Residence of Col. Perkitis. 151 



Many improvements have been lately made in the houses 

 and forcing department. A new pit has been built the last 

 year for the production of melons, cucumbers, &c. It is 

 eighty feet long, and twelve wide, divided by a partition in 

 the centre, and heated by hot water, with two flow and 

 return pipes from one boiler, similar to the plan of Mr. Glen- 

 denning, in our last volume, (XI. p. 19.) The boiler is cast 

 iron, of novel form, resembling what is termed a saddle 

 boiler, with several hollow projecting legs, thus presenting a 

 greater surface to the action of the fire. The pipes are also 

 of cast iron, and the whole apparatus was put up by Mr. 

 Whately of Boston, at an expense of about four hundred dol- 

 lars. It works well, and the consumption of coal is moderate. 



There is a bed in the centre of each compartment, but, 

 unlike Mr. Glendenning's plan, there are no gutters or pipes 

 for bottom heat — the pipes now only running round the pit 

 and warming the air, the heat being supplied by leaves or 

 manure. For a forcing pit for which this was erected, this 

 we think was an error, as bottom heat may be much better 

 supplied by pipes running through a hollow chamber, than 

 either by leaves or manure. We believe Mr. Quant is now 

 satisfied of this ; otherwise, the pit is a capital arrangement. 



In the greenhouse, in the centre of the long range, the 

 plants were making a grand show, though the camellias 

 were rather past their best bloom. On the front shelf we no- 

 ticed some very fine white primulas, with the largest trusses 

 of flowers we had ever seen ; the seeds were sown in July, 

 the young plants shifted twice, and they had flov/ered abund- 

 antly all winter. The Victoria stocks were also finely grown ; 

 these were sown in July, which is the proper season to have 

 handsome plants in February and March. In the vinery 

 adjoining, which Mr. Quant has now converted into a plant 

 house, the azaleas were coming into full bloom; and as the 

 specimens were large and numerous, they presented a most 

 superb show. The grapes on the rafters were just swelling 

 their buds, and gave promise of a healthy growth and abund- 

 ance of fruit. 



In the vinery, erected at the time of our last visit, for early 

 grapes, Mr. Quant is growing his pelargoniums, after the 

 English style, which he manages so well as we have had occa- 



