GIFT OF FREDERIC T. BICL UNIVERSITY FARM WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND ertktitopl GEO. E. & F. W. WOODWARD, ARCHITECTS & HORTICULTURISTS. NEW YORK: GEO. E. WOODWARD & CO., 31 BROAD STREET ORANGE JUDD COMPANY, 245 BROADWAY. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE DAVIS tutored according to Act of Congress, in the year ISfi.i. ty GEO. E. & F. W. WOODWARD, la the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New York. PAGE. Introduction 7 Position of Houses 17 Forms of Houses 19 H.'ating by Flues 22 " " Steam 22 " " Tanks 27 " " Hot \Vater Pipes 33 Construction, &c 35 Hot Beds 39 Cold Pit 4-1 P 'opagating lions*** 46 v CONTENTS. PAGE. DESIGN No. 1. Propagating House. 54 DESIGN No. 2. Propagating House. DESIGN No. 3. Propagating House 61 DESIGN No. 4. Grapery and Forcing House 64 DESIGN No. 5. Green-House 68 DESIGN No. 6. Green-House and Grapery 70 DESIGN No. 7. Cold Grapery 73 DESIGN No. 8. Polyprosopic Roof , 77 DESIGN No. 9. Green-House ... 81 DKSIGN No. 10. Cold G i apery 85 CONTENTS. T PAGE. DESIGN No. 11. Plant-IIouse 90 DESIGN No. 12. Cold G raperies for Ci ty Lots 94 DESIGN No. 13. Grapery 98 DESIGN No. 14. Hot Grapery 102 DESIGN No. 15. Extensive range of Horticultural Buildings 105 DESIGN No. 16. Green-House Ill DESIGN No. 17. " Lean-to " Grapery . ; 115 DESIGN No. 18. Green-House 119 DESIGN No. 19. Large Range of Horticultural Buildings 123 DFSIGN No. 20. Green-House and Grapery combined 127 Orchard Houses 131 WOODWARD'S and INT RODUCTION. IT is less than twenty-five years since the first cold Grapery was erected on the Hudson. Since the suc- cess of the culture of the delicious varieties of the oxotic Grape has been demonstrated, the number of graperies has annually increased, and during the last ten years in a very rapid ratio, until they have become recognized as possible and desirable, among those even whose circumstances are moderate and limited. The newly-awakened interest in this branch of culture is manifested in the number and variety of books and other publications on this subject, the space devo- ted to it in the agricultural and horticultural journals, and especially in the increased number of graperies and vineyards which have been erected and planted in the last decade. There seems to be a general consciousness of the fact that, in the struggle for wealth and the greed for wide possessions, as well as 8 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND ID the inherent difficulties of our situation thrown as w have been upon a new and vast continent we have too long neglected the culture of the Vine, one of the most ancient and useful arts of life ; an art which has, in all ages, been the fruitful source of com- fort and luxury, of health and happiness, to the masses of mankind. The neglect of this important and beautiful department of culture is the more re- markable, since our country embraces every degree of latitude, and every variety of climate and soil in which lb.e grape is known to flourish. It having been demonstrated by years of experiment, resulting in every case in utter failure, that the for- eign grape cannot be successfully grown in the open air in the United States the States of the Pacific ex- cepted we are obliged to confine our culture to glazed structures, erected for the purpose, where an atmos- phere similar to the vine-growing regions of Europe can be maintained, and that bane of the foreign grape, the mildew, avoided. The culture of choice foreign grapes under glass in this country dates from before the War of Independ- ence, from which time to this the beautiful but perish- able Chasselas, the delicious Frontignac, and the luscious Hamburg, have been, here and there, carefully cultivated and ripened. But these efforts have been chiefly confined to the vicinity of large cities, and the HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 9 management has mainly been kept in the hands of foreign gardeners, who have imported themselves from the vine regions of Europe, to instruct us in the arts and mysteries of grape-growing. That many of these are men of great practical ex- perience in the art, we know full well ; but, however skillful they may have been in foreign countries, their success in our climate has been achieved only by dis- carding many of their preconceived ideas, and adapting their practice to agree with the peculiarities of our climate. When the public shall have learned that the culture of grapes under glass is only a plain and sim- ple pursuit or pastime, which any one of ordinary ca- pacity can comprehend and successfully carry out, then we shall have made a decided and important ad- vance. The American people are rather disposed to be self- reliant, and we may, therefore, safely predict that, when we take hold, in real earnest, of the business of grape culture, either under glass or in the open air, \\v shall do it with our customary determination and (Mi-rtry, and lhat success will just as surely follow as it has in other cases where imported ideas have been in. proved upon and superseded. We have shown, we think, in other fields of enterprise, that we may ven- ture to rely upon native-born talent, ingenuity and industry, to work out this rroblem also, ;ii:d that, by 10 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND a practical demonstration, we shall, gradually and surely, reach a point of success beyond what has been attained with all the advantages of foreign aid. And this success will be equalled by the simplicity of its methods. Grape-growing in this country is yet in its infancy, and as respects the varieties best adapted to our soil and climate, essentially experimental. As yet it has attracted any considerable attention only of the more intelligent and far-seeing portion of our pop- ulation, but it is surely beginning to command the regard and study of the larger number of our cultiva- tors, and the inevitable result will be that, in a few years, it must be an important source of our country's wealth. The great obstacles among us to grape-growing un- der glass, especially to persons of moderate or limited means, are the first cost of building, planting, &c. ; and the necessity of regular and systematic care and attention to the vines which must be given, during a short season, however, in order to insure success. To those who are influenced by the consideration of such obstacles as these, it may be said that, even in these times of hi^h prices for all descriptions of labor and material if we except, perhaps, brain-w^rk and in- tellectual material complete and substantial grape- houses cm be erected at moderate cost, and with roju-r management they can be made a source of in- nORUCULTCilAL BUILDINGS. 