386 



PLANT-HOUSES. 



such cases, for the purpose of containing 

 the weights by which the sashes are sus- 

 pended. The sashes all round are in 

 two parts, for the purpose of being drawn 

 up or down for ventilation, the doors 

 being at each end. The roof is also com- 

 posed of two sashes on each side, the 

 top ones movable for ventilation ; and 

 to take off the appearance of the eaves, a 

 latticed parapet is carried up to hide the 

 gutter, and shorten the apparent length 

 of the roof, as well as to give height to 

 the elevation. The water from the roof 

 is conveyed to a cistern at each end under 

 the floor, through a pipe enclosed in each 

 corner pilaster. Such a house should 

 stand clear of all other buildings, say on 

 a lawn, or in the shrubbery, and conse- 

 quently no chimney should be seen — the 

 smoke being conveyed to a distance in a 

 flue surrounded with a water-tight drain, 

 and terminating in an ornamental vase, 

 or in a hidden chimney amongst the 

 shrubs. As little fire heat is required for 

 a greenhouse, and that only in winter, 

 the smoke will cause little or no incon- 

 venience. The stoke-hole, boiler, and 

 furnace should be in a 

 small vault underneath 

 the floor, and reached by 

 means of a movable grat- 

 ing, close to the plinth on 

 which the structure stands. 

 The hot-water pipes are 

 placed under the stage, 

 making one turn only 

 round the area of the stage ; 

 or they may be placed 

 under the side tables, 

 which ought to be of iron 

 grating. The floor should 

 be paved with polished 

 pavement or ornamental tiles, excepting 

 under the stage, which should be 2 or 3 feet 

 deep of broken stones, and finished at top 

 with clean river or sea gravel, for the 

 absorption of the spilt water from the 

 pots. The roof may be constructed 

 either as represented, or in one piece 

 without rafters, and top ventilation 

 attained by an opening in the ridge, as 

 shown in section Ventilation. The stage 

 should be of cast-iron grating, or timber, 

 but not of stone, which latter would pre- 

 vent the ascent of the heat from the pipes. 

 Besides, although stone and slate are both 

 elegant and durable, still they prevent 



a due admission of air to the bottom of 

 the pots, unless the latter are made dif- 

 ferent from those in ordinary use. — (For 

 improved flower-pots, vide section Flower- 

 pots, vol. ii.) 



The ends of all span-roofed houses, if 

 wide, should not be less than three-sided 

 — that is, half a hexagon : if more, so 

 much the better. The square end and 



Fig. 523. 



pavilion roof look too heavy, and will be 

 much relieved in appearance if constructed 

 as in ground-plan, fig. 523, of which fig. 

 524 is the elevation. 



When the entrance is from the centre 

 Fig. 524. 



on 



o o 



DDI 



of the ends, the plant stages may be ar- 

 ranged as in the annexed fig. 525, — a a 

 being two circular stages opposite the 



Fig. 525. 



entrance ; b a fountain or plant table, on 

 which some of the finer specimens may 



