100 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. May 13. 
the north side. Matters would have been different but 
I for your high east wall. With the house east and west, 
growing plants could be kept on the stage on the south 
side, and blooming ones, where continuance of bloom 
was desirable, on the north side. In the contemplated 
arrangement, the house standing north and south, plants 
to be kept long in bloom will require to stand upon the 
east shady side. 
2nd. Is the inclination of the roof sufficient? Per¬ 
fectly so; but I would prefer the ridge a foot higher, 
and then, in dull or frosty weather, there will be less 
likelihood of drip falling on the plants, for a flat roof in 
winter, in frosty weather, is little better than a shower- 
bath. 
3rd. But would not the stage then require to be 
raised, as, even now, it is 5ft. 9iu. from the glass ? Just 
! according to the size of the plants you wish to grow. 
But supposing you wished nice bushy-headed plants, 
why, even with your present height, I would raise it 
eighteen inches higher, and so much more in propor¬ 
tion, that your plants might be nearer the sloping-roof. 
' Nay, with your proposed plan of having opaque walls, 
in the shape of nine-inch hollow bricks, for the sides of 
; your house, I would make a complete change in your 
stage-work. Why have a stage at all of three shelves at 
the sides ? I should not so much mind at the north 
end; it might keep a few things in bloom. With your 
opaque walls, the light these side stages would receive 
would be chiefly from the south end; what'came from 
the roof would be feeble indeed before it got to the 
lowest shelf, 1ft. 9in. from the ground, and those highest 
would be in the same predicament, except those suffi¬ 
ciently near the south end, where the light would exert 
a sufficient force. The rest, farther back on these side 
stages, would be drawn and spindly, and always pointing 
their beads one way. We would, even upon the present 
arrangement, prefer a platform to a stage, as giving the 
plants more justice, and entailing far less trouble and 
expense in the construction. But we would prefer no 
stage or shelf whatever on the side; we would have a 
border, one foot in width, next the walls all round, 
except, perhaps, on the south end, where there might 
be a small platform. In this border we would plant 
climbers, geraniums , acacia armata, camellias, oranges, 
&c., to cover the wall; and with three-feet-wide paths 
close to the border, we should thus be enabled to add 
three feet to the width of the central stage, which might 
be appropriated to an additional shelf on each side, or 
widening the two on each side and the central one 
i already there. I advise this strongly under present 
| premises. But if you would make your contemplated 
\ brick eastern and western walls into glass, at the height 
of three feet from the ground—and I presume it will 
cost no great deal more than brick, and always look 
much lighter and neater—then I would follow out your 
contemplated arrangements, only I would have a broad 
shelf or platform at the sides instead of a stage; that 
shelf being about 2ft. bin. from the ground, and the 
lower shelf of the central stage six inches higher, unless 
very tall plants were desirable. If I made an alteration, 
it would be to reduce your side platform from 21't. Gin. 
to 2ft., and thus one foot could be added to the central 
stage. 
| 4th. Heating. —The one four-inch pipe round the 
house will be sufficient with your present opaque walls. 
1 It would hardly be sufficient without using shutters in 
| very severe weather, if you had glass at the sides. In 
sinking at the doors, you must use an open air-pipe there, 
or the air will accumulate and stop the circulation. With 
i glass on the sides you would require two four-inch pipes 
to keep a good heat when desirable, though two three- 
i inch will be safe. Under your present plan, ono pipe 
will be sufficient, with a foot or fifteen-inch border. As 
i proposed, the pipe may go there as indicated, and you 
might have a shelf of that width above it for setting 
fancy plants in bloom upon. Without side glass, and 
your stage widened thus from two to three feet, the ono 
pipe might go round just inside the base line of the 
stage, and thus sinking at the doorways would bo 
avoided. With one or two bends in the pipe, the boiler 
may be placed low enough to enable the pipe to pass 
beneath the floor at the north-west corner, then it should 
slightly rise to the extreme end, and thence fall again to 
the boiler. At the highest point of the pipe, a tin or 
iron tube should be inserted, four or five feet in length, 
and may be fastened with its open end turned down¬ 
wards any where, as upon the stage. This will prevent I 
air being compressed between two bodies of water, and 
the circulation will be rapid, and the heating effectual, 
while the expense and trouble of sinking at the doors 
will be avoided. These remarks will be found to apply 
to several enquirers, though chiefly applicable to one. 
Pits. —The plan given at page 5G of vol. iv., in which a 
cylinder of sheet-iron forms the stove, which lias copper 
pipes passing through its sides, and these joined to lead 
pipes which pass to, and return from a tank, will, wo 
have no doubt, answer well, if properly managed. The 
great thing is to regulate draught, so as to have as much 
heat as possible, and no bad air. For any large work, 
such as a number of lights to heat instead of a few, we 
would prefer a double cylinder on the same principle, 
with water between them, and pipes fixed in the usual 
way. I can only answer a few questions at present. 
1. Coke may be burned as well as charcoal, but it will 
be troublesome from the clinkers it forms. 
2. You may cover the whole of the pit with tan, leav¬ 
ing the pipe standing up from the tank uncovered. 
3. The box within the pipes would not retain the heat 
so long as the bed filled with tan right across. 
4. You might dispense with all fermenting material, 
provided your pipes were large enough to give out suffi¬ 
cient heat, by forming a chamber over the tank and 
pipes, and then covering with rough material, and ashes 
or sand; but what would be better is sweet tan, as its 
decomposition would assist the cuttings. But I fear 
your lead pipes would hardly be sufficient for this. 
5. There must always be enough of water in the tank 
to supply the connecting pipes. R. Fish. 
VARIOUS STOVE PLANTS GROWN AS 
SPECIMENS. 
The Acliimenes have been lately treated upon, and 
directions given bow to grow them as large specimens. 
There are several other stove plants that are worthy of 
being so grown. We are certain that a collection of a 
few large fine plants have a much better effect than a 
large number of small plants crowded together, or even 
at moderate distances from each other. A great number 
of our readers have, no doubt, had opportunities now 
and then of visiting some one or other of the metropoli¬ 
tan exhibitions, and must have been surprised at the 
magnitude and splendour of the specimens of stove plants 
exhibited. Now, there is no reason why they should 
not at least try to grow such fine plants in their own 
stoves. We can assure them, from personal experi¬ 
ence, that a considerable number of the plants exhibited 
are, with few exceptions, grown under many difficulties, 
such as want of space, want of assistance, and other 
means necessary to produce them. The man of perse¬ 
verance, industry, and the diligent application of various 
expedients, accomplishes the desired end in spite of 
extreme disadvantages. We know that most of the 
successful exhibitors purchase new plants out of their 
own pockets, cultivate them in their leisure time, that 
is, before and after the regular work-hours, and with a 
very slight addition to the regular cost of materials. 
