April 15. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
51 
To make the partition complete to the 
roof, a sheet-glass sash rests on the brick¬ 
work, making each division about 15 feet 
in length, by 10 feet 0 inches in width, 
being room enough to accommodate from 
thirty-six to forty-two of the largest or 
full-grown plants. It is an equal span- 
roofed erection, just high enough to allow 
the plants to enjoy Loth sun and air; 
and in order to keep the foliage from being 
injured by the moving up or down of the 
sashes, and for the purposes of giving air 
and water, the ridge-piece (a) has an 
excellent convenience, in the shape of a 
small shutter or lap (b), which is fixed to 
the top, and lunged. These shutters act 
in connection with the lights: thus as 
soon as the latter are in their places, the 
shutters fall into theirs, and they are 
readily raised with the lights. Air may 
also be administered by means of tilts, 
which are fixed to the wall-plate by small 
chains (c). By these means facilities are 
afforded for supplying any amount of air 
at all times and seasons throughout the 
year; a great desideratum; and the sup¬ 
ply can be so regulated as to suit either 
growing plants, ripening fruit, or plants 
swelling fruit. The hot-air chamber (d) 
in each division is warmed by 4-inch pipes 
(e), and covered in with 2-inch slate, rest¬ 
ing on iron-bars, placed on brick piers. 
This slate bottom supports the plunging- 
bed (rj, which consists of half-decayed 
leaves, famous material for retaining heat 
and moisture; (o) the end of the struc¬ 
ture; (h) the 4-inch pipes for furnishing 1 
the top-heat; and (i) a perforated 1-inch 
copper pipe for contributing the required 
humidity. In each division the latter has 
a union joint, worked outside, by a small i 
handle, the turning of which waters the j 
whole of the plunging material, or part of 
it, as may be desirable; and the water may 
also be made to splash up against the slate- 
shelf (j), which runs round the house, just ! 
over the pipes. On this shelf French Beans 
are cultivated during the autumn, winter, 
and spring months ; and from these a con¬ 
stant and good supply of beans is obtained. 
No. 1 shows the handles of four valves j 
outside the wall, for regulating the bottom- 
heat, and close to it are two more for regu¬ 
lating the top-heat: 2, in the. next .division, 
is for the same purpose : d is a trap door I 
(open ) for entering the stoking-room and 
coal-cellar, which are under ground, quite 
out of sight, and comm odiously arched in : 
4 shows two neat cast-iron square ventila¬ 
tors, for admitting air and light to the 
cellar and stoking-room : 5 is the chimney- 
shaft, at whose base is a small iron door to 
afford access for clearing out the flue about 
that part where soot is liable to collect: 
b shows the simple way in which the lights 
are opened. On each side of the house, and 
running its whole length, is a neat pave¬ 
ment 10 feet 0 inches broad. The whole 
is thoroughly drained, and has a neat ap¬ 
pearance. It will be observed that the fire 
lias great command of the boiler, and the 
apparatus is so constructed that the whole 
range may be heated at once, either at top 
or bottom, or both together; or half of 
the range, or only its middle division, may 
be worked separately—a very economical 
and good arrangement.— (Journal of Hort. 
Soc.) 
The annexed sections explain the con¬ 
struction of the boiler and its apparatus. 
