^^AnCH 11. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
425 
A BUNDLE OF INQUIRIES ABOUT GREEN¬ 
HOUSES, VINERIES, AND OTHER GLAZED 
STRUCTURES. 
{Coiiliiiued frum pcxje 409.) 
5. Fj.ues versus Hot-water, as to expense in small 
Structukes. —“F. S. V. inquires the probable annual 
expense for fuel for healing a greenhouse twenty feet by 
twelve, by water and flues, respectively.” ]\[y statistics 
are not suflicieutly precise to determine, and much de¬ 
pends on the kind of weather, and the price and kind 
of fuel. To keep such a house safe in winter, about 3()s. 
iniglit be considered as a general average, when there 
was not inucli severe weather. I have known such a 
house not cost above half that sum, in some seasons, 
and considerably more in others. For such small houses, 
I consider heating by flues much the cheapest, as, pro¬ 
vided tiie damper is properly used, hut little heat goes 
up the chimney. I have a lean-to about that size, tiie 
floor being paved with tiles. Beneath these tiles I have 
a small flue that comes about fourteen feet from the 
furnace, and returns to the chimney, because I could 
not cover the other five feet, or so, owing to large flag¬ 
stones. The flue is about five inches deep, and nearly 
the same in width ; the bottom is slate, tlie top is slate, 
and then the paving tile. It is placed in tlie ))athway, 
and you see no means of healing at all. 1 do not 
suppose it has cost iOs. a-year to keep the frost at bay 
and the plants comfortable. 
(5. Vinery, with Peaches on the uack wall, anh | 
Peaches in Pots in centre oe House. —“A Three- 
ears’ Subscriber commenced iorcing at 45°, and will 
e obliged by the temperature monthly, so as to secure 
good crops of both.” I have done so myself, and with a 
fair share of success. At one time, when the Vines were 
five or six feet apart, I did very well, as the openings ad¬ 
mitted agood portion of light. Afterall, bowever,for extra 
fine fruit of either, there must be something like a com¬ 
promise,—as when the Peaches approach maturity, and 
ought to have abundaucc of dry air, and comparative 
coolness, to give them extra flavour, the Grapes will be 
at their second swelling, and require a higher tempera¬ 
ture and a inoister atmosphere. Even with the latter 
treatment good-looking Peaches may be obtained, but 
they will not be so finely flavoured. If much shaded, 
the flavour will also be flat. The following may be con¬ 
sidered the essentials to success :— 
1. Have the Vines from four to six (or more) feet 
a|)art. 2. Do not commence early ; say from danuary 
to March, and at 45'°. 1 mean tliis for beginners. The 
initiated will manage much earlier, d. Until the Peaches 
are fairly set, thougli the temperature is gradually raised, 
let it not be higher at night tlian from to 55'^, with 
a rise of from 10° to 15° from sunshine. The Vines by 
this time will be nicely broken, but not grown much. 
4. After this, as the Vines push, the temperature should 
be gradually raised to 00^ at night, which will also swell 
tlifi Peaches nicely; but, except for a short time, when 
the Vines are in bloom, when tlie temperature should 
range at niglit from 05° to 70'°, the beat should not be 
liigiier at night than 00°, until the Peaclies are gathered. 
A rise of 10° to 15'-', and even 20°, at mid-day from 
bright sun, will injure neither. 5. For such a house, 
thougli I have done Muscats well, yet, hardy Vines, us 
Hamburghs, Muscadines, West’s St. Peter’s, llarbarossa 
;,ud the New Golden Hamburgh would suit best, in 
other respects, give the usual treatment. 
