§3 THE GREEN-HOUSE. [Jan. 



shrinking by drought; that all parts be well jointed and fitted 

 together, so as to be as nearly air tight as possible. 



A house constructed on this plan will very seldom require the 

 assistance of fire-heal, which ought always to be used with great 

 caution in a green-house; it will admit light, collect heat, and give 

 health, beauty, and vigour to all the plants. 



Some green-houses, for large collections of plants, have two 

 wings of smaller dimensions added to the main building, one at 

 each end, in a right line, separated sometimes from it by glass 

 partitions and sliding sashes lor communication, the front almost 

 wholly of glass, and part glass roofs, as above observed; thus, by 

 these additional wings, the green-house will consist of three divi- 

 sions, whereby the different qualities and temperatures of the 

 various plants can be more eligibly suited. The middle or main 

 division may be for all the principal and more hardy, woody or 

 shrubby kinds, which require protection from frost only; one of the 

 wings may be appropriated for the succulent tribe, and the other 

 for the more tender kinds that require occasional heat in winter, 

 yet can live without the constant heat of a stove or hot-house. 



Many green-houses, as they are commonly built, serve more for 

 ornament than use; their situation to receive the south sun being 

 the only essential that seems to be regarded towards preserving 

 the health of the plants which they are intended to protect. It is 

 rare to find one that will keep plants in good health during the 

 winter, either by reason of their situation in moist places, their 

 want of a sufficiency of glasses to attract heat and admit a due 

 quantity of light, or of the glasses not being constructed so as to 

 slide up and down occasionally, as they ought — as well to suffer 

 the foul air to be discharged as to admit fresh. Sometimes where 

 a green-house has been well considered in these points, all is con- 

 founded by the introduction of a mettle stove and pipes, which 

 never can be managed so as to give, when necessary, that gradual 

 and well regulated heat, which will protect the plants without 

 injuring them; and, besides, both the stove and pipes unavoidably 

 emit in the house a quantity of smoke, which seldom fails to annoy 

 the plants. It does not unfrequently happen when such a house is 

 entrusted to the care of an ignorant or negligent person, that the 

 whole collection is destroyed in one night by excessive heat, or at 

 least rendered of very little value; this is an evil which ought to 

 be carefully guarded against. 



For the particular method of erecting the furnace and flues, see 

 the article. Hot-House, for this month, with which it agrees in 

 every respect, only that one range round the house and two along 

 the back wall will be sufficient; and that the flues may or may not 

 be erected close to the walls, at pleasure. 



On whatever plan the green-house is constructed, let the whole 

 inside, both ceiling, walls and flues be neatly finished off' with good 

 plaster and white-wash, and all the wood work made with the most 

 critical exactness of good seasoned timber, particularly the doors, 

 sashes and sash frames — the whole to be painted white — and let 



