26 INTRODUCTION. 



SECT. V. 



ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES. 



In the construction of houses for these plants, 

 attention should be paid to the form, which should 

 be one that will prevent too strong a body of the 

 sun's rays entering at once. The span-roof house 

 is to be preferred before any other, with an angle 

 of thirty-five, and facing east and west; it is 

 then capable of admitting light and maintaining 

 a requisite temperature at all seasons. The form 

 of the roof, I believe, affects the plants growing 

 under to a considerable extent, particularly if the 

 laps of the glass be puttied, for then the vapour 

 of the house cannot escape, but condenses 

 and falls down on them. During the hot sunny 

 days of the months of May, June, July, August, 

 and to the middle of September, the plants will 

 require shading with canvass or net, similar to 

 that used for protecting peach trees in the spring 

 months. 



The readiest and best way for managing this 

 is by nailing it to a strip of wood, the length of 

 the house, and screwed to the upper part of the 



