Ootoukr I t. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
25 
ascend, and the cooler as strict a tendency to rush in 
and supply tlicir place. These facts are so well known 
to our readers that we merely point to them. Of course, 
under such circumstauees, the highest level possible 
naturally seems the most eligible for the outlet, and the 
lowest for the inlet. The apex of a span-roof is, indeed, 
tlio very point where the greatest accumulation takes 
place, and here we at once suggest some ventilators. 
This position in such a house is tolerably fortunate in 
another respect; beneath it is the walk or passage, and 
here the operator can work such ventilators with facility, 
by a rope or otherwise. In all cases, we would have the 
escapes of liberal dimensions. It has been, and still is 
a practice with many, to have sliding roof-lights, but 
this is bad practice, involving much breakage of glass 
and inconvenience; a sufficient ventilation may always 
be accomplislied by the ventilators here alluded to. 
There are many ways of constructing, fixing, and work¬ 
ing these things, and we may merely observe, that any 
mode which will permit them to be worked with facility, 
and so fitted as to be capable of graduation and of ex¬ 
cluding the rain and wind, will suffice. In a house fifty 
feet long, and of the character before described, we 
should have apertures of this kind about every ten feet, 
presenting an area when wide-open of about half-a-yard 
in length, by a foot in width. It is seldom that they 
would be required wide-open; nevertheless, it is well to 
be provided for contingencies, especially if unprovided 
with a shade. It must here be luiderstood, that we 
consider this the minimum amount of escape. 
And now for the inlet, or admission of fresh air at as 
low a level as is consistent with other regulations. 
Modern practice recognises the propriety of heating 
fresh air on its entrance to the interior of the house, 
and there is little doubt that it is really expedient to do 
so. To this end, the heating apparatus in modern hot¬ 
houses is so arranged, that in general one or two pipes 
are so placed as to receive the cold air at its entrance; 
that is to say, the position of the piping is made to bear 
a relation to the front ventilators. In some cases, front 
sashes are used, and these are made to slide or to swing 
outward on hinges ; but, it must be remembered, that 
there is no absolute necessity for front sashes in pine- 
culture. Be that as it may, there is sure to arise a 
necessity for piping at the front of the house, and 
advantage should be taken of this, to have at least one 
pipe just above the floor level, and the ventilators for 
admitting fresh air just opposite that pipe. We think 
it a very good arrangement where two pipes, a flow and 
a return, are wanted in front, so to arrange them, and 
the boiler level, as that the lower or return pipe may 
rest on the floor line. This pipe we would have partly 
enclosed in a trench, say half its depth, and this trench 
made waterproof, and of some eight or ten inches in 
width, might have a tap at one end, communicating 
with a cistern or reservoir, so as to fill the trench with 
water as often as necessary, whilst, at the other end, 
should be another tap, or plug, entering a drain, so as 
tliat the water at any time could be run off speedily. 
This we consider a most excellent plan, and not a whit 
the worse from its extreme simplicity; it is what we 
have formerly termed “ a pipe in a ditch.” The apertures 
for the admission of fresh air should, as before observed, 
be opposite the surface of this trench, and the air would 
pass through the body of the house or pit duly attem¬ 
pered with heat and moisture. One thing is very desi¬ 
rable, to which we before alluded, viz., the propriety of 
being able to graduate the front air according to cir¬ 
cumstances. 
Thus much as to the ventilation; and before quitting 
the subject, we must beg to recommend a canvass shade 
to all houses with a southern slope, especially if large 
panes of sheet-glass be used. This should, by all means, 
bo fixed to work on a roller, after the manner of the 
oi’chid-houses about the Metropolis. Whatever people 
may say about the pine enjoying plenty of solar-light, 
whicli is, doubtless, the case when in a very healthy con¬ 
dition at the root; still, there are a few hours daily, in 
hot periods, when such shade is of immense benefit, if 
only in preventing a too rapid diminution of air-moisture. 
But a judicious shading accomplishes ranch more, and 
tho preservation of their beautiful green-colour, toge¬ 
ther with that milky-green tint, for which healthy pines 
are notorious, is an object connected not only with 
appearance, but with health itself. 
It will be seen that Mr. Hamilton advocates heating 
by hot-water; and, indeed, when properly fitted, we see 
nothing more to be desireff As to the old smoke-flue 
for pine-culture, nobody ever dreams of it in these days. 
We do not say that pines cannot bo grown by such a 
mode of heating; they assuredly can, and well too, if 
needs be; but what we must affirm is, that it involves 
more expense in the end, and more uncertainty; and is, 
of necessity, nearly as great a consumer, as producer of 
atmospheric moisture; without a liberal supply of 
which, it matters not what the mode of culture may be. 
Whether piping or flues be used, a due provision must 
be made for air-moisture. It is a very common practice 
to have flue-covers in the form of a sunken panel, 
such should be three inches in depth; for piping, me¬ 
tallic trays of a saddle-form, may be pflaced on the flow- 
pipe, or the pipes may be obtained with flanges, all of a 
piece; and these, too, must be made to hold a liberal 
amount of water. In all three cases, a permanent reser¬ 
voir should be established, however supplied. Those 
who have a fall of water, and require much for other 
purposes, would do well to use a “hydraulic ram,” which 
is, indeed, one of tho most valuable adjunct a garden 
establishment can possess. Wo have had one in work 
here for some thirty years, and this constantly supplies 
the mansion, laundry, stables, gardens, farm-buildings, 
and, indeed, the whole premises. 
Before quitting the heating portion of the subject, we 
must beg to advert to another point or two. In the 
first place, our advice is, be sure yon have a liberal 
amount of pitying; that is to say, secure heat enough 
and to spare. We would have an apparatus which 
would guarantee us 70° in winter, when the out doors 
thermometer indicated 12° or 15° of frost. Some per¬ 
sons may think this unnecessary, but they may be 
assured that under-heating is a false economy—a sad 
mistake. When the house is short of heating surface, 
and hard weather occurs, there is a continual tempta¬ 
tion to stir the fires, and the owner may rest assured 
that every stir costs money. We would so arrange 
matters, as that little stirring was requisite, and that 
two good fire-dressings in the twenty-four hours shoidd, 
if possible, suffice; all the rest should bo regulated by 
the ash-pit door. In these cases, care should be taken 
to secure a capacious grate that will hold abundance of 
fuel. Those who have to “ pay the piper,” need not be 
alarmed at these things; wo are not going to advocate a 
greater consumption of fuel than other folks. 
Wo know of a Rogers’s conical-boiler, one of tbe 
smaller size, that has been working for some half-dozen 
years, and we will engage that it has constantly con¬ 
sumed nearly twenty per cent, more fuel than a capa¬ 
cious one would have done. The hopper for fuel is so 
small, that it requires feeding every two to three hours, 
and if not waited on as late as eleven o’clock on a 
winter’s night, it is almost sure to go out. Here, then, 
is a case in point; the working such an apparatus ns 
this for half-a-dozen years, would go far to cure any one 
of a predilection for small furnaces. 
As to the boiler, wo care little about that; too much 
importance has been laid on these things. The best we 
have ever had to deal with is a “ Burbidge,” and from 
the firm of Burbidge and Healy, in Eleet-street. 'This 
