90 



GARDEN WALLS. 



an d the high standing of the parties to whom 

 he has intrusted the manufacturing mani- 

 pulations, will be a sufficient guarantee 

 that the works will be creditably executed. 



Glass walls upon Mr Ewing's principle 

 are at present erecting in the fine gardens 

 at Bod organ, and at other places under 

 his direction; a short time will prove 

 either their merits or defects. It would, 

 indeed, be too much to expect that any- 

 new invention should be all perfection at 

 first, and more especially one so widely 

 different from structures hitherto em- 

 ployed to effect similar ends; all of these, 

 however, being defective in one important 

 feature — namely, complete protection 

 from atmospheric influences. Whatever 

 success may attend the employment of 

 such structures, one thing is certain, that 

 the move is in the right direction ; for in 

 gardens of the first order we must now have 

 elegance in design, as well as mere utility. 



Plate XI. shows the elevation, ground- 

 plan, and sections of Ewing's glass walls. 



Fig. 1 , A, elevation of a wall 9 feet high, 

 glazed with 16-ounce sheet glass, in 

 framed sashes, constructed so as to slide 

 upon a double iron rail set on stone 

 blocks, and forming the base of the cast- 

 iron framework which constitutes the 

 body of the wall. These rails, being 

 separated from each other as much as the 

 thickness of the sashes, readily pass each 

 other when admission to the trees is 

 required ; or indeed, as in similar cases, 

 may be entirely removed by running 

 them out at each end. The lower edge 

 of the bottom sash-rail is hollowed out, 

 and provided with castors, which, being 

 hollow in the middle, ride on the rails 

 and move with great facility. The top 

 rails run in a groove formed for them in 

 the iron coupling, which ties the tops of 

 the upright iron columns together — the 

 intention of this movement being to en- 

 able the owner to get free access to the 

 trees, for carrying on the necessary ope- 

 rations of culture, &c. The alternate 

 sashes are shown open. 



Fig. 1, B, is elevation of a wall of the 

 same dimensions ; but instead of the 

 sashes moving as in the above, they are 

 here opened by means of pivot-hinges 

 attached to the top and bottom corners 

 of one of the side rails ; and by the 

 provision shown by fig. 7, may be opened 

 simultaneously to any extent required. 



It will be observed in this case, that the 

 sashes are about one-third narrower than 

 in the former case, to render them less 

 liable to accident when open. 



Fig. 2 is the ground-plan of both the 

 above forms, showing the iron rails as 

 secured to the stone plinths on both 

 sides of the wall. 



Fig. 3 shows the framework bolted 

 down to the stone plinths; the roof, which 

 is in glass panels, shut down ; the rones or 

 gutters on each side of roof, for taking off 

 rain water ; and the double trellis in the 

 centre, to both sides of which the trees 

 are to be trained. 



Fig. 4 shows the trellis arranged along 

 the inner sides instead of in the centre, as 

 in fig. 3. The top is also shown open for 

 the purpose of ventilation, and two hot- 

 water pipes are placed near the surface of 

 the ground. 



Fig. 5 shows a double trellis in the 

 centre. The top ventilation is also some- 

 what different from the last. 



Fig. 6, showing the end view, requires 

 no explanation. 



Spencer s glass walls. — These walls have 

 recently been brought into notice by Mr 

 Spencer of Bowood, to whom we are 

 indebted for our diagram and descrip- 

 tion. In some important points they 

 differ from the glass walls of Mr Ewing — 

 indeed, so much so as to rank rather in 

 the character of narrow span - roofed 

 houses than as glass walls. They have 

 the advantage of affording more accom- 

 modation within : the glass is placed at 

 a better angle of elevation than those we 

 have just described, although in this 

 respect Mr Ewing has made provision to 

 construct walls with the same slope 

 also. We think Mr Spencer's design 

 would have been more complete had the 

 copings at the top been of glass instead 

 of zinc, for the purpose of admitting the 

 perpendicular rays of light and heat. 

 The idea of having the glass removable 

 is good, so far as the culture of plums, 

 cherries, pears, &c, is concerned ; but 

 we fear that peaches, nectarines, vines, 

 and apricots, would require the protec- 

 tion of the glass during winter even in 

 the south of England— and certainly so 

 in the north of England and Scotland. 

 Another merit they have in our estima- 

 tion, is the economy of construction, 

 which must be considered another step 



