in the Garden of the Horticultural Society. 383 



recommended by Mr. Samuel Brookes of Ball's Pond, for 

 the purpose of receiving such plants or seeds as require the 

 heat of a dung-bed during the summer, and especially as a 

 nursery for Tropical plants after their arrival from a long 

 voyage. These pits are thus constructed. Upon three pa- 

 rallel equidistant walls, built with pigeon holes, and crossed 

 at intervals by other walls acting as tyes, is placed a flooring 

 of strong slates. A single course or more of bricks is laid 

 over the slates in front, and at back in like manner is placed a 

 slight wall higher than the front wall by one course of bricks. 

 Upon these upper walls is fixed a common garden frame. 

 Dung is applied to the faces of the walls constructed with 

 pigeon holes, as in a common brick dung-pit. This is found 

 economical in the consumption of dung, and beneficial to the 

 plants, by keeping them in a regular degree of warmth and 

 moisture, without the inconvenience of the unwholesome 

 steam from the dung being admitted among them. These 

 pits have answered their purposes perfectly well, except 

 during the winter season ; at that period they are inconvenient 

 on account of dampness, and it has been found difficult in 

 very cold weather to keep so high a degree of heat in them 

 as is sometimes desired. 



Melon and Pine-pits. The following pits have been 

 erected. Two Melon-pits upon the plan of M'Phail ; 

 two Melon-pits upon a plan proposed by Mr. Atkinson; 

 two Pine-pits upon what is usually called Mr. Baldwin's 

 plan; one Pine-pit upon Mr. Scott's plan, as detailed in 

 the Transactions of the Horticultural Society ;* and one Pine- 

 * Horticultural Transactions, Vol. v. page 220. 



