346 ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HOT-HOUSE. 



or distribution of heat in these departments, we will 

 give minute details on their construction. The furnace 

 should be outside of the house, either at back or end ; 

 the former is preferable, circumstances not always 

 allowing it on the other plan. Dig out the furnace hole, 

 or what is termed stock hole, about five feet deep. Let 

 the door of the furnace be in the back wall of the 

 bouse, thereby having all the heated building inside, 

 that no heat may be lost. The brick work round 

 the furnace should be from fifteen to eighteen inches 

 thick, laying the inside with fire-brick. The furnace 

 will require to be two and a half feet long, ten inches 

 wide, and one foot high, before the spring of the arch 

 and clear of the bars ; leave one foot for an ash pit, 

 then lay the bars. They should be sixteen inches long, 

 one inch broad on the upper side, two inches deep, and 

 two eighths broad on the lower side, and with the door 

 and frame should be cast iron. Half an inch between 

 each bar will be sufficient. The flue should rise from the 

 furnace by a steep declivity of about two feet, and pass 

 the door of the house (without a dip), when it must be 

 elevated above the level of the floor of the house along 

 the front, and at the opposite end of the house must 

 dip to pass the door. The dip must not be lower than 

 the top of the furnace, and should be of a concave 

 form, (avoiding acute angles.) Lead it along the back 

 to enter the wall over the furnace. When thus taken 

 round the house, the heat will be expanded before it 

 passes off, The inside of the flues should be about six 

 inches wide and eight inches deep ; plaster the bottom 

 of it, but no other part, as plaster is partially anon-con- 



