April 10, :-90. 1 
JOURXAL OF IIOnrWULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
200 
All who have the best experience agree that span-roofed houses are the 
best for Tomato culture. They may be built to almost any length (one 
house that I know of being 750 feet long by 14 feet high and 45 feet 
wide), it is a matter of question though that such large houses are ad¬ 
visable, as the attack of any disease means the probable infection of the 
whole stock, whereas in smaller houses it is not probable that more than 
one could be attacked at a time. For the sake of economy a large 
number of these houses that I have seen have been built without any 
side lights ; but there is no doubt that side lights are an advantage. 
Ample ventilation is most necessary, and toobtain this a roof light about 
•S feet deep at the apex on both sides, should open the whole length of 
the house ; the whole of the front lights on both sides should also be 
opened. These, as I have said before, should be worked in long lengths, 
as a saving of time and labour. The interior fittings of a Tomato house 
vary according to its size ; for small houses in which there is only room 
for one row of plants on each side, the roof should be wired horizontally, 
the wires being about 12 inches from the glass. In the larger houses no 
wires are necessary, the plants being placed in rows about 2 feet 
apart, each supported byastake. The heating apparatus should always be 
a powerful one, the number of pipes of course depending upon whether 
the house is for early or late Tomatoes. Pine houses are best span- 
roofed, of a low pitch ; side walls should be built about 3 feet high, and 
the roof placed upon them without any front lights. The ground inside 
the house should be excavated, to give sufficient head room, and a bed 
built in the centre for the Pines. Bottom heat should be provided by pipes 
under the bed, and top heat by pipes all round the outside walls. A few 
air bricks in the wall is all the side ventilation necessary, and a roof 
light on one side of the apex for top air. 
Melon and Cucumber houses can be either plain, span-roofed, or 
lean-to, of small size, with or without side lights. The interior arrange¬ 
ments should be a pit with bottom heat and a lid for opening on 
each side. A span-house with a path down the middle, or, in the case 
of a lean-to house a path along the back wall. The roof should be 
wired horizontally about 12 inches from the glass. 
Of plant and flower houses there are of course a great variety. The 
chief among these are Orchid houses, and the primary condition in 
construction is ensuring the full exposure of the plants to the light, 
with sufficient means at command to break the force of the sun in the 
hottest weather. Orchid houses should, if constructed of timber, be 
made only of the best seasoned material, put together in a thoroughly sub¬ 
stantial manner. The large amount of moisture in the atmosphere very 
soon shows up bad timber or workmanship. The houses may be either 
span-roofed or lean-to according to convenience. The aspect is not of 
very much importance, though span-roofed houses should for choice run 
west and south, and lean-to houses for tropical Orchids should face the 
south, and for cool Orchids the north. Houses of moderate breadth and 
height are best for most Orchids, but Cattleya and Lielia thrive best in 
lofty spacious houses. 
Ventilation in the front lights for Orchid houses is, as a rule, not 
required, a roof-light at the apex being generally sufficient. Ventilation 
in all cases should be provided through gratings in the front wall, with 
flaps to open and close as required, and the pipes should be placed in 
such a position as to allow the air to impinge upon them, thus 
obviating cold draughts on the plants. As moisture is a very impor¬ 
tant factor in the growth of Orchids means should be adopted for giving 
a plentiful supply. A very good method is by having a trench about 
18 inches deep in the centre of the path with a grating over, this trench 
to be kept filled with water. Vapour is given off by this means at a 
much lower temperature than by troughs on the pipes, and as the vapour 
should not be at a higher temperature than the atmosphere the advan¬ 
tage of this method is obvious. With regard to the staging for Orchid 
houses I think that slate slabs three-quarters of an inch thick sup¬ 
ported on bars is generally acknowledged to be the best. On this a 
layer of firm pebbles, spar, or shells is placed. These are kept con¬ 
stantly moist by syringing. Some place the pots directly on this 
layer of pebbles or whatever it may be, while in some instances a 
slight mould latticework is laid down, and the pots placed upon this. 
Any advantage though that may be obtained from this latter method is, 
I think, doubtful. 
