THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 14, 1860. 
299 
house must pass through the middle house : that, therefore, 
would become the warmest. You do not say whether you want 
bottom heat or not; but that could also bo easily secured in one, 
or even in every house, and you could thus have a bed instead of 
a stage or platform. Just as in the vinery, the number of pipes 
will depend on the heat wanted. For a span-roofed house under 
such circumstances, half of the glass roof facing the north, and 
the other the south, to keep a temperature from 60° to 70° in 
winter, you would require three four-inch pipes on each side— 
two as How, and one as return. The return might pass under 
the bed and keep bottom heat#in a layer of tan, &c. Separate 
pipes may be used for bottom heat; but the pipes, as already 
stated, must be above rather than below the level of the boiler. 
At the farther end of all these pipes, whether for bottom heat or 
top heat, a small gas air-pipe should be inserted, the open end 
standing considerably above the highest pipes and cisterns. To 
give a sort of idea of what would be wanted, supposing one of 
these divisions were turned into an early propagating-house, then 
supposing a three-feet pathway, at least, down the middle, then 
there would be a bed on each side, some two feet or more from 
the floor level; and to heat these beds, whether cased with tan, 
sand, &c., two four-inch pipes would be required on each side. 
Two also would be required on each side for top heat. The 
simplest plan would bo to make top pipes on each side flow- 
pipes, and return them below the beds. Little inconvenience 
would arise from this arrangement, if properly managed ; but cir¬ 
cumstances might occur when bottom heat was wanted, and not 
top heat, and, therefore, it would be better to be able to heat 
cither separately, and one side of the house independently of 
the other side. Of course, for late forcing, half the quantity of 
piping would be sufficient. The heating would be simplified 
were there only two divisions instead of three. The same will 
hold good as respects the pits, &c. 
There is not so much advantage in having span-roofed houses, 
when, as in thjs case, the slopes of the glass point north and 
south. It is preferable when, in some measure, they point east 
and west, as thus they get full advantage of the sun, and the 
strength is moderated at noonday. I notice, however, that there 
is a walk behind the range to the north, and probably all round 
it, and the span form may be designed that the contents of the 
houses may be seen from the outside as well as from the inside. 
Were it not for this, some would prefer a range with a short 
hipped-roof on the north side, and a longer sloping roof to the 
south side. Thus, supposing the north wall to be four feet above 
the ground level, and one foot and a half below, that would be 
five feet and a half altogether. The front wall would be three 
feet or eighteen inches above the ground level. A hipped-roof 
of glass, say four feet, sloped so as to meet a ridge-board seven 
feet and a half or eight feet from the floor, neither of which 
would shade the vinery, would give a long slope, and, therefore, 
command more direct sunlight and warmth to the south. 
As opinion is asked as to the construction, roofing, &c., of 
these low span-roofed houses, I would adopt one of two plans. 
First: the ground being cleared out so as to have the floor inside 
eighteen inches below the ground level, I would continue that 
two feet and a half above the ground level, but would have two 
feet of that upright glass made to move outwards for air, by being 
connected with a rod and racket fixed at each end. Second: 
Were this upright glass disapproved of, then I would raise the 
wall above the ground level only about fifteen inches ; and in 
that I would have two slides on each side in each house, fifteen 
inches long and six inches deep, for ventilating, having slides also 
on the inside to be used in severe weather. These six slides on 
each side would give enough bottom air, and should open against 
the pipes. In very hot weather in summer the doors might bo 
opened if necessary. Either of these modes would do—the last 
would be the least expensive. 
So much for the base. Now for the span-roof of glass. Take 
the middle of the width of your floor inside. Set a rod up 
this perpendicularly, 7| feet or 8 feet high — the former I 
should prefer under the circumstances. Let two other rods 
meet it from the side-walls, and the slope of your roof will at 
once be seen. The point of junction is where the ridge-board 
would be. Instead of one ridge-board, however, I propose having 
two, separated from each other from eight to twelve inches—say 
nine inches. This open space I reserve for top ventilation. 
