506 Description of Stoves for the growth of Melons. $c, 



the outer walls, all round are cavities, carried higher than the 

 tops of the flues, for the admission of the heated air to the 

 interior of the house. The tops of these cavities are covered 

 by bricks made to slope upwards towards the wall, for the 

 purpose of preventing dust and rubbish getting into and 

 choking them. The air is let into the houses from them, by 

 means of holes near the top, left at intervals of one brick all 

 round in the inner wall, which forms the cavities. The roofs 

 incline north and south, as is represented in the sections, the 

 ridge being supported by pillars of wood from within. The 

 stoke-holes are open, but they would be better if they were 

 covered, and the roofs slated ; they also want the convenience 

 of a small chamber, in which to deposit the coals, which 

 might be easily made outside of the main wall, and accessible 

 through an arched opening in the wall. 



The Melon stove has a pit in front, a border at the back, 

 and a path between the pit and border. The pit is formed 

 by a nine-inch brick wall at the back, and by an inclosure over 

 the flue at the front, (see figure 4). The horizontal part of 

 this enclosure (see figure 5) is made of large flue tiles, sup- 

 ported at intervals by pieces of bricks on edge, placed on the 

 top of the flue, and by bricks built into the front wall at the 

 proper height. These support the coverings, care being taken 

 in the placing them to leave space for the passage of the 

 heated air upwards. The top of the front flue is formed with 

 hollowed tiles, on which water is poured for the purpose 

 of raising steam, by means of pipes which pass through the 

 outer wall.* In the pit the larger sorts of Melons are grown. 



• The flue and its covering being carried under the pit, is inconvenient, both 

 because it occupies too much space there, and because it is difficult of access for the 



