NOVEMBER. 
243 
planting the Ivy in the boxes forming the external and ornamental part of the 
screen itself. At the end of two months the leaves became of a yellow tinge, 
and, on close inspec¬ 
tion, an abundance of 
red spider was to be 
seen luxuriating in 
the warm atmosphere 
of the rooms, and thus 
explaining the cause 
of the yellow leaf. 
Most people know 
that this spider is 
easily washed off with 
the syringe, putting 
a small portion of 
Gishurst in the water, 
and this operation can 
be done easily any fine 
day; but this does 
not replace the green 
healthy foliage and 
freshness one of these 
contrivances gives to 
the furnishing of a 
drawing-room in the 
dead months of win¬ 
ter. Another great rig. 1 . 
evil is the small width 
of the boxes the Ivy is generally planted in. I never saw one 
more than 9 inches in width, but most frequently less, and even 
down as low as 6 inches, and for window screens very often 
4 inches, with lengths varying according to circumstances. In 
fig. 1 the boxes, or divisions, are 2 feet each by 9 inches wide, 
the facings being of Minton’s tiles. Into these spaces were 
crammed the roots of six plants, with very often three empty 
pots of the size known as “ thirty-two’s” (see fig. 2), for the 
purpose of keeping places for the flowers. Upon a little con¬ 
sideration it will be seen there is little room left for soil, and this 
causes a very frequent renewal of the plants. which brings with 
it another serious evil for the grower. The screens are mostly 
made of very costly material to resemble drawing-room furniture, 
with a good deal of gilt along the top, it is therefore a difficult 
matter to find a proper place to grow them on carefully and well; 
but when this is done it requires the greatest care in moving 
them backwards and forwards,' as when the Ivy gets well grown 
and heavy the mahogany rods, of which the screens are most 
frequently composed, must be carefully braced up, otherwise they 
will snap asunder. Afterwards there is all the trouble of screwing 
the joints together at the cross rods, «, v'hich allow its being 
made semicircular if required. After two or three times screwing 
and unscrewing the joints or hinges become useless. To over¬ 
come all these difficulties w r e had a double set of zinc boxes 
made to fit into the boxes of the screen with good strong iron 
rods attached {fig. 3), inside these are three strong flat pieces of iron 
Eig. 
