598 



THE HOT-HOUSE. 



[Nov. 



VINE BORDERS HEATED ARTIFICIALLY. 



It may be as well here to mention the following method, lately in- 

 troduced, of the artificial mode employed for heating vine borders. 

 It is described by A. L. Gower, Esq., in the Horticultural Society's 

 Journal. t( The bottom of the border," he says, " is gently sloped 

 from the houses to the extreme edge, where is built a box drain ex- 

 tending the whole length of the border, as shown in the accompany- 

 ing section, marked 1 ; this drain is one foot square, the top of it 

 being level with the bottom of the border, as also shown. 



"Ground Plan of Houses, showing Cross -Walls beneath the Vine 

 Borders. Section. When this was completed, dwarf walls, marked 

 3, were built across the border, three and a half feet apart, in the 

 pigeon-hole manner; on the top of these walls are laid rough flags ; 

 these, in reality, form the bottom of the border, and upon these is 

 placed about six inches of broken stones and bricks, marked 4 ; then 

 covered with turf, with the grassy side down, to prevent the soil from 

 mixing with the stones. There are flues or chimneys at each end of 

 the border and centre communicating with the drains in the bottom, 

 as shown in the section, marked 2. The top of these flues is nicely 

 made of stone ten inches square, through which is cut a hole of six 



Fig. 60. 



inches square, into which is inserted a plug of a wedge-like form, so 

 as to fit tightly, but removable at pleasure ; these flues are about an 

 inch above ground. At the back of the border are placed cast-iron 

 pipes (marked 5) perpendicularly, and also communicating with the 

 drains underneath ; these being higher than the flues in front, cause 