Stout cross-pieces—say every three or four feet apart, will keep 
these ridge-boards securely in their places, and also do for hanging 
by pivots at each end, the boards or ventilators made to suit these 
openings between the cross-pieces. These boards should not fit 
so tight but that they will move easily. They should not b e 
pivot-hung by thc*centre of their width, but at about a third of 
their width—say at the north side. A small button will hold 
them in their place when shut; when that is moved with a 
suitable handle, the extra weight on that side will cause the 
ventilator to fall downwards. To keep it nearly air-tight when 
shut, a small fillice is fastened on to the under side of the venti¬ 
lator on the north-side ridge-board, and to the upper side of the 
ventilator oil the south-side ventilator. Top ventilation can thus 
be easily given from the pathway inside, and bottom ventilation 
from the walk outside. These same cross-pieces alluded to serve 
as the base for a frame to support a coping of two boards wide 
enough to reach a little over the glass, and thus prevent wet 
driving in easily, and leaving from three to four inches on each 
side clear above the glass—say four inches, to allow the air to 
pass freely to the ventilators. As' described, the ventilator will 
open to its full size; but it may be easily regulated so as to give 
an inch or more. One object for this simple and effectual mode 
is to have the roof on both sides fixed. As the rafters or sash- 
bars will not in either case be above eight feet long, or somewhere 
thereabouts, even from the two side-walls—if these joined to the 
wall-plate at one end and the ridge-board at the other, and not 
farther apart than twelve or fifteen inches, and the glass is not 
above sixteen-ounce good British sheet—the bars will not require 
to be much stronger than those commonly used—say one inch 
and a half by two inches and a half. If you used glass as heavy 
as twenty-two ounces to the foot, I would recommend the bars to 
be two inches by three inches. 
Of course, the houses might be arranged differently. One 
with beds and bottom heat; one with bed or stage without 
bottom heat; and one with plants standing on the floor. 
If the main flow and return are some eighteen inches or so 
below the ground level, you may easily have bottom as well as 
top heat in your pits. You would see by notices lately, that no 
great depth is necessary for such a purpose. If the walls are 
built hollow, it will make less difference as to heat whether they 
are above or below ground. For an early Cucumber-house, if 
you could siq£ enough for a pathway at the back, I would 
prefer a hipped-roof at back, and as steep a slope as possible in 
front. - Supposing that you had such a house twelve feet to 
eighteen feet from these houses, and you could sink the path 
behind three feet below the ground level, and have a wall three 
or four feet above, and a short hip meeting a ridge-board, eight 
feet from the floor, that would give a nice slope for winter Cu¬ 
cumbers, the front wall being merely nine inches or so above 
the ground level. For pits there can be no difficulty whatever, 
even if you had two or three ranges. But one thing you must 
do before you commence operations—calculate according to your 
wants how many feet of pipe you will want, and satisfy yourself 
that you get a boiler that on good authority will do half as much 
more, and part of that, be it recollected, at one hundred feet from 
the boiler. With the respectable firms who advertise in our 
columns, you will be at no loss in procuring the most definite in¬ 
formation. Above all things, be sure your boiler has more power 
than you actually need. A small trumpery thing will worry all 
connected with it. R. Fish. 
JAMES CARTER & CO.’S GARDENER’S VADE 
MECUM. 
This is Messrs. Carter’s Catalogue of Floricultural, Vegetable, 
and Agricultural Seeds under a new leading title. It is an 
enlargement of the Catalogue of former years, furnishing much 
interesting additional matter, and is prepared with the same care 
and minuteness of detail that characterised those of former years. 
A very important feature, which is new in this edition, is an 
additional column giving remarks on the adaptation of the diffe¬ 
rent flowers, their culture, and the soil in which they should be 
grown. The Calendar is also considerably enlarged; and the 
treatise on German Asters and Stocks, translated from the original 
of Messrs. Carter’s German correspondent, is so interesting that 
we take opportunities of introducing it to our readers. 
“CHINESE OR GERMAN ASTER (Aster Chinensu ). 
“ A whole series of varieties have arisen out of this summer 
plant by the continual industry and attention given to its cul- 
tivation, and each variety has its peculiarities; I will here 
mention them in turn as they have been produced. Tho pro¬ 
genitor was the plain Chinese Aster, which still exists, but sparely 
cultivated. 
