I 
! 
September 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
337 
derived from the wood tank in the hothouse. This 
tank is raised nine or twelve inches from the iioor 
upon piers. It is formed of deal two inches thick, 
and as carefully made as if intended for a brewer’s 
cooler. It is 3 ^ feet wide, divided in the middle, and 
is a foot in depth, but the able and intelligent gar¬ 
dener says that six or eight inches would do just as 
well. It is covered with slabs of slate half an inch 
in thickness. On the top of the tank, lengthwise, are 
set several boxes of various heights, and each from 
two to three yards in length, made of deal 1A inch 
thick, and unpainted. They, as well as the tank, 
have been in use for several years, and look as fresh 
as ever. In the middle of each box, binding the two 
sides together, an iron rod passes from side to side, 
screwed firmly to an iron plate with nuts, and this 
prevents all bulging. Short spaces of about a foot in 
width intervene between the boxes, which not only 
admit of many operations hein g more easily performed, 
but the heat from the slate radiates freely without 
interruption. Inside of the strong box, and sepa¬ 
rated from it two or three inches, is a slender one of 
half-inch boards, the use of which is to separate the 
earth, &c., from the outside box, and allow the heat 
to rise from the slate. To give every facility for this, 
the slate is covered to the depth of a foot with clink¬ 
ers, brickbats, charcoal, &c., which not only allows 
the heat to rise, hut acts as drainage: by pouring 
water between the two boxes you may have what 
moisture in the atmosphere you require. My friend, 
who has the charge of this house, grows in it rhu¬ 
barb and sea-kale in winter, cucumbers and melons 
in summer; preserves and grows some good stove 
plants, and several of the best orchids; grows ges- 
neras, gloxinias, achimenes, &c., second to few or 
none; forces hardy shrubs, roses, bulbs, &c., for the 
conservatory; and speaks of trying vines and peaches 
in pots, where they will succeed admirably; or a 
plant or two might he grown up the rafters with, 
advantage. He can make dry stove, moist bark-bed 
stove, and forcing house, all together, or all in turns; 
while in the greenhouse he has many of the best 
geraniums and calceolarias of the day, with other 
desirables, in fine health and vigour. The sketch of 
the end section of the house is merely from memory, 
but the main points are correct, roughly drawn to a 
scale of four feet to an inch. 
These small tanks have been used most success¬ 
fully as propagating houses by a neighbouring nur¬ 
seryman. R. Fish. 
JJL 
5 G 
mm 
! 
2 
H 
1 
1. Piers on which the tank rests. 
2. Tank made of wood, covered with slate. 
3. Clinkers, brickbats, &c., above slate. 
4. Sides of boxes, each of which acts as a pit. 
5. Sides of inner box, kept separate from outer by slips of wood; 
inside next the earth, &c.: tarred. 
6. Earth—first rough, and then finer above the rough brickbats, &c. 
When bottom-heat is wanted for plunging, tau or sawdust, or 
even sand, is used. 
"• Shelves for plants. 
8. Passages. 
g. Front glass which opens outwards. 
10. Division of glass between the two houses; the sashes sliding past 
each other. 
11. Stage in the greenhouse. 
12. Every alternate light of these pulls down. 
13. Every alternate light, opposite the fixed one on the lower house, 
also slides down. 
14. The lights in the greenhouse which do not slide are raised at the 
front by brackets toothed, and thus abundance of air can be 
given. 
15. Ground level. 
THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Cabbages. —The best varieties for coming in early 
next spring should now he planted in full crops ; and 
if the ground has not already been well manured, 
trenched, ridged, or dug, it should at once be done. 
The ground from which the onion crop has been re¬ 
moved is generally considered the best for planting 
the early cabbage crop upon; and, if the plants are 
at first placed at a sufficient distance from each other, 
a row of good coleworts may be planted between the 
