352 



FRUIT-HOUSES. 



His remarks on this we are here induced 

 to transcribe, were it for no other purpose 

 than to show how completely the span- 

 roofed peach-house of 1800 accords with 

 that of 1 85 1 . We shall use his own words. 

 The first thing requisite is, that the house 

 shall be glass on all sides, in order to admit 

 light to every side of the trees. 



" That this may be best effected, it 

 follows that the house should be made 

 of an oblong form, and placed south and 

 north, and that the trees should be 

 planted along the middle of the house." 



" The next thing is, that the side or 

 upright glasses should be made as high 

 as possible, in order that the trees may 

 not be cramped or compressed." 



" This naturally reminds us that the 

 house should be of a considerable height— 

 at least 12 or 14 feet." 



This, of course, is to be understood 

 under the ridge. 



" In order that no ground in the 

 house may be lost, it seems preferable 

 to plant dwarf trees, that they may fill 

 the house with branches regularly from 

 the ground to the roof." 



All that is wanted in the house above 

 figured is the use of hot-water pipes 

 instead of flues, and our mode of ventila- 

 tion at the ridge. 



Fig. 476 is a section of another span- 

 roofed peach-house. This house is 60 feet 

 Fig. 476. 



long and 15 feet in width. It is intended 

 for a principal summer crop, and is venti- 

 lated by openings in the side wall 2 feet 

 long and 10 inches wide in the clear. 

 These openings are placed opposite the 

 hot- water pipes, but the side sashes may 

 be opened also in mild weather. The top 

 ventilation is as already described in 

 section Ventilation. The trees are 



planted as usual inside, and may be 

 trained as standards, or to a trellis over 

 the whole roof. The roof is fixed. 



Of the advantages of span-roofed 

 houses for peaches, there can be but 

 one opinion. Prejudice has, however, to 

 be got rid of ; and this, as in all other 

 cases, must ultimately give way to 

 reason. In such houses peaches might 

 be advantageously grown in large pots 

 or boxes, and thus a long season of fruit 

 might be obtained at little extra trouble 

 or expense. 



The best mode of training in a span- 

 roofed house is unquestionably that of 

 standards — one row of taller trees along 

 the middle, and a row of dwarfer ones 

 along both sides. 



The annexed, fig. 477, is an internal per- 

 spective view of Crosskill's (of Beverley) 



peach-house, as exemplified at Evering- 

 ham Hall, Sunderland wick, and elsewhere. 

 The trees are trained over the whole of 

 the back wall, and another set to a 

 curved trellis occupying the front of 

 the house. Gable trellises might be 

 introduced into this house, under each 

 alternate rafter, with advantage, or a 

 branch might be trained under each 

 rafter in the manner of vines, and 

 upright shoots might be trained to iron 

 rods rising from the back of the front 

 trellis, and attached to the rafters. In 

 either of the two last ways a considerable 

 addition of training space would be 

 secured, and the fruit produced on either 

 would be superior to any in the house, 

 being better exposed to light and air. 

 The front parapet of these houses is of 