11 come and profit. As to the care and attention re- quired, and the regularity of the periods at whi- h they must he bestowed, at the risk of losing the crop, it can be easily demonstrated that these attentions and duties can be perfectly comprehended and under- stood by several members of the family, by the older children, and intelligent servants, so as to be overseen and performed by one or another in the absence of the person to whom the care is usually confided. More- over, when one becomes interested in the management of a grapery, the employment gets to be too fascinat- ing to allow of the thought of restricted action or irk- some labor. It soon comes to be regarded as a delight- O O ful as well as healthful employment, whose duties are simple, and easily understood and performed. The love of flowers is becoming quite a passion with many at the present day. This is indicated by the multiplication of nurserymen, and the rapid increase of their sales. Fifteen years ago the sales of flowering plants were confined to a few city Florists ; now the trade has become so extensive, that large numbers are grown in our surrounding suburban towns, to meet the demand, which at particular seasons, as the Christ- inas and Easter holidays, for the decoration of our churches and other purposes, reaches proportions that would surprise the uninitiated. One cultivator has stated that during the fall of 1863 and winter of 1864 12 he cut and sent from his establishment, 230,OOC blooms of the various flowers lie cultivates, and he is but one of many engaged in the cultivation of flowers for the bouquet makers of New York. An extensive grower of pot plants, from information carefully gath- ered among his fellow nurserymen, estimates that the plant trade of the vicinity of New York reaches nearly the sum of $200,000 annually, and this for plants mainly employed as " bedding plants," in the decora- tion of gardens and city yards, leaving entirely out of the question, those for winter culture at windows and in green houses, as well as the immense stock of the growers themselves to supply the demand for cut flowers. The growing taste for flowers may be ob- served in. the constantly increasing demand for decora- tive purposes, in our churches, at public festivals, and private gatherings, and is especially apparent in the numerous depots for their sale on our principal thoroughfares. Much of this is due to the general diffusion of Horticultural literature, unveiling the masteries of plant culture, and demonstrating the simplicity of the process. Small green-houses or conservatories attached to dwellings are now frequently to be met with both in city and country: these are entered from some one of the principal rooms of the house, and are an at tractive feature both within and without. HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 13 The pleasure derived from such a source is a con- stantly increasing one, which can oniy be estimated by those who may have the means for its gratification. But little time and attention is needed, which, with a proper acquaintance with the wants of the various plants, and some experience in their cultivation (knowledge easily and quickly acquired by those who have a genuine love for it), will enable us at any time during the winter season to enjoy our flowers, send a bouquet to a friend, or make use of them in adding to the attractions of home. Such glass structures would afford pleasure to the ladies of the family, in their moments of leisure, being of easy access from the dwelling, without the necessity of txposure to the outer air, which would prevent visits to larger build- ings, remote from the house, and could be managed, with occasional assistance in potting and arrangement, wholly by them. Designs for houses of the above character will be found in the course of the work, as well as those adapted as isolated buildings, to grounds of moderate and large extent. In the construction of Horticultural buildings, the matter of economy is an important and desirable con- sideration with many persons. But it should be un- derstood that a common, low-priced structure is not the best economy, or the most desirable for a series of years. The dilapidated appearance that soon over- J4 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND takes cheap, make- shift constructions, creates an im- pression that cannot be pleasing either to the spectator or the proprietor. It is an excellent rule, that what is worth doing at all, is worth doing well ; and it is just as applicable to horticultural buildings as to any undertaking in life. Bough hemlock lumber, rudely put up and whitewashed, would be a cheap mode of construction, which might be tolerated on a merely commercial place, but would illy correspond with neatly-kept private grounds, however humble and un- pretentious they might be. The plan selected may be devoid of mere ornament, which would increase the cost, without adding to the capacity or useful- ness, but the proportions should be satisfactory, the arrangement convenient, the materials the very iu-st of their kind, and the workmanship well and faith- fully performed. Bough work, open joints, ill-fitting ventilators, ill-proportioned plans and forms, and a general tumble-down appearance, is not the kind of economy we should recommend to our readers or prac- tice on our own place. One may choose between wood and masonry for the foundation walls ; between the several grades and sizes of glass ; between elaborate finish and ornament, and plain work ; in the matter of the varhus modes of henting, &c. ; but whatever is decided upon, let the plan and proportions be correct, and the matci ia;s m 1 work of good, honest description HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 15 In the various designs which we present our readers in this volume, nearly all of which have been erected under our superintendence, and are now in operation, the manner of construction can be judiciously econo- mical, or it may be elaborated to the most substantial and ornamental structures of the class to which they belong. There is no more reason for making these buildings of a temporary character, than there is for putting up our barns and other outbuildings in a cheap and unworkmanlike manner. The enjoyment of a country place naturally depends very much on its neat and tasteful appearance, the completeness of all its appointments, the order and good taste of all its arrangements. And although we do not advocate ex- travagance, or needless cost in ornamentation, which would be unsuitable to the purpose for which these stiucture.3 are designed, we think that true economy would indicate the use of the best materials and work- manship requisite for substantial and permanent buildings. Horticultural buildings are not intended for a few years' use merely. Their profit, and the enjoyment they afford, will last for many years, and may be transmitted, with the other improvements of the country seat, as substantial and attractive appen- dages, indeed, as real property, worth all the money they cost, to the future proprietor. There is still much to be learned in the matter of 16 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND i xotic grape-growing in this country, and, in fact, in the management of conservatories, orchard - houses, and all descriptions of horticultural buildings, and all classes of plants cultivated under glass. Whatever progress may have been made abroad, where experi- ments are carried on upon a large and costly scale, and often with eminent success, is of little or no value to the American horticulturist. Our climate is very different in its character and conditions from that of Europe, and especially that of humid England. We have, what they lack, real sunshine, with clear skies. Under the English methods of treatment, our graper- ies and green-houses would speedily be ruined. Nor are we willing to accept as final and conclusive the present best-known methods of vine culture. If there are better modes of managing exotic or native vines-, and of developing the whole theory of grape culture, we shall be quite sure to find them out in the wide sweep of experiment which we are boldly and patiently undertaking in various parts of the country, We do not propose, in our present work, to enter upon the investigation and discussion of .the various theories of heat, light, color, radiation, &c., which properly belong to scientific treatises on these subjects. We intend to give only practical examples and results, from an extensive professional