September 12.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
865 
years, it does seem surprising' that the lean-to form of 
building should still prevail. It may be right; it may 
be wrong; but the fact is, that three-fourths of our gar¬ 
dening gentlemen who, in acquiring a competence, seek 
for relief from the incessant turmoils of mercantile 
pursuits in horticultural pleasures, in putting up a 
greenhouse or hothouse, at once adopt the lean-to form 
of building. Such persons, we know, have scarcely the 
time, and, it may be added, have hardly skill enough to 
grapple with the question, as to what form should pre¬ 
vail; they have seen Mr. A.’s nice greenhouse, or Sir 
Wm. R.’s, full of nice Fuchsias, Geraniums, and Achi- 
menes, and what could bo better ? Very well—this is all 
good so far; but the question, as before observed, has 
wide bearings. 
We do think, nevertheless, that when a house is to be 
entirely appropriated to vines, peaches, or Jigs, that a 
southern lean-to is quite as good—perhaps better—as 
any other. But, then, how few are content to cultivate 
these things singly ; indeed, many amateurs possess but 
one house for all purposes; and a few grapes must be 
obtained, and, if possible, without any sacrilice of the 
plants beneath them; and here it is that a consideration 
arises, as to whether auy other form of roof would be 
more eligible. 
Now a span roof—the span running longitudinally 
north and south, and thus presenting one side to the 
morning sun, and the other to the evening—would, per¬ 
haps, be found a more convenient plan than any other, 
provided that vines above and plants below were the 
object. In this arrangement a neat little stage, or level 
bench of slate or stone, might be placed down the centre ; 
this stage, about six feet in width, would prove very con¬ 
venient to lady amateurs, who would be enabled to reach 
auy given plant or flower with facility. Of course, a 
walk should be all round the stage, of about 30 inches 
in width ; and this would give a total width to the house 
of about 11 feet. In such a house we should consider 
it indispensable to make the lights or sashes of the roof 
as wide as possible, otherwise the shadow produced by 
the frequency of the rafters, in the case of narrow lights, 
would prove very injurious; especially in winter, when 
the solar rays would strike in an excessively oblique 
direction. 
In such a house we should depart from the ordinary 
mode of planting the vines, planting two at each end; 
and train one (main) stem,on the spurring system, down 
the centre of each side of the span; running north and 
south, as the house itself stands. Thus but a moderate 
amount of shade would be produced, and the vines 
would at all times be reached with facility. Some may 
think that there would be a loss of grapes by this 
i arrangement; but this could not be the case, or, at least, 
there would be as many as would be compatible with 
the well-being of the plants; and in a house of this kind, 
; 30 feet in length, about seventy pounds of good grapes 
might annually be expected ; or rather more than one 
pound to a lineal foot; or, indeed, we might say, at 
least, a third more, if the vines wero as thriving as they 
ought to he. Where the primary object has been to 
grow pot plants, we do think that the proprietor ought 
j to rest content with this produce. 
As to ventilation, the escape of heated or corrupted air 
should be made at the angle of the ridge, where daps at 
almost every sash-top, having a connecting rod, might 
be worked with great facility, by what has been termed 
“ tho sympathetic mode; ” such may be seen beautifully 
applied in Her Majesty’s gardens at Frog more. The 
admission of air should take place just above the floor- 
level, on each side of the house, where hinged flaps, 
long and narrow, and capable of graduation, should 
admit the fresh air immediately opposite the hot-water 
pipes : thus the air would in sovere weather be warmed 
at its entrance. The bottom, or return pipe or pipes, 
might rest on a cemented floor or enclosure forming a 
sort of trough ; and this might be furnished with water 
on fitting occasions. 
Although we set out at the commencement of this 
paper with the intention of dealing with the form of 
roofs generally, it appeared expedient to go into detail as 
the matter proceeded; we must now beg to revert to tlm 
point from whence began a suggestion for a span-roof- 
house. 
There is an old fashioned house to be found here and 
there possessing what are called “north lights; ” this is 
what may be termed “ one of the olden time; ” but we 
trust that the intelligent readers of Tiie Cottage Gar¬ 
dener will be prepared to embrace objects new or old, 
or, it may be, both in combination, provided they can be 
backed by common sense and a little philosophy. This 
kind of house I feel anxious to recommend, inasmuch 
as some of the most successful courses of culture, where 
objects of a mixed character are sought, have been 
carried out by this old fashioned plan. In pointing to 
this it will bo well to observe, before proceeding farther, 
that we do not act on the supposition that our amateur 
friends aim at no other objects but vines and plants. 
There are those who require melons, it may be figs, as 
also strawberries, forced; and are also desirous oi cucum¬ 
bers nearly all the year round ; and pine apples, if pos¬ 
sible. We shall, therefore, hold it a duty to endeavour 
to be useful in offering advice in these respects. 
Before proceeding farther, it will bo well to see how 
these objects group together, as to habit and economy oi 
room. The best use we have known made of such a 
form of house, is when pines occupied a bed-tauk 
heated beneath the south lights and cucumbers were 
trained beneath the north lights ; and when, moroever, 
a walk being carried all round, a nice narrow shelf 
obtained a place all along tho front—the principal of 
the piping to warm the atmosphere being beneath this 
shelf. At the back, too, a shelf may be obtained; and 
even a portable little shelf of six inches in width, sus¬ 
pended by iron brackets, beneath the apex of the ridge. 
The front shelf in such a house constitutes the nicest 
place in the world for dainty stove plants—the achimenes 
and gesneraeeous plants in general, orchids, &c.; whilst 
the shelf against the back wall is peculiarly adapted for 
propagating matters, young and fresh potted stock, &c., 
&c. The suspended shelf is well fitted for strawberries, 
received from dung-beds or other and more airy struc¬ 
tures, after the blossom is well set; and, indeed, for 
many other purposes. 
Such a house we will undertake to recommend to tho 
especial notice of those amateurs who desire to cultivate 
a few choice stove plants, as well as the ordinary green¬ 
house kinds; and, in so doing, may at once combine 
their culture with that of the pine-apple and cucumber. 
To accomplish all this in the most certain and economic 
way, we do not know of any structure superior to this. 
Now, as the meaning of' this north light may not be 
obvious to all our readers at first sight, we may as well 
offer a remark or two. In the first place, it is proved 
by experience, that the cucumber will do well in such a 
situation most of the year. It is quite at home, of 
course, all the summer; has just as much light as it 
requires during spring and autumn, and even succeeds 
tolerably well through the winter, provided that plenty 
of atmospheric moisture is given. Indeed, a house about 
thirty-five feet long would keep any family supplied 
with salad cucumbers without another plant in frame 
or pit; here, then, is economy and simplicity at once, 
enabling tho cultivator to put his pits or frames to other 
purposes, and setting his mind at rest for the whole 
year on tho score of cucumbers. Again ; who does not 
know of the difficulties experienced by amateurs—not 
to mention gardeners—of coaxing on young and fancy 
stock, and also of carrying on propagation matters? 
