a. T h e hark-b od . P it fo r lin in g s,
c. F ire flu e along Ih c fro n t and b oth ends.
(/, Oi>cn b ric k w o rk . e. O pen cavity.
/ , T ile cover o f open c.avity, w ith plng-hoics, ¡7 ¡7, W a lls o f bark-bcd.
3021. The pine-pits at Eridge Castle arc heated by hot water in pipes and ta n k s ; and
a description of them has been kindly sent to us hy Mr. Ogle, gardener there. “ These
houses” (of whichy?(/. 758. is the groimd plan of one half, andjii?. 757. a cross section),
observes Mr. Ogle, “ which were huilt under my direction, are considered, by all who
have seen them, as most complete. This is the first step towards growing plants well.
Tliere is no unnecessary waste of room in these houses, and yet every p ait may be conveniently
got at. There is a 14-inch hollow wall at the back, and the flue, after being
carried beneath the path, returns in i t ; so that no heat is lost. The front and ends arc
of 9-iiich brickwork. There are sliding shutters in the front, and also in the hack w a ll;
these arc opened and shut at pleasure by one movement of an iron rod which is fixed
to each of them. The pit over the hot-water gutters is covered witli 1-inch slate ; and it
may now be well to observe that I was very strongly recommended not to use slate,
because it would be impossible to keep the soil moist at the bottom ; and it was represented
to me, by more than one person, that it was found plants grew much more
vigorously on a ivooden bottom than on ono of slate. To satisfy myself and others, I
had half the pit covered with slate, and the other half with 2-inch plank. The latter I very
soon had occasion to remove, in conscqncnco of its swelling so m u c h ; and replaced it
with slate, fully confident it is superior to wood in every respect. To prevent the soil at
tlic bottom getting dry, I have adopted a plan which answers the purpose admirably.
Iti the first place, I liave a quantity of bricks broken to about the size of a large wsilnnt,
and the slate is covered with this broken rubble to the depth of 2 in. or 3 in. On the
inside of tho [)it, at the back, from one end to the other, I lay a trough, made by nailing
three pieces of wood together, each piece being about
5 in. or 6 in. wide : small holes are made at the front lower
angle (Jig. 756. a) at short distances throughout its length.
Two upright spouts sufficiently high to pass uiUhroughthe
soil arc fixed to the top of the trough at equal distances from
the end and from each other. Through these spouts water is ,
poured, and is distributed amongst tlie broken bricks through
the holes of the longitudinal trough. The slates having a fall of 2 in. to the front, the
water passes freely through the ru b b le ; and thus any amount of bottom moisture can be
given. The houses arc lieatcd hy Biirbidgc and Hcaly’s 18-inch boilers, ono to each house;
and each aiso gives top and bottom heat to a melon-pit 26 ft. long by 11 ft. wide. There
is a small cistern to each house contiguous to the boiler, having a division in the centre.
TJic water enters from the boiler into one division, and is cu'culated through the pipes
and troughs, and returns into the otlier division of the cistern, thence to the boiler. This
plan, which I have never before seen, is an improvement on the plans generally adopted.
Tiic flow and retuni pipes of the cistern I stop off at pleasm*e by means of wooden plugs
fitted to th em ; each plug having a piece of half-inch u'on rod fixed to it, so as to avoid
putting the hand in the water, when it is necessai*y to stop off the heat from either the
melon-pit or the pinc-housc. The troughs are made of brick on edge on a good foundation,
and the insides are plastered with Roman cement, which, whatever others may say,
n , T lic b oiler. 6, T h o flue,
c c, H o t-w a te r gutters. Ilo f-w a te r pipes,
T h e o t iifr h a lf o f tlicso p its is prpcisoly th e same as th a t lio ro
d d.R iven. In tlic cross section (Jig. 75 7.h k is th e p athw a y over
/ e., F-H ntrance o llo w 14 lobby. -in ch w a ll, ha v in g th e flue re tu rn e d w ith in it.
tlic flue , form e d o f wooden tro llis -w o rk , w itli iro ns iix c il to th o
Stoke hole. C istern, cross pieces to stand up on tlic flu e ; I, shelter fo r canvas shadin
m,n,11, Iro n 8upi>orters.
g ; th o p it ; and tlie g rou nd level. T lie scale is j o f
an in c h to 1 ft.
I have no hesitation in stating will stand well. The houses arc glazed with 21-oz. sheet
g la ss; and I have a thin canvas shading to roll down during summer.”
3022. The pine-pits at Meudon consist of four fniiting-houscs which are heated hy
hot water and stable litter combined; the stable litter for bottom heat, and the hot water
for suiface heat. As they arc all on tho same plan, it will be sufficient to give a plan
and sections of the largest of
them. Fig. 759. is the ground
plan of a fruiting-house; figs.
760, 761, and 762. are sections
of it. In fig. 762. is shown the
manner in which access is had
to the hotbed. Fig. 761. shows
the entrance and the furnace,
with a side view of the house.
In these figures, a is the furta