348 FRUIT-HOUSES. 



very much used in Scotland about fifty ing very useful houses. Fig. 469 is an ex- 

 years ago ; and certainly, if heated by hot ample of his style, which was executed for 

 water, and ventilated the Duke of Bedford, at Woburn Abbey. 

 J upon modern prin- It is thus described by Mr Forbes, in 

 | ciples, it is one which " Hortus Woburnensis,"— " The range of 

 j would be found useful peach-houses here is placed at an angle of 

 | for early forcing, and 30°, and is 102 feet long, and divided into 

 | where small houses are three different lengths ; the middle division, 

 | required. These houses intended for the earliest forcing, is 28 feet 

 | were, however, badly long ; the end compartments are 35 and 

 | ventilated, the toplights 39 feet long; the width of the house is 12 

 | being never moved un- feet in the clear ; and the height of the 

 less at the season of back wall is 10 feet from the floor-level to 

 stripping the glass off the house, already the top of the rafter. The front sashes 

 alluded to. The only means, therefore, of and parapet wall are 3 feet 9 inches from 

 giving air was by allowing the front lights the ground-level to the top of the spout, 

 to slide down either to the ground, or or water-gutter. The spout serves both 

 less, as desired, by suspending them upon as a plate for the support of the rafters, 

 iron pins passing through an eyed screw and also for conveying the water that 

 in the side rail of the sash, and into holes falls on the roof." We should here ob- 

 pierced 2 or 3 inches apart in the rafter, serve that these houses are metallic, so 

 The air, therefore, came in at about a foot far as plates and rafters are concerned, 

 from the top of the house ; but no thorough " There are also small piers of brickwork 

 ventilation could take place, as there was carried up from the foundation of the front 

 no other opening for the exit of the heated wall, for the support of the table trellising, 

 or impure air. In such houses we have, which springs from within 12 inches of 

 however, seen splendid crops of fruit. the wall : this space is reserved for the 

 Mr John Hay, and others, projected planting of the trees within the houses, 

 and carried into effect peach-houses of Their roots extend under the arches of 

 quite a different character. They carried the parapet wall, to the exterior border, 

 the fronts perpendicularly up to 4 or 5, which is raised about 1 foot above the 

 and, in some cases, G feet of parapet and level of the adjoining ground. The hot- 

 glass, and the back walls to the height of water pipes, b b, are also supported on 

 15 or 18 feet. Such houses were, and pillars, and run parallel to the front wall, 

 still are, very excellent for late crops; but at 2 feet distance, under the table trellis- 

 for early forcing they are far inferior to ing, to the extremity of the compartment, 

 some of those noticed above. The boiler a is placed in a niche in the 



The late Mr Atkinson adopted an inter- back wall, and is attended from the sheds 

 mediate size, and succeeded in construct- behind, where the furnace is supplied with 



fuel. The back trellising springs from 

 within 9 inches of the back wall, and goes 

 up in a sloping position, as shown in the 

 section — the whole trellis being composed 

 of iron rods, and the meshes left about 6 

 inches wide. The roof, ends, and front 

 lights of these houses are all constructed 

 with cast-iron rafters and wall-plates ; the 

 sashes with wooden frames and copper 

 bars, and glazed with crown glass — by 

 which, in a roof of this kind, more sun 

 and light are admitted in March, when 

 they are so essential to early forcing, than 

 one composed of wood will admit in April." 

 Such is Mr Forbes's opinion. 



"A peach-house for the earliest for- 

 cing," Nicol says, " to be heated by one 

 fire, acting either by smoke-flues, or by 



