Besides the plants that are grown and kept for decorative purposes for special occasions, much of our glass, and acres of glass in large establishments, are devoted to the growing of plants used in a decorative way, either as permanent adornments of the house or for the florist's use when filling an order.

Generally when plants are known as decorative it is meant those whose foliage is ornamental rather than their flowers, and my remarks under this head will be confined mostly to those of the former class.