CA 
BUILDINGS FOR HORTICULTURAL PURPOSES. 
level (which is not so in one of twenty places), 
or as it were, propped to a level; again, the plan 
would be useless if the border had any other 
plants on it ; again, wooden frames for lights 
are rarely more than six feet from back to 
front, so that all above six feet high would be 
exposed. The plan may do on paper, but 
not in practice. The lights of pits are, for 
the most part, from seven to nine feet long; 
and in all gardens there should be as much 
uniformity in the size of the lights as possible. 
All wooden frames for hot-beds should be five 
and a half to six feet long, and three and a 
half wide. All pits should be from seven and 
a half to nine feet, by four, to four and a half 
wide ; but it saves immense trouble to have 
all the pit lights of the same dimensions ; 
they are more handy to stow away, it matters 
not where they are used, and it is proper 
always to have a few spare ones. In using 
these lights against a wall, no matter whether 
one or a dozen be required, the ends have 
simply to be matted to keep out the cold ; 
and whether there be six feet or sixty thus 
protected, there are but the two ends to mat. 
There are several considerations against using 
the wood framing; among these, the flat top 
being exposed, the rain will run in somewhere, 
for there is nothing to keep it out : in the 
next place, the glass is too far from the plants. 
The advantage of using the light only is that 
it can be placed nearly upright if necessary, 
or sloping out; and in very severe winters mats 
can be used all over them, and be easily kept 
in their places ; not so if they project like a 
frame. If it be proposed to have framing on 
purpose, why, we might as well build a green- 
house at once. Our diagram gives a very 
good idea of what we propose, both as to the 
coping and the glass ; a slate coping is all 
that need be put. This material is no weight 
for the wall, will easily fasten, and although 
much has been said for and against copings to 
walls, it is one of those instances of contro- 
versy in which one or both parties look but to 
one side of the question. One says the trees 
on a wall ought to have all the rain, and the 
coping is only good in winter ; but all things 
under artificial treatment require to be 
managed consistently all through. We all 
know Avails are a great protection to fruit- 
trees, as well as other plants ; but they have 
their evils as well as their benefit, unless we 
counteract them. The trees on a wall require 
the nourishment of the rains from which they 
are shielded, because when the wind is blowing 
from the back, the rain never touches them ; 
but if we, by artificial treatment, deprive a plant 
of any particular advantage, it is our business 
to supply it. Wall fruit-trees, under proper 
management, have the advantage of moisture 
over their foliage, when they want it only, 
and thus escape an excess of wet which those 
unprotected do not. This moisture is supplied 
by syringes, and not one gardener in two takes 
the trouble to give it them. Syringing is 
one of the most efficacious operations imagin- 
able; nothing keeps a plant so clear of vermin; 
nothing disturbs the pests of the walls so 
much. The fineness or coarseness of the 
holes through which the water is forced deter- 
mines the force with which it can be thrown 
against the trees. Before the buds open at all, 
it cannot be too strong, for the use of it then 
is to clean the stems, and wash out the dirt 
and vermin or eggs that may be behind them. 
When the growth is young and tender, it can 
hardly be too fine, for although driven with 
as much force as we can from the engine, 
there is no weight in such small particles to 
damage the young growth. Now the syring- 
ing under glass becomes still more necessary, 
so also does it under a coping, for as neither 
the rains sloping from the back, nor the down- 
right rains can reach the plant, it would lose 
the necessary moisture altogether, if not arti- 
ficially supplied. Pegs may be driven into the 
ground to prevent the light from slipping 
outwards, or a narrow board with a ledge 
for them to rest on, and when it is neces- 
sary to remove the lights, there will be no 
vestiges of the temporary protection remain- 
ing. The coping to the walls is found very 
beneficial to many half-hardy and tender 
climbing \ lants, and is never detrimental to 
anything. 
