396 



PLANT-HOUSES. 



view of this house. "The roof is sup- 

 ported by two rows of cast-iron pillars," 

 fig. 544, "one row along the front and 

 Fig. 544. 



end, as d, fig. 545, and the other along 

 the centre of the house, as c, fig. 544. 



Fig. 545. 



AT 



These pillars are placed 6| feet apart 



in the rows, and are each 3 inches in 

 diameter. The front ones are made hol- 

 low, so as to admit a leaden pipe which 

 carries off the water from the roof into a 

 drain laid in the gravel walk on the out- 

 side of the house : this entirely does away 

 with the appearance of a spout. At the 

 bottom of the iron pillars there are 

 sockets e, fig. 545, which are let into the 

 stone, and give the pillars firmness ; and 

 through this socket the pipe descends 

 into the drains." Instead of allowing the 

 water to run into the drains, we would 

 convey it into a tank or reservoir under 

 the house, or elsewhere, as we hold that 

 not a drop of rain water should be lost. 



Fig. 545 is the elevation of part of -the 

 front or movable doors, and above it, the 

 end of one of the pediments and bays of 

 the roof. 



"The elevation of the back wall is 

 13 feet 6 inches at the lowest part, and 

 15 feet at the highest part or ridge of 

 the angle : the height in front is 8 feet 

 6 inches to the valley, and 10 feet to the 

 ridge of the angle. The lights of the 



roof," fig. 

 546, "are 

 made fast, 

 and fixed 

 on angle 

 fashion ; — 

 each light 

 is 25 feet 



6 inches long. All the front and end 

 lights slide in a double groove, so that, 

 although there is no door, a person may 

 enter at any part of the house. 



" The centre row of pillars c, fig. 544, 

 are 2 feet 6 inches longer than the front 

 and end pillars; about 2 feet from the 

 bottom of each a small hole is left, i, 

 through which a screw passes, to fasten 

 the bearer which supports the centre 

 walk j. On the top of these pillars is 

 also fixed another iron support k, which 

 is formed to rise up to the ridge of each 

 angle : each of these arched supports has 

 at its ends small square parts which fix 

 in a hollow left at the top of each pillar ; 

 and, after being properly adjusted, they 

 are fastened by running a little melted 

 lead into the interstices. 



" In each valley of the angles two large 

 screws are inserted into the stiles of the 

 lights to fasten them firm. Air is ad- 

 mitted by sliding the front sashes, and 



