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THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 23, 1858. 
GLASS STRUCTURE NOT FIXED TO THE LAND. 
I observe, in Tiie Cottage Gardener, some inquiries about 
portable greenhouses, and especially portable orchard - houses; 
and as I am not without some experience in this matter, I have 
thought it right to communicate with you. 
I have now completed a set of houses, consisting of stove, 
greenhouse, intermediate-house, orchard-house, bedding pits, &c., 
all on the portable system,—such as would, I think, defy all the 
legal talent in the three kingdoms to claim them as fixtures for a 
future incumbent. 
They stand entirely above and on the ground, without post, 
stay, or prop, below the ground level. In fact, I sometimes, in 
joke', ask my friends to come and see my large “handglasses,” 
as—with the exception of the important items, weight and 
size—they are as portable as a handglass. 
They are entirely made of wood, iron, and glass, without one 
single brick, except those used in setting the boilers. 
1 will proceed to describe the orchard-house more minutely, 
as that seems to be the text on which your homily is based. 
This house is forty feet long, fifteen feet wide, ten feet high to 
the ridge, four feet high to the eaves, and a span roof ; and I 
would engage to take the house down, move it any distance within 
twenty miles, set it up, and be at work again, trees and all (they 
are in pots, of course), in a fortnight. It is entirely put together 
with screw-nuts, or with screws commonly called “ coach-nuts,” 
with coarse thread and square head. So that you can turn the 
screws out, however tight with putty and paint, by means of a 
spanner. The ends of the house are hi one piece, half of which 
is glass. Each side is composed of three pieces, two of them six¬ 
teen feet long, and the third eight feet long : each is complete in 
itself, with oak sill and deal plate, &c., boarded with thin deal 
boards, with open joints. 
The roof (span) is in sashes, each eight feet square (rather too 
large) ; no rafters ; sash-bars fourteen inches apart; sashes fixed, 
the lower ends resting on the plate, the upper ends on a piece of 
framing running the whole length of the house ;— A carrying the 
short sash b, and the shutters (c) opening all at once by means of 
the lever d, fixed on a gas-pipe E, running the whole length of 
the house. The frame (a) is supported by iron posts or pillars 
(f l’), which are screwed on an oak sill (a), resting on the ground, 
not below it. This sill is about four feet long, and is kept in its 
place by the tie-rods (shown in the sketch) running across the 
house just above the ground. 
You ask whether the roofs of such houses can be constructed 
without supports of any kind between the wall-plates. I think 
not, economically. It might be done by an expensive and some¬ 
what cumbrous system of trussed rafters. But what occasion is 
there for this, when a simple post or prop, on, not in, the ground, 
answers every purpose. 
The annexed is a sketch of the roof-supports, tie-rods, braces, 
&c., of my orchard-house. The walk is in the centre of the 
ouso, and the borders on each side; consequently, the diagonal 
braces (n h), and the transverse tie-rods (ii), do not interfere 
with the convenience of walking up and down the house. 
However, if it were thought desirable to have a border in the 
centre (in fact, I must do this, as my trees are rapidly growing 
too tall for their stations), the tie-rods (x i) could be cranked down, 
so as to allow the path to go over them, and the braces (n n) could 
be altered as shown by the dotted lines ; for, of course, the house 
cannot wrack, without altering the angles (k k), which the sub¬ 
tending braces (dotted lines) quite prevent, as I have proved, by 
constructing a small model. 
These systems of props, braces, &c., occur at intervals of 
eight feet j thus, there arc four of them altogether. They are 
very light, neat, and strong, and are just the things for training 
up Vines, &e. 
I am afraid I have already wearied you enough with this long 
epistle, or I would describe more fully the various details of this 
house, and also of my stove and greenhouse, all of which are 
constructed on the same principles; though, of course, I found 
the latter much more difficult, as the sides are so much higher, 
and, therefore, more difficult to brace and keep steady. However, 
I have persevered, and succeeded, in spite of the jeers of my 
friends, who often ask me whether my houses are blown down or 
not, which way uppermost, &c, 
I will write again, if you like, describing fully these houses, 
with their fittings (completely portable), stages, floor, tanks, 
pipes, and shelves ; in fact, everything except the boiler,—a 
retort of Thomson’s,—which, • of course, is set in brickwork. 
Here again though, the pipes are connected to it by means of 
flanges and nuts, so as to take off in a moment without breaking 
anything.—E. E. Robinson, Stonesfield Rectory. 
Another communication on the same subject is as follows :— 
Seeing an article hi The Cottage Gardener respecting the 
construction of orchard-houses, so that they may be removed by 
the tenant, independent of the landlord, it occurred to me that 
this might be done very simply. The sides might be constructed 
in pieces ten feet long, by the height required. These could be 
secured together by screw-bolts. The common bed-screw would 
do well for the purpose. The ends I would make in two pieces, 
and fix in the same manner. This frame could bo kept in its 
place by stakes in the ground ; the top part of the frame, forming 
the wall-plate, could he stayed either from the inside or out, best 
to suit the situation. The sashes could rest on the plate and 
purline, and, coming together at the top, would receive a coping- 
board. These would be all kept secure by hanks and staples. 
A house thus formed would cost but little more than one on Mr. 
