THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE, 



23 



of the roof is covered with a fixed light, 

 under which tlie moveable lights slide freely 

 for the purpose of giving air, or of carry- 

 ing on necessary operations in the front 

 part of th'j pit. The pit is sunk below 

 the ground line, the better to admit of its 

 being covered up on cold nights — a matter 

 of considerable importance, as, by so 

 doing, we not only save a considerable 

 amount of fuel, but also, by arresting 

 evaporation and radiation i\'om the glass, 

 preserve that degree of moisture in the 

 atmosphere which is essential to the health 

 of the pine. 



For heating so small a house, a very 

 small boiler would bo sufficient, luiless 

 other pits or houses are attached to it, or 

 this pit may be attached to any apparatus 

 already at work, if suftlcicntly powerful 

 for the additional work ; for one large 

 apparatus is much easier managed and 

 more economical than a number of small 

 ones. If, however, a small one only is 

 wanted, a comparatively large furnace 

 should be made, and a furnace door large 

 enough to admit a good sized shovel, for 

 nothing can be more trying to the temper 

 of a stoker than the baby furnaces fixed 

 by some country tradesman. I must, how- 

 ever, admit that there is danger in luiving 

 a furnace large in proportion to the boiler, 

 unless its management is understood ; and, 

 as I propose to make this matter the sub- 

 ject of a separate paper, I shall not here 

 enlarge upon it. 



On referring to the plan, it will be 

 seen that a fiow and return two-inch pipe 

 is shown in a chamber under the bed in 

 which the plants grow ; this space being 

 separated from the bed of soil above by 

 a loose flooring of oak slabs or rough 

 boards. These two small pipes for bottom 

 heat, will be found to give sufficient warmth 

 to the soil without excess, except it should 

 be in very severe weathei', when a good 

 deal of fii'e heat is used in order to main- 

 tain the atmospheric heat ; then, at such 

 times, the excess can be let into the house 

 by opening the drain-pipes, laid through 

 the wall for that pm-pose, whilst in sum- 

 mer, when but little atmospheric heat is 

 wanted from the pipes, bottom-heat may 

 be given, independent of the lai'ge pipes, 

 by turning a stop valve at S. The 

 two four-inch, pipes should have vapour 

 troughs upon them ; otherwise, it will be 

 difficult to maintain sufficient moisture in 

 the air for the well-being of the plants. 



This structure may be of any length 

 desired, but its width is designed to ac- 

 commodate two rows of fruiting plants, and 

 one row of nursling or succession plants 

 in front, as a reserve from which to fill 

 vip the fruiting rows, when, from lack of 

 well placed suckers to carry on the suc- 

 cession, or from becoming too tall through 

 repeated succession of suqkers, or any 

 other cause, any of the old plants have 

 to be removed. When such happens, 

 the old plant is taken out, and as much 

 of the old soil as thought to be exhausted, 

 and the place filled up with fresh ; and 

 when it is become nicely warmed the 

 plant from the front row is to be lifted 

 carefully with a fork, with all the soil that 

 can be retained about its roots, into the 

 hole previously prepared for its reception. 

 As on this plan the plants will not all 

 want renewing at one time, and a suc- 

 cession of young ones by degrees take 

 the place of the old ones, it is of importanr e 

 that the preparations should be made with 

 proper care in the first instance. Let then 

 rough but lasting oak boards, not fitting too 

 closely together, be placed over the pipes, 

 with brick bearers at intervals to keep the 

 soil from the pipes, and upon these a few 

 small branches, reeds, or some such ma- 

 terials ; then twenty inches in depth of pi'e- 

 pared soil should be put in, consisliug of 

 two parts turfy soil, partly decayed, one 

 part sandy peat nearly fresh from the heath, 

 and used in a lumpy state, the other part 

 consisting of charred refuse, or small refuse 

 charcoal, coarse drift sand, and thorougldy 

 decayed sheep, deer, or cow- dung. These 

 materials may all be turned over and well 

 mixed together, either before or as the 

 filliug-iu goes on, and should not be in 

 a wet state, neither should it be much 

 trodden upon, for the more open it is 

 left the better the heat will find entrance 

 through the mass, and this will be assisted 

 by turning the soil over with a fork ; the 

 fire, of course, being lighted as soon as the 

 soil is in, and should be kept going for 

 a few days before the plants are introduced, 

 in order that everything may become 

 warmed, and the joints of the heating 

 apparatus well tried. When such pro- 

 gress have been made, planting may take 

 place ; and the sorts best adapted for this 

 plan are those known as " Blacks," z.e.. 

 Black Jamaica, Black Antigua, Emille 

 Montserrat, Providence, Smoothed-leaved 

 Cayenne. H. Howiett. 



