June 19. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
201 
the window, and the light striking the plants at certain 
times of the day directly and unobstructedly. 
Our correspondent will now form sotneddea of what ho 
may accomplish with this joiner’s shop, just as it is, 
or merely by enlarging the windows. Old Scarlet 
Geraniums would keep there very well from November 
to the end of March, wiLli heat applied so as not to 
have the temperature above 40°; and by that time 
they could be turned out to earth and straw pits, and 
protected with calico and straw mats, as practised by 
Mr. Gardener. Young, growing plants, and all Calceo¬ 
larias, Verbenas, &c., could only be kept near the 
windows. A six-inch pot, however, might contain a 
score of young plants during the winter. 
All things considered, our correspondent will by this 
time be aware, that we would reccommend him to put 
a glass roof to his room. Hartley’s Patent would be the 
best, but not the cheapest. Some other rough plate glass 
we have met with burns as well as shades. What we have 
seen of Hartley’s, saves all trouble in shading, allows a 
sufficiency of light, and is free from scalding and 
burning spots. Hid we study economy, however, to a 
nicety, we would be content with British plate of the 
commonest description, and ranging from fourteen to 
sixteen ounces to the foot. Did this allow too much 
light and heat in summer, we would neutralise tliis by 
daubing it with a solution of double size, containing a 
small portion of whitening. If it was desirable to 
remove this in winter, a little water, containing some 
soda in solution, would quickly remove it when rubbed 
with a cloth, and thus there would be a clear roof in the 
dark days, and a rough, shaded glass roof in summer, 
at the expense of a few pence, and an hour or two of 
labour, yearly—labour which must be given to wash the 
glass, at any rate. 
As to the best and cheapest mode of doing this, that 
will greatly depend upon the state of the roof after the 
tiles, or slates, or whatever covers it, are removed. I 
presume that the present roof slopes to the east and 
west from a ridge in the centre. The higher that ridge, 
the more glass, of course, would be required. Many of 
such roofs have the ridge some live feet above the level of 
the wall-plate, and, in proportion to its height will be 
the length of the sloping roof, from six to seven feet on 
each side. One foot of that, however, next the ridge- 
board, might be of wood, or any other opaque material. 
Were the roof to be entirely reformed, from two-aud-a- 
lialf to three feet would be quite sufficient from the level 
of the wall-plate to the centre ridge-board, which would 
give a glass roof on each side of from iive-and-a-half to 
six feet to cover a space of eleven feet in width. 
Supposing that the roof is run high, and it is desirable 
to continue it so, it will not be all loss, as a stago may 
be raised in the middle of the room with shelves to suit, 
—say with seven feet for its base, which would admit a 
walk all round close to the walls of the room of two 
feet in width. With a flatter roof, the best stand will 
be a level sparred table, at a level of a foot or so below 
the wall-plate. While growing plants are kept on this 
stago, many things, such as Fuchsias, Dahlias, Salvias, 
&c., may be harvested, or preserved, beneath it. 1 am 
all along supposing that the walls of the room are 
high enough to permit of walking upright. 
Before' fixing on the style of roof, I would advise 
referring to an article in the number for the Gib of 
February, 1855, and what is there said of using light 
rafters, without sash bars, and glass wide enough to 
reach from rafter to rafter. Most of this sort of shed 
roofs are supported by small rafters, some two inches 
wide, and three or four inches deep, and very likely from 
fifteen to twenty inches apart. Were these rafters in 
pretty good order, though rather in a rough state, and 
were economy my object, I would polish them off a little, 
bevel them off with a spoke-shave iuside—if neatness 
there was desirable—obtain glass of the necessary width 
to reach from rafter to rafter; bed them there on putty 
in the usual way, and secure the squares in their places 
by a thin board, wide enough to catch the ends of both 
squares that meet on the rafter, placing either [nitty 
or a slip of Indian-rubber between the thin board and 
the glass, and then screwing it down to the rafter. If 
the rafters are wide apart, say eighteen or twenty inches, 
it would be desirable not to have the squares more 
deep the other way than eight or ten inches. 
If it were desirable to alter the roof, and combine 
elegance with economy, and strength of glass, then, 
for such a roof, I should deem sash-bars fifteen inches 
apart, two-aud-half inches deep, and one-and-a-half inch 
wide, quite sufficient. The squares in this case would 
require to be nearly fifteen inches in length. Were 
wood a trifling object, and glass the chief consideration, 
sash-bars might bo made in the usual manner, only a 
little stronger—say two inches in depth, and one in 
width, and those, placed at six or seven inches apart, 
might be glazed with pieces cut to size at from 12s. to lGs. 
per 100 feet. What is saved in glass will be lost in the 
extra quantity and labour of the wood. 
There is one other thing, to be attended to. 1 have 
been supposing that the rool-is all to be fixed, for that 
is the cheapest way to do it. Supposing that the three 
windows will open, that w ill admit of sending a current 
of air through the lower part of the house. But that 
will not be sufficient at all times, nor will it prevent a 
high temperature accumulating at the top of the house 
during bright days in summer. Two or three openings 
should, therefore, be secured at the point, from eighteen 
inches in length, and from eight to twelve inches in 
width ; and the most economical mode of doing so, is to 
have a board of that size moveable on a pivot at each 
end, and opened and shut by pulling a string. 
Supposing such a small house secured, 1 hardly know 
how to say it could be made a helper to the flower and 
kitchen-garden, unless that has already become apparent, 
as the uses of such a help are endless, and the benefits 
to be derived are proportional to the skill and the 
industry and perseverance of the possessor. One thing 
the proprietor must clearly make his mind up to, 
namely, to treat such a house in the winter months chiefly, 
or entirely, either as a safe store-house, or as a growing- 
house, in which the plants may be attractive when all 
is sterile out-of-doors. For the first, an average tem¬ 
perature, in cold weather, of from 35° to 40° will be 
requisite. For the second, a temperature of from 45° 
to 50° will be required, it is next to impossible to 
combine the two. For instance, suppose that your stage, 
or table, is filled during winter with Calceolarias, 
Verbenas, Penstemons, young Geraniums — chiefly of 
a bedding character—then the space underneath may 
be filled with such things as I mentioned suitable for a 
room, and will not stand in need of much light, if not 
exposed to a temperature higher than 40°. Care should 
also be taken that the water spilled in watering those 
above them should not reach them in any quantity, 
though a drop now and then will do them no harm. 
Subject these things, however, to a growing temperature 
of 45° to 50°, and onwards, and you cannot keep them 
quiet, they will grow ; and then they must have light, 
and if you are so crowded as to be unable to give it 
them, weakness and blanching are the consequences. 
On the other hand, supposing that you wish to bloom 
Cinerarias, Chinese Primulas, Camellias, &c., in such a 
house in winter, or even to grow some fine early-flowering 
plants of florists, or Fancy Pelargoniums, there is no¬ 
thing whatever to stop you, provided you can keep up 
a temperature of from 45° to 50°, and onwards; but 
then, not only would plants you merely wish to keep be 
excited into growth, but such a temperature would be 
ten degrees too high for Calceolarias and Verbenas, and 