experience, with nu- merous designs and plans of buildings, most of which HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 17 are now in successful operation, with the expectation that this volume will contribute not only to the gene- ral information of our horticulturists, and of gentle- men who are establishing themselves in the country, but also to create and encourage a taste for this kind of culture of exotic and delicate fruits, as well as the exquisite but tender gems of the floral world. When we find that we can command, at comparatively small cost of money and attention, the beautiful and lus- cious fruits of southern and tropical climes their rarest and choicest flowers the most delicious grapes, the finest peaches, nectarines, and apricots, the fig, and the pineapple, if we will ; and that we can com- mand these in abundance, to load and adorn our tables daily, the time cannot be distant when horticultural buildings, of various descriptions, will be found on all our country places or attached to our city homes. POSITION OF HOUSES. FOR lean-to or single-roofed structures used as forcing- houses for grapes or other fruits or plants, a southern aspect is generally preferred. Our ovu preference would be a position facing South-East, on account of the advantage gained from the morning sun, which is so favorable to the health and growth 18 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND of all descriptions of plants. Although an hour 01 two of the evening sun might be lost to a building in this position, yet the rays are then comparatively feeble, and this loss would be much more than com- pensated by the more genial morning light. Cold Graperies, with span roofs, and glazed at both ends, are better placed North and South, that is, with the ends facing these points, as nearly as a due regard to the positions of other buildings in the vi- cinity, and the general symmetry and apportionment of the grounds will permit. Each side of the roof will thus receive an equal amount of sun-light. For span- roofed Green-houses the rule is not so arbitrary, the glass not being lined with foliage, as in the case of graperies, the diffusion of light would not be materi- ally obstructed. Under some circumstances, Green- houses may be placed east and west, as when a por- tion of the house is to be devoted to the purposes of propagation. The north side can thus be advan- tageously used, being less exposed to the sun's rays. Many plants requiring partial shade, would find there, also, the most favorable conditions for their cultivation. Green-houses or Conservatories attached to dwell- ings, will answer in almost any position that conve- nience may require, or the taste suggest, as they are generally not so much intended for the growth of plants as for their display when in bloom. The SUD HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 19 should shine upon them, however, at least half the day. When they are intended for the growth of plants, then the more sun-light they can have the better. FOKMS OF HOUSES. UNTIL within a few years past, the straight-pitched roof, both single and double, has been used almost exclusively in the construction of glass houses. That there is an advantage in this form over some others, on the score of expense, and because there is less skill required in the builder, we admit, but there the ad- vantage ends. The superiority of the curvilinear form is now beginning to be very generally acknow- ledged, on account of its being more graceful and pleasing to the eye, and because of its superior adapt- ability to the growth of plants. When to the curved roof is added the further improvement of circular ends, as illustrated in some of the designs furnished in this work, we have secured forms of houses that will admit double the light of the old-fashioned, heavy sliding sash structures which were built twenty-five years 20 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND ago. Happily these old glass houses are fast falling into decay, and but few new ones are erected on their model. Curvilinear roofs possess advantages over those of a straight pitch which may be briefly summed up as follows: 1. A larger run of roof for a given width of house, and consequently, more and better diffusion of light. 2. A greater power of reflecting the sun's rays, because of the constantly varying angle at which they strike the glass. 3. A greater amount of head room within the build- ing, without the necessity of high parapet walls, or perpendicular sides. 4. Greater strength of the roof, enabling it to resist pressure from accumulated snows, without the neces- sity of supporting columns under the rafters, which are indispensible under a straight roof of considerable span, to prevent its settling down, and the opening of joints in glass and wood work, admitting the cold air from without. A good proportion for a grapery or conservatory, is twenty feet in width by fiftv feet in length. We think the width should never be much less where the roof is of double pitch. Single pitched houses should not exceed sixteen feet in width. HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 21 Mistakes are frequently made in the erection of structures for the growth of plants which, notwith- standing all the skill and art of experienced gardeners, render it impossible to arrive at satisfactory results. One of the most common of these is the excessive height of the roof. Men of experience in the construc- tion and use of glass houses, have satisfied themselves that the lowest elevation which the uses and purposes of the huilding will admit, is the best. The differ- ence in temperature between the floor and roof of a house twenty feet in height, will vary from ten to fifteen degrees. It is obviously desirable that there should be as little difference as possible in the tem- perature of the air on the ground, among the lower parts of the plants, and in the upper regions of the house. The nearer we can approach an equilibrium, the better sucsess will attend our efforts. Nursery- men generally, and sometimes other cultivators, understand this, and they build their plant houses with roofs of low pitch, affording scarcely room to stand upright within them. Their plants are thus brought near the glass, and they grow stocky and firm, presenting quite a different appearance from the attenuated specimens frequently met with in private establishments. 22 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND HEATING. THE proper heating of Horticultural building 8 ! being an important feature in their general manage- ment, and an essential condition of their success, we shall consider the subject at some length, availing ourselves of the practical experience of others, as well as of the knowledge we have acquired in our own experiments and practice. Hot air stoves have been so generally condemned and discarded as a means of heating glass structures, that we shall not discuss their faults or merits, but confine ourselves to heating by flues, steam, and hot water in pipes and tanks. FLUES. Flues have been generally used in heating for many years, and although the method is rude, imperfect and unsatisfactory, they possess certain advantages on the score of economy, which will pre- vent their total supercedure until some equally cheap and effective method shall be found, to take their place. It cannot be questioned that houses of mod- erate extent can be heated at much less expense for the original cost of apparatus by the flue system than by any other now before the public. Flues have the advantage over steam or hot water in their power to generate hnat and supply