PRACTICE OE GARDENING. P a r t III.
n a c c ; h , the hot-water p ip e s; c ,
the chimney; d, concealed pit to
get at the hotbed; e, the hotbed
; f , a door, which is shut
up after the stable litter has been
removed; g, air-holes, furnished
with a cover to regulate the
bottom-lieat; h, a bed filled with
peat soil, in which the pineapples
are planted 5 i, an iron
bai* covered with boards to hold
the peat s o il; h, the footpath;
I, the d o o r; m, water cistern; n,
shelf for strawhenies; o, ground
lin e ; p, iron railings for hanging
the straw mattings upon, which serve to cover the houses. (See Thompson's Report on
the Fruit and Kitchen Gardens near Paris, in the Journal o f the Hort. Soc. vol. ii. p. 223.,
and Gard. Chron. for 1846, p. 820.)
3023. Hamilton's pine-pits. Hamilton recommends stoves “ with span-roofs, inclining
to the north and so u th ; the heat and moisture are more equally diffused through the
whole space, than in the common lean-to house, as in the latter there is generally a deficiency
of heat at the front, aud most at the back, where it is least wanted.” (Hamilton on ihe
Pine-apple, 2d edit. p. 1.) “ The incline of the roof,” he continues, “ ought not only to
be sufficient to throw off the rain, but also to cause the condensed steam to n in down the
glass inside, instead of dropping on the plants. I have experienced the had effects of
flat roofs causing a continual drip of cold water from the roof, which in winter is very
injurious to the embryo fruit.” (Ibid. p. 2.) “ The water is heated by a common, round,
open-top, thirty-five gallon boiler,” and “ the flue is surrounded by a cavity into which
cold air is admitted tlirough an aperture above the furnace d o o r; it passes over the boiler
and enters the house above the flow pipe. Thus a current of external air is passing into
the house continually, quite moist and warm when it enters the house.” (Ibid. p. 3.) The
pipes are canied under the bed in which the pines arc grown, and are covered ivith slabs
of slate.
S e c t . H . Construction o f the Vinery.
3024. The vinery affords the greatest latitude o f construction; for the fruit tree the
most easily cultivated of all that are grown under glass is the vine. Eor a crop whicli is
to be forwarded by the natural influence of the sun, chiefly or alone, almost any form will
suffice, provided the plants ai*e trained near the glass. Eor very early ^ crops, small
houses with steep roofs (figs. 763, 764.), in order freely to admit the sun in the winter
and spring months, arc most desirable; and the section (Jig. 763.)
of the steep-roofed house used by the Dutch is not surpassed by any
763
form adopted in this country. It is commonly supposed that pits are
the best buildmgs for eai’ly forcing ; aud, as far as respects ai’tificial
heat, they arc not much inferior to the Dutch v in e ry ; but as to light,
without which forced productions are not worth using, they are, from
the low angle of the roof, greatly deficient. A house for eai’ly
forcing (fig. 764.) may he 30 ft. long, 8 ft. wide ; the glass (a) 12 ft.
liigh, placed at an angle of 15° to the perpendicular; the flue or tube
B o o k III. CONSTRUCTION OE BEACH-HOUSE, CHERRY-IiOUSE, & c . 7 7 5
o f h o t w a t e r o r s t e a m , e n t e r i n g a t o n e c u d ( / ) , m a y p a s s u n d e r t h e f r o n t g l a s s ( b ) , a n d
a f t e rw a r d s m a k e tw o o r t h r e e r e t u r n s i n t h e b a c k w a l l (d) ; t h e v in e s m a y b e t r a i n e d
764
" a t
o n a tre llis n e a r ly p a r a lle l to th e g la s s , b e tw e e n th e flu e a n d th e h a c k w a ll ( c ) ; a n d th e
sh e d b e h in d m a y b e fltte d u p w ith sh e lv e s (e ), a n d u s e d a s a m u sh ro om -h o u s e . S u c h a
h o u se , b e in g sm a ll, w ill be v e r y e a s ily m a n a g e d in th e m o s t s e v e re w in te rs .
