PLANT-HOUSES. 



489 



368 



369 



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iron (l), between which is con- 

 fined a stratum of air, to pre- 

 vent the escape of heat. The 

 bottom of the beds (;«) are of 



a concave form, that the drain- 

 age may go to the centre ; 



under each bed there are 



three dry wells, filled with large 



rough flints, laid as hollow as 



possible ; and as the wells were 



simk in the chalk, any drain- 

 age from them was unneces- 

 sary. The hollow («) along 



the middle was also .laid with 



flints, and the whole bottom 



covered with a layer of brick- 

 bats, &c., about 18 in. deep; 

 ^^^ ^- Ijrrrrrrl^ on this was laid a thin layer of 



\,j=zi^;^^ ] I ij coarse shingly gravel, still 



keeping the concave form. 



The bottombeing thus finished, 



the depth left for soil was in 



the centre 4 ft. 6 in., as the 



larger plants were intended to 



grow there ; and on the sides 



3 ft. 6 in. The soil was chiefly 



chopped turf, sandy peat, and 



loam, mixed with a little 



gravel ; the proportions being 



changed according to the nature 



of the plants intended to be 



grown. Along the back wall 



there is a border, 18 in. wide, 



drained and filled with soil in 



a similar manner to the beds. 



In this border are planted the 



scarlet pelargoniums, and other 



plants trained against the wall, 



and which are fastened to a 



wire trellis. At each pilaster, 



along the front and ends, are 

 small beds of mould, in which are planted climbers that run up the pillars, 

 and which are allowed to hang down from the roof. The walks are of Port- 

 land stone, with a kerb of the same, 2 in. high, and 1^ in. broad, rounded off" 

 at the top, which not only makes a good finish, but prevents the soil from 

 being washed off" the beds in watering. In the vestibule stand large plants 

 in pots, or boxes of orange-trees, camellias, &c. ; and in the recesses of the 

 windows, between the pilasters, are stands, 7 in. high, for small plants in pots, 

 under which are ventilators for admitting hot air and steam, either together 

 or separately, into the house at pleasure. This is done by having a hot-air 



