March 30. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
407 
that no person, as far as I am aware, has ever gone into 
the question in earnest. 
The whole gardening world knows that their attention 
was strongly invited to what the French call “ Cloches,” 
about a year or two since. As I do not like to be 
in the rear of any question of importance, I set to work 
anew as to the hand-glass subject, to see if (unfettered 
by the idea of what had been done) I could by any 
means suggest progress. I certainly have nothing very 
new to offer; but my examination of that subject has not 
been, I trust, without some use. 
Knowing that the Messrs. Pilkington, of those enor¬ 
mous glass-works situate at St. Helen’s, Lancashire, 
were of that class of dealers who earnestly desire pro 
the latter must, of course, end in promoting a circulation, 
or even a slight degree of motion. 
Now, it is well known, that in the old-fashioned glasses 
these proceedings were mostly accomplished by “ tilting” 
them up at the bottom by a brick, or otherwise; and 
that this was a rather tedious proceeding if it happened 
to fall to the lot of a dawdling fellow, and many a pane 
has been shaken out or cracked by such incomplete 
machinery, when a daily performance. In considering 
this hand-glass question, it is absolutely necessary to 
take into consideration the fact, that in the majority of 
cases, such is the character of the ordinary hob-nail or 
wooden-clog labourer in country gardens—persons who 
perform such duties—are apt to be neglectful; and it is 
gress, not only on account of profit, but'an emulous j really necessary, in all ordinary gardening, so to plan 
desire to “ go a head,” I wrote to the firm, respect- j such things as to put it out of the power of awkward 
fully drawing their attention to this affair about the 1 or neglectful workmen to do mischief. To return, then, 
« Cloches .” I must here confess, that not knowing any 1 to the brick tilting. I, for one, must protest against the 
of them, I took the credit assigned to their estab- <3aily practice, believing that much better plans can be 
lishment “ on tick;” or, in other words, I was prepared devised. As to letting the heat escape, the tilt-up at | 
to believe they were first-rate tradesmen; and I have j bottom is by no means an efficient plan; it is a most 
never met with any reason to doubt it. unplnlosophical procedure and in practice it has been 
J 1 frequently found that plants beneath a glass thus tieated | 
may be both burned and starved at the same time, j 
Who has not seen an illustration of this in one of those 
j March days, in which, with a bright and burning sun- 1 
shine, we experience one of those cutting and drying 
“ north-easters,” which have been likened to a Har- 
mattan? Here the unfortunate gardener, if compelled 
to tilt his glass to prevent burning, is obliged to let in 
a foe of an equally formidable character; and if bis 
occupants of the hand-glass have been previously petted 
with a fortnight’s muggy weather, the chances are that 
they will speedily look like withered parchment. 
1 have hitherto considered this question almost as an 
ordinary hand-glass question; I do not, however, wish 
to confine it within such narrow limits; the principles 
at issue, more or less, concern almost every glazed 
implement or structure connected with horticulture. 
About twenty years since, I obtained some twenty- 
two-inch hand-glasses, from Birmingham, from the firm 
of Clark and Co., who were then building a range of 
metallic houses here. These glasses were to be every¬ 
thing a gardener could desire—framework copper, to 
avoid rust and expansion, moveable roofs, &c. They 
certainly were not bad glasses, but, in order to give 
them the appearance of much finish, &c., the very inge¬ 
nious inventor had made them octagonal, which, of 
course, carried much higher pretensions than the old, 
One of the principals, who signs himself “ M. Bilk- i 
ington,” very kindly answered all my inquiries, and, 
moreover, forwarded me three or four specimen glasses, 
in order to see if any real advance worthy of the year 
1853 could be made. 1 must now first state my objects 
in dipping thus into this question. 
In common with many other gardeners, I had long 
lamented the great cost of our ordinary hand-glasses; 
for a few years since it was no uncommon thing to give 
twelve to fifteen shillings each for them, and in the 
rage after novelty they had, in many cases, so altered 
their original character, as to make them tedious to 
work, and, of course, exceedingly liable to breakage. 
It was obvious, too, that any mode by which their 
make and cost would be simplified and reduced would 
tend much to their extension; and, indeed, in the latter 
respect, I have no doubt that before many years have 
passed these things will be so cheapened and simplified, 
as that acres will be covered where only poles are now. 
And what will then be the necessary consequence? 
Why, that a host of delicate vegetables, now esteemed 
dainties, and many of which are hourly imported from 
other climes, will bo within reach of thousands. 
Now, the faults attributable to the old hand-glasses 
were not faults of cost alone : in many cases they were 
so constructed as to be by far too liable to breakage; 
were too heavy and clumsy; or did not present the proper j vulgar, square ones could pretend to; and, moreover, 
facilities for giving air or ventilation. As to breakages, , on every side of the octagon where the moveable lid 
everybody knows what an expensive item the frequent j rested, a point or pivot was fixed, with a corresponding 
mending of glasses used to be in the glazier’s account. ! hole in the roof-piece ; and every evening it became a 
This was particularly the case with the old lead glasses, j most ceremonious procedure, requiring, ol course, a 
which were, in general, most expensive, as well as un- ; superior workman to nicely fit these roofs on the base- 
wieldv things. °As for breakage, as soon as they were ment portion of the glass. However, they looked so 
half worn they became, in general, so crazy that they ; fine that we tolerated this nicety in operation lor three 
could be moved but with difficulty; and it was no un- ; or four years, when I thought it expedient to file oil 
common thing for those who had the temerity to do so, these gimcracks. 1 found, too, that in departing from 
to crack two or three panes in the transit. The weight the plain rectangular or the circular form little could be 
of such glasses, too, was much against them. It was j gained, but much lost; and I got a country mechanic 
not a mere case of trouble in removal, but that ! to make a plain square frame, metallic, the root move- 
very property had a tendency at every move to de- J able, and having a flange on the exterior edge at its 
range the panes, as also the very fabric of the glasses. ; base;—this flango to prevent blowing-off in storms, &c. 
But° one most important consideration, and one which The flange, when the roof-piece is put on, overlaps the 
should ever bias, in some degree, the hand-glass question, > base of the glass, and, of course, keeps out all drip, &c. 
is the mode of ventilation and air-giving. Now, ventila- i Scarcely any ordinary hand-glass can excel this thing; 
tion and air-giving, although constantly confounded, 
are not precisely the same thing, and it is necessary 
here to distinguish carefully; although some of our 
friends may consider it mere “ spectacle work.” To 
ventilate, in the proper acceptation of the term,—ras I 
hold it—is to invite and encourage a circulation ; to give 
air is to lot a superfluous heat to escape; although 
it is nearly all that is wanted. I am not assured that it 
would be amended if a cooler current could be admitted 
at a low level in the base by some aperture capable ol 
graduation; this might bo well for a lew things, and, 
I indeed, is almost the only principle deserving of farther 
j consideration. 
To discuss the whole question in a single paper, such 
