September 11, 18(56. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



197 



lew oonld elucidate t}ie " why " of all our simple operations so 

 well as our learned inquirer " Silica," and from no one would 

 we more gratefully receive instruction.] 



VINERY CONSTRUCTION. 



I am about to build a vinery for the purposo of ripening 

 Black Hamburgh Grapes in April, when, I suppose, I should 

 reap the greatest profit from their sale. 



I propose to build a lean-to house, 100 feet long by 18 feet 

 wide. I have strong reasons for not building a very high wall 

 if I can avoid it, and I also want to reduce the cost as much 

 as possible. 



I havo read all the works on the subject which I have heard 

 of, and I read the Journal regularly, and have some gardening 

 experience ; but I need some counsel on certain points at start- 

 ing, and it is most impoitant that I should commit no errors 

 at first which cannot afterwards be rectified. It will be of 

 great service to me if you will kindly advise me on the follow- 

 ing points, as I wish to commence at once : — 



1. The aspect available is south-west. Will this answer 

 my purpose ? 



2. What is the lowest wall I may have at back for the width 

 of 18 feet ? 



8. What is the height recommended for the front wall ? 



4. What is the lowest quality and weight of the glass to be 

 used consistent with satisfactory results ? 



5. I propose to have the Vines planted inside the house, 

 and bearing in mind that I want to force early, where should 

 the roots be ? Kept inside, or allowed 12 feet of border outside, 

 as well as some border inside to spread in ? In the latter case 



1 should have the front wall on arches. I propose to plant 



2 feet apart, should I then have an arch for each Vine, or for 

 every two Vines V If it is necessary to keep the roots inside 

 the house, what width of border should I have there ? 



6. In either case, how many four-inch pipes must I have, 

 and what position should they occupy ? 



7. What is the best time for planting the Vines ? Mr. Thom- 

 son, in the Journal of Feb. 20th, 1866, page 140, says "when 

 they have burst their buds about a quarter of an inch," and he 

 gives good reasons ; in " Sanders on the Vine," I find at page 5, 

 "in the autumn;" "Pearson on Vine culture" is silent on 

 this point. 



8. What boiler would suit my purpose best ? 



It is my intention to build large houses for the growth of 

 fruit, and to experiment on hybridising. 



In the Journal for July 24th, 1866, page 170, I see recom- 

 mendations as to preserving fruit. I have experimented on 

 this subject, and succeed in preserving fruit perfectly fresh 

 without sugar. For some winters past I have never been with- 

 out a good supply of bottled fruit, perfect in flavour and bright 

 in colour. If yon would like the details I will send them. — H. W. 



[You scarcely give us sufficient data to enable us to decide ; 

 but taking your width of an early vinery to be 18 feet, and 

 your disinclination to have a high wall at the back, economy 

 being the great object, then, instead of a thorough lean-to, we 

 would advise a hipped roof. For early Grapes you should 

 either have a steep roof or plenty of upright glass. To have a 

 roof at 45 you would require a wall as high as the width of 

 the roof, and the roof to slope to the wall plate. If yon had 

 2 feet of a front wall that would make the roof all the more 

 flat, but still suitable for Grapes in April and May, not but that 

 early 'Grapes may be grown in a house with a flat roof, but not 

 so well as in one with a steeper roof, so as to have all the 

 help possible from the sun in winter and spring. A fine house 

 would be obtained by having the wall 18 feet at back, and from 

 1J to 2 feet high in front. Keeping economy in bricks in view, 

 a good house would be formed by having a back wall 10 feet in 

 height, a hip of 5 feet meeting the front roof at 4 feet or so 

 from the wall, at a height of 13 feet from the floor, which, with 

 a front wall of 2 feet, would give a front sash of about 17 feet. 

 You can judge for yourself by pencilling these dimensions in 

 lines. You will perceive that with a 10-feet wall and no hip, 

 your roof will be more suitable for July, August, &c, than for 

 April. 



But for the protection of the back wall, the mo3t economical 

 plan for covering 18 feet of ground, would be a span roof with 

 side walls about 18 inches in height, with ventilation in them, 

 and a double ridge with ventilators between them, and the 

 Vines trained up each side ; height to ridge about 13 feet. All 

 such roofs could be fixed. 



Witli these general remarks, and bearing in mind that the 

 roof iR to bo Iobs or rnoro of a lean-to, wo reply — 



1. That the aspect will answor very well, though direct south 

 would havo been better, as securing more early sun. 



