GLASS HOUSES. 127 



space of 10 feet, — and mark, this is only the o-oss section, at an 

 angle of about 40°. But upon the ridge and furrow, in the 

 longitudinal section, at an angle of about 45°, we have a space 

 of 15 feet, requiring 22^ feet to roof it : or, in plainer language, 

 the space of 10 feet cross section is to be roofed flat with 10 

 feet, say for 10/. With a slope of 40°, 13i feet is wanted, or 

 13/. lO*. ; and with ridge and furrow at 45^, the proportions 

 are as 15 to 22^, or as 13^ feet to 20^ feet, requiring just 

 20/. 5s. to do the work that 10/. does, and that comfortably. It 

 is easy to see now that the ridge and furrow, having just two 

 houses in one, may well do its work a little better than its neigh- 

 bours ; but I imagine that the skill of a Wilmot, a Prince, and 

 a Rivers would be found heavy odds against fine glass houses. 

 And now, when we have no more laps to fear, and find that 

 some of our most experienced horticulturists have done 

 wonders without side-lights or high roofs, whilst we praise the 

 ingenuity that gets all the light that can be got where all is 

 wanted, cost what it may, we should not give 200/. to do the 

 work of 100/. by putting a ridge and furrow roof upon a 

 camellia-house in the southern counties. Neither should we 

 erect for noblemen or gentlemen rougli sheds for forcing-houses, 

 with posts, and rails, and weather-boarding, and Arnott's stoves ; 

 not that the system is bad — far from it, but it is not suited to 

 the circumstances of the case ; for, if gardeners are to do any- 

 thing odd, they should do it at home, as Mr. Rivers has done, and 

 at their own expense. But for the general purposes of horticul- 

 ture fruit trees must be full-grown, and, consequently, houses 

 of large size must be built. These, being conspicuous, must be 

 as handsome as they can be made compatible with the work they 

 are to do ; and, as economy is the order of the day, it is a real 

 saving to get an article as strong, as handsome, and as efficient 

 as your neighbour's at half the cost of his ; and if this can be 

 eflTected by studying the facts and figures I have given, my 

 labour will not be thrown away. 



It is not the outside of the glass house tliat I find fault with : 

 it is the uneven character of the climate inside, and the burning 

 tops and damp ill-ventilated bottoms that I complain of. If 18 

 inches fiom the glass is found to be the best place for Mr. 

 Rivers's fruit-bushes in pots, why not have every plant in that 

 better place ? and surely no argument is needed to show that all 

 sorts of variations occur in a house of various heights : the 

 temperature, the moisture, the ventilation, and even the light 

 varying as we approach the apex of the roof from the earth. 



The glass for the houses that I advocate is inserted in heavy 

 cast-iron quarries, and one pane 3 feet long runs from top to 

 bottom ; the quarries being struck off" at a heat are cheaper than 

 any other sort of light can be on account of the saving of labour 



