DECEMBER. 
267 
on a sickly [?] Vine in a liouse at Chiswick, when there are none on the 
healthy ones. In this there is nothing remarkable, nor in the manner in 
which the roots grew. Such abnormal growth may happen more or less, 
according to the dampness of the house. And as to “ why had not this 
humidity induced this display of roots at an earlier period?” it is because 
there w T as a difference in the state of the weather, both outside and inside 
the house, at that time, and also much less shade of the leaves, which, 
above all things, tends to beget “ air roots.” Indeed these never appear 
without shade ; and that of the strong Vines might have overshadowed the 
weak one, and thus made it sickly also. But the person who had the care of 
the Vines should be the best judge of what I have just stated. Likewise, 
he may have remarked that there are seldom “ air roots ” on Vines in dry 
houses infested by the red spider, while in damp houses, kept so to check 
this pest, whether they be weak or strong, they are seldom without them. 
And again, he may have remembered how the stems of the strong Vines 
were situated, both as regards light and damp. This reminds me that some 
time back a correspondent of one of the garden newspapers, inquired with 
some alarm, the cause of roots on his Vines ; and he was answered I think 
by Mr. Fish, “ Your Vines are all right; go on with the moist heat.” 
Cossey Parle. J. Wighton. • 
THE PAXTON HOTHOUSES. 
Allusion has been made in our present volume to one form of patent 
hothouse—that invented by Mr. Beard. We now invite attention to 
another patented form of structure, for which the gardening world is 
indebted to the ingenuity of the late Sir Joseph Paxton, and which was 
contrived by him specially to secure, as it most amply does, the two great 
desiderata of cheapness and portability. These Paxton houses are manu¬ 
factured by Messrs. Hereman & Morton, and both their construction and 
adaptations are fully explained in a useful little handbook,* of which Mr. 
Plereman is the author# We cannot do better, in order to give our readers 
a clear idea of their simplicity, than to quote Mr. Hereman’s description, 
which, by his courtesy, we are also enabled to illustrate :— 
“ The patent roof is composed of strong sashes from 8 to 16 ft. long, by about 4 ft. 8 in. 
wide, so connected by iron bars as to leave a space of 9 in. between them for ventilation, 
which spaces are covered by narrow sashes (divided in halves) hinged to one side, thus 
forming ventilators alternately with the large sashes, and opening by means of a stay 
pushed up from the inside, either the upper half separately, or when joined by the catch to 
the lower half, as one long ventilator. This will be understood on reference to the figure, 
w’hich represents the upper-half ventilator open to full extent, and the lower-half closed ; the 
iron bar connecting large sashes (a) ; the stay (b), by which the ventilator can be opened 
quite wide, or with the smallest aperture on one side only; and the catch (c), for joining the 
two portions as one. These ventilators may be hinged on right and left sides alternately for 
lean-to roofs, to avoid the entrance of a direct current of air— i.e., when the wind is east 
opening those to the west, and vice versa; in span roofs they" are reversed on opposite sides 
of the house. It will be seen that the side stilts of sashes are continued 4 inches as horns to 
rest in the water gutter at the foot. The gutter (d), of wood or iron, continues from end to 
end of the roof, being supported by chairs or saddles ( e ) under ventilators, and at ends set 
upon piers or walls forming the foundation of the house. The dotted line under the open 
ventilator shows the course of a groove in the weather-board fitted under the cap, and down 
the upper edge of large sash stiles to conduct any drip from the ventilator or cap to the water 
* A Handbook of Vine and Fruit Tree Cultivation under Glass, with a Description of Sir 
Joseph Paxton's Hothouses. By Samuel Ilereman. 3rd edition. London : 7, Tall Mall, 
EaT, an 1 171, Fleet Street. 
