CONSERVATORIES. 



365 



square base, and are richly carved about 

 one-third of their height. These support 



Fig. 502. 





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the roof and also the entablature c, and the 

 richly-cut open parapet d over it. Behind 

 this parapet is the gutter for taking away 

 the rain water, which is conveyed in pipes 

 set in the centre of two of the pilasters, 

 perforated on purpose, into two large 

 stone cisterns in the cellar underneath. 

 The stone carving all over the interior of 



Fig. 



the house is equally rich with that with- 

 out. 



The roof is of wood, in angular sashes, 

 supported by unnecessarily heavy girders, 

 giving the interior a heavy and confused 

 appearance; and this, together with the 

 chimney rising from the centre of the 

 floor, although equally rich in stone 

 carving with the rest of the building, de- 

 stroys the internal effect. This will be 

 seen by a glance at fig. 503, which is a 

 cross section of the house. 



Had the roof been a simple dome, with- 

 out the apparently unnecessary trussing, 

 and the chimney omitted, the house would 

 have looked lighter, and in imagination 

 would have been larger. Architecturally 

 reasoning, however, the trussing and 

 chimney are in correct keeping with the 

 rest of the building. In the cross section 

 a is the chimney flue; b b the balance 

 weights by which the top lights are drawn 

 up and down; c c the position of the hot- 

 water pipes under the stone table, for 

 plants, which surrounds the house — (these 

 pipes are partially hidden by a very ela- 

 borate cast-iron trellis, in exactly the same 

 architectural style as the house ;) d d is the 

 cellar under the floor of the house, in 

 which are placed two furnaces and boilers, 

 as well as two large cisterns for holding 

 rain water. This cellar, although in reality 

 intended for the furnaces, and for giving 

 _ height to the building, is found valuable 

 for potting the plants, and keeping all 

 material, such as coal, ashes, mould, &c, 

 out of sight, and it is also used as a mush- 

 room house ; e e is a vaulted passage which 

 goes round the house, and communicates 

 at both ends with the cellar; //a broad 

 polished pavement walk which surrounds 

 the house, and is approached by flights of 

 steps, provided with highly cut hand-rails, 



503. 