it to the green or hot house HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 23 in a very short space of time, and with this apparatus, the fires may be allowed to go out on mild and bright days in winter, with the certainty that heat can be easily and quickly commanded at nightfall. Steam cannot be generated quickly, and the hot water ap- paratus requires considerable time to get into full operation, with the usual amount of fuel. Among the serious objections to the use of flues, is the unequal distribution of heat throughout the house; the parts near the furnace being overheated, while at the chimney it is scarcely warm. This difficulty can be partially obviated by the use of materials in the construction of the flues, of different thicknesses, being made thick and heavy at the furnace, and gradually becoming thinner and lighter as it extends towards the chimney. Again, flues generally require more fuel than a hot water apparatus, and moreover, they are unsightly in an ornamental house, and with the best care in their construction and management, they do not give entirely satisfactory results. Earthenware drain-pipe is frequently employed for flues, and when care is taken to prevent their cracking by the excessive heat near the furnace, they answer the purpose very well. When properly secured at their joints they prevent the escape of gaseous matter more perfectly than brick flues. Flues should be elevated a few inches above the 24 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND floor, and supported by bricks, to allow all the radiat- ing surface to act upon the atmosphere of the house, and should have, in order to secure sufficient draft, a gradual rise through their whole length from the furnace to the entrance into the chimney. The furnace should be built inside the house at one end, with the fire and ash-pit doors opening into a shed outside, to prevent any escape of gas into the house while replenishing the fire. It will be neces- sary to place the furnace low enough to allow a proper rise to the flue. If the flue be made to rise im- mediately from the furnace about one foot, it may then be carried fifty feet, with a rise of not more than six inches, and the draft will then be sufficient. The dimensions of the flue may vary from 8 to 12 inches in width, and from VI to 18 inches in height, according to the space required to be heated. The usual mode of construction, when bricks are used, is to lay them crosswise and flat for the bottom and top, and to set them edgewise for the sides. Tiles for the bottom and covering are an improvement upon bricks; being thinner, the heat passes through them more readily, while they still retain the heat sufficiently ti> equalize the temperature. Tiles used for the top covering are sometimes made with circular depressions for holding water for evaporation. HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 25 STEAM. The employment of steam for heating green houses, graperies, &c., is almost entirely super- ceded by the hot water method. It will, therefore, be necessary only to allude briefly to this part of our subject. It occasionally happens that a conservatory attached to a dwelling is heated by the same steam apparatus employed to heat the latter, but we believe that a person who should advocate, at the present day, the general adoption of steam as a means of heating horticultural structures, would be regarded as belong- ing to a generation which has now passed away. Steam travels through pipes with great rapidity, and parting with its heat rapidly, it becomes quickly condensed, unless the boiler is of large capacity and capable of furnishing a full supply. It is, at best, an unsatisfactory mode of heating plant houses, for if from any cause the water in the boiler is reduced below the boiling point, the steam in the pipes is instantly condensed, and with it all heat, except that remaining in the iron of the pipes, and the condensed steam, is withdrawn. Hood, an English author on heating, quoted by Mclntosh in his valuable work the "Book of the Gar- den/ 7 thus compares the merits of steam and hot water. " The weight of steam at the temperature of 212 compared with the weight of water at 212, is about as 1 to KJ94, so that a pipe that is filled with 2 26 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND water at 212, contains 1G94 times as much matter as one of equal size filled with steam. If the source of heat be withdrawn from the steam pipes, the temperature will soon fall below 212 and the steam immediately in contact with the pipes will condense: but in condensing, the steam pans with its latent heat and this heat in passing from the latent to the sensi- ble state, will again raise the temperature of pipes. But as soon as they are a second time cooled down below 212 a further portion of steam will condense, and a further quantity of latent heat will pass into the- state of heat of temperature, and so on until the whole quantity of latent heat has been abstracted and the whole of the steam condensed, in which state it will possess just as much heating power as a similai bulk of water at the like temperature; that is, the same as a quantity c/f water occupying 1 1694th part of the space that the steam originally did. By experiments made by the above authority, it has been proved that a given bulk of steam will lose as much of its heat in one minute as the same bulk of hot water would in three hours and three quarters. And further admitting that tne heat of cast iron is nearly the same as that of water, if two pipes of the the same calibre and thickness he tilled, the one with water and the other with steam each at 212 of tem- perature, the former will contain 4.68 times as much HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 27 heat as the latter; therefore if the steam pipe cools down to 60 in one hour, the water pipe will take four hours and a half to cool down to the same point. In a hot water apparatus we have in addition to the above, the heat from the water in the boiler, and of the heated material in and about the furnace, which continues to give out heat for a long time after the fire is totally extinguished; whereas in a steam ap- paratus, under the same circumstances we have no source of heat except the pipes by which it is convey- ed giving an advantage in favor of hot water over steam as regards its power of heating hot houses, and maintaining heat after the fire ceased to burn, in near- ly the proportion of 1 to 7 that is, hot water will circulate from six to eight times longer than steam under the above circumstances." TANKS. This mode of heating horticultural build- ings has been used in England for some years, and has, of late, obtained considerable popularity in this country; mainly, however, for the purpose of obtain- ing bottom heat. The tank method is more steady and reliable in its operations in this respect, than heating by flues or pipes, but even its most strenous advocates must admit that for atmospheric heat hot water pipes or flues must be employed in some shape or other, where the tanks are covered with earth or 28 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND sand beds for propagating purposes. With slate or metalic covering they are sometimes used solely for atmospheric heat, and are found to answer well But if tanks are constructed of substantial and enduring materials, they possess little if any advantage, on the score of expense, over hot water pipes, while they occupy much more room and are unsightly objects in a well ordered green-house. Wooden tanks are frequently used where the heat is required to rise perpendicularly