f !
g
■ ite i
i /
from 1011. to 12 ft. wide, aud 12 ft. or 14 11. liiuli. The parapet 1 ft. or 18 in., aud the
front E'las.s 2 ft. or 24 11. hig-h. Tlte front line, or pipes, to stand on the same louudatiou
witli the parapet, and the return to ho by the hack w a ll; lait botli lines, or |)ipcs, to bo
separated from tho walls hy a cavity of 3 in. The front parapet and flnc, or pipes, to
stand on pillars; which pillars should bo .30 in. deep under the surface, tho depth, or
rather more than the depth, requisite for tho border. The back wall to he trellised for
training cherries t o ; and tho border to bo planted with dwarf clicrrics, or witli dwarf
apricots and figs, or with all thrco. The front and end flues, or pipes, to be crib-trelliscd
(i. c. shelves of latticc-work to be placed over them), for pots of strawberries, kidncybeans,
or the like,
3033. The fig-house may he o f any form not very lofbl. One constructed like tho
cherry-house will answer perfectly well. The ligs may be trained to a trellis at the back,
and either dwarf figs, apricots, or cherries, or other fruits, may bo planted iu the border.
As flgs arc not a pojiular fruit in Britain, a snfflcient mmibcr for most families may bo
grown in pots and tubs, placed iu tho other hothouses.
S e c t . V . Construction o f Hothouses in Ranges.
3034. The culinary hothouses arc very frequently placed in a range, hy which it is snp-
po.sod something is saved in the c.\pcnso of the ends, some heat gained, and greater eon-
vcnicnce of management obtained. In the arrangement of tho diflercnt divisions of a
line of culinary hothouses, tiiose which rcquii'o most heat arc placed towards the centre,
that thcir ends may be protected by the others; and thoso which require most liglit and
least heat, such as jieach-liouscs, at the ends. Ono of the most complete ranges of this
kind any where to be mot with, is that erected by Mr. FiaTcst at Syon, of which a
copious and most instructive account will be found in the Gardener’s Magazine, vol. v.
p. ,')02. The prcpiu-ation of the borders, the manner of planthig aud trainmg, and, indeed,
all the details iu that accouut, lu-e most excellent.
S e c t . V I. Construction o f Culinary Pits, Frames, and Mushroom-houses.
303.5.^ Culinary ])ifs may bo constructed either witli or without flues, or steam or hot-
water pipes ; and cither of such a height behind as to admit of a walk, or so low as to
be managed like a common hotbed frame. The intention of these pits, as fm .as culinary
gardening is concerned, is, iirst, to force fmit trees, as poaches, grapes, cherries, figs,
apples, &c., in pots ; and, in this case, tho design which admits of a passage behind, irom
ivhich to water and manage tho plants, will bo found preferable; and, sceondly, to force
strawberries, kidncybeans, jiotatoos, asparagus, soa-kalo, rhubmb, &c., for whieh a pit
Slink in the ground, and to ho managed from without, will suffice, and is oven preferable,
because tho plants may be brought close under the glass.
3036. The pit fur fru it shrubs may be 40 ft. long, 11 ft. wide, within the walls ; tho
the angle of the roof from LO» to 20° ; tho hack path 2 ft. wide, the furnace placed at
one end, and the flue, or pipe, passing along tho front, separated by a 3-inch vacuity from
the tan-hod, and rctumiug close under tho hack wall. These dimensions will give a
bark-bcd 6 ft. wide, 37 ft. lo n g ; and, supposing tho surface of tho pit to bo kept level,
it may be raised to any convenient height, according to tliat of the trees to be forced.’
The saslics for this pit may be iu two lengtlis, one sliding over the other, as in hothouse
roois.
_ 3037. The jht for forcing herbaceous vegetables may be in all respects of the same
dimensions as tlic above, but with the angle of the glass not more than 15°. On this
plan aud angle, the back of the pit will be 2 ft. higher than tho fro n t; but the siiinilcst
plan is to omit the passage, and lessen the width of the ])it 2 f t .; retaining the slope of
15°, and the coini)ound or double sasbes between each rafter.
3038. Pits without jhe-heat, to be heated by that arising from the bed of bark or
dungrtuay be of any length, 6 ft. or 7 ft. wide within, and with the glass at an angle
3039. Other pits and fixed frames. West’s vaulted pit, Mcarns’s pit (1995.),
Thompson’s, and others, arc strnctiires deserving introduction where neatness is an
object; and it is to be hoped that these and similar structures (see Hort. Trans., vols. iv.
aud Y.) will soon come into more general use, and elevate tho melon-ground from a
disorderly dung-yard, to a scene fit for general inspection.
