CONSTRUCTION OF HOT-HOUSES. 271 



front, or one very little curved, is to be preferred, 

 for purposes where all the suri and light that can 

 be obtained is desirable. For a green-house, or con- 

 servatory, fancy may have its full sway ; sunshine 

 being of less importance to the plants generally cul- 

 tivated in these compartments. 



The pitch or angle that the roofs of forcing- 

 houses should make with the horizon, depends on 

 the purposes for which they are intended ; that is, 

 whether for early or for late forcing. For late for- 

 cing-houses, and pine-stoves, generally an elevation 

 of about 35 degrees will answer ; but the roofs of 

 early forcing-houses should be considerably more 

 upright, that the sun may act with full effect upon 

 them in the early part of the season. 



The front and end parapets should seldom be 

 more than two feet high of stone or brick-work. 

 If eighteen inches, or a foot only, they look the 

 lighter. The upright glasses in front may be from 

 two to four feet upon the parapets, according to 

 the purposes for which the house is intended, and 

 according to its breadth and height. If building 

 appear above the framing at top, farther than the 

 thin edge of a stone coping, or a batten covered 

 with lead or copper, it has a bad effect. 



The length of forcing-houses may be any thing 

 from twenty to fifty feet, but seldom more in one 

 compartment ; the width, inside, from ten to six- 

 teen ; and the height above the ground level, from 

 twelve to sixteen or eighteen feet ; all these dimen- 

 sions being variable, according to the purposes for 



