THE PINE APPLE. 69 



tering, and covered with inch thick tiles closely 

 joined with fine mortar to prevent the smoke from 

 getting into the house among the plants. The 

 mouths of the fire-places should be about sixteen 

 inches wide, twelve inches deep, and the doors and 

 their posts may be made of cast iron. The grates 

 should be thirty inches long, and their bars of un- 

 cast iron made to take out at will.. Some have 

 the fire-places wholly of cast iron, one or more 

 inches thick, in form of a square funnel about three 

 feet in length. This appears to be a good method, 

 because they keep in repair several years, whereas 

 the sides of the fire-places built of brick generally 

 require repairing yearly. 



The tan-pit need not be deeper than three feet, 

 or three feet six inches ; and the path which sur- 

 rounds it should not be narrower than twenty 

 inches; but two feet, or for the. back pit two feet 

 and a half, will be better. The vines are introduced 

 under the sill of the front glasses, and trained up 

 the rafters ; and Mr. M'Phail's practice is not to 

 withdraw them in the winter season as is done by 

 other gardeners. The surface of the tan-bed should 

 not be nearer the glass than five or six feet. Two 

 houses, each forty feet in length, joined together, 

 can be kept warm with two fires, better than one 

 house of forty feet ; but in cold, exposed situations, 

 he would recommend diminishing the length. 



With respect to pits, M'Phail observes, -" Suc- 

 cession Pine plants grow exceedingly well in pits 

 covered with glazed frames, linings of warm dung 



F 3 