2. Even with a hip the lowest wall would be about 10 feet 

 above the ground line. 



3. For convenience, the wall in front should not be less 

 than 2 feet, and in that the front ventilators. 



4. The lowest priced glass suitable, is what is called fourths, 

 and 16 ozs. to the foot, which will generally rango from 13 ozs. 

 to a little over 15 ozs., and according to tho size of tho squares 

 will cost from I'd. to 2d. per foot. If at all afraid of hail, it 

 would be best to use 21-oz. glass, which will cost from 2Jd. to 

 3d. per foot, for fourths. If you obtain a better quality, as 

 thirds or seconds, you will pay more in proportion. 



5. In an 18-feet-wide house, you may have the border for the 

 Vines inside the house entirely for ca'ly forcing. At any rate, 

 we would plant inside. If the roots are to be kept entirely 

 there, we would plant in the middle of the house, and train 

 both ways ; if in such a hip-roof as alluded to, and you re- 

 solve on also having an outside border, then we would plant 

 3 feet or so from the front. In that case were we doing the 

 work we would dispense with arches, build piers some 4 feet 

 apart, and on these place a stout oak or, rather, an iron sill, and 

 the roots could go out and in as they liked. To make the 

 most of such a house early, we would plant within 2 feet of 

 the front, and also along the back wall, or have something else 

 there. For early forcing, we would make aU the inside into a 

 border, and keep the roots mainly there. 



6. For early forcing we would have at least five four-inch 

 pipes, four flows and one return, and as far as pipes would 

 interfere with nothing, we would have them all on the same 

 level, just above the level of the floor, placed over it as most 

 convenient. 



7. It does not matter when yon plant the Vines, if treated 

 rightly afterwards. If in a state of reBt, the roots must be 

 protected and encouraged to move as soon as or before the tops. 

 If the buds are moving before planting, they must have no 

 check afterwards. Many plant in May or June. There is less 

 trouble if the Vines are planted when at rest. If the roots are 

 planted outside in autumn, they should be protected from 

 frost, snow, and cold rains. 



8. The cheapest boiler, and a very good one, would be a 

 saddle-back, 36 inches long, 25 inches wide, and 22 inches 

 high, which if cast iron will cost about £7 10s. Cylinders will 

 cost a little more, and tubular more still. Monro's cannon 

 boiler will be about the same in cost as a saddle-back. The 

 tubular boilers if fed from the top are, perhaps, the easiest 

 managed, but we have done well with saddle-backs, and after 

 trying many, some of the greatest gardeners in the largest 

 establishments are going back to them. Wrought-iron saddle- 

 backs cost a little more, and, on the whole, our opinion is, 

 that they do not last so long. 



Even if you mean to have a border outside, you need not 

 make it the first year, and a piece at a time will be better than 

 making it all at once. 



We shall be much pleased to receive an account of your 

 mode of preserving fruit, so as to have it perfect in flavour, 

 and bright in colour in bottles in winter, and without sugar. 

 It would be generally useful and valuable.] 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



September 4th. 

 At this meeting there was an excellent display of plants, both orna- 

 mental-foliaged and flowering. Of the former Messrs. Downie, Laird, 

 and Laing contributed a numerous collection of those employed in sub- 

 tropical gardening, for which they received a special certificate. Among 

 them were Wigandia caraeasana and urens, Alternantheras, Polymnia 

 grandis, variegated Maize, Eucalyptus globulus, Uhdea bipinnatilida, 

 Ferula nodiflora with much-divided foliage, and several fine So- 

 lauums. Of the last, Solauum robastum was particularly noticeable 

 by the fine reddish cinnamon of the upper sides of the leaves, and 

 among other very ornamental plants of the same genus were S. pyra- 

 cantba and decurrens, both with reddish orange spines, and the latter 

 with white flowers ; S. laciniatum elegans, with deeply cut foliage and 

 large violet flowers ; S. anriculatum ; S. marginatum argenteum, with 

 whitish foliage ; and S. amazonicum atropnrpureum, with deep green 

 leaves, which, as well as the stem, were set with numerous formidable 

 spines. Messrs. Veitch, Chelsea, had likewise a special certificate for a 

 collection in which were some beautiful ornamental-foliaged plants, such 

 as Marontas Idndenii (first-class certificate), roseo-picta, and Veitchii, 



