280 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER 
August 
is natural to the adult species, aud that the old age 
of animals at least is more enjoyable, and, us far 
as natural causes have an influence, more prolonged 
under a milder climate than is requisite for the full 
development of middle-aged life. All medical and 
horticultural authority are agreed on these points, 
and any disregard to them on the part of an intended 
emigrant, like the violation of any other natural law, 
is sure to result in disappointment sooner or later. 
Hence it is that the Russian boor can bear up against 
the rigours of a Siberian winter; that the Gaol from 
the sides of Morvcn are more at home on the banks 
of the St. Lawrence than any other “ Britisher,” and 
that the Hindoo cooly or Ashantee would outlive 
both, and still be in health and vigour, in the pesti¬ 
lential atmosphere of a West Indian plantation. 
Therefore, if I were to emigrate to-morrow, I would 
make choice of a country with a mild climate, and 
bundle off to some of the Australian settlements, or 
to New Zealand, make myself as agreeable and as 
accommodating on the voyage as I possibly could, 
always find something to do, and do it cheerfully, if 
only to keep a good tool from rusting, and before I 
went on board 1 would pledge myself in secret that 
I would find no fault with any thing or any hotly as 
long as I was on the water. As soon as I landed 
I would look out for employment in my own calling 
at once, and put off sight-seeing till that was secured; 
never spend a sixpence unnecessarily, and, even if I 
had money enough to “put up” for myself, 1 would 
prefer to remain at work for others until 1 coidd see 
with my own eyes how to lay out my money, and 
where, for it is very difficult to see tilings through 
other peoqdc’s eyes. All this time I woidd make it a 
point to gain the esteem of those who employed me 
by attending diligently to what they set me to do, 
and by a steady course of conduct. Finally, what¬ 
ever difficulties I met with, I woidd endeavour to 
look only on the fair side of the question. As to 
removing from the scenes of our childhood, who is 
he that must live by the sweat of his brow but must 
do that, and when once you are from home what 
does it signify if the distance be 50 or 5000 miles? 
H. Beaton. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
An idea is prevalent with many people that nothing 
is good and beautiful unless it be high-priced and 
difficult of acquisition. Nowhere is this principle 
more developed than in objects connected with gar¬ 
dening. Novelty and variety are with many the 
only things worth caring for. A plant, lovely and 
beautiful, loses its charms with all such pretended 
arbiters of taste whenever it is seen enlivening the 
window of the mechanic’s or the cottager’s abode. 
Only obtain, at certain seasons, the pine apple from 
the West Inches at a very cheap price, and, whether 
they are good or the reverse, such great-minded 
people would not at such seasons bring out to their 
friends a British-grown pine apple of first-rate quali¬ 
ties ; or, if they did, they must accompany it with the 
needless information, “ This came from my own 
hothouse ” The bare idea that it might have been 
close-packed in a tarry ship, or occupied a place in a 
hawker’s window, was too awful to allow to be sus¬ 
pected. A sprightly young lady, when walking with 
her grandmother, coaxingly asked her to purchase 
and take home some cucumbers, they looked so cool 
and nice. “Oh! no,” says grandma’. “Why not?” 
demanded unsophisticated girlhood. “ Oh ! I coidd 
not think of buying and taking home such things 
when everybody knows they may be bought for a 
penny a-piece.” This answer is merely one of similar 
thousands which might be given as a solution to the 
enigma—Why do so many voluntarily deprive them¬ 
selves of true pleasure, in order that they may seem 
to follow in the wake of what is termed fashion ? 
Some years ago a visiting party were loud in their 
acclamations of delight at the sight of some (Eno- 
thera and Catchfly beds which certainly were very 
beautiful, for considerable pains had been taken with 
them. If they had known the plants before, the sight 
of them in fresh combination and contrast had, for 
the time, erased them from their recollection. The 
value of the articles soon, however, became a matter 
of inquiry, and when informed that, independently 
of the labour, which was considerable, the first cost 
for seeds had only been a few pence, there was a 
sudden silence, only broken by one, who had been 
loudest in testifying delight, stating somewhat quietly 
that, “ Certainly they were pretty, but, after all, did 
they not look somewhat common V' Their being 
easily procurable dissolved the charm. Now, I dislike 
nothing even in flowers though it be common, pro¬ 
vided it be useful or bcautilid ; nay, 1 like it all the 
better for its very commonness, because then stores 
of pleasure are opened up to a larger number of our 
fellow-creatures. 
Trusting that such are the feelings of the majority 
of the readers of this work, we shall at times devote 
a page to the management of some of those floral 
beauties which many consider can only be grown in 
stoves alone, but which, with a little extra care and 
coaxing, and but very limited conveniences, provided 
you can only maintain in winter a temperature of 
from 45° to 50°, will flourish in the greenhouse dur 
ing summer and autumn often better than if left in 
a plant stove, while thus the greenhouse and conser¬ 
vatory obtain an interest they would not otherwise 
possess. Having but very limited means for growing 
stove plants, I chiefly depend on them for thus orna¬ 
menting a conservatory during summer and autumn, 
and also a promenade or verandah protected with 
glass, but not heated by any artificial means. In both 
places, but especially in the latter, we have had dur¬ 
ing the summer, and shall have, the most of them, 
for more than two months to come, large plants in 
succession in bloom of acliimenes, begonia, gloxinia, 
thunbergia, clerodendrum, torenia, vinca, lantana, 
gesnera, justicia, jasminum, steplianotus, gardenia, 
&c., contrasting with fuchsias, geraniums, salvias, 
&c. Eranthemum and Aphelandra, alluded to by 
Mr. Beaton, are too late, in general, for this place, 
but come in for the conservatory. These are kept in 
small compass during winter, and grown on in spring. 
I sometimes get caught by Mr. Frost, but, having a 
young stock, it does not annoy me much. As a com¬ 
mencement, we will first say a few words upon that 
beautiful plant, the 
Torenia Asiatica, discovered by Toren, a Swedish 
clergyman, in China. When first I saw the flower, 
with its marbled-like, blended colours of blue, purple 
and light lilac, I thought it was among plants a gem 
of the purest water. It belongs to the 14th class and 
2nd order of Linnaeus, and the natural order Scro- 
phulariacese, and thus is somewhat allied to the beau¬ 
tiful and well known Mauraudya. The blossom is 
tubular, and monopetalous in its corolla, which is 
generally divided into four segments. The two upper 
stamens are conspicuous in the throat of the flower, 
joined together so as to form a beautiful arch, while 
the anthers, cohering and projecting, might convey 
the idea of an ornamental architectural kev-stone. 
