Then, too, in place of some of the houses, now
devoted to a mixed and ill-assorted collection of
crotons, begonias, orchids, lilies, tuberoses, cycla-
men, all arranged apparently to banish restful-
ness and cause violent surprises to the tired eye,
how much more interesting it would be to con-
centrate one's energy upon growing well a few
plants that would be of use for the dinner-table I

Glasshouses, in the average modern garden, are



130 WORK UNDER GLASS

required, in short, for " supply," not for botanical
research or artistic effect, other than for drawing-
room decoration. We want these houses to give
us things to beautify the Uving-rooms, we require
vegetables that will save buying imports from
other countries, and the old-fashioned, early-
Victorian glasshouse, with its jumble of many-
coloured flowers, is required no longer. Only in
days when ladies were considered to be too fragile
to take part in outdoor pursuits was it a relaxation
to them to walk into its well-kept precincts and
see plants with which they would otherwise hardly
have become familiar, for they were not brought
into the living-rooms as they are in these present
days.
