FRUIT AND KITCHEN GARDENS NEAR PARIS. 



31 



fruited in the seven-inch pots, plunged in beds of dung and 

 leaves. 



There is certainly no great mystery as regards this simple 

 mode of procedure. But the extraordinary size of the fruits of 

 those planted out in peat soil, as mentioned in the ' Gardeners' 

 Chronicle,' vol. for 1846, and likewise the present luxuriant and 

 remarkably dark green foliage of the plants, do not appear to 

 be sufficiently accounted for by anything very peculiar in the 

 routine, although perhaps a better could not be adopted. The 

 effect must be produced by some powerful agencies which we 

 have not yet traced out. It will, therefore, be necessary to 

 enter minutely into details respecting the position of the plants, 

 and to direct attention to circumstances likely to influence their 

 growth. 



The plants, as already stated, are planted out in the fruiting- 

 houses in a bed of peat soil. The depth of the soil is about 

 fourteen inches, placed on a wooden flooring, consisting of 

 boards laid side by side, and supported by iron bars. 



The arrangement of the fruiting-houses will be best under- 

 stood by a plan and sections, which I have the satisfaction of 

 being enabled not only to refer to as published in the ' Gardeners* 

 Chronicle,' 1846, p. 820, but to introduce. 



There are four fruiting-houses, which are heated with hot 

 water and stable litter combined ; the stable litter for bottom- 

 heat, and the hot water for surface-heat. 



No. 1, with 11 lights, each light 4 feet 4 inches wide, is the 

 largest, of which fig. 1 is the ground plan, and figs. 2, 3, and 4 

 different sections of it. 



Nos. 2 and 3, with 15 lights. They are in one line, and the 

 middle light is occupied by the furnace, &c. 



No. 4, with 10 lights. The whole are constructed upon the 

 same plan. 



Fig. 1. 



Fig. 1. Ground Plan of fruiting-house, No. 1 ; figs. 2, 3, and 4, sections of it. In fig. 3 is 

 shown the manner in which access is had to the hot-bed. Fig. 4 shows the entrance and 

 the furnace, with a side view of the house. 



a, furnace; 6, hot-water pipes; c, chimney; d, concealed pit to get at the hot-bed; 

 e, hot-bed ; /, door, which is shut up after the stable litter has been removed ; g, air-holes, 

 furnished with a cover to regulate the bottom heat ; h, bed filled with peat soil, in which 

 the pine-apples are planted ; t, iron bar covered with boards to hold the peat soil ; k, foot- 

 path ; I, door; m, water cistern ; n, shelf for strawberries ; o, ground line; f>, iron railings 

 for hanging the straw mattings upon, which serve to cover the houses. 



