4G 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 17, 1866. 



almost all these attempts end in failure, if not in mischief, we 

 shall soon turn our thoughts to something else. Coverings 

 may be useful on still frosty nights, hut these are not the nights 

 when they are most needed. Only have one of those strong 

 gales which have been rather frequent this year, and where 

 is your covering ? most likely all in shreds, with perhaps not a 

 little glass broken to boot ! 



Have any of your readers ever practised another plan, which 

 may be called " covering-in ?" This is to be applied inside the 

 glass ; have your frigi domo made the proper size of the roof 

 to be covered, and fitted with curtain rings, top and bottom, to 

 Blip along on wires fitted up on purpose — one along by the front 

 plate, another at the top of the house ; or, if a span, just below 

 the ridge. By means of lines and pulleys, this cloth could be 

 drawn forwards or backwards to one or both ends of a house with 

 a clear roof very easily, and being near the glass would no doubt 

 prevent a large amount of heat escaping, or prevent the cooling 

 action of the glass on the temperature of the house. In vineries 

 the iron work for supporting the Vines would be in the way ; 

 but if the practice were good, a piece could be made for each 

 sash ; there is plenty of room between the Vines and glass, as 

 Vines are generally trained up 16 or 18 inches below the glass. 

 But supposing this plan to answer, it would be an expensive 

 plan as all coverings are. Let us just look at the commercial 

 point, for we must be prepared to prove that our project " will 

 pay," or at all events to prove that one project is better and 

 eheaper than another. Well, take frigi domo, which is perhaps 

 the best and cheapest fabric we can employ for covering, either 

 outside or in ; the first cost of this is at least KM. per yard, or 

 something more than a penny a-foot, without binding, fitting, 

 or anything else, which will bring it up to at least a shilling 

 a-yard. How long will it last ? allowing for the sake of argument 

 that it answers its purpose ; will one season wear it out ? if not, 

 we will give two ; so here is a cost of Gd. per yard per year with 

 a very doubtful advantage. 



Look now at glass— good sheet at 16s. per 100 feet— not quite 

 2d. per foot, or less than Is. 6<f. per yard. The work of glazing 

 and painting would doubtless double this amount, or perhaps 

 even a little more ; but if it did, we have something permanent, 

 and something which will answer its purpose. Coverings, as 

 we have just seen, abortive as they are, will in ten years cost at 

 least 5s. per yard. Take now your glazing and painting at a 

 good price, say 5d. per foot, or 3s. 'id. per yard — and this is 

 unfair, because the woodwork must be painted even if you have 

 no second glass ; but take it at 3s. 9<Z.— and at the end of ten 

 years it will be very little worse than when new ; a small per- 

 centage will cover the breakage in the ordinary course of events ; 

 and this comparison will prove the great expense of all endea- 

 vours at covering hothouses. We will now come to what we 

 think the best way of applying the principle of double-glazing 

 to garden structures, first premising that we do not mean to 

 say that it would be easily or cheaply applied to an old or sash- 

 made roof. That is a mode of construction which we do not 

 advocate ; we are quite aware that many of our best gardeners 

 approve of it, and consider that it has great advantages, but for 

 our own part we confess we cannot see these advantages ; we 

 see a heavier, more cumbrous, and more expensive roof, but cer- 

 tainly not advantages sufficient to compensate for these draw- 

 backs. But take a rafter-roof, either lean-to or span, the ribs 

 running from the front plate to the top, the glass placed on 

 these rafters without any framework whatever, and we have a 

 very simple affair. If your house is narrow, and the rafters 

 not more than 12 or 11 feet long, rafters of 4 inches by 2 would 

 be sufficient for double glass ; but if the rafters run from 17 to 

 20 feet, we would say 5 inches by 2 J , or 5£ inches by 3. Should 

 the roof be rather flat, it is a good plan to have every fourth 

 rafter at least 3 inches thick, for strength, as well as for another 

 reason which will appear as we proceed. 



