CHAP. Ill VILLA GARDENING 327 



SO much per foot — about 4cl. I think — and were glazed by the 

 owner himself; and altogether the house was very cheaply and 

 well built. This happened fifteen years ago. In the execution of 

 similar work now a different system would probably be followed. 

 Painting and repairing is alwaJ^s a heavy item. In building 

 vineries for amateurs nowadays, some plan should be adopted 

 which will do away with painting, and, as far as possible, make 

 an imperishable structure. Some time ago a market-grower told 

 me that he finds it cheaper not to paint. He builds with the best 

 material he can get, and when the wood decays he takes out the 

 glass and rebuilds with the money saved by not painting. Of course 

 the dilapidated appearance the place has when wearing out, from 

 no paint being used, would be distressing to a sensitive mind ; but 

 he says he cannot attbrd to be fastidious. I have no doubt that 

 in a short time horticultural buildings will be erected of imperish- 

 able materials. Much improvement in this direction has already 

 been eftected, and the work will doubtless go on. 



The Ground Vinery. — This was invented by the late Mr. 

 Rivers, and was for a time very popular. It was simi)ly a long 

 narrow span-roofed frame, just wide and high enough to train one 

 vine along under the ridge. I daresay it met a felt want, but it 

 has been superseded now by a loftier, wider frame, called, in 

 technical phrase, the " Three-quarter span frame." This, if placed 

 on turf banks with a sunk path down the centre, will make a very 

 nice little vinery, or it may be used for Peaches, Figs, or Plums, 

 Apricots, and Cherries. If it did not exceed 20 or 25 feet in 

 length, the trees might be planted at one end and trained along 

 the house instead of across in the usual way. If it was desired it 

 would be a simple matter to heat one of these cheap frame green- 

 house vineries, either by running a flue along one side or by a 

 small boiler. If only 20 or 30 feet long the flue would be the 

 cheapest and best. Nine-inch earthenware pipes make a very good 

 flue for this purpose, being cheaper and lietter than bricks. But 

 good Grapes might be grown in this class of structure without arti- 

 ficial heat. Probably better Grapes would be grown in an 



Unheated Vinery than in a heated one unless great care 

 was used. My experience among amateurs has taught me that 

 they are exceedingly lavish in the matter of heat, often lighting a 

 fire when the plants would liave been better without it ; and I 

 know that good Black Hamburg and Sweetwater and Muscadine 

 Grapes can be gro-\vn Avithout artificial heat. But the sun's 

 warmth must be utilised to the utmost. By this I mean that the 

 house must be closed early in the afternoon, and be damped to fill 

 it full of genial vapour. Shutting up early in the afternoon in 