from them. If constructed of good pine plank, well put together with white lead, and thoroughly painted inside and out, they will last for several years. Scarcely any heat will be radiated from the sides and bottom of a wooden tank. Tanks of brick and cement would answer better than those made of wood, if it were possible to make them water-tight when supported by piers above the ground, as they are usually built. But however carefully constructed, these materials are so unyielding to the expansion and contraction they are subjected to, that it is nearly impossible to prevent leakage for any length of time. A large number of brick and cement tanks have come under our notice, and we cannot call to mind a single one of them all that has not been a continual source of vexa- tion and expense to its owner, since its first con- struction. HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 29 The principle objections to tank heating, as usually employed, are an excess of bottom heat and a defi- ciency of atmospheric heat, with a superabundance of moisture when the vapor from the tank is not properly excluded from the house. Tanks should be covered with some good radiating material, as slate or metal. If slate is employed, the joints should be cart-fully and effectually cemented. Boards are some- times used as a covering, but their radiating power is slight, and their decay rapid. Soil or sand, to the depth of six to ten inches, is usually placed upon the tanks, and used as a plung- ing bed for pots containing cuttings; or the cuttings are sometimes inserted in the bed itself. Any arrangement by which vapor from the tanks is admitted to the roots of plants is to be avoided, for however desirable a moist bottom heat may be, it is found from experience that the soil is frequently rendered a mass of puddle, in which no living roots can exist. A portion of the covering of the tank may be made moveable to allow moisture to escape into the house when required. By means of the tank, bottom heat for propagating or other purposes, can be very steadily and uniformly maintained, more so than by other modes, and the changes of temperature of the outer air do not ma- 30 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND terially affect it. But the case is different with regard to the air of the house, which is frequently reduced below the freezing point, in severe weather. If the bottom heat is of the required temperature, any attempt to counteract the coldness of the air of the house by increasing the fire, would produce an in- jurious excess of bottom heat. It is evident that while the required supply of heat for the bottom is uniform, and that for the top exceedingly irregular, both objects cannot be properly secured except by a separate supply of heat for each. For these reasons we would employ a hot water pipe or pipes, passing around the house, on the same level with the tanks, supplied with a valve to regulate the heat at pleasure, or a brick smoke flue constructed in the usual manner. Tanks are usually divided in the centre, thus form- ing channels for the flow and return circulation side by side, equalizing the temperature throughout their whole length. This form is sometimes departed from by carrying the tank around the house, and connect- ing each end with the boiler, but in this case, except in small houses, a uniform temperature cannot be maintained, as the water will have lost several degrees of heat before it has accomplished its circuit. Another arrangement is to connect the remote end of the tank by an iron pipe for the return circulation, passing under the tank the whole distance to the boiler. This HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 31 is not as perfect and effective an arrangement of pipes and tanks as that before referred to, as in this case we do not have the heat from the pipe under control. A writer in a late number of the "Gardeners' Monthly," gives the following description of tanks erected by him to obviate excessive moisture and radiate a portion of their heat into the atmosphere of the house. " In the winter of 1863-4, I finished two span-roof houses, each 60 feet in lengtn, with water tanks three feet in width, running entirely around on both skies of each house, and heated by a single furnace. The tanks were made with wooden bottoms and sides, and covered wilh slate carefully cemented. My design was to heat the houses entirely by the tanks, by far the larger portion of the heat being given off from the slate covering, and as a bottom heat for plants. As I understand the variuus writers upon this subject, this is the approved plan. But I have found consider- able difficulty, and have been obliged to modify my plan in various respects : In the first place, wooden tanks, with the top cov- ered with sand, will not give off heat sufficiently to keep up growth in houses of this size during extreme- ly cold weather. By protecting the houses with shut- f-crs, this difficulty may be obviated. Crowding the fire, and raising the water in the tanks to a higb 32 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND temperature, is a more objectionable remedy. In this way the bottom heat is too strong. But my most serious difficulty has arisen from excessive humidity. I put three inches of sand over the whole slate surface of the tanks, using a part for cuttings, and the rest, (say 100 running feet of the three feet wide table), for standing pot plants upon the surface of the sand. The plants dried rapidly, and required watering every morning. The result was, that in watering the plants, and of course the sand on which they stood, to some extent, it was like pouring water upon a flue, or upon hot pipes: a constant steam was given off; all the moisture in the sand was rapidly converted into steam; so, also the water in the pots was quickly expelled. In order to heat the house sufficiently, the bottom heat became too strong, and the plants were in too direct contact with it. In cold days the house was in a perfect fog. It was ruinous to the plants. The remedy was simple: more heat must be allowed to escape from the tank into the house, without com- ing in contact with the sand-bed, and the moist earth of the plants. Another slate floor was laid, an inch above the tank slate, on which to put the sand and stand the plants. This hot air chamber opens into the house on the back and front side of the tank. Thus the whole radiating surface of the top of the tank may be directed into the house, or may be con- HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 33 fined as "bottom heat, as m \y be found necessary. By this plan, excessive humidity may be entirely obviated, and the heat completely controlled, as wanted." HOT WATER PIPES. It is generally conceded, among practical men, that the circulation of hot water in iron pipes is the best known method of heat- ing plant houses. The property which heated water possesses of retaining for a considerable length of time its heat and transmitting it to the pipes at long distan- ces from the boiler, renders it a most effective agency for such purposes : A perfect control of the moisture of the atmosphere, by means of evaporating pans attached to the pipes ; entire freedom from deleterious gases, sometimes escaping from flues, and the sub- stantial character and enduring qualities of the appa- ratus, are important considerations in favor of this method of heating which are not to be overlooked or underrated. It is true that a house of a given size cannot as soon be brought to the required temperature after the fire is first lighted, as by other modes of heating, but when once