The ribs or rafters need not be closer than 18 or 21 inches, 

 made to take 20-inch squares is a very good size. We will now 

 take our rafter of 5{ inches by 2J, and show how it is to be 

 prepared for glazing. We would first, however, observe that in 

 sawing out, these rafters ought to be cut in pairs — that is, in 

 pieces of course the proper depth, but 3; inches wide ; then 

 every piece would make two rafters, just in the same way as 

 cutting out weather-board. Our two rafters would be 2{ inches 

 by half an inch each ; the quarter is allowed for working. On 

 the top of each rafter, after it is fixed on the roof, nail a 

 strip three-quarters of an inch thick and 1{ inch wide, thus 

 leaving half an inch on each side as a rabbet for the glass. Then 

 at 3 inches from the top edge of this rabbet nail on another 

 strip, If inch wide, half an inch at one side, and tapered off 



to nothing at the other. This is the rabbet for the inner jacket 

 of glass. Every carpenter knows that strips nailed on as here 

 recommended must belaid on in good white lead; that properly 

 done, there is no fear of wet getting in. The rafters are cut 

 tapering for two reasons — first, to allow the same sized glass to- 

 be used for both coats, outer and inner ; also as the portion 

 below the glass is tapered off, the roof will look neat and light. 



Grooves might be ploughed out in the sides of the rafters, 

 and the glass slipped in edge to edge; but it is very question- 

 able whether sheet-glass can thus be fitted sufficiently close ; 

 and, should an accident occur, how is a square to be replaced ? 

 With a rabbet, a portion of it could easily be taken out at one 

 side — the glass put in, the piece replaced, and the thing is 

 done. 



These fixed roofs are sometimes ventilated by openings in 

 the back wall of lean-to's, and at the ends, or along the centre 

 of the ridge in spans ; but a very simple plan is to have 

 narrow lights along the top, 2£ feet wide, and 7 feet long. 

 These may work on pivots, or up and down on castors the 

 same as other lights. If they are made to run down, let the 

 castors come on the thickest, or three-inch rafters, where they 

 can le allowed a little more bite. However, there can be no 

 difficulty about the ventilation. We find the narrow lights 

 work very well on the top of the rafters. 



Such are a few crude remarks on this important subject. We 

 believe this subject has an interesting future, and it is well to 

 see that the plan can be carried out at moderate expense. 

 Nothing has been said about the advantages to be gained as 

 compensation for increased expense ; these will occur to every 

 one ; — improved health of whatever is grown, saving of coals, 

 less labour, and less anxiety in the minds of those who have 

 the responsibility. I fully expect we shall soon see plenty of 

 double roofs. — A. Dawson, Iloud Ashlon (in Scottish Gardener). 



HERBACEOUS CALCEOLARIAS. 



I was much pleased to read in the last Number of the 

 Journal, page 21, so able and excellent a paper by Mr. Kerr,, 

 from the " Scottish Gardener," on the cultivation of herbaceous 

 Calceolarias. The first and most essential requisite to form a 

 fine collection, Mr. Kerr remarks, is to secure seed from a first- 

 rate strain. Now, as I had the great pleasure of seeing this 

 spring some of the best herbaceous Calceolarias ever exhibited, 

 grown by Mr. Bobert Neil], of Rivington, near Chorley, Lanca- 

 shire, I can most confidently recommend amateurs and others 

 at once to secure packets, now advertised, of this famous 

 seed. I can guarantee that no one will be disappointed, and 

 am certain that the flowers produced from this excellent strain 

 will give the greatest satisfaction. Out of specimens of some 

 twenty or more varieties that I examined there was not an 

 inferior flower among them ; form, colour, and texture were 

 all first rate. That Mr. Neill is anxious to establish his repu- 

 tation for his very excellent strain of this beautiful flower 

 there can he no doubt ; he has taken considerable pains to do 

 so, which fact will, I feel certain, ensure a supply of his 

 genuine seed. — J. D. 



NOTES ON THE WAY TO THE HOLY 



SEPULCHRE.— No. 3. 



So wondrously is the history of the Holy Land interwoven 

 with that of the land of Egypt, that in writing of the one it 

 seems impossible to avoid the mention of the other. The 

 " going down into Egypt " is a natural prelude to the " coming 

 out " into Palestine. " A people come out of Egypt" was at 

 one time the distinctive appellation of the children of Israel ; 

 while of the Redeemer Himself it is written, " Out of Egypt 

 have I called my Son." Strangely typical is this sojourning 

 amidst the " flesh pots " of Egypt, before the journey in the 

 wilderness, with its hardly-repressed longings after past plea- 

 sures, leads us to the Promised Land at last. 



I have nothing about wild flowers to tell in this chapter, 

 for but few plants spring up from the desert sand, and horti- 

 culture has at no time been in any great request — perhaps 

 from the scarcity of rain, for we read that showers are very 

 rare, excepting on the seacoast sometimes not happening twice 

 in the year ; or it may be, that where the cultivation of land 

 is both difficult and expensive it is expected to be remunera- 

 tive ; and so we read of Olives and Rice and corn, of fruit and 



