92 THE HOT-HOUSE. [Jan. 



heat all the year round, and the Hues used occasionally for fire-heat 

 in winter or during cold weather, to produce such an additional 

 warmth in the internal air as may be requisite at that season; the 

 bark bed being formed as hereafter directed, is productive of a 

 uniform moderate growing heat of long duration, peculiarly adapted 

 for the reception and growth of the most tender exotics, which 

 require to be kept constantly plunged in their pots in it, such as 

 pine apple, &C, in order to enjoy the benefit of that durable, moist 

 bottom heat about their roots, peculiar to bark beds only, whose 

 heat also evaporates and warms the air of the stove at all times, 

 that even the plants on the surrounding shelves are comforted by 

 its influence; so that with the aid of fire-heat in winter, regulated 

 bv a well graduated botanical thermometer placed constantly in 

 the stove distant from the fire place, and as much in the shade as 

 possible, there are hardly any exotics from the hottest regions of 

 the world, either woody, herbaceous, or succulent, but may be 

 cultivated in it, by placing them in such different situations as 

 their nature may require. 



In the arrangement of the plants in this stove, some require the 

 bark-bed, others succeed in any part of the house, and others, such 

 as the succulents, require the dryest situation near the flues: many 

 of the more tender, herbaceous, and shrubby plants, natives of the 

 hottest countries, generally succeed best when plunged in the 

 bark bed, though many sorts, both herbaceous and woody, thrive 

 tolerably well in any part of the bark stove. 



I shall now proceed to give a minutiae of its general structure, 

 upon the most improved plan, the more especially as many persons 

 who may be desirous of erecting such may probably not be able to 

 procure workmen capable of constructing it, without minute and 

 particular directions. 



Having determined on the size, as to length, width, &C., proceed 

 to lay the foundation of the walls, allowing due thickness for the 

 erection of the surrounding inside flues on the foundation wall, with 

 an allowance for their being detached therefrom about two or three 

 inches. 



Then set off the back or north wall at least two bricks or 

 eighteen inches thick, and the. front and end walls about thirteen, 

 carrying up the back wall from ten to fourteen feet high, in propor- 

 tion to the width of the house: but those of the front and ends, from 

 two to three feet, as the circumstances hereafter noticed may re- 

 quire, upon which to erect the upright timber framing for the per- 

 pendicular lights; previously observing, in carrying up the walls, 

 to allot a proper space for a door-way, at one or both ends towards 

 the back part; Betting out also the furnace or fire-place in the bot- 

 tom foundation, towards one end of the back wall behind, formed 

 also of brick work, and made so as to communicate with the lowest 

 tine within, the inside top of the furnace being about a foot lower 

 than said flue, the better to promote the draught of heat and smoke; 

 though, if the stove be more than about thirty-five feet long, a fire- 

 place near each end will be necessary; or, if more convenient, they 

 mav both be in the middle of the back wall, each communicating 