in full operation greater regularity is maintained, and if the fire should by any neglect go out, heat is still radiated, often for several hours, before the pipes become entirely cold. For heating ornamental houses of glass, pipes are 34 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND also to be recommended on account of the little room they occupy and the neatness of their appearance com- pared with the unsightly flues or tank. If properly put up, the pipes never leak at the joints, as is the case frequently with tanks, and scarcely need any re- pairs for years. The first cost of apparatus for heating by hot water pipes exceeds that of the other methods which we have named, but when we take into ac- count its great durability, economy of fuel, and the satisfactory results produced in the growth of plants in houses heated in this manner, it must be evident that this method is the cheapest in the end. It is generally supposed that the heat obtained from steam or hot water pipes necessarily contains moisture. For those who have had any experience in the use of these methods of heating, it is needless to say that such is not the case. To obtain moisture evaporation of water in some manner in the atmos- phere must be effected. This is provided for by attach- ing to the pipes evaporating pans filled with water, by which the moisture can be perfectly regulated and controlled. The capacity of the boiler and the length of the pipes should be in proportion to the size of the house to be heated, bearing in mind that it is better to have a reserve of heating power for extraordinary occasions. In such cases economy in fuel will be TTT.AT. BUILDINGS. 3.1 secured, a.s the fires will not be required to be kept constantly burning brightly. Fault is sometimes found with the apparatus when it lies entirely with the proprietor of the establish- ment^ who in his short -sighted economy, has restricted the builder in the amount of pipe put into the appa- ratus. CONSTRUCTION, &c. THE general plan of Horticultural structures may be as perfect as possible, but if the details are not well carried out, and especially if the workmanship be not good, they will prove a source of never-ending vexa- tion arid, expense. Insecure foundations, ill-fitting doors and ventilators, imperfect glazing, and inferior workmanship of every description, are evils that skill- ful gardeners have to contend with, and upon whom the consequences of such defects usually fall, when they should be placed upon the shoulders of the con- structor. Methods for building cheap Graperies and Green h->uses have often been described, and we find many of these imperfect and temporary structures scattered through the country. Such buildings may be cheap 36 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES ANL> as respects their first cost, but their durability is a question which should enter into the calculations of their builders, as well as the consideration of the original outlay. After a year or two we find them with open joints, leaky roofs, arid decaying founda- tions. The inferior and temporary character of mate- rials and workmanship is often a source of serious loss to their owners, and every building of this description demonstrates the mistaken and short-sighted economy of its projector. It is much wiser and truer ecomony to expend at the outset, a sufficient amount of money and care to make the structure permanent, and to obviate the necessity of constant repairs. Experience has taught us that if they are well and substantially built, these structures will endure for twenty years with very few repairs except an occasional coat of paint. It need not be demonstrated that the profit and gratification to be derived from a well-built house far exceed those accruing from a cheap and imperfect one, with escapes for the heat in winter, and inlets for cold air and driving snow and rain. The foundations of Horticultural buildings should be of stone or brick, both below and above the ground, if they are to be of a permanent character. The superstructure should be of the best white pine and thoroughly painted. In building curvilinear roofs the rafters and sash bars should be sawed out in pieces HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 37 to the regular curve. The rafters being put together in sections, breaking joints are thus equally strong throughout their length. The advantages of sawed bars over those bent in the usual manner, are very great. The thrust of the roof is but slight, and the house always remains in shape. With the bent bars the strain is enormous, as may be seen in the settling of such houses at the ridge, and expansion at the sides, besides the liability of breaking the glass by the con- stantly varying strain of the bars. Iron has been frequently and strongly recommended in the construction of horticultural buildings. It has been used, with very satisfactory results in England, and doubtless it may there be found to be the best and most economical material for such purposes. It has been tried also in this country, but the experi- ment has not resulted so favorably. The main diffi- culty is that, in this climate, the expansion and con- traction of the iron rafters and bars are so great that the glass is continually and badly breaking, and it is very difficult to keep the joints tight enough to re- pel the rain and the cold air. There can be no doubt that in this country, wood is a better material than iron for these purposes. Thick and double thick glass has heretofore been used almost exclusively for first class houses, but the huh price of glass has of late, cornpillfd th..- use of a 38 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND thiner article. It is generally believed that thick glass will resist hail storms better than thin, but on this question practical men differ in their opinions. It is contended, on the other hand, that the elasticity of the thin panes resist a blow better than the un- yielding thick one, also that the latter is more likely to be broken by the accumulation of water between the laps of the glass. We have found that the 8 by 10 size of single thick French window glass, second or third quality, is suffi- ciently good for Horticultural buildings, and we do not use any other, unless especially called for by the proprietor. Glazing is often badly executed, half an inch lap, and sometimes more, being often allowed to the o-lass, from the mistaken idea that rain, in a driving storm, will find its way through. A lap of one-eight of an inch is amply sufficient in any case. The glass should be well "bedded" down to the sash bar, in putty con- taining a portion of white lead, and well secured with small iron nails or glaziers points. All putty should be removed from the outside when the work is finished, and the sash bars should then bo painted with a heavy coat of thick paint which will close up the joints and render them water tight. Ample ventilation should be provided both at the top and bottom of houses, so that large quantities cf HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 39 air may be supplied when necessary, as in ripening the wood of vines in graperies, and in "hardening off" plants in green houses before removal to the open air. By reference to the numerous designs given in this work, the manner of arranging the interior details, such as shelving, tables, walks, hot water pipes, and the general features of construction and adaptation, will be understood. HOT-BEDS. THE most simple form of Horticultural structures, and one known in almost every garden, is the Hot- bed. To persons of experience in their construction