168 On Straw Mats for covering Hot-houses. 



the case of mats for hot-houses, iron or wire rings. The only 

 instrument necessary for manufacturing them is a common gar- 

 den knife. 



In width each mat is made equal to that of the breadth of 

 the sash to be covered ; in length, equal to the length of the 

 sash in the case of pits or frames, and to the joint lengths of 

 the upright and sloping sashes of a hot-house roof. Having 

 cut two laths to the required width of the mat, lay them down 

 on the ground at the required length ; stretch cords from one 

 to the other at twelve or fourteen inches' distance, or say three 

 to a mat of ordinary width ; then take three cords, or one 

 for each line, and having begun by fastening the ends of these 

 cords to the laths at one end of each line, take a handful of 

 the straw or reeds, lay it in a small parcel, of uniform thick- 

 ness, across the lines, and make it fast to them by passing 

 each of these cords round it, 'so as to tie it on to the long 

 lines, and to tie each parcel to that adjoining. This will give 

 a rope, or small bundle of reeds or straw, of one and a half or 

 two inches in diameter, as may be thought a sufficient thick- 

 ness, across the long lines, and close to the lath, not unlike 

 the straw layers of a bee-hive, but much more loose ; and, by 

 repeating the operation, the whole length between the laths 

 will soon be covered with similar layers, and the mat completed. 

 Or the mats may be formed with tarred rope yarn, such as 

 thatchers use> without the use of cords, by simply fastening 

 the ends of the requisite number of long lines to the cross 

 laths ; and then each line being rolled up so as to form a little 

 ball, the parcels of straw are fastened to it by enclosing each 

 handful, in successive nooses or ties, with the line. If the 

 straw is weak and the mat thin, cross laths every five or six 

 feet will greatly strengthen it. In this way the mats used in 

 Henderson's nursery, Edgeware Road, are formed. 



When the mats are to be used for pits or frames, nothing 

 more is necessary than to cut off the ends of each roll to a 

 line, so as the edges of the mat may be perfectly straight, and 

 the mat every where of exactly the same width as the laths ; 

 but, when the mats are to be drawn up to cover a hot-house 

 roof, it is necessary to have a ring, which may be of twisted 

 wire, placed exactly in the centre of each lath. To one of 

 these rings a cord is attached, for the purpose of being passed 

 over a pulley to be fixed on the coping board, or on the centre 

 of the end of each sash at the top of the roof. This cord must 

 be at least twice the length of the mat. in order that, when the 

 mat is drawn down and rolled up, the end of the cord may be 

 within reach of the operator on the ground at the front of the 



