Book I. 



VINERY. 



507 



2658. The vinery of Speechly consists of a roof, and glass lights covering a border of about ten feet wide 

 on the south side of a flued wall, about 14 feet high. Upright glasses, two feet and a half or three feet 

 high in front, to support the roof, are proper for vines to be forced at an early season, because it admits 

 the sun and light to the border ; but when grapes are not wanted at an early season, a considerable ex- 

 pense may be saved by adopting a low wall in front. The shade of this wall would be injurious to the 

 border, if the vines were to be forced early in spring; but the meridian altitude of the sun, in the begin- 

 ning of summer, renders it no way prejudicial at that season. Supposing a flued wall, twelve feet high, 

 the breadth of the border ten feet, and the height of the upright glass frame, or wall in front, three feet, 

 the roof will then form an angle of about forty-three degrees. Experience shows this to be a proper pitch 

 for vines forced after the vernal equinox. I mention this circumstance, because some persons who give 

 designs for buildings of this kind, lay so great a stress on this point, as to pronounce a vinery or peach- 

 house incapable of answering the intended purpose, should the pitch of the roof happen only to vary a de- 

 gree or two from their favorite angle. In Holland, the frames for winter forcing are almost perpendicular, 

 but for those forced in summer, they are almost as flat as those made use of for melons. Hence it follows, 

 that the construction of different frames or buildings, for the purpose of producing grapes, should not 

 only vary according to the quantity required, but also according to the season in which that fruit is in- 

 tended to be produced. The roof should be steep for early forcing, and flatter for the summer. (TV. on 

 the Vine, p. 99.) 



2659. The vinery of Nicolfor early forcing, to be commanded by one furnace, should not much exceed 

 thirty feet in length. If it were forty or forty-five feet long, it would require two furnaces to be placed, 

 and the flues to run as described below. The width of the house may be ten or eleven feet, and the 

 height thirteen or fourteen; the front, including parapet and glass, not exceeding four feet in height. 

 But, if the roof were made to rest on the parapet, without having any upright glass, and if the parapet 

 were about eighteen inches high, it would have a better pitch, and there would be a longer run for the 

 vines. The front flue should be two feet clear of the parapet, should return in the middle of the border, 

 and double by the back wall, being separated from it by a three-inch cavity ; that is, in the case of there 

 being but one furnace for the house. But if the house be much above thirty feet in length, and require 

 two furnaces, one should be placed at each end, in the shed behind, and the power of both should be 

 brought to the front, the flue of the one to be placed within two feet of the parapet, and of the other close 

 behind the first, being separated by a two-inch cavity only, and both to stand on a common foundation. 

 The one may return in the middle of the house, and the other by the back wall; but it will be uniiccessary 

 to have a double return to either of them ; as a house of the above-mentioned width and height, to the 

 extent of fifty feet in length, may thus be fully commanded. 



2660. The vinery of Nicolfor late forcing niay be of any convenient length, from thirty to fifty feet ; 

 fourteen feet wide, and fifteen or sixteen feet high ; with or without front glass, as above hinted. But if 

 it have upright glass, both glass and parapet should not exceed five feet in height ; as it is but seldom that 

 any fruit grows below the angle of the ratter ; and, if it do, it is never so well ripened as the fruit growing 

 under the sloping sashes. The flues may be conducted, in every respect, as above directed for the early 

 house, and the number of furnaces must be regulated by its length. If under thirty-five feet, one furnace 

 may do ; but if longer, it will require two furnaces, in order to have a perfect command of the temper- 

 ature necessary for grapes. The parapet and front flue of both these houses should stand on pillars, three 

 and a half feet deep under the ground-level, in order that the roots of the plants may have free scope to 

 run to the border without the house ; as the intention is to plant them inside, and train them, under the 

 roof, to a trellis fixed to the rafters. 



2661. Vineries of other horticultural architects. Hay seems to make very little difference in the slopes 

 of glass roofs for whatever purpose the house may be intended. In his very extensive designs for Lundie 

 and Dalmeny {fig. 445.) the difference is inconsiderable. The same may be remarked of most of the 

 ranges of houses built by G. Tod. {Ed. Encyc. art. Hart. ; Tod's Flans for Hot-houses, &c. foL 1812.) 



445 



2652. A vinery for a crop to ripen in July, Knight recommends to be roofed at an angle of 35°, Wilkinson 

 {Hort. Trans.) and Miller {Diet, in loco,) 45°, which is that adopted most commonly for summer crops, 

 both of grapes and peaches. Abercrombie says, " The diagonal side of a glass case, designed for a short 

 periodical course of forcing, to begin the 21st of December, may be 55° ; 22d January, 50° ; 21st Febru- 

 arv, 46° ; 21st March, 43°." He adds, " Too much importance must not be attachetl to the angle of in- 

 clination in the glass work." It is of some consequence to remark, that the roofs of vineries may be 

 fixed, provided there are shutters in the front and back wall for ventilation, though for these, as for every 

 description of house, gardeners prefer a roof in which the sashes slide, are raised up, or take off 



2663. A vinery on the curvilinear principle, with a fixed roof (resembling./ig-. 163.), was erected from our 

 designs at Finchley, in 1818 ; no form or manner of construction can admit more light. The vines are 

 trained within a foot of the glass ; ventilation effected by shutters in the front and back walls, and the 

 whole is managed by one fire. It is a beautiful object, the vines have grown admirably, and in 1820 

 produced a small crop (their first) of highly flavored fruit. Several other curvilinear-roofed vineries have 



