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• tif.
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Ht l 1 1
and some of the most architectural ornamental hothouses erected in England are those
at Alton Towers, the principal of which have been figured in the Historical part of this
work, and in our Encyclopæ dia o f Cottage, F a rm , and V illa A rchitecture.
5117 T k e fram e used in ornamental horticulture is generally of th e same form as those of foe kitchen-
garden. For alpine plants this form succeeds perfectly, but for frame-shrubs the e ^ s and front should
be deeper than /su a i; and glazed half th eir depth, to admit the sun to the surface of the adjmmng pots.
Frames for the taller bulbous-rooted fiowers should either be glazed in front and a t both ends, or if
opaque in those parts, should be placed on a steep surface for the same general o b ^ rt. _ Frames » ¿ y e ry
description should have a gutter or spout in front, to carry off th e rain-water which ¿ a m s off t ^ sashes
5118 T he glass case may be variously constructed from detached sashes ; it is u ^ d to protect standard
trees or shrubs, and sometimes to place against walls or espaliers. _ (Seejig-. 559.)
5119 The e re enhousc may be designed in any form, and placed in almost any situation, as la r as re spects
aspect! Even a house looking due north, if glazed on three sides of th e roof, will preserve plants
in a healthy, vigorous state. The curvilinear principle applied to this class of s tr ^ tu r e s admits of evei y
combination of form, and without militating against th e admisrton of h g h t and air. Though we are
decidedly of opinion that as iron roofs on th e curvilinear principle ( fig . 880. ) become known, the clumsy
shed-like wooden or m ixed roofs
now in use will be erected only
in nursery and market-gardens ;
yet we are not to be understood
as exclusively recommending
our own plans, and we therefore
admit of every form which has
a good effect relating to the situation
in which it is placed, and
whichisfavourableto the growth
o f plants.
.5120. I n th e in te r io r q f the
frcenhousc th e principal object
emanding attention is foe stage,
or platform for the plants. In
a double-roofed house, su rrounded
by a path, th e stage
generally consists of shelves, • r —
rising from the path to the middle of foe house ; b u t in a house w ith a single roof it generally rises from
th e front path to the back, and in both cases th e slope of th e stage is generally though not ahvays the
same as th a t of foe roof. In the greenhouses destined for very large or tall-growing plants, as camellias,
and many of foe New Holland plants, no stage is requisite ; and in such as are destined for smMl
(lants, as ericas and pelargoniums, the first step of th e stage,plants,lirst ste,. ... u—cu, w...h...e..n.. ..t.h. e re- - - . - , , ^ -ru
front glass, should be raised a t least 24 ft. high, and u may then be continued parallel to the riJbf. I ^
object of this arrangement is to bring the plants near th e glass, so that they may obtain the benefit of tho
light in a state as little decomposed as possible. Flues, and hot water or steam-pipes, m greenhouses,
are frequently carried above ground, which is inelegant, and too much m the style of foe common
forcing-house. They may in almost every case be conducted under th e paths or stage ; and by keepmg
them detached, so th at air may circulate round them, as much heat will be given out as by th e comniqn
mode. In some cases trellis-rods are placed a t regular distances under th e roofs of greenhouses, tor the
purpose of training vines ; but th. i• s practice is in compatible with a higrt. .h.. Idotev.„ g HrfertpeH o f culture ia,nn/dl hbiexanudtfyv mIn
th e greenhouse plants, on account o fth e light it excludes ; besides, it interferes with character. If any
creepers or climbers are to be trained under the roofs, they should be of the ornamental kind ; but it is
generally best to train them to upright rods at th e back part of the house, or rods forming intersecting
arches over th e back paths, or against th e back wall : for by either of these moaes they exclude less
light better display their foliage and flowers, and less recall the idea of th e forcmg-house.
