320 



FRUIT-HOUSES. 



which will be more economical in the 

 first erection, and save much breakage 

 of glass afterwards. The heating is to 

 be by hot-water pipes, the boiler being 

 placed in the centre of the house, and 

 within it, but under the level of the 

 footpath. The pipes are to rise from 

 thence and cross towards the front to 

 within 4 feet of the parapet wall, where 

 they will discharge themselves into a 

 cast-iron cistern, to which all the pipes, 

 both now and return, are to be attached, 

 and from whence they will branch off 

 to the right hand and to the left — three 

 upper or flow pipes, and two under or 

 return ones, as at/ The cistern is to be 

 cast with a broad margin, having a 

 quarter of an inch groove all round, 

 to receive the flange of the cover, which, 

 if let in, and the groove filled with water, 

 will make a good tight joint, and pre- 

 vent steam from entering the house. 

 Another object in using this cistern is, 

 that any of the pipes may be stopped at 

 pleasure, by introducing a wooden or 

 cork plug, which will stop the circulation, 

 and also the heat by conduction, which 

 no metallic stopper completely effects. 



The top ventilation, instead of escaping 

 by the opening of the ventilation at the 

 side, as is generally done, may be made 

 to do so above the top of the wall, in the 

 way shown in Mushet's vinery, fig. 413. 

 This latter would, perhaps, have a better 

 appearance. 



The pipes, g, shown along the footpath 

 are auxiliary ones, to be used in very 

 cold weather, or when a greater degree 

 of heat is required. They are laid side 

 by side, instead of being placed the one 

 over the other. They may also be wrought 

 at the same time with those in front; for 

 it is found to be better to have a great 

 heating surface of pipe heated moderately, 

 than a lesser quantity heated more. To 

 regulate the flow in these latter pipes, it 

 will be expedient to have a smaller cistern 

 attached to them on the same principle 

 as that in front, by which they can be 

 stopped when desired. 



A cistern, h, of rain water, collected 

 from the roof behind, is placed behind 

 the back wall, at the height shown in 

 section, to be supplied from that source 

 alone ; or it may be placed sufficiently 

 low to be supplied not only by that, but 

 by the rain which falls on the roof of the 



vinery also. This cistern will supply 

 the boiler and ' pipes, and, if made suffi- 

 ciently capacious, most of the water for 

 the use of the house also. 



The formation of vinery borders. — Many 

 opinions have been offered upon this 

 subject. The majority of gardeners, up 

 to a very recent period, advocated deep, 

 rich, or highly manured borders : some 

 insisted on the bottom being rendered 

 dry, while others disregarded this recom- 

 mendation ; some concreted the founda- 

 tion, while others paved it with tiles, 

 bricks, or pavement, all sufficiently joint- 

 ed and secured to form excellent bottoms 

 for tanks, and this often in soils quite 

 impervious to water. Modern cultivators 

 have adopted different views, and, instead 

 of deep and narrow borders, have made 

 them shallow, and increased their width 

 — instead of sinking them under the 

 natural surface, have elevated them 

 above it. A thoroughly drained border 

 is now considered " the first condition 

 requisite for success;" but there is more 

 than thorough draining the superfluous 

 moisture to be considered in this case. 

 " It is the air that takes the place of 

 water," says the editor of The Gardeners' 

 Chronicle, in a recent leading article in 

 that paper, " in a well drained soil, which 

 proves so beneficial to plants : it is 

 because air cannot reach the roots of 

 plants, when a border is water-logged, 

 that trees suffer. Roots require air as 

 well as leaves; and no mistake can be 

 greater than to suppose the contrary. 

 It is evident that if the cavities between 

 the particles of soil in a garden be filled 

 with water, air must be thence excluded : 

 they cannot both be present ; for the 

 quantity of air dissolved in stagnant 

 water is too inconsiderable to deserve 

 attention. It may be enough for the 

 maintenance of a rush or a horse-tail, but 

 not for a healthy garden plant, and least 

 of all for a vine, whose air-vessels are 

 perhaps the largest and most abundant 

 of any European tree. 



" When a vine border is drained it is 

 improved, not so much by the removal 

 of water as by the admission of air. But 

 the removal of superfluous water, and 

 the free access of air, have the additional 

 and very important effect of raising the 

 temperature of the soil. Air is a bad 

 conductor of heat, water a good one. A 



