The Carden Magazine, November, 1920 
159 
BUILT IN WASHINGTON’S TIME FOR GROWING ROSES 
On the Lyman estate at Waltham, Mass., this historic greenhouse may still be 
seen. It is heated by flues, and is, in fact, little more than a gigantic frame 
is a large one, has been in the Lyman family ever since, 
and is unusually interesting in many ways. The first Lyman 
brought his household goods to his new home in an ox cart, and 
the place has never been without oxen since. A fine yoke of 
these animals is even now used for getting in the hay and doing 
other heavy jobs around the farm. 
Mr. Lyman was greatly interested in horticulture, and coming 
from an English family naturally had many old world ideas. 
He laid out the estate on ample lines, with a deer park, and 
erected a long brick wall for growing peaches in the English 
fashion. He was a warm friend of Gen. George Washington, 
who personally aided him in laying out the walks on the new 
estate. 
Not many years after constructing the rose-house, Mr. Lyman 
put up a grape-house, which is also still in existence, and without 
much doubt is the oldest grapery in the country. Black Ham- 
burgs and Muscats have been growing there for more than a 
hundred years. The building was heated by an elaborate sys- 
tem of flues, and while the flues themselves have been removed, 
FACTS 
— The fertilizing value of manure runs in this order: Poultry, 
sheep, pig, horse, and cow. 
The manure of sheep is generally richer and dryer than that 
from any other domestic animal, except poultry. It early fer- 
ments and is quick-acting. 
— In sheep and hog manure the excess of nitrogen is greater 
than in horse manure. The excess in cow manure is little less 
than it is in horse manure. 
the fire boxes in the deep basement are still intact. There are 
a dozen of these fire boxes, which resemble old fashioned Dutch 
ovens, and the flues connecting them formerly extended all 
through the rear wall, which was made of brick and stone. Of 
course wood was the only fuel. Once a day a roaring blaze was 
made in each of the twelve fire pits, and the heat ascending 
warmed the entire wall. After a few hours the fires were al- 
lowed to go out, but the bricks held the heat until the next day. 
It is easy to see that the man who had the job of preparing wood 
for these twelve heaters and keeping the big brick walls hot had 
no easy task. 
1 am sure there is no place in the country where so interesting 
a study can be made of old fashioned methods of greenhouse 
work, laborious and crude compared with the methods prevail- 
ing in modern houses of the approved type. 
The present head gardener, Mr. G. E. Stewart, has a great 
liking for historical matters, finding delight in preserving the 
old fashioned greenhouses just as they were in the days when 
Washington picked the Roses and ate the Grapes. 
— In phosphoric acid and potash, hen manure is three times 
richer than pig manure, seven times stronger than cow manure, 
five times better than sheep manure, and twice as rich as stable 
manure. 
— The compost heap is practically the turning of rubbish into 
a veritable gold mine. Weeds, leaves, lawn mowings, refuse 
from the house, garbage, feathers, old worn-out shoes, soapy 
water, bones, woolen rags, wood ashes, lime, plaster, etc., can 
all be composted and eventually afford one of the best manures. 
FOR READY REFERENCE 