5121. T h e o ra n g e ry is the greenhouse of th e last century, the object of which was to preserve large
plants of exotic evergreens during winter, such as th e orange tribe, myrtles, sweet bays, pomegranates,
and a few others. Pelargoniums, ericas, fuchsias, and other delicate plants requiring much light, were
then unknown. The orangery is generally placed near to or adjoining th e house, and its eleimtion
corresponds in architectural design with th a t of the mansion. Of th e orangery, considered as a house
for growing th e orange tribe as a dessert-fruit, we have already treated. ,
5122 A r e c en t a n d v e r y considerable im p ro v em en t in the co n stru c tio n o f gre enhouse s and, orangeries
consists in forming foe shelves and stages of thin plates of stone, instead of boards ; and very frequently
th e flag-stones are hollowed out, so as to leave a raised margin of half an inoh or more, for the purpose
of retaining moisture, preventing dripping, and raising, when the air of the house is warm, a general
steam of dew. This m ay b e considered, on the whole, as a real improvement, a proof o f which is foe
readiness with which it has been adopted by nurserymen and practical gardeners. A substitute consists
in raising m arginal slips of boards to wooden shelves, and covering the boards with a fom layer ot gravel
° V l ^ conse rvatory is a term generally applied by gardeners to plant-houses, in which th e plants are
grown in a bed or border without the use qf pots. They are sometimes placed pleasime-gjqund
_ _ Ui.tOT.av. T. —. - " o ------------------------------------- ,
admitting an abundance of air, both by th e sides and roof, is highly requisite both for the greenhouse and
conservatory ; but for th e latter, it is desirable, in almost every case, th a t foe roof, and even th e glazed
sides, should be removable in summer. When th e construction of the conservatory does not admit of
this the plants in a few years become etiolated, and naked below, and are no longer objects of beauty ;
b ut when the whole superstructure, excepting foe north side, is removed during summer, the infiuence of
foe rains winds, dews, and the direct rays of the sun, produce a bushiness of form, closeness of foliage,
and a vividness of colour, not attainable by any other means. We are decidedly of opinion, therrtore,
that a conservatory of any of the common forms, unless it were one devoted entirely to palms, ferns,
Scitamineæ, or other similarly growing plants, should always be so constructed as to admit of taking oft
th e sashes of th e roof and the front ; and if it were a detached structure m the fiower-garden, we should
prefer a p ia n th a t would admit o fth e removal of every thing excepting the flues and the phmts. When
a conservatory is glazed on all sides, it should, if possible, be placed south and north, m order that the
plants on both sides o fth e pit should equally benefit from the sun ; when placed against a wall, the glazed
side may front any quarte r except th e nortfi. But as th e removal and replacing of th e roofs of such
immense conservatories as are sometimes attached to mansions are attended with considerable expense,
risk o f breakage, and, what is of still more consequence, risk to the plants, ifthey happen to be uncovered
too soon in spring, or left too long uncovered in autumn, we would recommend opening foe sashes of foe roof
to their lullest e.xtent whenever the wpathpr u>nt ^
plete plant-structure in the world posse ssion of the most uniqùè and com-
5124. The c o n ,e r .u ,o ,.y in comyavativ e ly kum bU a n d economical rcsiaenoc, (Jig. 881.) m a , constat of a
f i f r i
work may cither be removed, or remain and be disguifed bv annual / i / / / k ® ^
leaved sorts. Sometimes a cistern is placed in the c o n s e rv a t/// S creepers, or by_ vmes of the narrow-
few gold-fish; but as there are very few exotic aquatics w h S will c o n fin in g a
ahpopuesaer, atnhcise ios fstehled ofmish reesq? uisite, unless as a d e c«toiJ?ciaLituSii,T annda lfobri the use of the wteamtepr emra tucruel toufr et,h ea ngdra tehnecharacter
o fth is s t t o l t u r e r S riv e d f S teo h i l f e f e r f e "o? "heStTcfe T f ' .T»» " r »
p l l ; but in elegant structure's, slab's of s f S o i p lT e ] of s l i e o T S T
h i ^ e r finish, and occupying less space. The roof when n i / e « a / / m k preferred, as a
ncoalruromwn-sl efarovmed tchree empiedrd mlea oyf r tuhne uppi tt.h e Srhoeolfv es may be’ placed ialgSai/nsstf t thhPe bwacvk/ .wr iaVll,/ 'a’®n da® occasionally a
the pine-stove. One reason of this is, th a t th e degree of h i / ? whi/h i f Y ®*her hothouse, except
enclosed ¿mosphere. is so much greater than that of the onen mWh/S Yi-,/ h'/p™®® kept up m the
gravity o fth e two fluids, when permitted to mingle b v o / e K f i n £ £ ‘‘'ff®’'®''®® the specific
active circulation, and sooner approaches to an e^uiiihrinra nY f or three sashes, produces a more
numerous the openings in the hothouse roof may be thev could a however
foe house to too lo w l temperature; and a t S and h s t i r f o / f - S . ¿ ¿ a d e u s e of without reducing
and many of them, as the pYlms, being of s lo rg row th the» are n « / /®‘Y? P°‘®'
greenhouse and conservatory. Hence it is that thp rn»r „ 7 , k„ot • ? P etiolate as those of the
less cost than th a t of a greenhouse or conse rvatory but o lr t / in / iH / 1® “ »7 generally be erected at
curvilinear principle adopted. particularly where iron is employed, and the
4« ,, might b» con.
ground, aisr iiant eth aenfneponnHsear»vpa tory. These m fg.h-YfaYlsY^”o ob®e Y®tycn®d m the flower-garden, obr® th Pe'y® mnteigdh ti nf otrhme
.IV a n v l im it hn OTHa QvOTrt.rt.OT OTrt. „1- .
.-rt, ...OT.. Cl LllJK
column at each angle,
raised to the height of
100 ft. or 1.50 ft. from
the ground, to admit of
the tallest Oriental
trees, and the undisturbed
flight of approp
riate birds among
their branches. A variety
of Oriental birds,
and monkeys, and other
animals, might be introduced
; and in ponds,
a stream made to run
by machinery, and also,
in salt lakes, fishes,
polypi, corals, and other
productions of fresh or
sea water, might be
cultivatedorkept. P e rhaps
a better plan than
ra is in g th e h o u s e to th e