The blinds to an Orchid house are an important matter, and there 
are really only two good w.ays for applying blinds. The first is by a 
stationary spring roller at the top of the roof, round which the blind 
itself is wound ; the second is by a roller, running up and down with 
the blind. These should be in as long lengths as possible by strong 
cords and pulleys, which if properly schemed can be linked either 
from the inside or outside the house, and with the greatest ease. 
The materials used arc sail cloth for very heavy shading, and screen 
cloth or tiffany for lighter work. The stuff should be thoroughly 
soaked in a solution of corrosive sublimate before being fixed ; this will 
protect the material both from insects and the effects of damp. 
Ordinary greenhouses, either span-roofed or lean-to, fitted with 
either iron and slate or wood lath stages, usually answer for the bulk of 
flowers and plants not included in those I have previously mentioned, 
and 1 do not think I need go into any details of this class. The remarks 
I have previously passed as to construction will apply to these. Finall.y, 
all horticultural buildings should be prepared and fitted at the works 
ready for erection, and painted two coats of good oil paint before being 
sent away, and the joints when fixing put together with red and white 
lead. A very large trade is done by several firms in what are called 
amateurs’ greenhouses. These answer their purpose admirably provided 
they are kept as greenhouses, but a very frequent cause of failure is 
that some people when building a greenhouse not only think they can 
grow ordinary plants and flowers, but attempt to make one end of it a 
stove, and very probably try Vines on the roof. Compound houses are 
a mistake, and if only one house is put up the first thing to decide is 
what is to be grown in that house, and if more than one class of plants 
or fruits is desired more than one house must be erected. 
Events op the Week. —The chief horticultural event of the 
coming week will be the Daffodil Exhibition and Conference, to be held 
in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens, Chiswick, on April 15th, 
16th, 17th, and 18th. An extensive display of Daffodils is expected, 
and much interest will be itoparted to the meeting by the papers to be 
read by various authorities, particulars of which appear in another 
column. With regard to the Scientific Society meetings, the Quekett 
Club meet on the 11th inst., at 8 p.m. ; the Royal Botanic Society, on 
the 12th inst., at 3.45 P.M. ; the Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30 P.M. 
on April 14th ; the Society of Arts, at 8 p.m., on April 16th ; and the 
Royal Meteorological Society, at 7 p.m. on the same date. 
- Communications.—O wing to the pressure incident to the 
season (Eastertide) some communications with which we have been 
favoured cannot be inserted this week. 
- Proposed Hall of Horticulture.—W e are informed that 
the amount promised for this most desirable object is little short of 
£10,000. This is chiefly by amateurs, and an appeal, which we are 
bound to regard as a most reasonable one, is now being made to persons 
who are. engaged in trades intimately connected with horticulture, and 
on the result of that appeal will largely depend the success of the 
project. There cannot be a doubt that the tendency of an important 
central hall of the nature suggested in the greatest commercial city in 
the world would be in the direction of trade development, because it 
would be an incentive to an increasing number of the wealthier portion 
of the community to engage in horticultural pursuits. It is hoped that 
there will be a good attendance of nurserymen, seedsmen, horticultural 
builders, engineers, and others, not of London only, but from the pro¬ 
vinces, at a meeting to which they are invited to attend at 1.30 on the 
22nd inst. at 117, Victoria Street, Westminster. 
-The Weather in the South during the past week has not 
been marked by any special characteristics. The N.E. winds prevailed 
the greater part of the time, but on Sunday there was a change to a 
westerly direction with rain ; but on Monday the former direction was 
renewed, and on Tuesday there were several storms of snow, hail, sleet, 
and rain. Fruit trees are expanding their flowers. Pears and Plums 
especially, and in a day or two will be at their best. Peach trees on 
walls have flowered well in several cases, and there is promise of fair 
crops. 
- The Weather in the North.—M arch 31st to April 7th. 
On three nights of the week frosts of 3° were registered, with heavy 
hoar frosts. Early planted Cauliflower, Pear blossom, and the blooms 
of Rhododendrons have suffered considerably. As a rule the days have 
been extremely fine, with bright sunshine. A cold wind from the north- 