7. Temperature for Vines. —“A New Beginner” 
will see what is stated above. Commence at 45°, syringing 
the Vines several times a day in bright weather, and 
letting the house rise 10° to Id**' from sunshine. In- 
orenae the temperatiiro, in three weeks, or a mouth, to 
fiO®, but beyond from 55® to 00® do not go, until the 
Vinos have pushed ono or two inohosj then gradually 
increase to 05'°, and when they begin to bloom mount up 
to 70°; and when set, retreat again to 05'°. Let the day ' 
temperature from sun exceed that of the night by 10° 
to 15°. Alter the Vines are in bloom (unless the water ■ 
is very pure, when, after the fruit is set, the leaves 
might be syringed in an afternoon), supply the necessary 
atmospheric moisture, by placing evaporating pans on the 
heating medium, and syringe the floor and shelves of ' 
the house in hot days. You have pruned to two buds, ! 
and ask which should be left for wood ? 1 should say the I 
weakest, or the one that does not show fruit. 1 presume ! 
you mean one to fruit, and the other to grow and fruit | 
next year. If the Vine is in good heart, there is no ne- ■ 
cessity for this on the spur system, as it makes the I 
house so dense with foliage, as the shoot that bears this j 
year, if shortened a joint before the fruit, laterals al- i 
lowed to push, and also first shortened, and then re- j 
moved as the fruit approaches maturity, — that same { 
shoot, when cut back to a bud, will produce such another j 
fruitful shoot next year, ilost likely, your border out- ; 
side is wet enough already; it may have some drainings ! 
from the dunghill in dry weather in summer. If the i 
border inside is dry, apply some now. Unless you can i 
heat it,—apply it before you commence forcing. , 
8. Cheap Heating, ry using Earthenware Pipes ■ 
as a Flue, etc.—“ C. E. L.” playfully reminds us of 
our complaint of so many queries coming at one lime ' 
from one ])erson, but lie may rest assured that a bark 
and a bite are very different things. “C.E.L.” wishes to 
I heat a lean-to Orchard-house, twenty-four feet by twelve, 
and nicely arranged ; and thinks that a row of these large ' 
pipes would be sufficient; which I do also; but he is j 
“ afraid the trouble of keeping them clean will be great.” 
Not long after seeing iMessrs. Weeks’ improved system 
of heating, 1 saw similar earthenware ])ij)es used by my 
friends Messrs, Caie and Keane, of Kensington. The 
large barn of a house, thus heated, I alluded to the other 
week, is a huge span-house, glass all round, at Dir. Fell’s 
nursery, at Hitcliiu. There were two improvements i 
suggested themselves, one of which will meet our corres¬ 
pondent’s objection. There is a danger of the pipes 
next the furnace cracking; and it would be as well to 
have a yard of brick flue there. The other is, that every 
filteen feet, or so, the pipes should have their ends in a 
small, square box, formed of brick on edge, tiles, &c., 
and covered with a tile; the lifting of which would 
enable the broom to be freely introduced without inter¬ 
fering with the joints. 'This, however, would not often 
he required, as the draught in such a pipe would he 
great. 'J'he joints were filled with mortar. “ C. E. I..” i 
lias a weightier objection. “ The whole structure is seen ' 
from my dining room window; 1 do not wish to disfigure 
it by a furnace and chimney; and a wide stream runs 
at the back of the wall;” and he proposes “ earthen pipes, 
three inches in diameter, with jierfect joints, connected 
w'ith a small eopper boiler, to be heated wilh gas;” and 
asks for hints. The cojiper would do ; see previous re¬ 
marks; metal tubes, a yard in length, and onc-and-a-half 
to tw'o inches in diameter, might connect the boiler wilh 
the earthenware-pipes. The pipes will, no doubt, do, 
will cost about threepence per foot glazed, and a half¬ 
penny or so less unglazed. The joints might be filled I 
with Roman cement, or with rope-yarn and red lead. I 
Before doing so, compute the expense, and see what the | 
ditterence would he hetw'ecn such pipes and galvanised ■ 
iron of the same size. For gas-heating, 1 w'ould luefer j 
the latter, as being thin and quickly heated. Dir. Fells 
has had such galvanised sheet iron in use for hot-water ; 
for many years. I once managed, to the satisfaction of , 
a gentleman, a bouse placed also in sight of the mansion, : 
with a ooraraon furnace and flue passing once through 
the house. At the end next the mansion, a furnace was 
sunk, covered by a trap-door, and completely concealed , 
by a group of evergreens, At the other end, the obiinncy 
