PEACH-HOUSES. 



351 



curved trellis a is retained, as well as the 

 back wall b ; and under each rafter three 

 courses of wire c are attached, extending 

 from the top end of the rafter to the iron 

 upright d, to which branches are trained. 

 In addition to this, three courses of wire, 

 e, extend from end to end of the house, 

 to which also branches are trained. 



The old, and now almost obsolete, me- 

 thod of training peaches over the entire 

 roof is no doubt to a certain extent fa- 

 vourable for ripening, colouring, and fla- 

 vouring the fruit, but not to any greater 

 degree than the last two methods men- 

 tioned, where air, light, and sunshine can 

 reach every part ; nor will it be found by 

 calculation, that in either of the above 

 examples given is there a loss of surface, 

 but rather a very considerable gain. In 

 fitting up trellises for peaches, they should 

 invariably be made of iron or copper 

 wire, and kept as near to the glass as 

 shown in the above examples. 



Fig. 474 shows the end and part of the 

 front elevation of a very economical and 



full range 

 m - of peach- 



houses 

 recently 

 erected by 

 0. Tyndal 

 Bruce, 

 Esq. of 

 Falkland, 

 Fife shire. 

 They have 

 been plac- 

 ed against 

 an exist- 

 peach and 

 the case in 

 dis- 



with 



ing wall, well covered 

 nectarine trees ; but, as is 

 most parts of Scotland, frequent 

 appointments arose from the late spring 

 frosts cutting off the blossom, as well as 

 by the uncongenial autumns to which we 

 are exposed preventing the full matura- 

 tion of the buds and young wood at that 

 season. Since their erection, excellent 

 crops have been secured, and accommo- 

 dation found upon a table trellis in front, 

 for wintering a large stock of planting- 

 out things to furnish the splendid Italian 

 flower-garden at Nuthill, in the immedi- 

 ate vicinity, belonging also to Mr Bruce, 

 and of which our Plate XXIX. is an illus- 

 tration. These peach-houses are of wood, 

 13 feet high at the back, and 6 feet wide 



at the bottom. The sashes of the roof 

 are in two parts, placed on a parapet wall 

 18 inches in height, and resting on the 

 face of the wall behind. Ventilators are 

 placed in the parapet wall, one under 

 every sash, the whole being connected with 

 an iron axle which extends the length of 

 each division, and made to open and shut 

 simultaneously by means of a crank- 

 handle at the end of each section. Top 

 ventilation is effected by letting down the 

 top course of sashes in the usual manner. 

 The walls were originally heated by 

 smoke-flues, which still exist, and afford 

 all the artificial heat required, as the 

 crop is not required to be early ripened. 

 Had this range been constructed without 

 rafters and framed sashes, and made to 

 consist of one entire roof of glass and as- 

 tragals, with ventilators in the back wall 

 as shown at fig. 414, it would not have 

 cost half the money, and would have an- 

 swered the purpose as efficiently. As it 

 is, we think it an excellent and useful 

 range, and worth the attention of those 

 who wish either early or late fruit at little 

 expense. Of course, in the former case, a 

 range of hot-water pipes in front would 

 be a necessary improvement. 



Span-roofed peach-houses are by no means 

 a new feature in horticulture. So early as 

 1805, Loudon has figured and described 

 one that existed prior to that date in the 

 gardens at Dairy, in his work on " Im- 

 provements in Hothouses." Of his illustra- 

 tion the annexed, fig. 475, is a copy. 



Fig. 475. 



After remarking how well the peach is 

 adapted for being grown as a standard 

 under glass — in which opinion we most 

 cordially agree with him — he proceeds to 

 state the form best suited for this purpose. 



