CUCUMBER AND MELON HOUSES. 



465 



strengthen the roof. Both borders are bottom is supported on pavement, in 

 supported on brick walls, which also which provision is made for the necessary 

 form the sides of the beds, while the drainage of the compost. Along the 



Fig. 658 



front is placed a neat stone shelf, sup- 

 ported on iron columns, under which 

 a flow and return pipe is placed; and upon 

 this shelf, strawberries, French beans, &c. 

 are grown. The floors of the passages, 

 like all those in these gardens, are paved 

 with stone pavement. Ventilation is 

 carefully provided for by opening the 

 roof sashes at top, the cold air descending 

 to the back passage at b, entering through 

 apertures formed, by using air-bricks, in 

 the side walls of the pits at a a, and cir- 

 culating completely through, under, and 

 around them, and escaping at c. Ven- 

 tilators are placed in the front wall at 

 regular distances opposite the two front 

 hot-water pipes. These houses are 72 feet 

 6 inches in length, 17 feet in breadth, 

 and 8 feet 3 inches in height from passage 

 to under side of ridge. These dimensions 

 will serve as a scale to the other parts. 

 Upon the whole, these are the most com- 

 plete cucumber-houses we have seen. 



In all hothouses there is a want of ven- 

 tilation near the floor ; and until means 

 are devised to remedy this, purity of 



VOL. I. 



atmosphere within cannot be looked for. 

 This defect is most obvious in melon and 

 cucumber houses, pine-stoves, &c, where 

 a great portion of the floor is occupied 

 with tan or other beds, below and around 

 which no circulation of air takes place. 

 The annexed figure, 659, will show how 



Fig. 659, 



r 



the circulation throughout all parts of a 

 house or pit may be effected. The tank 

 a is elevated upon cast-iron pillars, and 

 is, with the sides and ends of the bed d d, 

 all formed of plates of cast-iron. The 



3n 



