THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 199 



it. But to keep bedding plants or to flower pelargoniums, and 

 other plants that need plenty of light, is a great /oily. In fact, 

 wherever it is attempted to mix greenhouse plants with vines, there 

 must be more or less injury done to one or the other : they cannot 

 both prosper in the same house. I am not thinking about forcing, 

 because we are dealing with "grapes for the million," and the 

 million do not force ; it is a costly process, and needs a skilful cul- 

 tivator. We depend, therefore, chiefly on sun heat, but a little help> 

 from hot- water pipes, if heating can be afforded, is an advantage. 

 The Paxtonian houses answer admirably for vines, and if jou liave 

 choice of wail, and can put up a house ten or twelve feet high, a 

 fourteen feet rafter will be the proper thing. The width of the 

 border must be proportioned to the length of the rafter, say for a 

 ten feet rafter a border full in the sun (the house should face south) 

 four feet wide ; for a fourteen feet rafter, five or six feet wide. ^ The 

 Paxtonian house can be ordered to measure, and the lights and irons, 

 will be sent ready for Using, with directions, so that the village car- 

 penter can put it together in a brief space of time. 



But I prefer a low span-roofed house ; and if cheapness and 

 efficiency are aimed at, without regard to ornament, I should 

 advise the adoption of the following measurements : — Sixteen feet 

 wide ; brick walls three feet high ; height to ridge, eight feet. A. 

 border on each side four feet wide would leave an eight feet space in 

 the centre. To economize that space could be so easy a matter that 

 I should say but little about it. Every one to his taste. My taste 

 would be to have one row of large specimen fuchsias in pots stand- 

 ing on clean gravel or concrete, and leave the rest of the space for 

 walking. A few ferns might be accommodated with the fuchsias, 

 and there would be no litter, no crowding, sufficient walking space 

 for enjoyment; and the same treatment would serve for all. As for 

 the construction, I should proceed on the assumption that vines do 

 not need much air. Therefore I should be content to leave apertures 

 in the wall a yard apart, those apertures to be made by leaving out 

 two bricks, or say seven to nine inches square; and at each end of 

 the house, over the door, I should have a triangular shutter fitting 

 closely to the angles of the ridge. During summer I should have all 

 open night and day. In spring and autumn I should open them for 

 a few hours daily, according to the weather, keeping ail close during 

 cold weather ; and in winter I should stuft' some hay or other rub- 

 bish into the holes in the wall, or nail a piece of board over both 

 inside and outside. This house ought to be heated with a small boiler 

 at one end, and two courses of -I-inch pipe all round. As we have 

 no intention to force, the fire would not oiten need to be iighted. 

 But in case of cold, damp weather, when the vines were in flower, I 

 would get up a moderate heat, and at the cost of a few bushels of 

 coke would make sure of my crop. So again, in case of a cold, wet 

 summer, I would give the grapes the benefit of a little heat to ripen 

 them, and good colour and fiavour would be ensured. In siich a 

 season as 1865, or the season we are now enjoying, I do not suppose 

 I should use the fire at all. In winter it w^ould not be wanted, of 

 course. 



