CONSERVATORIES. 



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length by 46 feet in breadth, and 21 feet 

 high. We do not introduce this house as 

 a novelty, but as being one of the best 

 conservatories we have seen. Its propor- 

 tions are good, its connection with the 

 mansion enjoyable, its details faultless, 

 and, either as a conservatory attached to 

 a mansion, or as standing detached on the 

 lawn, we consider it a model ; of course 

 we would, in the latter case, substitute 

 glass for the opaque wall that connects it with the mansion. Two beds of prepared 

 soil, each 15^ feet wide, are planted with suitable j^lants ; a walk 6 feet 6 inches 

 broad passes down the center, and one of 4 feet 9 inches, passes along the back and 

 front sides. Along the back wall is a border 18 inches broad, in which chmbino' 

 plants are grown and trained to a wire trellis to cover the back wall. At 

 each pilaster in the front and ends, also, there is a prepared border, in 

 which the choicer kinds of climbing plants are 

 planted and trained up the iron columns (fig. 3) 

 which face the pilasters. A glass door opens into 

 conservatory from Lady Ashburton's private apart- 

 ments ; and the principal entrance, from the spa- 

 cious terrace without, leads through a vestibule in 

 which large specimen plants in ornamental tubs, 

 boxes, and pots, stand. 



In the recesses of the windows, between the 

 pilasters, stands "7 inches high are placed, upon which small 

 plants while in bloom are set. " Under these stands are the 

 ventilators, which admit the heated air and steam together or 

 separately, as may be desired, into the house. The water which 

 falls from the roof is conducted through iron columns, fig. 4, 

 which support the roof, into a large tank under the portico, and brought up again by 

 a forcing-pump for the supply of the house." 



Those parts of the roof immediately over the walks are covered with double plates 

 of iron enclosing a body of air, to prevent the escape of heat ; and over these are neat 

 iron gratings, so that any one may walk along to repair the glass, paint, &c. Ven- . 

 tilation is eflfected by opening the windows in front or at the ends, and by letting 

 down the top roof sashes. It is heated by a combination of Sylvester's hot-air stove 

 and steam placed in chambers under the floors. From the manner in which the roof 

 of this house is constructed, it will readily be understood that any extent of area may 

 be enclosed ; and, in this respect, it approaches very closely to the more recently 

 invented ridge-and-furrow roof. In the latter, no doubt, half the number of columns 

 sufiice, both for supporting the roof, and also for taking away the rain water ; 

 the number of these is no disadvantage, as climbing plants constitute so large a 



Fig. 4. 