and management, we cannot hope to give any import- ant information, but having seen in many instances the operations ot these beds imperfectly performed, we offer a few simple suggestions and directions which will be of advantage to the novice. The location of the bed should be, if possible, a sheltered one, especially on the north side, while towards the east and south it should be open. This shelter or protection is needed chiefly to prevent an undue radiation of heat from the glass, and the entrance of a strong, cold current of air when the 40 WOODWARD'S GRAPEKIES AND sashes are lifted for ventilation. This radiation ia not only hurtful to the plants by causing sudden and extreme changes of temperature, but, if allowed to proceed too far, will cause the heat of the bed to " run out." Let the shelter, therefore, be as thorough as possible. We have found the south side of a barn, or a tight board fence a good location. The barn would be pre- ferable, on account of its proximity to the materials that furnish the source of heat the manure pile. If the soil is wet, or of a heavy nature, it would be better that the bed be made entirely upon the surface. If the situation is a dry one, and the soil gravelly or sandy, then a pit may be excavated, of the size of the intended frame, and three feet in depth. A hollow brick wall should be built up from the bottom, six inches above the surface, if it is intended that the bed should be permanent ; otherwise the excavation may be lined with boards, or if designed for only a season's use, it may be left without any support. Hot-beds made under ground require less material, are more lasting in their heat, and require less attention than those built on the surface. On the contrary, should the heat fail from any cause, beds built up on the surface possess the advantage of being more easily renewed by the application of fresh fermenting mate- *5s th-y are usually termed. HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 41 About the 20th of February is early enough, in this latitude, to gather and prepare materials for the hot-bed. Fresh stable manure alone may be used, though preference is generally given to a mixture, in equal proportions, of manure and forest leaves. Place on the ground, (under a shed if possible,) a layer of leaves one foot thick, and on this a foot of manure, then leaves and manure. alternately until th allow for settling. The frame should be of 1 inch pine, twenty inches high at the back, aijd seventeen inches in front, and may be put together with hooks and staples, so as to be removed and stored, when not in use. The sashes should be six by three and a half feet, and the frame should have cross-bars at every sash for support. It is well to have the frame divided by partitions into two or three compartments, that one section may receive more or less ventilation as the plants grown in them may require. In three or four days the heat will be up in the bed, and then it should be covered with six inches of fine garden mould, which should be raked off level. When the soil is heated through, the seeds may be sown. Ventilation should be given to let off the steam and vitiated air, but with caution to avoid the loss of heat. Straw mats will be required to cover the sashes at night, and should be regularly put on. If the weather is very cold, shutters or boards in addition are necessary. If care is exercised in the management, the heat will be maintained as long as is desirable. Figure 2 represents the hot-bed partly beneath the surface. HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 4-3 The fiame in this case will be fifteen inches in height at the back, and twelve inches in front, constructed in the same manner as that before described. The materials and the general preparation of the bed is also the same. A space of about eight inches should be left between the surface of the mould and the glass, to allow for the growth of plants before the sashes can be removed. Coarse litter should be put around the frame, and up even with the top of it. to confine the heat. Beds should be well covered before the sun has iefV them in the afternoon, and not opened in the FIG. 2. morning until the sun is well up Seeds of vegetables for early planting, and those of annual flowers may be sown, and cuttings of green-house and bedding plants started in pots. Such a bed will also be a favorable place for the propagation of grape eyes, in which an experienced person will often succeed better by this humble means, than with the best designed and most conveniently arranged propagating house 44 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND THE COLD PIT. MANY who have not the advantage of a green- house, wish to preserve over the winter their half- hardy plants which have ornamented their garden during the summer. These are generally consigned to the cellar to dry up and be forgotten. In the darkness they loose their leaves, and when in spring they are again brought to light many are dried up and dead. Properly constructed cold pits offer superior advantages for the protection of many plants of a half- hardy nature, and indeed some that are usually con- sidered tender here find a congenial location. Such a pit should be permanent in its character, and located in a spot easy of access to the house, that it may receive proper attention during the winter. A con- venient size, and one sufficient for an ordinary garden would be ten feet long by five wide, varied somewhat from these dimensions to suit size of glass in sashes. The pit should be excavated four feet and a half below the surface, and a hollow wall of brick built up to one foot above the surface. Six inches in depth of coarse gravel should be placed in the bottom on which the pots containing the plants rest. Shelves may be also placed around the sides for the smaller plants. The wall above the ground should be "banked up" to within three inches of the top and sodded. HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 45 Double sashes we have found give great protection and save attention in covering the pit. The bars of these sashes are "rabbited" on both sides and double glazed, thus enclosing a stratum of air affording a good non-conductor of heat from within, or cold from with- out the pit. The plants when first put in the pit will require to be watered and the sashes opened during the dav, until cold weather. But little water is FIG. 3. Cold Pit. required during winter, as the plants are in a state of rest, and partial drynBss at the roots is of advan- tage. In very severe weather straw mats would be required, but the double glass would keep out 10 to 15 degrees of frost. Some ventilation must be given on mild days when the sun is bright to carry off the dampness, but in dull cold weather all should be kept closed up. Camellias and Azaleas do admirably in such quarters, ;ind can lie brought into the dwelling 46 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND and flowered at any time during the winter. Many plants grow with surprising luxuriance after remain- ing dormant in such quarters all winter.. As the season advances in the spring ventilation must be given during the day, closing the sashes at night until the weather becomes mild when they may be gradually removed altogether. PKOPAGATING HOUSES. CHEAP and effective propagating and plant houses, for Nurserymen, have become of late years a necessity from the great increase of the trade in flowering plants for the decoration of our gardens and green- bouses, and the very extensive demand for the new and superior varieties of the native grape. PETER HEN- DERSON, Esq., of