10 
CONSTRUCTION OF PLANT-HOUSES. 
line, with but little shade, and a marked absence of foliated vege¬ 
tation ; though it may be advisable, for the sake of relieving the 
otherwise arid appearance of the whole, to introduce a small rill 
of water, near to which will be the most appropriate station for 
a few phenogamous plants ; these should possess a character re¬ 
markable rather for stateliness than for floral beauty, as they are 
to be received only as secondary embellishments of the scene : 
while the floor, and every unoccupied spot, should wear the 
appearance of bare rock or trodden sands. 
On the other hand, if the structure is destined for the reception 
of orchidaceous plants, a totally different aspect should pervade 
the whole, as they are denizens of the damp forests and alluvial 
soils of the warmer parts of the world, where the vegetation is 
all of the richest description. Every endeavour must therefore 
be directed to the production of a soft, harmonizing scene of 
oriental grandeur, constituted almost entirely of vegetable forms; 
the less of cold, bare rock that meets the eye in such a place the 
better; its appearance being only allowable where absolutely 
necessary to cover the indispensable wall, or support for the roof. 
The outline of a house of this kind should be altogether irregular, 
the ordinary parallelogram being decidedly unsuited : we would 
have it here compressed into a narrow vista, and again opening on 
what would appear a dell of indescribable loveliness, with tor¬ 
tuous walks and passages, completely secluded one from another, 
and from the principal body of the house, allowing the roof in 
places to ascend to a height sufficient for the tallest plants to be 
grown, and in others to descend completely to the ground, sup¬ 
porting it where necessary with the trunks of trees, whose branches 
may be made to take the place of rafters and sash-bars, thus 
avoiding the unsightly look of walls and incongruous appearance 
of a natural scene covered by an artificial roof; in short, removing 
the painful effect of all straight lines. Nor must these ideas be 
regarded as altogether visionary, for glass is now abundant and 
may be had of almost any size, and iron, with the aid of inge¬ 
nuity and a directing taste, may be made to assume any form. 
Water must not be forgotten; in fact, it should be rather co¬ 
piously displayed, as being not only in unison with the other 
embellishments, but also conducive to the health and well-doing 
of the plants. Its direction and quantity must of course be re- 
