286 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDENER. 



1871 



of fine architectural minds, and the whole com- 

 mend themselves to every lover of good building. 

 If criticism be indulged, it would be to say that the 

 cornices at the ends are often represented as made 

 of ,wood, and as being as wide as one of the 

 frames of sliding sash in the roof. Now the sash 

 frames are at least two feet wide, so that the shad- 

 ows of the cornices falling at all times on a portion 

 of the vines, cutting off so much sunlight must act 

 to the prejudice of the practical utility of the 

 house. The same remark applies to the projection 

 of the eaves of the house ; they also cut off too 

 much sunlight. These, it is believed, are faults, 

 even though the owner says his vines are in an 

 admirable state of health, and bearing fully. The- 

 oretically the eaves of the house should never be 

 over two feet from the ground. Practically six or 

 eight feet are better. By theory all distances over 

 two feet are lost space, for the perpendicular sides 

 of the house never fruit well, and the elevation of 

 the roof above the border or soil inside of the 

 house is a violation of the inflexible rule that sunlight 

 through glass acts in the best mnnner only a very small 

 distance from the glass, a foot or two at the furthest, 

 rendering healthy vegetation a distance from the 

 glass impossible. Still in the design just given, the 

 only greatest loss is in time for the vines to'get vig- 

 or to bear above the eaves, a fact too well proved 

 by experience to admit of a doubt, however the 

 few clusters of the few first seasons may flatter the 

 beginner into the hope that high perpendicular 

 walls are advantageous. If while requesting arch- 

 itects to keep the cornice of the grapery low, and 

 make the roof large, they say they must have room 

 for the display of their art of the beautiful, the 

 reply is very true, but not at the expense of the 

 vines and fruit. One thing is certain, either the 

 mass of grape-growers do not know how to fruit 

 year after year on the perpendicular sides of the 

 house, or the vines will not set their fruit and 

 ripen it well there, and if the latter is the fact, the 

 architect must bow to Nature, and not Nature to 

 the architect. And in fact, a compromise must be 

 made. Now a steep roofed grapery gives rampant 

 growth at the top of the house, a greater evil than 

 high eaves. 



It would be well could two secrets of grape-cul- 

 ture be whispered in the ears of professional archi- 

 tects of graperies, so that they might never forget 

 them. One is, the tohole house should be of glass, if 

 possible, without a single dark shade no matter 

 how small. The other is, since tJie support for the 

 glass must be made of opaque substances, that cast a 

 shade more or less to the injury of the vines, make 

 them as small as possible, and in the varied line of 

 beauty in which these lines of support are worked, 

 and by them let the architectural ornament be giv- 



en ; except on the north side of the grapery, on 

 which side or end alone put heavy wood orna- 

 ment, loading this with entablature, heavy, high- 

 wrought cornice, carved wood, marble, alabaster, 

 or other figures, but be so kind as to let the sun- 

 light alone on the East, South and West sides or 

 ends. And if you cannot satisfy your taste for 

 architectural ornament otherwise, select the site of 

 the grapery, so that from the cottage or mansion, 

 the road or avenue, the town or landscape to 

 be adorned by your skill in the vinery, this North 

 end alone shall show, cutting off the prospect of 

 the rest of the house by trees or other objects, so 

 arranged tiiat while they are not too near the vine- 

 ry they may accomplish the purpose. Bear in 

 mind also that you cannot represent glass on paper, 

 but that glass in the sunshine amid foliage needs 

 little besides it own lustre. There may seem to be 

 one more step than is needful in what has just been 

 said, but the sins into which the wealthy have been 

 led unawares, as well as the ruined vines, tortured 

 trees and plants that have suflered in silence these 

 many years in many a vinery and greeu-house, call 

 for an administration of justice by some kind of re- 

 mark. 



Another reason for calling attention to such 

 graperies as just named, is because they are often 

 represented as standing on a mound, thus giving 

 two results of value, the elevation of the house 

 into better sunlight, with a happy, artistic effect, 

 and for the reason of a border which is thus per- 

 fectly drained. 



But as this article is written rather for the hum- 

 bler citizen, in contrast we give a "cheap" structure, 

 copied from the plan of Mr. A. C. Hubbard, of De- 

 troit Michigan, who says : " I planned and built it 

 myself, as I had leisure and fancy in the winter 

 season. The materials did not exceed $65. It 

 need not cost over $120." A very reasonable out- 

 lay for a house that must be about 13 feet by 20, if 

 his plan is understood, and should be 20 or 23 feet 

 wide and not less than 40 feet long, where the site 

 admits of these dimensions. 



This, if made as it should be, will give for one 

 dollar as much as ten, or even fifty dollars, in the 

 costly built grapery of wealth. That is, foot for 

 foot of glass, wil! give as large, as high-fiavored, 

 and as many clusters of grapes as in one of elab- 

 orate architectural finish, and may have elementsof 

 success and facility in taking care of it not found 

 in many others. Doubtless it looks as a series of 

 black lines on paper, for that is all there is of it : 

 but when amid trees enlivening a landscape view, 

 it is a thing of beauty of life. 



Another might be given — a gem on paper— a 

 sample of the etherial lightness of iron sash. It 

 would show that a grapery may be beautifully 



