it to each longitudinal cord by other cords, which for greater convenience are made up in little balls (c c c c c c). These cords are also of tarred rope-yarn. I understand from Mr. Shennan, that he leaves his laths in the mats, which I should think would not be very convenient for rolling up. When a mat is finished, the cords are tied together at the top or finishing end; the mat is then detached from the straw, and its sides chopped straight with an axe. These mats are more conveniently made by two men than by one man; and by placing the frame upon a raised bank or bench, than by placing it on the ground, and obliging the men to stoop. When straw is used, that of rye is the best, and will last, even with us, three years; reeds last longer.

During our most severe frosts, I cover with straw mats rolled lengthways, i. e. from top to bottom, over the lights, and with reed mats over these crossways. By this mode the reeds lie in the direction of thatch on a house, so that the water runs off them, and keeps the straw mats below and the lights perfectly dry. Further particulars are rendered unnecessary by Mr. Shennan's very distinct directions, and I have only to add, that, if you choose, I will send you a reed mat and a straw mat, as specimens.

Copenhagen, March 28. 1828.

I remain, Sir, &c.

P. LINDEGAARD.

WE shall gladly receive specimen mats, which we shall deposit at Weir's Agricultural Implement Manufactory, Oxford Street, for the inspection of gardeners and others, who may wish to profit from M. Lindegaard's paper and that of Mr. Shennan. In the mean time, straw mats may be seen in use in Henderson's Nursery, Edgeware Road, and in the Clapton Nursery. Cond.

Sir,

ART. XII. Remarks on Metallic Hot-houses.

By Mr. GEORGE M'LEISH.

You have repeatedly invited your readers to offer practical remarks on any subject connected with gardening, and particularly on new inventions or practices which have been noticed or recommended in the Magazine. This, you have also repeatedly said, is the only way of arriving at truth, and the nearest road to fix the principles, and establish the general rules, of our art. Under this guarantee I now beg to send

you a few observations on the defects of curvilinear iron roofs, which have occurred to myself in the management of a house of this description, in the county of Dorset.

This house was divided by a glass partition: both divisions were paved with tiles, and, when I took charge of them, served as green-houses, with vines trained on a trellis under the roof. One of the divisions was afterwards converted into a pinery; but, however occupied, I always found it impossible to keep the temperature of the houses to the required degree. The circular roof concentrated the sun's rays so immoderately, that the tops of the vines were actually scorched, even when the doors and ventilators at the back were all open. This was always the case in summer; and in winter, it was with the greatest difficulty, and only with the assistance of mats, that we could keep out the frost; the thermometer frequently indicating only 40°, when strong fires were burning.

I annex a section of the house (fig. 84.) merely to show the outline of its construction, which I have found so defective. In the first place, the highly rarefied air under the roof could not readily escape by the ventilators behind; and the heat reflected from the paved floor increasing this unnecessary temperature, the

vines suffered and in the next place, during winter, the heat rising from the flues was dissipated upwards, and the whole volume of the air within became cooled below the necessary degree.

It is true, this house may have been badly contrived, and imperfectly finished; still, I am of opinion, that all houses having iron roofs will be liable to the same objections, if proper means be not taken to command the admission of air in one season, and to keep up the proper degree of heat in the other. I take the liberty of adding this remark, as a warning to those who may, for the sake of neatness and durability, resolve to have such houses erected. I am, Sir, yours, &c. Atherstone Gardens, May 15. 1828.

GEO. M'LEISH.

ART. XIII.

Description of a Hot-house, combining a Pinery, Vinery, Succession Pit, and Winter Green-house, all heated by one Fire. By ABRAHAM CALDICOTT, Esq. F.H.S.

Sir,

I ENCLOSE you the plan of a combined pinery, vinery, and succession pit, which I have tried for several years, and found to answer remarkably well: and when it is considered that

the vinery (fig. 85. A) serves also as a winter green-house, and that that one fire suffices for the whole, I will venture to say by no other plan can the same quantity of fruit be obtained, and the same number of objects effected, by one single fire, and, consequently, at so little expense.

The pinery (B) is ventilated in the early part of the year by the air from the vinery (A), in order that the rawness of the air may be qualified in the vinery before it reaches the pines; consequently, a freer circulation may be admitted, than

could be allowed, were the external air to have a direct access to the plants.

The vinery requires no flues, being supplied with heat from the pinery, thereby saving considerable expense; and, by training the vines on pendent trellises, a greater supply of fruit is obtained than by any other way, besides the pleasant appearance it gives to the house. The vine border (c) is raised, in order to keep the roots of the vines sufficiently dry. AB. CALDICOTT.

I am, Sir, &c.

Rugby Lodge, Warwickshire, Feb. 19.

Pinery (figs. 85. and 86.).—a a (fig. 85. B) are stone stoppers, by which the flues may be cleaned without being broken into. Iron rods 20 in. in length are screwed across each rafter (fig. 86. b), with holes 4 in. from the rafter and at the ends, for copper wires to pass through. These four wires, with two others close to the side of the rafter, and resting upon the rods, will support two vine stems with their lateral bearing branches. The projecting irons (c) are in the form of an inverted T, having a hole at each extremity of the cross-bar, which is 6 in. long, for wire to pass through for the support of the two shoots intended for the bearing wood of the ensuing year, after which they will be raised to the upper wires. The lights (d), instead of sliding over each other, lie quite flat, exhibiting an even surface; and this is effected by a plate of copper laid under the glass of the upper light, and extending about 2 in. over the top rail of the lower light, which is bevelled off for its reception. None of the lights need be made to open, in consequence of the windows between the houses, and one at each end of the pinery, which latter is never opened except in the hottest weather. In the vinery all the uppermost lights are made to pull up over the back wall about half way, being prevented from going farther by an iron stop placed at their sides; strips of wood about 4 in. broad may be screwed

in the rafters to keep the wet from the joints, and prevent the lights from being blown away. The windows (e) are kept open by a fastening in the shape of a quadrant, which, being screwed on the side of the window, passes through a narrow plate fastened in the uprights, and furnished with a screw to fix the window at any desired height.

Vinery (fig. 85. A and fig. 86. D). The pendent trellis (fig. 86. f) is fixed to each of the rafters, the perpendiculars of which are made of narrow hoop-iron, and the horizontals of copper wire, except the lowermost six, which, to keep the perpendiculars at their proper distance, are made of thin iron rods. The vines are trained on the back wall, as well as on the trellises; and the upper branches are pruned by resting a plank on a ladder at each end of the house. Planks (g) are laid on bricks to walk upon, instead of pressing down the border. On this border (h) the green-house plants are set in winter. Succession Pits (figs. 87. and 88.). The succession pit (fig. 87.) is built at one end of the pinery. (figs. 85. and 87. m) Its flue (k) opens into the pinery flue at this end only; so that,

87

though the air of the pinery flue enters it, it has no current through. Fig. 88. is a section of the pit. It has a steam flue (1) which is closed at both ends, but the external wall of it is open brickwork; so that the steam from the dung passes into the flue, and thereby warms the air of the pit. For the same purpose, a thick tarpawling made to roll up and down on a pole, so as to cover the glasses in cold weather, may be used. The space outside the pit is filled with tan up to the level of the bed inside once a year, generally in November; and above that is put dung, which is renewed as often as the heat declines. In