OBSERVATIONS ON A HOUSE FOd ERICAS. 13.3 



ARTICLE VII. 



OBSERVATIONS ON A HOUSE FOR ERICAS. 



BY AN AMATEUR GROWER. 



Having remarked in some former volume of the Floriculturai, 

 Cabinet that Ericas were grown admirably in frames, elevated in 

 the summer season by a brick or two at each corner, admitting a cur- 

 rent of air among the plants, I had a house constructed to answer the 

 same purpose, as follows : — 



In situation it stands due East and West. It is a double roofed 

 one, having an elevated floor up the middle of the house, brick walls 

 three feet and a-half high, and the space inside filled up with brick 

 and lime rubbish two feet, and the remainder with coal ashes, the 

 surface being finest. This forms an even surface, and the nature of 

 the materials are very congenial to the growth of the plants, being 

 just cool enough for the roots, without having the injurious striking 

 cold that I have observed in some places of a stone floor to stand 

 upon. I have a walk round the centre thus prepared bed, and on 

 each side I have a similar formed bed a yard broad, the surface being 

 on a level with the centre bed. The bottom of this is supported by 

 piers half a yard high, and underneath the same, up the middle, is 

 hot water pipes, the side being open to allow the warmth to enter the 

 house, and there being a cavity four inches wide between the exterior 

 wall of the house and the front pit-wall, the warmth from the hot 

 water-pipes ascends thereby into the house so as to preserve the 

 plants thus placed at the sides of the house from being damaged by 

 frost. Only as much warmth is required as will just protect there- 

 from, more is injurious. The roof is only just high enough to allow 

 a tall person to walk up the path without his hat touching the rafters. 

 The erect sashes at the sides are two feet deep, and made so that 

 hanging upon hinges air can be admitted by every one, and when 

 required a regular current through the house. Of course I have my 

 tallest plants on the centre bed, but all my specimens are very bushy, 

 and dwarf of their size. They flourish admirably in this house, and 

 the plan is well deserving to be adopted for the successful growth of 

 Heaths, and glass and timber now being so cheap ought to be pro- 

 vided, where this class of so lovely a tribe are grown. 



