160 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[•June 13. 
of the oldest plants within your reach, one of each 
colour, and make three circular little beds for them on 
the grass in a suitable corner, and not far from tall ever¬ 
greens, to make a back ground for them. Make these 
beds in the points of a triangle, and a yard from centre 
to centre ; put three barrow-loads of the good compost 
in each bed, and then plant out the Brugmansias, and 
the work is done for this season. Recollect that all the 
soil that can be removed from the roots of all old plants, 
to be “ turned out" without breaking them, should be 
shook off before planting; and if the plants have large 
tops, they may be pruned staghorn fashion; that is, the 
top parts and all the large leaves cut off. As soon as 
new leaves are at work, give a heavy watering—a whole 
potful to each—say twice a-week; and when the flower- 
buds appear, soot-water, or any liquid manure, will do 
them much good. Their flowering this year will be 
nothing to what it will be when the old sticks are got 
rid of, and fresh succulent stems come up directly from 
the roots next year, and for many years to come ; then, 
the beds will be enlarged till they meet, which will be in 
the third or fourth season. D. Beaton. 
GREENHOUSE AND WINDOW 
GARDENING. 
Plant Structures. —“What is the difference between 
a greenhouse and a conservatory ? ” is a question often 
put, and to which it is difficult in a few words to give 
an explicit answer. Hence the difficulty of replying to 
another question which comes to us nearly as often— 
“ Vv r hether should I, in the few limited feet I can com¬ 
mand, erect a greenhouse or a conservatory ? and how 
should I arrange it internally so as to yield the greatest 
amount of pleasure?” which just brings us back to the 
propriety of distinguishing between the two terms, for, 
though used indiscriminately, and often synonymously, 
the different words ought to convey different ideas ; for, 
allowing that a greenhouse may be termed a conser¬ 
vatory, it does not follow that a conservatory is always 
and necessarily a greenhouse. The primary meaning 
of the word, conservatory, is merely a place where a 
thing or being is kept in circumstances suitable to its 
nature; and thus, fish in a pond, birds in an aviary, 
natural objects in a museum, &c., are as much in conser¬ 
vatories as are plants from tropical or more temperate 
climes, when kept in glass structures suitable to their 
healthy existence. 
As a new Gardeners’ Dictionary is being brought out, 
the settling of terms and definitions will be an object of 
some interest. The term greenhouse is applicable to 
all gardening structures in which tender plants are 
' cultivated; but since we have plant stoves for plants 
! from tropical regions, orchid-houses, vineries, peaclieries, 
| pineries, &c., all of which may be used for many pur¬ 
poses, but the main object of each of which is generally 
| understood, it would be advisable to restrict the term 
| greenhouse to those structures which contain plants so 
comparatively hardy, that they require protection only 
during the colder months of the year. The term conser¬ 
vatory is more high sounding, and carries with it some¬ 
thing more of dignity, especially when the possessor 
enthusiastically describes its treasures to one who has 
not had the privilege of seeing it, and whose mind may 
therefore be left in pleasing suspense whether the 
wonderful place covers a few square feet or the large 
fractional part of an acre. The term also conveys a 
higher degree of the comfortable, for though in a north 
easter in February, alike sufficient to pinch nose and 
finger-ends, we should just expect the cold to be pre- 
1 vented intruding into the greenhouse, —we should expect 
| something of the cosiness of the snug parlour to be 
! realised in the conservatory. Hence, on account of 
the prevalence of this idea, we should be satisfied if 
plants are green, without much of growth or of floral 
attractions, in a greenhouse in winter; while under the 
more aristocratic name of conservatory we should expect 
to find plants in bloom at all seasons—the blooming of ' 
plants in winter requiring quite different circumstances I 
from what is requisite now, as adverted to last week, 
coolness and shade being not more essential for pre¬ 
serving the bloom in summer than heat and light arc 
necessary for a similar purpose in winter. Plants that 
may be kept healthy in a temperature of from 35° to 
40°, will not open nor expand their bloom freely if in 
a lower temperature than from 40° to 50°. Hence, 
again, arises the difference between a cold and a warm 
greenhouse; the first a structure for preserving plants in 
winter for ultimate effect during spring and summer, 
the second for the same purpose also, but combined with 
the growing and blooming of plants in winter. 
Suppose we carry our definition of distinctions a step 
further, and have a cold, and a warm conservatory—one 
in which plants are merely kept from the contingen¬ 
cies inseparable from our climate, and the other in 
which plants are grown and bloomed, and to which 
plants in bloom are brought from other still warmer 
structures; then we have only one more distinction to 
make before we answer the question of many amateurs, 
as to whether a conservatory or a greenhouse would be 
the most suitable for them—and that is a broad demar¬ 
cating line to separate greenhouses from conservatories. 
Now this we believe would easily be done were we to 
term all plant-houses greenhouses in which the plants 
are cultivated in pots, baskets, vases, &c., with or without 
stages; and were we, on the other hand, to term all 
such structures conservatories in which the plants were 
either planted out upon beds of soil, or plunged with 
their pots into it, so as to present that appearance. 
Now, keeping this definition in mind, for all single 
small structures possessed by amateurs we unhesitatingly 
recommend the cultivating of the plants in pots or vases, 
in preference to planting them out; thus making their 
plant-houses greenhouses, instead of conservatories. 
There is only one matter in which we would depart from 
this rule, and that would be in the case of creepers, 
which grow more freely when planted out, require less 
trouble, aud even then interfere not at all with the 
general arrangement. I am aware that large plants 
turned out permanently would give less trouble to a 
gentleman or lady, when the time was comparatively 
limited that one or the other could afford to bestow upon 
such objects. But even here it would soon be found, 
that what gives little trouble imparts but little pleasure. 
The nobleman who owns a town of glass-houses, may 
with propriety have many of these planted out with 
permanent plants, because in the very extent in the 
different points of view selected, in entering his plant- 
houses from different ends, there would always be 
pleasing change and variety ; but this variety would 
soon be unseen and unfelt in a house, say thirty feet by 
twelve. The objects, however healthy, would soon pall 
the appetite from this very sameness—everything like 
a stereotyped appearance being incongruous to our feel¬ 
ings, as lovers of floral beauty, and lovers of change 
and variety. The same principle holds good, though not 
in such a striking degree, in flower-gardens, especially 
when of small extent. 
An enthusiastic amateur who had applied some years 
ago in a friendly way for assistance in laying out a little 
spot—and who generally makes a point of having an j 
hour or two of gossiping every May, as to how he is to j 
fill it for the succeeding season—called the other night j 
to have his annual consultation; and was told for his 
trouble, that I thought I should bo obliged to act in 
future as the lawyers do, who never give their advice tor 
nothing. Well, he described how beautiful it was last 
