227 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AN1) COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Jaxuauv 11, 1850. 
lliri attention to the foregoing engraving of the end section 
t)f a house, as that is the most useful and economical : 
Combination of propagating-house, hothouse, forcing- 
house, Vinery, Cucumbery, and Melonry, in unison with 
a greenhouse, all heated by one tank, that I have ever 
met with. A small conical boiler is used, similar to that 
employed by Messrs. Itogers and Eendle; short iron 
pipes, about a yard in length, are tixed to the Ranges of 
the boiler ; and to these leaden pipes, from an inch and a 
half to two inches in diameter, are attached, and commu¬ 
nicate, one with the flow side, and the other with the 
return side of the tank. The tank is of wood, two inches 
thick,—an inch and a half would do,—beat well at the 
joints, like a brewer’s cooler. It is from three feet and a 
half to four feet wide, and four inches inside would be 
deep enough. A division goes up the centre, except for 
about a foot at the farther end, to allow the water to run 
round freely. This supports the stout slate, which covers 
it across, bedded in red. lead, or cement. This tank is 
only raised a little above the ground ; but wooden boxes, 
averaging four feet in height, but ranging in size accord¬ 
ing to the height of the plants wished to be grown, are 
made to stand on the slate cover. That cover is packed 
over, to the depth of about a foot, with clinkers, &c,; 
and over that is placed the soil, tan, &c., kept from the 
outside box, for two or three inches, by thin boarding, 
the cavity besides keeping the soil from the outside box, 
allowing the heat to pass into the atmosphere of the 
house. In all tank heating, if the top is much covered, 
and the sides are of wood, open spaces should be left, to 
give top heat. In these open spaces, the slate covering 
should be moveable at places, so as to let vapour out at 
will. Let it be recollected, that, if the top is covered se¬ 
curely, heat from a tank will be just as dry as that from 
pipes. 
The distinguishing feature of the house spoken of is, 
having the greenhouse behind it, and separated merely 
by a glass division, the first being suuk some two feet 
below the ground level, and the other raised about 
eighteen inches above the level. If the top of the boiler 
be about two or three feet below the level of the tank, 
the circulation will be all the more powerful. This fact, 
in certain grounds where it is not comfortable to go 
down, would determine, to a certain extent, the position 
of the tank. 
For instance, suppose our correspondent resolves on 
having a lean-to house,—ten feet high at the back, and 
five feet and a half high in the front, and can sink little 
for a boiler, and the contemplated inside width ten feet, 
—then ho might make the floor of his house about thirty 
feet long, on the ground level, or just a few inches above 
it; and place a wooden tank along the centre,—twenty-four 
feet long, three feet and a half wide, and four inches deep, 
—supported by five brick piers on each side, three feet 
and a half in height, or stout oak posts, of a similar 
height. This would permit of a shelf one foot wide along 
the front; along the ends, two feet wide; and along the 
back, one above another, of eighteen inches wide; and a 
walk of two feet all round. If deemed desirable, enclosed 
spaces might be made below the tank; and there Sea- 
kale, Ithubarb, and even Asparagus might be forced. 
Suppose, again, that, in a house of a similar size, the front 
wall was only to be from four feet and a half to five feet 
in height,—then, as that would so far save bricks, we 
should only have one pathway, near the centre; we 
would place the tank on supports, within a foot of the 
top of the wall, along the front, and perhaps one end; 
have a pathway of two feet and a half; and a platform, 
or raised stage, at the back. By leaving spaces of the 
slate covering of the tank uncovered, there would be 
plenty of heat for the atmosphere. In such a house, we 
recollect seeing a tank two feet wide along the front, 
without any divisions for propagating purposes ; but two 
three-inch pipes were taken from the farther end, and 
returned, underneath the stage, to the boiler. In such a I 
case, the whole of the tank was covered over with ashes', 
kept in their place by the wall of the house in front, and 
by a nine-inch board, raised above the sides of the tank 
next the pathway. This afforded easy means for exam¬ 
ining the cuttings ; and when potted off and growth pro¬ 
gressing, they were moved to the platform, or stage, 
behind. In such circumstances, I believe that the wooden 
tank, covered with slate, would be the cheapest, and give 
least trouble in fixing and arranging. By placing the tank 
iu front, it will be evident that one side will be supported 
by a four-inch set-off in the front wall, and that piers, or 
posts, will only be wanted behind, next the pathway. 
One thing must be thought of, — as little heat will 
escape from the sides and bottom, the top covering will 
be all the hotter ; but, in a largish house, means must be 
taken for letting that top heat into the atmosphere of the 
house, when desired; otherwise, the cuttings may be too 
hot, and the rest of the plants too cold. 
I may here mention, that when I saw the tank in the 
house of which we give a diagram, about a year ago, it 
was perfectly sound then, and wanted nothing, although 
it must have been doing service for twenty years. I at¬ 
tribute this to its standing free of the floor, and to its 
having never felt paint. 
In a late article, our correspondent would see the 
economy of sinking houses, as respects exposure; but, 
as mentioned above, when moisture and damp are soon 
reached, the extra advantage will be more than counter¬ 
balanced by the evils. Besides, it is no joke removing 
some two feet of earth, so as to sink for a pit-house ; and 
then, of course, the stock-hole must just be sunk pro¬ 
portionally as much. The former plan of supporting the 
tank on bricks and piers, on the ground level, involves 
least trouble. That mode can only be resorted to wdien 
the tank is of wood or iron. Iron tanks, in my opinion, 
would be much more expensive than iron pipes. 
If, for various reasons, it be resolved to sink the house, 
then all the earth from the paths might be thrown into 
the centre, for a platform; but, in that case, you will need 
a four-inch brick wall, with piers every eight feet or so, 
to keep the earth up. The tank then, however, might 
stand on the top of the platform without any piers. This, 
on the whole, would not be any saving ; and the solid earth 
platform would deprive you of ail chance of placing any¬ 
thing below it, that did not at the time require much 
light. 
We have seen brick tanks made on the top of such 
earth platforms, firmly rammed. But, if that is not well 
done, they will be apt to shrink, and the tank will shrink 
and crack with it. These brick tanks require more nicety 
than wood. In making them, we should like two bricks 
deep for the bottom, and wider, by six inches at least, 
than the intended tank bottom. The ground being 
thoroughly rammed and levelled, place the first layer on 
good mortar. Cover the joints and the tops, as you place 
the second layer, with the best cement—the dark-coloured 
so much used by bricklayers. Two bricks on bed will 
do for the sides, and one brick on edge for the centre, 
with a piece of slate below, so as to make it of the same 
height as the sides. This, as already referred to, divides 
the current, and makes a How and a return in the same 
level tank. All these bricks must be thoroughly 
soaked in water, to dispel the air, before being used. 
When the tank is thus formed, the workman begins at 
one end, and, wetting the bricks with a brush as he pro¬ 
ceeds, covers the bottom and sides of his tank, inside, 
with his mixture of cement and sand, from a quarter to 
half an inch in thickness, smoothing it quickly as he pro¬ 
ceeds. In a day or two water may be admitted. Frost 
at no time must have entrance, or it will cause the cement 
to fly and crack. Provided the top of your boiler (a 
close one) is from three feet and more below the level of 
the bottom of your tank, and you keep the tank supplied 
with water, and have the flow-pipe from the top of the 
boiler at one side, and the return-pipe going to the bottom 
