62 
BUILDINGS FOR HORTICULTURAL PURPOSES. 
other {Fig. 8), closed, to show the slates ; but 
the water in the tank may come direct from 
the boiler, in which case the circulation takes 
place in the boiler ; a partition, such as is 
shown (Fig. 9), facilitates the circulation 
Fig. 8. 
atmosphere of the house. In the manage- 
ment of these pipes, there is a choice of allow- 
greatly, though it would act without any par- 
tition, but the circulation would not be so 
direct or so complete. The adoption of a tank 
for bottom heat does not render the usual ones 
a bit less necessary for the regulation of the 
J: 
C: 
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Fig. 9. 
from the pipes, and after circulating in the 
tank, going out again through the returning 
ing the pipes to go through the tank and pipes : in this case, the tank would be thus : — 
hearing the tank water by those means, or the {Fig. 10.) Although only one pipe is repre- 
water may be fairly discharged into the tank I sented, it can be doubled and trebled without 
_^ 
Fig. 10. 
affecting the main plan, and the saving of 
tan in the pit will be a considerable object, 
especially in localities that require it to be 
drawn any distance, for the cartage is fre- 
quently a good deal more costly than the 
material itself. We should always set our 
faces against any of the complicated systems 
for heating houses. The more all operations 
can be simplified the better, and changes are 
always bad, if the plan in operation answers 
the purpose at all well. The construction of 
ordinary plant preservers, admits of great 
variety, because there may be every degree 
of heat and coolness ; from the brick-built pit 
that is without any means of heating, to the 
necessary heat for stove plants, and there is 
scarcely any description of erection upon 
which there is so much money wasted ; and 
this expenditure is often the result of collusion 
between interested persons. Builders too often 
induce those who can influence masters to 
have very useless things built, and it has been 
greatly encouraged by the garden newspapers, 
recommending one ridiculous contrivance after 
another, much to the disadvantage of the 
gardeners who have the management of the 
concerns, and who no sooner get used to the 
things they have, than they are called upon to 
adopt something else no better — perhaps no 
worse, but nevertheless not a little expensive. 
A range of pits three feet high at the back, 
and fifteen or eighteen inches high in front, 
six feet from back to front — the glass and 
wood-work of such a pit would be little ex- 
pense, for the glass ought to be small, and the 
whole might be comprised in a shilling a foot, 
or three pounds every ten feet of length : 
ranges of pits of this description {Fig. 11), 
will preserve heaths and hard-wooded plants, 
with good covering, against frost, without any 
Fig. 11. 
artificial heat, and they are the most useful of 
all the subsidiary buildings in a garden. If 
it be desirable, or necessary to preserve the 
surplus of stove plants, a single row of iron 
pipe, back and front, heated from any boiler, 
will answer the purpose ; and if to preserve 
orchideous plants, the only additional pre- 
caution required, will be to provide the moist 
atmosphere ; but a pit of this kind, without 
much moisture, will be excellent as a resting 
