376 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  22,  1903 
Winter-garden  Conservatories, 
From  the  dark  heavily-built,  architectural  plant  structures 
of  the  later  part  of  the  eighteentli  century,  to  the  elegant,  beauti¬ 
fully  proportioned  conservatories  of  the  present  day,  surelj'  a 
good  step  forvard  has  been  made,  ihe  old  “orangeries'’  are 
here  and  there  to  be  seen  even  now  ;  but  they  are  usually  put  to 
any  convenient  use,  and  generally  they  do  not  contain  plants. 
Six  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago.  .;\lbertus  Magnus  constructed 
a  conservatory,  or  structure,  whereby  he  so  prevented  the  escape 
of  warmth  from  his  plants,  that  he  not  only  brought  them  to 
perfection  earlier,  but  preserved  them  in  beauty  amid  the 
severities  of  a  German  winter.  For  doing  this,  for  effecting 
what  everyone  of  our  readers  may  now  effect  for  a  few  pence, 
.Vlbertus  was  in  those  dark  ages  designated  a  magician,  and  a 
leaguer  with  evil  spirits.  Happy  for  us,  then,  to  live  in  better 
times,  with  wealth,  enlightenment,  and  beauty  all  around. 
And  the  huge  “crystal  palaces”  erected  for  opulent  owners 
of  private  gardens,  or  for  public  corporations,  are  such  as  could 
never  have  been  guessed  at  even  sixty  years  ago,  when  glass  was 
still  taxecl,  when  coal  Avas  dear,  and  heating  was  largely  by 
flues.  Nor  were  there  the  plants  to  groAv.  'the  Avhole  race  of 
the  Japanese  and  Chinese  trees,  shrubs,  and  plants,  as  Avell  as 
numberless  beauties  from  all  the  ends  of  the  earth,  have  practi¬ 
cally  all  been  disseminated  to  the  gardens  of  these  islands  during 
the  past  sixty  or  seventy  years. 
While  the  figures  that  Ave  are  enabled  to  sIioav  to-day  repre¬ 
sent  patterns  of  the  highest  achievements  in  horticultural  build¬ 
ing,  Avhat  say  Ave  to  the  iieAvs  of  hugely  extensive  glass  erections 
that  comes  from  the  United  States?  The  houses  there  are  purely 
for  commercial  uses — the  groAvth  of  plants  for  sale  ;  and  there¬ 
fore  elegance  is  not  a  merit  ;  but  the  figures  at  all  events  seem 
impressive,  and  may  be  cpioted  verbatim  as  given  in  “The 
American  Florist,”  as  folloAvs  : — 
“Plans  have  been  practically  consummated  for  the  establish¬ 
ment  at  Noav  York  of  the  largest  greenhouse  in  the  Avorld.  The 
enterprise  Avill  be  backed  by  a  capital  of  $600,000  [4s.  2d.  is  a 
dollar]  and  it  Avill  retjuire  an  outlay  of  nearly  $400,000  to  get  the 
buildings  on  a  running  basis.  The  parties  at  the  head  of  the 
concern  have  a  large  establishment  at  Brampton,  Canada.  The 
Board  of  Trade  announces  that  a  contract  has  been  made  Avith 
the  United  States  FloAA'er  Company  of  Ncav  York,  havniig  a  capital 
stock  of  $600,000,  by  Avhich  this  company  contracts  tO‘  establish 
near  this  city  a  greenhouse  plant  Avith  an  area  of  1;000,000  square 
feet  of  glass  to  cost  about  $400,000  and  not  less  than  $350,000 ; 
the  Avhole  plant  to  be  completed  as  soon  as  possible  after  the 
ground  is  broken.  The  company  agrees  to  employ  not  less  than 
300  male  hands  in  its  operations,  AA-ith  a  pay  roll  not  less  than 
$1,800  per  Aveek.  This  plant  guarantees  to  operate  fo'r  at  le.ast 
fiA'e  years.  The  total  cost  of  the  site  Avill  be  $10,750  and  must 
be  raised  Avithin  one  month.” 
The  erection  of  glass  structures,  unless  they  be  frames,  or 
minor  shelters,  is  seldom  attempted  by  gardeners,  nor  is  it 
necess&ry.  Still,  some  men  delight  in  doing  much  as  they  can, 
and  thovse  avIio  have  made  a  study  of  the  subject  may  be  naturally 
proud  to  practise  their  knoAvledge.  Books  on  glass  house  erec¬ 
tion  seem  AAanting,  and  instruction  is  only  occasionally  to  be 
had  Avhere  a  society  pays  a  qualified  lecturer  to  give  a  course  of 
lectures,  as  aaus  done  at  Edinburgh  Botanic  Garden  some  years 
ago. 
On  pages  360  and  361  of  last  Aveek’s  issue,  Ave  Avere  able,  by 
the  kindness  of  Messrs.  Richardson  and  Co.,  of  Darlington,  avIio 
supplied  the  blocks,  to  illustrate  the  exterior  aubavs  of  tAA'o 
beautiful  and  commodious  Avinter  gardens  erected  by  them.  We 
noAv  present  the  interior  A’ieAvs  of  the  same  tAvo  houses,  Avhich 
readers  may  compare  Avith  the  eleA^ation  plains.  Such  spacious, 
beautifully  lighted  houses  are  specially  intended  for  the  inclu¬ 
sion  of  tree-like  groAvths — great  Tree  Ferns,  Wattle-trees,  or 
Mimosa,  giant  Araucarias,  Fan  Palms,  Cordylines,  Bamboos — - 
and  other  similar  subjects,  as  Avell  as,  cf  course,  the  numerous 
dAvarf-groAving  ornamental  conservatory  plants.  The  subjects 
are  usually  jilanted ,  out.  Being  spacious,  there  is  also  ample 
room  for  paths  and  seats.  In  public  park  conseiwatories  small 
orchestras  are  at  times  accommodated,  but  this  is  rare.  What 
the  cost  of  such  erections  as  those  figured  is,  Ave  do  not  know, 
but  that  might  .soon  be  got  on  enquiry.  The  Avinter  garden  seen 
on  page  373  differs  in  style  from  the  other  tAA  O. 
Interior  View  of  the  Winter-Garden  at  Wolverhampton  Public  Park. 
r.ivhardsoti  d-  Co. 
