351 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 6. 
mode of glass roof in liis Orchard houses, using for this 
purpose glass in large squares, at something like 3d. 
per foot; and ensuring great cheapness by using wood 
in rather a rough condition. If his great rival in the 
Rose line, Mr. Lane, of Berkhampstead, was not equally 
early in moving in this direction, he very soon followed 
in the same direction. Several years ago, 1 recollect 
noticing, in this work, a huge double span-roofed house 
so constructed, and several more have been constructed 
since. Tbeso I shall see some day, and report progress. 
As I could not get conveniently to Mr. Lane before 
writing this, I wrote to him, making some inquiries, as 
to the size of the rafter, or sash-bar, he now uses; and 
how great a width of roof he would consider these light 
rafters capable of supporting sixteen ounces to the foot 
glass, without any support in the middle, and he kindly 
sent the following answer. " The annexed is the end 
of the rafter you enquire about. I make them now 
three-and-a-half inches deep, by two-and-a-quarter inches 
wide. Each rafter is fixed twenty inches apart. The 
size of the glass is twenty inches by twelve inches ; and 
weight sixteen ounces to the foot. We use narrow slips 
of wood, with a screw in each rafter, to keep them in 
their places. Wo give air by means of a small frame 
between each rafter at top at intervals. I do not think 
such rafters safe beyond thirteen feet without support.” 
1£ inch. 
From the annexed form of the rafter, it will be seen 
that a space is cut out from the upper end of the rafter, 
on each side, of half-inch square, on which the glass is 
laid, and fixed with putty in the usual way. It will be 
seen that the top of the rafter seen above the glass 
will be one-and-a-quarter inch, which will make little 
appearance indeed, in comparison of the cumbrous bulk 
of rafters and sash-bars. Any carpenter can easily make 
such rafters as these, and the great saving consists in 
the small quantity of wood required. Very good glass 
can be procured, twenty inches long, to reach from rafter 
to rafter, and twelve inches broad, from three-pence 
per foot, and onwards. Tho nearest carpenter, or wood- 
merchant, could tell how much the wall-plates, tiles, and 
rafters, &c., would cost. Hartley’s Patent glass we 
should prefer for the roof; but it will cost a little more. 
Crown glass I would prefer for the ends and front, because 
you can see everything so nicely through it. If economy, 
however, was looked to throughout, with the exception 
of tho studs to support tho wall-plate, the glass in the 
front might be the same as that in tho roof. Air could 
be given by the front wall, or in moveable, small frames, 
fixed between the rafters, just as at the roof-point; 
nineteen by eleven inches would give a great amount of 
air, and avoid the banging of sashes, and the consequent 
destruction and smashing of glass. 
It must be at once conceded, that such a mode is the 
cheapest and best for building bouses for plants, 
although, however, there is a prejudice for such lean-to 
houses with upright fronts, half of which, if not two- 
thirds, shall be glass; yet, when mere plant-culture, and 
the greatest amount of internal available space to be 
procured are concerned, a rather flattish span-roofed 
house, resting on walls some three to threo-and-a-half 
feet high in front, will be far preferable to any lean-to 
with upright sashes in front. If the house, both at the 
back and the front, were from one-and-a-half feet lower 
than indicated, and the front glass sloped outwards 
diagonally, more space would he enclosed, and then the 
front glass, whether of British plate, or of Hartley’s 
Patent, would not strike the eye so strongly in com¬ 
parison with Crown glass as if it had been upright. 
Once more; Supposing these rafter sash-bars are 
decided upon, two stronger rafters will be wanted to 
bind the house, one at each end ; and if another is not 
used in the middle, it will be desirable to have a flat bar 
of iron, passing along the middle of the house, from one 
end to the other, and fastened by a screw to each rafter. 
And, again; As our correspondent wishes to have a 
pit, at least, in one division ; and as much of the 
interest and usefulness of such a place consists in getting 
easily round it; I would advise that the house be not 
less than from twelve to fourteen feet wide; and if as wide 
as the last (fourteen feet), or a foot or two wider, then 
you would require at least three iron columns to support 
the rafters; or rafters some twelve feet in length, fixed 
to a wall-plate in front, and to a ridge-board at the roof- 
point, while another short rafter would go from the ridge- 
board to the back wall, in a liipped-roof form. This 
mode would have the advantage of giving good width, 
and yet a low roof. With such a width there will be 
plenty of space for a broad shelf in front, a good walk, 
a nice pit, or stage, and a walk and border behind, in 
which you may grow what it pleases you against the 
back wall, and have the pleasure of examining it as 
well. With a pit in one division ; a flat stage, or even 
a pit covered with boards, or sand, would look best in 
the other. 
If our correspondent fixes on either of these modes, 
he cannot too soon give orders either for sashes or these 
sash-bar rafters ; as the more seasoned the wood is, and 
the longer they are made before being used, the Letter 
they will be. They should be primed and painted at 
least once over before glazing. He will act wisely in 
securing putty that has been well sweated, and made 
of the proper materials, and at least six or eight months 
since it has been made. There is no reason why a 
groove should not be cut to receive the glass in those 
sash-bar rafters, as well as in the small sash-bar in 
common use. There would thus be a saving of putty; 
but some experienced men say, that the trouble of get¬ 
ting out a broken square is greater than all the advan¬ 
tages received. If the glass is to be ordered cut in boxes, 
it will be desirable to have it all of one size; and, there¬ 
fore, before sending to the glass-merchant, care should 
be taken that either upon the wall-plate of the house, or 
on a plan correctly representing it, tho position of each 
of these sash-rafters should be taken, and the distance 
