chiefly between London and Sheffield. 453 



seasons ; on the principle, that a bow window always admits more light to a 

 room, than a straight window of the same width. 5. The panes of glass may- 

 be smaller than in nouses the roofs of which are in one plane, and consequently 

 the panes will be less liable to be broken by frost. Mr. Paxton has also 

 adopted another improvement in the construction of the sash bar, ,<,„ 

 viz., having grooves for the panes nstead of rebates (see Jig. 120.) ; 

 the advantages of which grooves are, that less putty is required, 

 and that what is used does not so readily separate from the wood, 

 and thus admit the wet between the wood and the putty. The roofs 

 of such houses are entirely fixed, and ventilation is effected, either 

 by having the perpendicular ends of the ridges movable on hinges, of 

 which there is an example in the house erected on Mr. Paxton's 

 plan at Mr. Harrison's at Cheshunt, a plan of which will be here- 

 after given ; or by the front glass, and ventilators in the back wall. 

 With regard to the expense of this mode, it is probably not greater 

 than that of roofs in one plane; because, though more glass is required, yet it 

 is in smaller panes, and the sash bar is also much lighter, and the rafters 

 fewer. Mr. Paxton has promised us a paper on this subject, with a plan of a 

 grooving saw, which he has invented to make the bars with, and will, at the 

 same time, enter into the expense of erection, &c. There is yet another im- 

 provement which may be adopted in ridge and furrow roofs, which is the 

 employment of thicker glass, by which means one pane may be substituted for 

 8 or 10, and consequently much additional light admitted and cold air ex- 

 cluded. In some hot-houses in the neighbourhood of London, and even in 

 some pits and frames, it has been found worth while to glaze with plate glass 

 in order to prevent breakage ; and this new glass will form an excellent sub- 

 stitute for, and come much cheaper than, plate. 



Having now seen this description of ridge and furrow house at Chatsworth, 

 at the Sheffield Botanic Garden, at Mr. Jedediah Strutt's at Belper, and at 

 Mr. Harrison's at Cheshunt, we are prepared to state with confidence, that we 

 think the plan a substantial improvement, and one particularly adapted for 

 green-houses and plant stoves intended to be rendered ornamental. The plan 

 of the original house erected at Chatsworth by Mr. Paxton, with all its details, 

 will be found in Paxton's Magazine of Botany, vol. ii. p. 80. ; and from that 

 plan and other sources we intend shortly to prepare an article for this Maga- 

 zine, and for our Suburban Horticulturist. 



In the paths of all the stoves, green-houses, and forcing-houses in the 

 kitchen-garden at Chatsworth, Mr. Paxton has introduced a simple economi- 

 cal and beneficial improvement. This is, where the pipes or flues for heating 

 are under the paths, to cover them with loose cross pieces of boards ; each 

 of the length of the width of the path, and about 4 in. broad ; the result of 

 which is, that, while the heat is freely admitted to ascend, the dust and other 

 matters, when the paths are swept, descend immediately; and any length of 

 path, on any emergenc}', can be rendered quite clean in a few minutes, with- 

 out raising a dust in the house to disfigure the leaves of the plants, and en- 

 courage the red spider, which dust deposited in the leaves is always found to 

 do. These boards, being all loose, can be taken up once or twice a year, and 

 the space below cleaned out. Even when it is desired to water the paths in 

 order to raise steam, the water sinks between the boards; and, while the latter 

 are quite dry and comfortable for the feet, the vapour rises in abundance. 



Sheffield Botanic Garden. — This garden occupies 18 acres, on a bank with a 

 varied surface sloping considerably to the south. It has been laid out by Mr. 

 Marnock, in a manner which, as far as we had time to examine it, appeared 

 perfectly satisfactory, and decidedly in better taste than any garden of the 

 kind which we have yet seen. In short, there is nothing in it which we could 

 wish to alter. The arboretum and fruticetum is so arranged as to display 

 every specimen tree and shrub from the walks ; and, when these specimens shall 

 have been a few years grown, their picturesque effect will be such that no 

 other trees or shrubs but the specimens will be required. At present the 



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