292 
THE FLORIST. 
stance, and general form^ which determine the selection of 
seedlings, we therefore strongly urge the rigorous rejection of 
varieties in which one or the other of these definite and 
special characteristics of form are not well marked. Those 
seedlings which throw out their flowers in two opposite rows 
should also be rejected, as being very much inferior to those 
on which the flowers are all turned to face one side of the 
flower-spike. In arranging cut flowers, this peculiarity of 
growth may nevertheless be turned to account, by placing in 
the vacant space between the two rows of blossoms, a spike 
of another variety in which the flowers face one way, and in 
this manner covering the unfurnished portion of the original 
flower-spike. M. 
ORCHARD HOUSE CULTURE. 
(^Continued from p. 269.) 
“ In our next we shall detail how to pot the trees and store for the 
winter.” So we ended our last article, and from this point we 
should have commenced our present continuation, had we not since 
that was written paid a visit to Sawbridgeworth, to note what im¬ 
provements the originator of Orchard Houses had introduced in 
their construction since our last visit; as well as to record any¬ 
thing new which might present itself in the way of treatment. 
Size of House. We noticed one important fact,—which has 
doubtless forced itself on the practical mind of Mr. Rivers,—that 
as he progresses with building new Orchard Houses, they gradually 
increase in size. The first were very simple structures, “ hedge- 
houses,” as he called them at the time; i. e., they consisted of a 
mere glass roof with the ends boarded up, and the sides between 
the roof and the fioor-line was planked with either a yew or arbor 
vitae hedge. No other means for ventilation were provided for 
them, we presume, than opening the doors at the ends in very hot 
weather, if safety from frost could be guaranteed in these erec¬ 
tions. When the trees bloomed it was found the fruit ripened in 
them; but they were rather too risky in that respect, and the 
internal atmosphere, which was kept sufficiently cool and congenial 
during the hottest days of summer by the circulation of air through 
the side hedges, was found rather too much so during March and 
April, with a low external temperature, and subsequently, Mr. 
Rivers improved his next batch of houses, by substituting Louvre 
boardings for the evergreen hedges, which could be opened or shut 
at pleasure; this step was an improvement, as it permits a control 
over the temperature of the house, which was out of the question 
with a mere hedge, through which the wind, which in March is 
frequently down to near the freezing point, rushed at pleasure, 
and was found to make sad havoc with the tender buds just then 
opening into bloom. In addition to boards as a substitute for 