3025. A vineixj fo r a crop to ripen in July, Knight recommends to b e roofcdat an angle of 35°; Wilkinson
( Hort. T ram .) and Miller {Diet, in loco) say 45°, which is the slope adopted most commonly for summer
crops, both of grapes and peaches. Abercrombie says, “ the diagonal side of a glass case, designed for
a short periodical course of forcing, to begin the 21st of December, may be .5.5°; 22nd January, 50°;
21st February, 4G°; 21st March, 43°.” He adds, “ too much importance must not be attached to the
angle of inclination in the glass-work.” It is of some consequence to remark, that the roofs of vineries
may be fixed, provided there are shutters in the front and back wall for ventilation.
S e c t . HI. Construction o f the Teach-house.
3026. A peach-house, not intended fo r early forcing, may be of any shape, provided that
the trees are cither standards, or trained ncai’ the glass. Knight and many practical
gardeners are of opinion, that the roofs of all peach-houscs should be made to take oif,
in order to colour the fruit, and afterwards to expose the trees to the weather for the
sake of destroying insects.
3027. A peach-house fo r the earliest forcing, to he heated by one fire, acting either by
smoko flues, or by hot water or steam, may he of any length between 30 ft. and 40 I't.,
8 ft. or 9 ft. wide, and 12 ft. high. It should have no upright glass. The pm-apet may
be about 18 in. in height, and the rafters should rest immediately upon it. The intention
here is, to train the pcaclios and nectarines up the roof, in the same manner as vines,
only a little nearer to tlic glass, aud none against the back wall. The front flue,
or steam or hot-water pipes, may run within 2 ft. of the parapet, and should return by
the back wall, being separated from it by a 3-inch cavity. The parapet and front flue, or
pipes, must stand on pillars, 3 ft. deep under the ground-level, in order to give full scope
to the roots of the plants.
3028. A succession peach-house to the above, that is, not to be forced so early, may bo
of a like length, 10ft. or 11 ft. wide, and 13 it. or 14ft. high; also without upright or
front glass ; and othenvise may be constructed in all respects as the above.
3029. A late peach-house, to be managed by one fire, may be 40 ft. or 45 ft. long,
13 ft. or 14 ft. wide, and 14 ft. or 15 ft. high. It may either have, or not have, upriglit
glass in fro n t; which should not, however, exceed 4 ft. or 4 | ft. in height, including
the parapet. The flues, or pipes, may be conducted as above specified for the early
houses. The intention here is, to train plants on trellises against the back wall, and
likewise half-way up the roof, in the manner of vines; so that it may be termed a double
peach-house.
3030. The peach-house o f M‘Pkail was made G4 ft. long, and 10 ft. wide; the height of the back wall was
4 ft., and that of the front 5 ft., in pillars of brickwork 4 ft. each in length, which supported the sili to
support the frame for the lights to rest upon ; so th a t there were in the front eight vacuities, in width
4 ft. each, between the said pillars, for the roots of the trees to extend into the border. “ In the inside
of the pit,” he says, “ 1 had a wall built th e whole length of the pit, and 30 in. distant from the front
pillars. The wall was 9 in. thick, and 3 ft. 6 in. high, about 1 ft. lower than the pillars of brick. I then
made a border of good loiuny earth, mixed with some very rotten dung, 4 ft. deep, which left a vacancy
between the pillars and the sill of nearly I ft., which was filled up with the earth of the border, which
idled to th e 9-inch ....................................................wall within tho pit, so that . 30 in.■ wide of c
the border was in the inside of tho pit.pi
I
had the border made 14 ft. wide.”—“ 1 got the floor of the pit paved I with 1 bricks, and in tlie
back side.
,
between the pavement and the trees, there was between 5 ft. and C ft., so that a person bad room to walk
under to prune and manage the tree s.” The door was made in the back wall, at the west end ; and
a t th e east end a fireplace was made in th e back wall, about 3 ft. high, without a return. M'l’hail
began to force in the middle of March, and ripened abundant crops of fruit in the month of July.
S e c t . IV. Construction o f the Cherry-house and Fig-house.
3031. Any form will answer fo r a cherry-house. Some nmrket-gardeners grow them
ill houses placed south and north, glazed on all sides, as Andrews at Lambeth ; others
iu pits, and some in movable glass cases.
3032. A cherry-housc, to be heated by one fire, may be from 30 ft. to 40 ft. in length,
3 D 4