_30 t0. K n i/tl's melon-pit { Jig. 7G5.), nncl which may .also bo applied to tho culture of cucumbers, vmmc
pines or other low vegetables, is surrounded by a celluiar wall. T h e front wall is 4 ft., and the back
wall 0 it. G in. high enclosing a space of G ft. wide, and ir, ft. long, and the walls are covered with a wall-
plate, and with sliduig lights, as m ordinary hotbeds. T h e space included may be filled to a proper
depth with leaves or tun, where it is wished to promote the rapid growth of p la n ts ; Knight however,
did not use dung uiterual y, but gn'w tlie melon plants in large pots, and trained tlu-m on a trellis
a t a proper distance Iron, the glass. I lie wall is externally burroundod by a liotbcd comiiosed of leaves
and horse-dung. by wluch it is kept warm, aud tlio warm air contained iu its cavity is permitted
777
to pass into the enclosed space tlirough many small p erforations
in the bricks. At each of the lower corners is a
passage {d), which extends along the surface of tho ground,
under the fermenting material, and communicates with the
cavity of tlic wall, into which it admits the external air, to
occupy the place of tliat which has become wann and passed
into the pit. Tho entrances into these passages are furnished
with grates, to prevent the ingress of vermin of every
kind. T h e hotbed is moved and renewed in small successive
portions, so that the temperature may be permanently
lircserved, the ground being made to descend a little towards
tho wall on every side, th at tlie bed in shrinking may ra the r
fall towards than from the walls ; and Knight entertains
“ no doubt but that the perptitual ingress of warm air, even
without an internal leaf-bed, will prove sufficient to p reserve
pine-apple plants without the protection of mats, ex cept
in very severe weather.” {Uort. Trans., vol. v. p. 224.)
3041. The. Edinonstone pine or melon pit {Jig.ICid.) is 18^ ft.
long, by G ft. in breadth ; the height of the back is 5 ft., the
height of th e front 3ft. 9 in .; the declivity for tlio glass
1 ft. 3 in. T h e pits for the dung arc on tho outside of tJic
frames, and are sunk level with tlie
surface of tlie earth, or gravel, on the
outside. The height of these pits is
3 ft., their breadth 2 ft. The outside of
th e pits for the dung is built with a
9-iiich wall up to the surface, witli one
course of hewn stone on the top. One
inch is cut out for the boards that cover
the space allotted for the linings to rest
u p o n : th a t appearance of litte r and
dung, which is so offensive in ordinary
liotbeds, is thus prevented. Tho boards
that cover tlie dung arc 1 in. thick, by
2 ft. 2 in. in breadth. They arc of the
length of the pit, and have rings at each
end for lifting them with. The pits
sliould be well drained, to carry off the under water, and a small grate should be made a t Llio end o fth e
drains. Tho kind of matter which is generally employed to fill these pits is a mixture of new horse
and cow d u n g : sometimes tree leaves and short grass are used, which do very well, provided they be
duly prepared, by throwing them uj) in a liigh heap, to remain eight or ten days, tliat they may ferment
tq an equal teinporuturc. To maintain 70° of heat with horse and cow dung, or leaves of trees, is no
(lillieult matter, and it is easy to pre serve -the plants in health, and iu a I'ruitful state, during the
severest winter, by covering the pits with mats in time of frost. {Caled. Uort. Mem., vol. iii. p. 33G.)
i i l
. i ■'
■ Mi
■ I 7 ,1
CiLir. VII.
General Culture in Forcing Structures and Culinary Hothouses.
3042. By general culture, wc arc here to understand the fonnation of tlic soil, the
arrangement of the trees or plants, and thcir general treatment when jilantod, iu regard
to tenqicraturc, air, water, training, and other i)oints of management.
S e c t . L Culture of the Pinery.
3043. T'he pine-apple is a native of the tropical regions of Asia, Africa, and South
America ; and thus, from its original habitation and nature, it rc(.iuircs a higher degree
of heat than any other culinary or fruit-bearing plant at present cultivated. I t is by no
moans, however, so delicate as many imagine; for as it will bear a higher degree of heat
continued for a length of time than either the vine or the peach, so, at any period of its
growth, it will bear, without injury, a degree of cold for a space of time which, though
short, would have destroyed the foliage of a vine or a peach tree in a state of vegetation.
“ This incomparable frait,” Weeks observes, “ can be obtained even in frames without
firc-heat, having only the assistance of tan and dung; and is more easily brought to maturity
than an early cucimibcr. Though liable to the attacks of insects, it is less so than
the peach, and is less speedily injured by them than the common cabbage ; it is also
subject to very few diseases. The pine is generally grown in pots, and plunged in a
bed of tanner’s bark or other matter in a state of fermentation. The frait is reckoned
the most delicious of all, and in Britain gardeners are valued by the wealthy in [iropor-
tion to their success in its cultivation.”
SuKSECT. 1. Varieties o f ihe Pine, and General Mode of Culture.
3044. The most esteemed varieties o f the pine-apple for general cultivation arc the
following: —
O KI q u c n i
U ip lc y qiioci
W o u ts v n a t
S ierra Leone
W clbeek see.lliiifr
lU ack Jam aica
N o w P rovid ciico
B row n s u g a r-loa f
E u Y illc
Ila ra n n a h
B la ck A n tig u a
T rin id a il.