STYLE. 



63 



are all on the lean-to principle. The 

 rafters are of iron, capped with wood, to 

 lessen the action of condnction both of 

 heat and cold : the sash bars are of cop- 

 per, and hollow, also to counteract 

 expansion and contraction. They rest 

 upon brick parapets in front, and lean to 

 a wall of the same material at the back. 



The footpaths throughout all the houses, 

 both in the principal range and in those 

 of minor importance behind, are of po- 

 lished white pavement, kept so milky 

 white, that one is almost ashamed to put 

 one's foot upon it. They are in long 

 pieces, and are supported on brick piers, 

 so that the roots may have freedom to run 

 under them. 



The heating apparatus, which is all on 

 the hot- water system, is by Messrs Bailey 

 of Holborn, and is most satisfactorily 

 fitted up. The boilers used are of wrought- 

 iron, and saddle-shaped, — the stopcocks 

 upon the most improved principle. 



The pipes, in general, are 4-inch, some 

 having evaporating pans cast on their 

 upper sides ; while a f -inch pipe, finely 

 perforated, supplied from the mains, dis- 

 charges water over the close pipes, for the 

 purpose of causing extra humidity. 



The ventilation is very complete. That 

 at front is effected by a simple mechanical 

 power, consisting of brass-toothed seg- 

 ments, working on pinions, attached to a 

 wrought-iron rod, which extends the length 

 of each house, and is made to revolve by 

 means of a ratchet-wheel and catch at the 

 end of the house. Two revolutions of 

 the handle cause the whole front lights 

 of a house 50 feet in length to open or 

 shut, less or more, simultaneously. This 

 is the case with all the houses in the prin- 

 cipal range, excepting the two long 

 vineries, which have a movement at each 

 end ; but this is unnecessary, as the same 

 power would produce the same effect on 

 the larger houses, which are 102 feet in 

 length. 



Top ventilation is obtained by causing 

 the alternate roof-sashes, which are fur- 

 nished with rollers, to slide up and down 

 by means of a quadrant-wheel jack, the 

 handle of which, when loosened, lets the 

 sash slide down to any extent required, 

 while a counter motion draws it up 

 again. 



Near the top of the back wall openings 

 are left outside of the roof, and above every 



fixed light. These openings are fitted 

 with a neat iron grating, (vide art. Ven- 

 tilation ;) and under them, immediately 

 under the glass roof, are iron flaps hung 

 at their centres, and attached to a com- 

 mon axle, acted upon by the handle of a 

 six- threaded engine-cut screw a foot long: 

 this is made to revolve by turning a 

 handle 4 feet from the floor. Patent 

 copper- wire rope is employed for letting 

 down and drawing up these lights. 



The ventilation, heating, &c, of the 

 subordinate structures behind are some- 

 what on the same principle, excepting the 

 two span-roofed cherry-houses, which we 

 have elsewhere described. 



The immense ranges of pits for various 

 purposes, extending in all, we believe, to 

 the extent of 1185 feet, with 480 feet in 

 addition, now building — making in all 

 1665 feet — are heated by hot water alone, 

 or by hot water and fermenting material, 

 alone or combined, according to circum- 

 stances. They are for the most part con- 

 siderably sunk in the ground, and have, 

 what we much approved of, cast-iron 

 copings both at back and front. The 

 sashes of these are of necessity movable, 

 and are either in one or two lengths, ac- 

 cording to the width of the pit. The 

 asparagus pits will be found described in 

 sect. Pits of various Constructions. 



Recently, two very well constructed 

 houses have been erected between the 

 two cherry-houses, and were, when we 

 saw them, filled with cucumbers in full 

 bearing, and young vines in pots, of a 

 growth we have never before seen ap- 

 proached. These houses may be said to 

 be of the unequal span form — that is, 

 having the front glass roof much longer 

 than that of the back. The mode of 

 training the vines here appeared to us 

 novel, elegant, and correct in principle. 

 In one of these back houses we remarked 

 a singularly novel and excellent method 

 of withdrawing the vines after their wood 

 has been ripened. 



The whole external walls of the garden 

 are surrounded by a wooden fence, ex- 

 cepting on the east side, where a brick 

 wall, formerly existing, has been taken 

 advantage of, — by which means the whole 

 surface of these extensive walls is ren- 

 dered available for fruit trees. 



The following references will explain our 

 plate of the ground-plan of the garden : 



