HORTICULTURE. 



231 



degree of genial mowtnre, well calculated to keep the 

 fibres of the roots in constant vigour and action. F.x- 

 perience has shewn that a house of forty feet can be 

 properly heated by one furnace. If thought proper, 

 the house may be made large, and there may be two 

 tan-pits and two furnaces, th" house being divided in 

 the middle by a glass partition, i .1 this ease a higher 

 temperature may be maintained in the one division, than 

 is thought necessary in the other. Over the flues a 

 wooden grate, or crib trellis, is laid ; and on this are 

 placed the most tender of the succulent tribes, such as 

 some of the melon-thistles, cereuses, and euphorbiums. 

 The range of temperature which plants can endure in 

 the bark stove is considerable, from 63* to 81* Fahren- 

 heit, or nine degrees above and below the mark ananat, 

 on the botanical thermometer. This instrument is 

 bung in the middle of the hoase, ex a considerable dis- 

 tance from the furnace, and out of reach of the sun's 

 rays. 



201. It is not uncommon to give air to inch a hot- 

 house only through the day, and to shut it up close at 

 night, perhaps even increasing the temperature in the 

 evening. Judicious horticulturists reverse the prac- 

 Knowing, for example, that in the West Indies, 

 chilly and cold nights usually succeed to the hottest 

 days, they rather imitate nature, by shutting UP the 

 house during the day, and throwing it open at night, 

 this practice, however, can only be followed, in our 



zOx* rorcBg stoves are ot modern invention. In 

 principle, they differ in no respect from the stoves al- 



The bark forcing stove has a tan-pit, in which pots of 

 roses, narcissuses, and other Bowers, ere plunged, in 

 order to their production at an early season. Pots with 

 strawberries, kidney-bean*, or perhaps dwarf-cherry- 

 trees, are likewise set hi the ph, or on shelves around. 

 Sotnftim** ssstaJI borders are formed in this bark-stove, 

 next to the front and also next to the back wall ; a few 

 dwarf fruit-trees are thus introduced, which yield an 

 acceptable addition to the spring dessert In seme places, 

 the more delicate kinds of grape-vines are here also 

 cultii ated, and trained along the rafters of the upper 

 sashes. 



Forcing stoves are intended chiefly for peaches, nec- 



! r 'it , \ n ''(_" i . '. '.' ' ru - !. ;f I ' *! -or! * ! . fir - 



applet, end occasionally 



'I hi 



*. 

 sometimes apples, 



.. - 



area of the hoase is filled with well y , 



post, two feet deep. The trees, having been previous- 

 ly trained to near a bearing *iie, are transplanted into 

 the prepared border. These stoves are begun to be 

 worked early in the spring ; and when the crop is ga- 

 thered, the glass frames are opened wide, or perhaps 

 altogether removed, in order to admit air and rain, and 

 thus harden the annual shoots of the tree* 

 open state, the booses remain till after mid- winter, when 

 they are partially shut, in order gradually to prepare 

 the trees for the increased temperature. DiffV-n-nt kinds 

 of trees require different modes of management, and 

 also a variation of temperature : in all first-rate gardens, 

 therefore, a separate hut-house is allotted to the peach- 

 tree, called the Peacb-hpose; another to cherries, called 

 the Chrrrj -houe ; a third to the production of grapes, 

 called the Vinery or Grape-house, and hi some places, 

 a fourth, to figs, called the Fig- house. The difference 

 in U e -irurtnre f these houses is not considerable. 



I it may be remarked, that what is 



formed in pro. 



) ". -i ' i'-- 1 Borea . . raswOM sjsjsssjaj ,!. .'..i 



the operations of nature arc gradual ; and a good gar- Fruit- 

 dencr will always fellow these as the safest examples. 

 He will never willingly apply artificial heat before buds 

 have naturally swoln ; he will then increase the torn- house." 

 perature gradually for some weeks ; he will in parti- 

 cular, guard against any sudden decrease of warmth, 

 it being most necessary towards success, to continue 

 the course of vegetation uninterruptedly, through fo- 

 liation, inflorescence, and fructification. In all kinds 

 of forcing, it is of importance that free admission of air 

 be given according to the state of the atmosphere ; and 

 it too should be given and withdrawn by degrees, espe- 

 cially in the early and cold time of the year : the sashes, 

 or the ventilators, may, for instance, be partially open- 

 ed by 8 in the morning, top air being given before 

 front air ; full air may be allowed about 10 ; a reduction 

 should take place before 3 P. M., and the whole be 

 closed between 4 and 5, according to the season and 

 other circumstances. 



We shall now proceed to notice the peach-house, 

 cherry-house, vinery, and fig-house, in succession ; then 

 the pine-stove and appendages ; and the orangery. 

 Here we shall take occasion to introduce a short de- 

 scription of the magnificent and commodious suite of 

 hot- houses at Dalmeny Park, near Edinburgh, plans 

 and elevations of which we are enabled to lay before 

 the reader ; and we shall subjoin some account of im- 

 provements Which have lately been adopted or pro- 

 posed in this branch of horticulture. The cultivation of 

 the melon, being allied to that of the cucumber, will 

 lead us to the 



The Ptacft-fioiue. 



2O4. A peach-house, intended to be commanded by p tK li- 

 one furnace, is commonly made about 40 feet long, 10 1 

 or 12 wide, and about 14 in height. It has sometimes 

 no upright glass in front ; merely a parapet 1 8 inches 

 high, upon which the rafters immediately rest. In 

 some places the peach and nectarine trees are trained 

 to a trellis next to the glass, none being placed on the 

 beck wall ; in others the trees are trained only to the 

 wall, or to a trellis placed against it ; but in the great- 

 er number of cases, small trees are trained nearly half 

 way up the glass roof, and at the same time others of 

 full sice are placed against the back wall. The flue 

 passes in front, bat at some distance from the parapet, 

 and is returned also at some distance from the beck 

 wall; so that both ftecs taken together, with the space 

 between them, occupy nearly the centre of the bouse. 

 The old practice of having the bark wall itself flued, 

 (continued, iltnainm Jtun within the house 



being found preferable. Both parapet and Dues rent on 

 pillars, so as to allow the roots f the trees free egress) 

 i- border on the outside of the house. If early or 

 forced fruit be wanted, the house ii made narrower and 

 shatter, so as to give a greater command of tempera* 

 lure. In such houses, either three or four dwarf trees, 

 with intermediate ritiert, are planted ; the rulers being 

 takrn out at the end of four years at farthr.-t. When 

 imitll trees are alto trained in front, three are commonly 

 sufficient there, or nine or ten trees in all. Fire-beat is 

 generally applied about the middle of February, the tern- 

 pernti. 'ot a time kept at 45*; and afterwards 



gradually increased to 50 or 6S" Fahr The tempers* 

 ture if regulated by a therait/meter, every rooming and 



<r; during cunrhire, air is admitted, to keep < 

 the heat, as near as )>' the average point. Tries 



thus furred, generally shew their bUwsonis in March. 

 While in flower and till the Iruit be it!, gentle (team- 



