354 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE ANT) COTTAGE GARDENER, [ November l, 1864. 



be free from smoke. One of these boilers, a tubular one by 

 Mr. Gray, has already been put down, with a merely tem- 

 porary chimney, and Sir. Craw spoke very highly of the man- 

 ner in which it did a great amount of work very efficiently. 



In these back sheds there was one feature well worthy of 

 note. In a corner was a small open boiler like a wash- 

 house one, steaming away with manure water. This simple 

 appendage furnishes at all times two great advantages. 

 The operator is enabled to give water to his plants of the 

 desirable temperature, and then whatever the manure used, 

 be it horse, cow, sheep, deer, or other droppings, liquid 

 manure from the farm, &c, boiling the water and material 

 before diluting it prevents the possibility of the eggs of 

 insects being thus communicated to the soil. 



We turn in to the front of these sheds, and commencing 

 at the east end we enter an early vinery 40 feet long, 14 feet 

 wide, 14 feet in height at back, and 3 feet in front. The 

 Vines were pruned and cleaned, planted inside on a raised 

 border, with arches in the front wall, and heated by pipes 

 below in a chamber covered with stout slate, on which some 

 rubble and then the soil were placed. The pipes were close 

 to the front and the back wall, a small ledgewall bounding 

 the path from the bed, and the Vines were planted inside of 

 the front pipes. This seemed a very excellent house. 



Next we come to two narrow late Fig-honses, with upright 

 front glass, in the Trentham style, with Figs against the 

 back wall, and a trellis stage in front for Strawberries, and 

 other plants, the platform being sufficiently low not to 

 shade the Figs on the back wall. In our younger days it 

 was thought advisable to cover shaded back walls with Figs, 

 because they would grow there, and so they would, but 

 would they continue to yield fruit ? 



We now come to the Black Hamburgh-house, where the 

 wood was ripening nicely, the Vines planted also in a raised 

 bed, but not heated below; and next we pass through a 

 Muscat-house looking well. Then we enter a mfced house 

 of Hamburghs, Lady Downes', and Buckland Sweetwater, 

 the latter very fine. It is intended to make this house into 

 a late one, by taking strong canes of Lady Downes' along the 

 front of the house, and inarching these on the other Vines, 

 especially the Hamburghs. 



We then pass into a West's St. Peter's-house, but as his 

 lordship is very partial to the Muscat Hamburgh, it is pro- 

 posed either to remove the West's St. Peter's, and plant 

 with the desired kind, or inarch the Muscats on the pre- 

 sent stocks, the choosing which must depend chiefly on the 

 state of the present border. We then go through two narrow 

 Fig-houses that have yielded their crop,, the trees showing 

 fine, short, stubby wood, and enter a vinery with raised bed 

 inside, plsnUd ibis tv.n:ma.otside border still to make as 

 needed, and the Vines doing wll — border on raised platform 

 with hot-water pipes below to be used when needed, and some 

 White Frontignans planted against the back wall, to be 

 kept in bearing until the front Vines fill the house. The 

 Vines in front are planted twice as thickly as they are 

 intended to remain, for every alternate cane will be cut down 

 and treated to secure strength for permanent cropping. The 

 other Vines will be cropped until the permanent ones are 

 fully established, and \rill then be cut out, and the house 

 given up to the latter. 



Our recollection of the rest of the village of houses and 

 pits is more confused, as lean-to's, hipped-roofed, and span- 

 roofed houses are more mingled. We will instance the fol- 

 lowing, beginning at the west end and going eastward. First, 

 a large span-roofed Orchid-house, with two divisions, one 

 for species from a cooler climate, and another for those from 

 ■warmer latitudes. In the former, were many fine Caladiums, 

 and fine-foliaged plants, and huge masses of Phaius grandifo- 

 lius, the Bletia Tankervilliis of our young days, which from 

 the round full appearance of the large bulb-lik e crowns told 

 of the brilliancy they would present with their spikes oi 

 flowers in winter and spring.* In the warmer division, Nyru- 

 phsa ccerulea, and others, were blooming freely in a tank in 

 the centre bed, scenting the house with their rich perfume. 

 On the bed were several fine plants of the Peristeria elata 

 (the Dove Plant) in bloom. In baskets suspended from the 

 roof were huge masses of Dendrobiumsmosehatum,latifolium, 

 and Pierardi, whilst every open space was draped with pen- 

 dent shoots of the rich-foliaged Cissus discolor. One of the 

 distinctive features of this.house, however, was a sort of 



wide tank-shelf along the front and ends of the house, 

 formed of slate, with an iron ledge screwed on so as to be 

 water-tight. Here all the more valuable and more tender 

 plants were situated, raised as deemed necessary above the 

 water on the shelf. There is a tap at one end for draining 

 the water off when deemed necessary, and replacing with 

 fresh. The water not only keeps a moist atmosphere about 

 the plants, but prevents most sorts of insects from getting 

 either on the plants, or among the soil or sphagnum in 

 which they grow. 



Leaving these we enter a span-roofed house, 14 feet wide; 

 height to apex, 9 feet ; height in front, 4 feet, with pathway 

 down the middle, and a raised bed on each side, heated 

 below, and also heated above, and now filled with the best 

 Tea Roses in pots, to yield flowers all the winter and spring 

 — ventilation by moving short sashes by a lever on the south 

 side of the ridge. Next we pass a large pit filled with 

 cuttings of Geraniums in boxes — the cuttings small, show- 

 ing that Mr. Craw was anxious not to spoil the outline of 

 his beds — and come to a large hipped-roofed house, with 

 raised bed in the centre, heated beneath, and pipes, exposed 

 at sides, back and front, for forcing all sorts of things for 

 the large conservatory. This house had a large cistern at 

 one end, with hot-water pipes passing through it, so as 

 always to secure plenty of hot water for use. Then we come 

 to a large Pine pit of the old-fashioned kind, with a raised 

 platform outside against the back wall for walking along, 

 moving the sashes, &o. The Pines were very strong, and 

 showing and swelling handsome fruit of Queens, Providences, 

 &c. Then at right angles stands a span- roofed New Holland 

 house, from 50 to 60 feet long, and 24 feet in width, and con- 

 taining many fine specimens. Again : in different ranges, 

 we have a Geranium-house, 50 feet long, with a curvilinear 

 hipped-roofed on the noith side, a sloping roof in front, a 

 walk in the middle, and a bed of earth on each side, and used 

 chiefly for forcing kinds ; then a propagating-house, much in 

 the style of the Rose-house, 11 feet wide, 8 feet high to ridge, 

 4 feet at sides, ventilation at top between double ridge- 

 board, path down the centre, bed on each side, and each 

 heated by pipes beneath the bed; and again we find a 

 hipped span-roofed house for early Muscats, length 27 feet, 

 height to apex 15 feet, height in front 31- feet, width IS feet, 

 with soil-bed supported on arches, and heated below as well 

 as above. The Vines were looking well, and had been 

 planted nearly two years. 



Many of these houses seemed so particularly suitable for 

 the purpose contemplated, that we would have given 

 sections of some of them, but for taking up room, and also 

 because we think that from the dimensions given these 

 sections may be made for themselves by any desirous of 

 having them. We cannot help, however, giving the sections 

 of two houses which seemed particularly well suited for the 

 object aimed at. 



