October 7. 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 
6 
end of tlie bouse, in the centre, and outside. Imme¬ 
diately opposite to it inside, I have a reservoir, or iron 
pan, of about two feet in depth, by half-a-yard square, 
and this has six pipes attached to it.” It will be here 
seen that the reservoir is but a centre, common to all 
the pipes, which all take their flow here, and here 
deliver their return. This, we suppose, is partly to save 
the expense of what are termed elbow-joints, and other 
complex affairs. In this description we are not quite 
sure that we understand Mr. H.; if, however, any error 
should creep in, we shall soon get it rectified. Mr. II.’s 
words are these, “ the reservoir will require six pipes 
attached to it, so that the pipes which heat the air of 
the house can be plugged or stopped at any time, when 
only bottom-heat is requisite. This answers much 
better than valves.” We saw Mr. H.’s house about 
twelvemonths since, and witnessed his thus turning off 
the flow, which he did in an instant, by merely thrusting 
a roll of coarse cloth into the advance pipe. 
Having thus far followed Mr. Hamilton’s plans pretty 
closely, we may be allowed a few comments as we pro¬ 
ceed. In the first place, it does seem matter of astonish¬ 
ment, that a practice so simple, and consequently econo¬ 
mical, so much in accordance with the habits of the 
pine, as stamped in indelible marks by nature's own 
impress, should not before this have become more 
general. What said Pope ? 
“Truths would you teach, and save a sinking land, 
All hear, none heed you, and few understand.“ 
And so it has ever been with inventions w'hich carry a 
great amount of simplicity in the face of them; they 
pass unheeded by the majority of minds for want of the 
appearance of that degree of elaborateness, which, in 
fact, is the bane, instead of the true merit of most inven¬ 
tions. In speaking thus, we do not wish it to be in¬ 
ferred that the Hamiltonian mode ought to supersede 
all others; by no means. There are cases in which the 
pot mode may be more desirable, inasmuch as the pines 
may, with facility, be removed to a cool room in the 
pot, when necesssry to retard them for particular pur- 
])Oses; and, indeed, it is still a question whether the 
Hamiltonian mode is equally applicable to all kinds; 
that it suits the Black Jamaica, or what is termed Mont¬ 
serrat by some, is undeniable. This pine, at least, 
seems quite at home under this treatment; and as a 
pine for general use, and especially for winter, it will be 
long, we think, before it is superseded; albeit, the 
rising popularity of the Cayennes threatens hard. We 
may here offer an opinion about the form of the house, 
which, indeed, is the first thing to begin with. Mr. H., 
it has been seen, is an advocate for span-roof houses, 
running east and west. Now, we really do not see why 
this mode should hold such a strong position in the 
minds of our practical men. “ Speak well of tho bridge 
that carries you safe over,” is a trite maxim, and doubt¬ 
less will apply to the case in hand ; but a too stiff ad¬ 
herence to established modes is but too apt to assume a 
! pertinaceous character, and to prove a barrier to pro- 
I gression, which, in the most unmistakable manner, is 
the order of tho day. Why not north and south ? Pines, 
it is said, occasionally enjoy a little shading for three or 
: four hours during bright and hot days, and the mid-day- 
I sun can very well be dispensed with on such occasions. 
! But to build span-roofs with a southern facing, is to set 
a trap to catch all the mid-day rays possible. Sir Joseph 
j Paxton, breaking through tho trammels of 23rescription 
! long since, shewed by his ridge-and-furrow-roof that 
there were more ways than one of building houses. Tho 
ridge-and-fuiTow of course is simply a multiple of the 
span-roof, with an eastern and western slope, or in other 
words, a morning and an evening side. Now, if it can 
be shown that a half-day’s sunshine will suffice for pines, 
whether that half-day bo an eight to twelve o’clock affair, 
or a twelve to four o’clock, why the rest of the question 
would seem to follow as matter of course. We have 
talked over this subject with several first-rate men at 
various times within the last half-dozen years, and have 
almost invariably found them with a latent desire to 
break from southern slopes, “ willing to wound but 
afraid to strike.” Not every one, however, who can con¬ 
ceive a project carrying promise of advance, has the 
power to shew forth his conceptions in real bricks and 
glass. 
To sum up, then, as far as the roof question is con¬ 
cerned, we may be permitted to oft’er our impression, 
which is, that it appears tolerably certain that the 
southern slope may be departed from in the case of 
pines, and exchanged for a morning and evening side, 
as in a span running north and south, as to its longi¬ 
tudinal direction, or, indeed, to some other points of the 
compass, as the case may be; and that much latitude 
may be fairly given in this respect, tho pinery giving up 
a point occasionally to existing circumstances, perhaps 
as an adjunct to the villa or to other structures. 
But if a span-roof running east and west must bo 
adopted, we think that some little change in the modifi¬ 
cation of the interior fittings might be resorted to with 
advantage. For instance, it is a matter of principle 
that an equality of light should be enjoyed by the ])ines; 
those on tho north side of the walk should have an 
equal chance in that respect with those on the south 
bed. To effect this, the bed on which they stand must 
necessarily be somewhat higher. Admitting, then, a 
spian-roof perfectly equal in dimensions as to tho exte¬ 
rior, we would have the back bed half-a-yard, or nearly 
so, higher than the front, or, if you jplease, the front bed 
half-a-yard lower; all this amounts to tho same thing. 
In such a case, tho first and ruling p)rinciple would be, 
to pay a due regard to the ordinary ground level out¬ 
side ; the front bed should be so jilaced as to piresent 
every pjortion of the foliage to the solar rays, even in 
the depth of winter. This done, the lower the whole 
structure was sunk below the ordinary ground level 
the better, according to our ideas; inasmuch, as the 
farther this pjoint is carried out, the more the structure 
would p)rove self-protecting—a great matter in econo¬ 
mising fuel; and every gardener knows that the use of 
fuel in the dull winter months, or, indeed, at any period, 
is a necessary evil, to give it a hard name. But not 
only is a pjropier economy involved in this arrangement, 
but the vei'y health of tho pines. 
There is still another consideration as to the roof 
question ; and, as we are simply throwing out hints for 
the consideration of those about to embark in piine- 
culture as a profitable investment, it will be well, per¬ 
haps, to offer suggestions with freedom, and to make 
our comments keep) piace with tho order of the subject. 
In pursuance of this, then, wc woidd say, if a span-roof, 
running east and west—are both sides of the span obliged 
to be equal? In thus widening the question, we shall 
give a free scope to a full examination of the whole 
subject. As the south front is too apt to admit of too 
great an amount of the solar rays, why not make it less 
in width, say as two to throe ? Many other remarks 
might be offered on the character of the roof, but as they 
interfere too much w ith the lino of our subject, we must 
postpone them until wo can offer a chapter on roofs. 
The structure, then, should be so far sunk below the 
level, as that tho front sill of the sashes is but above 
that level; other parts will follow as matter of course. 
As to glass, Mr. H. has omitted to mention it in his 
correspondence; but before closing this subject, wo will 
take caro to ascertain this, which, with anything else 
that may arise, together with omissions, &c., will be 
introduced at tbo conclusion. It seems pirobable, in 
tho event tho house having an east and a west roof, 
that the British sheet would be most eligible; and as to 
a south and north roof, rough plate on the south, and , 
