VINERIES. 



317 



ance of having a roof composed of one 

 sheet of glass ; — at the same time the 

 panes are only 6 inches by 3^, thereby 

 securing to them great strength in resist- 

 ing hail-storms and other casual misfor- 

 tunes to which hothouses are exposed." 



We have frequently seen both these 

 houses. For metallic lean-to houses, they 

 are finished in a style superior to any we 

 have ever seen. We may, however, ob- 

 serve, that the system of roans or small 

 gutters, p, is in our opinion superfluous : 

 the only drip we ever observed in either 

 house was that from the condensed steam, 

 the glazing being very perfect. The 

 mode of ventilation is inferior to that of 

 openings in the back wall, as exemplified 

 at Frogmore, Dalkeith, and elsewhere. 

 It is a return to the mode generally in 

 use over most of the Continent. The 

 pipe for conveying away the smoke forms 

 a great objection, from its unsightly ap- 

 pearance ; and it is quite unnecessary, as 

 the smoke could be carried away in an- 

 other way. It will be observed that Mr 

 White, in speaking of the power of his 

 heating apparatus, is quite conscious of 

 the limits of its action. Although suffi- 

 cient to heat a vinery for ordinary pur- 

 poses of 25 feet in length, for a larger 

 house hot-water pipes are recommended 

 to make up the deficiency. 



The rafters are of malleable iron half 

 an inch broad and 3 inches deep ; the 

 astragals are of zinc. 



Span-roofed vineries. — These are by no 

 means so common as they ought to be ; 

 although, perhaps, of all sorts of lean-to 

 houses, the vinery is the least objection- 

 able, as the vines are trained near to the 

 glass, and consequently their foliage is 

 placed in a proper position to enjoy the 

 full influence of the sun's rays. Instances 

 occur where the span-roofed form has 

 been long adopted — as, for example, at 

 Gunnersbury House, Baron Rothschild's. 

 This vinery we have occasionally seen for 

 the last thirty years, and have ever found 

 in it abundant crops and healthy trees. 



The section annexed, fig. 431, is a span- 

 roofed vinery, 60 feet in length and 25 

 feet wide, forming the centre of a range 

 of span-roofed houses. Ventilation is 

 effected by areas sunk under the level of 

 the borders at both sides a a, and co 

 vered at the top h, when the air is to be 

 excluded. The top ventilation is effected 



through the ridge, as explained at fig. 389 

 in section Ventilation. As this house 



Fig. 431. 



is large, the roof is composed of two 

 sashes, each alternate top one being made 

 to slide down over the lower in the usual 

 manner. The vines are planted outside, 

 and just behind the ventilating area, (this 

 being for a general crop,) and are brought 

 in under the front lower wall-plate, im- 

 mediately above the ventilation, and 

 trained under the glass as indicated by 

 the trellis studs. The sides are of upright 

 glass sashes, and may be opened and shut 

 in any of the ways already detailed. A 

 set of vines is planted at each side of the 

 house. Heating is effected by hot-water 

 pipes, four courses of which are placed at 

 each side — the boiler being placed in the 

 centre of the north end, and the door in 

 the centre of the south end. To obviate 

 treading on the borders" without, should 

 the house be so placed, the whole of the 

 covers to the area ventilators on each 

 side may be opened and shut from one 

 end, by having an iron rod extending the 

 whole length of the house, to which the 

 covers (of iron) are to be attached — the 

 rod having a lever handle, as described 

 in section Ventilation, by turning which, 

 the lids of the ventilators may be opened 

 or shut less or more as is required. Open 

 metallic grating footpaths, c c, are placed 

 parallel to the sides and ends ; or the 

 whole floor may be paved with flags, tiles, 

 gravel, or composition flooring. Four or 

 more air-drains may be carried under the 

 floor, as at d d, communicating with the 

 external air at both ends, and having 

 gratings placed over them every 6 or 8 

 feet. Additional ventilation may thus be 

 secured, and equally diffused throughout 

 the house. These drains are to be pro- 



