392 



PLANT-HOUSES. 



wick, both in Yorkshire. We have had 

 opportunities of seeing both, and consider 

 them well adapted to the object in view. 

 We only regret that in both cases the 

 north or back wall exists : had that side 

 presented the same elevation as the front, 

 these houses would have been quite a 

 different thing. Local difficulties, how- 

 ever, occurred in both cases, as they form 

 the centre to very neat ranges of forcing- 

 houses. The roofs are of wrought iron 

 sash-bar, but being erected before the 

 repeal of the duty on glass, they have 

 rather a crowded appearance, being made 

 close together, with a view to economise 

 glass. The entablature over the front 

 windows is unnecessarily deep, creating 

 shade, and giving a heavy appearance ; 

 but these are matters easily rectified, as 

 well as removing the back wall and sub- 

 stituting glass instead, exactly similar to 

 that in front. The internal arrangement 

 would then become a curvilineal or trian- 

 gular stage, instead of the present lean-to 

 one. 



The annexed diagram, fig. 536, exhibits 

 a most economical and commodious struc- 



Fig. 536. 



ture, deserving the attention both of nur- 

 serymen and those having many small 

 plants to winter, for bedding-out in sum- 

 mer, &c. On the floor a, fuchsias, hydran- 

 gias, and other deciduous plants, may be 

 wintered, as well as bulbs in a dormant 

 state laid on their sides to keep them dry. 

 On the principal platform b, camellias, 

 oranges, magnolias, and such plants as do 

 not require a direct light, may be grown. 

 On c, which is a broad shelf suspended 

 from the roof, geraniums, petunias, heaths, 

 verbenas, &c, may be placed, as well as 

 on the two side-shelves d d, and other 

 plants on the side-tables e e, under which 

 the flues or hot-water pipes are to be 

 placed. Ventilation is to be effected by 

 openings in the ridge /, and also at the 



sides g g, by wooden box ventilators built 

 in the side walls, opening immediately 

 upon the pipes or flues, so that the air 

 may be warmed before reaching the 

 plants during winter and cold weather; 

 and in summer, when an increase of ven- 

 tilation is required, by opening the upper 

 ventilators h h, also built in the wall. 

 No side-lights being required, the whole 

 might be erected at little cost. One of 

 the advantages of span-roofed greenhouses 

 is, that the plants present a greater sur- 

 face of leaves and branches to the light, 

 whether they are arranged on a triangular 

 stage in the centre, or set on tables along 

 both sides of the house. In the former of 

 these cases, one side of each plant is, how- 

 ever, less favourably situated in regard to 

 light and air than the other ; the whole 

 mass also presents a formal appearance. 

 To obviate this, an alteration of the 

 stages may be made, which will give a 

 much larger surface of foliage, admit the 

 air more freely around them, and increase 

 the means of both viewing and reaching 

 them considerably. The following method 

 may be adopted to secure this : triangular 

 stages, or flat tables, occupy the centre of 

 the house, separated from each other by 

 a 3-feet walk ; between, and in front of 

 these, smaller triangular stages or tables 

 are placed on both sides, on which single 

 extra fine specimens may be set, or groups 

 of plants in flower. The entrance, as it 

 should be in all span-roofed houses, is 

 placed at the end — and as each side of the 

 arrangement is complete, it matters not 

 to which hand the visitor turns. The 

 ridge is supported by iron columns, set on 

 stone blocks in the middle of the floor, 

 and passing up through the centre of the 

 larger stages, and to which an inverted 

 arch of rod-iron is attached at its apex, 

 the ends extending towards the roof, and 

 completely tying it together, as well as 

 giving support to it at or near the middle 

 of each side. These stages should be of 

 cast-iron or wood. The latter is the best, 

 although not in this case the most 

 durable, on account of the drainage from 

 the pots keeping it damp; but, on the 

 other hand, it is not so cold in winter, 

 nor so hot in summer. A free circulation 

 of air, provided the ventilators are pro- 

 perly placed, will pass round the plants 

 upon such stages, which would not be if 

 they were solid. Lean-to houses may be 



