Birmingham Botanical Hortiailtural Garden. 423 



the four climates. In the centre is a circular partition of 

 glass from the bottom of the roof, the interior of which is 

 30 ft. in diameter. Here might be planted the most rapidly 

 growing and tallest of the tropical trees ; their trunks and 

 branches being clothed with epiphytes and climbers, and the 

 ground covered with ferns : hi all probability the Rafflesm 

 might grow in such a situation. Round the inner side of this 

 glass partition it is proposed to conduct a windmg mclmed 

 plane from the ground to the upper gallery of the structure. 

 In the section {Jig. 76.) this inclined plane is shown at a a, &c., 

 together with the galleries radiating from it, b, c, the inside 

 concentric walks, d d d, &c., and the outside ones, e e, &c. It 

 can hardly be necessary to state, that all the railings to the 

 inclined plane, and to the radiating and circular passages, are 

 proposed to be covered with creepers of different kinds ; and, 

 in the tropical division, to be hung over with epiphytes. In 

 the outside galleries mattmg or oil-cloth might be kept for 

 covering the glass every night during the winter season ; and 

 immediately under the glass there might be pipes for watering 

 the whole, water being supplied from a steam-engine ; while 

 over the glass there should be a system of conducting rods, for 

 guarding against the effects of electricity. In this design, as 

 in the preceding one, all the glass of the roof admits of being 

 taken off, being constructed in separate gores, resting on 

 rafters, in the manner practised by John Jones and Co. of 

 Birmingham. The removal of all the glass of the roof, for 

 two or three months during summer from the hot-house, and 

 for three or four months from the green-house, will add 

 greatly to the strength of the vegetation of the plants contained 

 in both houses. 



There would be no difficulty in erecting such a building, 

 and it would be much more easily heated thanj'g. 75.; but 

 the expense would be too great, except for a very wealthy 

 association. When towns and their suburbs are legislated 

 for and governed as a whole, and not, as they are now, in 

 petty detail, by corporations and vestries ; and when the 

 recreation and enjoyment of the whole of society are cared 

 for by their representatives ; public gardens, with hot-houses of 

 this sort, or even of far greater magnificence, will be erected, 

 for the general enjoyment, at the general expense. 



Fig. 77. shows the ground plan and elevation of that part 

 of the hot-houses which is proposed to be immediately 

 erected, and the temporary arrangement of the area within. 



Fig. 78. Plan, elevation, and section of the hot-houses, 

 with the arrangement of the interior area, on the supposition 



E E 4; 



