more than to the 
country. Even an invalid shut up in one room in a country house can 
scarcely need a window garden; for the bleakest prospect will have its 
changes and its cheerful seasons, and our rural scenery is usually fresh and 
bright, and permanently interesting. Let each determine the particular case, 
while we deal with the subject broadly, and with a view to many practical 
suggestions. 
In dealing with the various methods of decorating balconies with plants, 
aspect and position must be fully considered. It is useless recommending a 
general list of plants or describing a single example of decoration, as balconies 
occur in all aspects, and therefore what would be suitable in one instance 
would be totally unfit in the other. To meet these difficulties and render 
our remarks, as they should be, really useful and adapted to all cases, we 
