378 



PLANT-HOUSES. 



able top, while the other, or stationary- 

 part, is attached to the cross arm by 

 means of two pulleys, and a double line 

 of chain attached to the sliding part, and 

 brought perpendicularly downwards to 

 the ground : the pulling down of the one 

 chain would draw up the sliding part of the 

 upright arm, and so elevate the movable 

 top to the height of 18 inches or more, 

 according to the length of the slide; 

 pulling the other chain would reverse 

 the action, and draw it down again to 

 its original position. Thus we would 

 have the means of opening the apex 

 of the roof to the extent of 4 feet in 

 diameter. It would be possible, by 

 another appliance, to bring the chains 

 down under one of the ribs of the top 

 dome, and from thence down one of the 

 upright columns that support it; but 

 the liability of this to become deranged 

 would be a much greater inconvenience 

 than having the double chain suspended 

 in the centre of the house. A structure 

 of this form and size would require to 

 have the means of ventilation at the top 

 of the under dome also. Here the diffi- 

 culty is much more easily got over, as 

 ventilators can be placed along the top 

 of the under dome, by uniting two, or 

 even three, astragals together at their top 

 ends, and filling in the opening thus 

 made with movable glass ; ventilators ; 

 and here they could be acted upon by 

 small chains or iron rods being attached 

 to them, and brought to within reach of 

 the floor, by the sides of the upright iron 

 columns of support. The internal arrange- 

 ment of such a house should be to have 

 a circular bed of equal diameter with the 

 upper dome, and in this the tallest grow- 

 ing plants should be set. This may be 

 divided through the centre by a pave- 

 ment passage opposite the doors, or it 

 may be divided into four quarters with 

 equal propriety. This bed should be 

 encompassed with a pavement or en- 

 caustic tile passage, not less than 4 feet 

 in breadth. Another passage of equal 

 breadth, and of the same material, should 

 be carried round the house parallel to 

 the upright sides, and be connected with 

 the inner one, either at two or four 

 points. There is no loss of space in 

 having broad passages in conservatories, 

 as the plants, when they become fully 

 developed, will require all the head-room 



that can be afforded them ; while a more 

 limited range to their roots will be an 

 advantage. As a matter of course, the 

 heating apparatus, &c, should be in a 

 vault under the house, so that no litter 

 or confusion may appear around or near 

 such a structure. The smoke in like 

 manner should be carried away at a con- 

 siderable distance. 



As an exemplification of a conserva- 

 tory with glass sides, we may refer to 

 the following figures, being a design pre- 

 pared by us lately for J. P. W. Butt, 

 Esq., of Grovefield, Gloucestershire, and 

 intended to form a wing to the man- 

 sion, which is in the same style as our 

 conservatory. The conservatory is 93 

 feet long, 16 feet high at the ridge, and 

 25^ feet in breadth. The whole stands on 

 a plinth of ashlar, ascended by three steps 

 of 8 inches each, as shown in the cross 

 section a a, fig. 514, rising from a gravel 

 terrace walk, 10 feet broad, which sur- 

 rounds the house on three sides. The 

 floor within is of polished Yorkshire pave- 

 ment, and is 41 feet broad around the 

 sides and ends of the house; while the 

 pavement around the centre or circular 

 bed is 2 feet 10 inches broad. As the 

 whole of the upright lights are movable, 

 each forms, when required, a means of 

 entrance; but the principal entrance is 

 through a vestibule or corridor, which 

 leads from one of the drawing-rooms. 

 This mode of entrance became necessary, 

 as it was deemed inexpedient to run the 

 conservatory in a straight line from that 

 room — as, by so doing, a great part of the 

 elevation of the mansion would have been 

 hidden; while, again, no other entrance 

 could have been got leading immediately 

 into the conservatory, as certain offices, 

 which could not have been well dispensed 

 with, come in immediate connection with 

 its end. We therefore designed the corridor, 

 which encloses the drawing-room window 

 without depriving the room of light. 

 This may be kept decorated with a stand 

 of plants in flower, which will at all times 

 be seen from the drawing-room, and, when 

 the glass door is open, will form, as it 

 were, a part of it. In passing from the 

 drawing-room through the corridor, we 

 enter the conservatory at a sliding door 

 of glass, hung on the suspension principle 

 in two parts — the one running back into 

 the wall, and the other behind the half 



