332 



FRUIT-HOUSES. 



— the dimensions of which are 2 feet 

 6 inches long, 1 foot 6 inches wide, and 

 1 foot 8 inches deep, of an oblong square 

 form. There are two pipes, c c, attached 

 to each boiler — one near the top, and the 

 other at the bottom. The upper pipe is 

 round until it reaches the front of the 

 house, when it forms a square of 12 inches 

 broad by 4 inches in depth. The lower 

 pipe is circular, and 4 inches in diameter. 

 The pipes convey the water from the 

 boiler across the ends, and along the 

 front of the house, to the reservoirs, d d, 

 which are of the same dimensions as the 

 boilers, and are filled with water, flowing 

 from the boiler, as the pipes, reservoirs, 

 and boilers are placed all on the same 

 level, and filled about equally, within 

 half an inch of the top, so as to allow 

 room for circulating the heat regularly 

 from one end of the house to the other. 



" These houses, or compartments, are 

 capable of containing seventy fruiting 

 pine plants each. The atmosphere of the 

 house may be kept regularly from 60° to 

 65°, in the severest weather, without 

 consuming more than three-fourths of a 

 bushel of coals to each division, or a 

 bushel and a half to the two compart- 

 ments." Mr Forbes has heated these 

 houses from 75° to 80°, when the external 

 temperature fell to 28° of frost. " The 

 fermenting leaves in the pits also assist in 

 keeping up the temperature. The pipes, 

 boilers, and reservoirs in each contain 

 about 140 gallons of water. When the 

 fires are first lighted, the furnace and 

 water being then cold, it takes about an 

 hour to heat the water to 1 30° ; but when 

 it is once heated, after the first night, 

 it may be raised to the same temperature 

 in twenty minutes ; as, from the volume 

 contained in the apparatus, it will retain 

 its heat for nearly twenty-four hours, 

 consequently the water is about milk- 

 warm when the fires are lighted in the 

 afternoon. In the winter of 1829, the 

 self-registrating thermometer indicated 

 28° of frost two different nights that 

 season, which afforded ample means of 

 ascertaining the power of the hot water ; 

 and as both divisions of the pinery were 

 then at work, the fires were made up 

 both nights at five o'clock in the evening. 

 One of the compartments was regulated 

 at eight o'clock, at 70°, and the other at 

 60°. The dampers were then shut close, 



so as to confine the heat about the 

 boilers, and prevent it from escaping out 

 of the chimney, but no fresh fuel was 

 added after five in the evening. The 

 next morning, at eight o'clock, the divi- 

 sion that was left at 70° the previous 

 night had lost 10°, and the other that 

 was regulated at 60°, only 5°, during the 

 night. This lapse of fifteen hours, with- 

 out any fresh fuel being added, and that 

 when we had 28° of frost, is a sufficient 

 proof that the hot water has adequate 

 power to answer all horticultural pur- 

 poses in the most inclement season, when 

 the apparatus is properly constructed, 

 and is of a sufficient magnitude for 

 giving out caloric, according to the 

 size or area of the house which it is 

 intended to heat. The furnaces are 

 attended from the shed behind, in which 

 are also placed cisterns for supplying the 

 houses with water." 



These houses are very complete in their 

 general details. We would, however, in- 

 crease the number and size of both back 

 and front ventilators, and place the latter 

 lower down, so as to be opposite the hot- 

 water pipes, for reasons given in section 

 Ventilation, to obviate the necessity of 

 opening the doors in warm weather. 

 We would also dispense with the bed of 

 leaves, and employ a tank, to be heated 

 by merely taking a branch pipe, a few 

 inches in length, from the end ones, both 

 at bottom and top; and as we have 

 shown, in section Boilers and Pipes, the 

 inutility of square pipes, we would, were 

 a house to be built upon this principle, 

 substitute round ones. The reservoirs 

 may also be dispensed with, and a simple 

 bend substituted, as occupying less room, 

 and being furnished at less cost. 



It has been objected to this style of 

 house, that the front or parapet wall, 

 being of brick, looks heavy, and that 

 upright glass frames should be substi- 

 tuted. There is undoubtedly some truth 

 in this; but it should be taken into 

 consideration that Mr Atkinson had in 

 view only an economical structure, and 

 one at the same time sufficient for the 

 object in view, — and in this he succeeded 

 most completely. Glass fronts would no 

 doubt look lighter, but they would at 

 the same time entail a very consider- 

 able expense, and, except for appearance, 

 would be of no use whatever, as any one 



