25 



ON BUILDING, PLANTING, AND MANAGEMENT OF 

 VINEBIES. 



In designing a vinery, or any other de- 

 scription of house, it is impossible to meet 

 the wants of all our readers. The utmost 

 that can be done is to set forth principles 

 in such designs as are likely to be useful 

 to the majority ; for unless a plan is spe- 

 cially designed to suit circumstances, 

 some modification will be found necessary 

 in most cases, and this modification may 

 take place without prejudice to the plan 

 if the leading features are adhered to : for 

 a building may be 50 or 100 feet in length, 

 and yet be the same in every other re- 

 spect ; or, if it should be desirable that 

 the boiler for heating should be at one 

 end, or at a distance even from the build- 

 ing, instead of being placed in the centre, 

 it will be equally efficacious, if the same 

 amount of pipe is put in, though a diffe- 

 rent arrangement would be required. Or 

 again, if the length of the house is greater 

 or less than here shown, and in dividing 

 the roof into bays, it is found that a 

 greater width from rafter to rafter than 

 that shown is desirable, it may be so, 

 and might also require wider glass. No- 

 thing of this kind detracts from the effi- 

 ciency of the building ; but do not inter- 

 fere too much with the ventilation or the 

 pitch of the roof. The object we have in 

 recommending the fixed roof is its cheap- 

 ness, compared with the old-fashioned 

 plan of rafters and lights. They, how- 

 ever, admit more light and sun into the 

 house, which is a decided advantage, pro- 

 vided the ventilation is well cared for. 

 To this end, then, let all the front lights 

 open, and also provide the means for as 

 much as possible at the back. The timber 

 used should be the best "redwood deal," 

 and the rafters may be battens 7 inches 

 wide and 2h inches thick, with an inch 

 beading nailed on their lower edge, to 

 give lightness to their appearance, and a 

 groove to receive the glass, made 

 on each side, thus ; also a cap- 

 ping on the other edge. The 

 bars may be cut from either 

 9-inch or 11-inch deals, 2| 

 inches thick ; the one will cut 

 four bars, with a piece an inch 

 thick to spare, and the other 

 five bars, with the same to spare, 

 which may be ripped into bars 

 for doors, and the end or front lights, as 

 these need not be so stout as the bars 

 for the roof. 



Of the other scantlings required I need 

 not speak, as any carpenter will be able to 

 determine them from the plans. The glass 

 for such a house as is here shown may be 

 " British sheet," 21 oz. to the foot ; and 

 if, in setting out the roof, it is found that 

 glass 11 inches wide will come in, I believe 

 it is, all things considered, the best width 

 to adopt. And as in the building a house 

 several tradesmen must necessarily be em- 

 ployed, and, consequently, mistakes be 

 likely to occur, let the carpenter, in order 

 to avoid them, before commencing the 

 work, set out upon a spline the full length 

 of the intended building, every rafter and 

 bar, so that all may work to the same. 



The accompanying plan for a vinery, 

 divided for an early and a late crop, is de- 

 signed more with a view to suit the pro- 

 fessional man, who has few or perhaps 

 no other houses, and, consequently, wants 

 accommodation for a few other things as 

 well as grapes, than for the nobleman, 

 who has a house for every purpose ; and 

 if very early or very late grapes are not 

 required. !N T o appreciable harm will re- 

 sult to the grapes, provided the plants 

 are considered as secondary, and be kept 

 free from insects. With this in view, a 

 rather lofty front light is shown, and also 

 a wide stage in front of the house— the 

 first to admit plenty of light, and the 

 second, that the majority of small plants 

 may be brought near to it, and the floor 

 S will accommodate large specimens of 

 orange-trees or camellias, whilst the small 

 rack over the return pipe at back of house 

 would be a suitable place for ferns, and on 

 the shelf P a few strawberries may be 

 grown. This, we say, may be done, if 

 judiciously managed. On this we shall 

 have more to say wdien treating of the 

 vine in a future paper. A indicates brick- 

 work ; B, 4-inch hot-water pipes. Of 

 I these there are four in front and one at 

 back of early division, but only two in 

 I front and one at back of division intended 

 for the late supply. C, sliding door ; T, 

 ] stop-valves in pipes, so that each division 

 may be heated separately ; D, stoke-hole, 

 { seven feet deep. It should be remem- 

 I bered, in building the back wall, to turn 

 ; an arch four feet wide, where the boiler 

 ! is to be placed. E, steps to stoke-hole ; F, 

 coal-pit; G-, flue carried through mush- 

 1 room house I to chimney II ; J, potting 

 'shed; K, tool, or storehouse; L, eyes 