Jersey City, long known as an extensive and successful propagator, in an article written for the HORTICULURIST, thus speaks of his house and management : "After many years of extensive practice, I have arrived at the conclusion that cuttings of almost every plant cultivated by the florist or nurseryman will readily and uniformly root, if the proper conditions of TF.MPERATURE and MOISTURE are given them. It HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 47 matters little or nothing how the cutting is made, or what may bo the color or texture of the sand or soil in which it is planted ; these have little or nothing to do with the formation of roots. But an absolute condition of invariable success is uniformity of tem- perature and moisture. To attain this uniformity, the structure of the house is of vital importance ; and it is owing to the erroneous construction of buildings >r this purpose that so many have to deplore their want of success. I will briefly describe the construc- tion of the propagating pit we have in use, and the manner of operations, which will best explain iny views on the matter. The pit, which faces north, is 65 feet in length by 8 in width, and 3 feet high at back by I in front, the pathway being dug out to give head- room in walking. The front bench is 3 feet wide, walk 2 feet, and back bench 3 feet. All along the front bench run two wooden gutters 9 inches wide by 3 inches deep, the water in which is heated by a small conical boiler connected by two pieces of leaden pipe to the gutters. Three inches above the water in the gutters is placed the slate or flagging, (resting on cross slats of wood,) on which is two inches of sand. By regular living we keep a temperature in the sand from 55 to 75 ; and as the pit has no other means of heating, except that given out by the sand in the bench, the atmosphere of the house at night is only 48 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND from 40 to 50, or 25 degrees less than the "bottom heat/' In the daytime, (in order as much as possible to keep up this disparity between the "top" and " bottom" heat,) a little air is given, and shading the glass resorted to, to enable us to keep the temperature of the house down. Arid here let me remark, that when propagation is attempted in green-houses used for growing plants, (such houses facing south or southeast,) the place usually used for the cuttings the front table; and it being injurious to the plants to shade the whole house, that part over the cuttings alone is shaded; the consequence is, that the sun, acting on the glass, runs the temperature of the house np, perhaps, to 80, or above that of the bottom heat, the cuttings wilt, and the process of rooting is delayed, if not entirely defeated. All gardeners know the difficulty of rooting cuttings as warm weather comes on. When the thermometer marks 80 in the shade fires are laid aside; and if the rooting of cuttings is attempted, the sand or soil in which they are planted will be 10 or 15 degrees lower than the atmosphere, or the opposite of the condition required for success. The advantage possessed by the gutter or tank, as a means of bottom heat, over smoke flues or pipes, is in its giving a uniform moisture, cuttings scarcely ever requiring water after being first put in, and then only to settle the sand about them. Still, when this HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 49 convenience is not to be had, very good success may be attained by closing in the flue or pipes, regularity in watering, and a rigid adherence to these degrees of temperature. The propagating pit above described is used for the propagation of all kinds of plants grown by florists, such as Camellias, Dahlias, Hoses, Verbenas, Fuch- sias, Grape Vines, etc. The time required in rooting cuttings of soft or young wood is from seven to ten days. Last season, during the month of February, we took three crops of cuttings from it, numbering in the aggregate forty thousand plants, without a loss of more than one per cent. In fact, by this system we are now so confident of success, that only the num- ber of cuttings are put in corresponding with the number of plants wanted, every cutting put in becom- ing a plant. In this narrative of our system of propagating, Mr. Editor, I have not attempted to theorize. I give the plain statement of operations as we practice them, thoroughly believing that the want of success in every case must be owing to a deviation from these rules. Ignoring entirely most of the maxims laid down in the books, such as "use a sharp knife," and "cut at a joint," we use scissors mostly in lieu of a knife, and we never look for a joint, unless it happens to come in the way. We are equally skeptical as to the 50 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND merits of favorite kinds and colors of sands or other compounds used for the purpose. Of this we have reason to be thankful, for a nicety of knowledge in this particular in the head of a scientific (?) pro- pagator may sometimes become an expensive affair. A friend of mine, a nurseryman from the far west, deeply impressed with our superior horticultural attainments in the Empire City, hired a propagator at a handsome salary, and duly installed him in his green-house department; but, alas ! all his hopes were. blighted. John tailed signally failed to strike a single cutting; and on looking about him for the cause, quickly discovered that the fault lay entirely in the sand ! but my gullible friend, to leave no stone unturned, freighted at once two tons of silver sand from New York to Illinois ! Need I tell the result, or that John was soon returned to where the sand came from ? " During the past year, Mr. Henderson has erected an extensive range of houses, after the following de- scription and plan : " I have read and examined from time to time, with much interest, your remarks and sketches of Plant Houses, and it is not to dissent from your views that I now write, although it seems to me that your ideas run all one side of the matter, for your designs and descriptions are almost exclusively of an ornamental HOKTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 51 character, and adapted only for conservatories or graperies, leaving the uuinitated commercial nursery- man or florist to look in vain for something to suit his case. I have said that your ideas seem to be one- sided, in describing only ornamental erections ; they seem also so in your uniformly recommending the fixed roof principle. Now, for the purposed of the florist or nurseryman, I think there is but little doubt that the advantage is with the sash over the fixed roof. The difference in cost is trifling ; probably a little in favor of the fixed roof; but balanced against that is, that your house, once erected on your favorite plan, you are emphatically " fixed." It is not porta- ble, (unless made in sections, which is only a brtd com- promise with the sash plan,) and any alteration re- quiring to be made, your roof is of but little or no value. But the most serious objection to it is the difficulty with air. I have never yet seen a house built on the fixed roof principle that had means of giving air so that plants could be grown in a proper manner, and I could name dozens who have been in- duced to build on this plan, that one year's experince has given them much reason to regret. We are now adopting for plant houses, low, narrow, span-roofed buildings, formed by 6 feet sashes, one on each side, the ends of the houses facing north and south. These we attach three together, on the " ridge 52 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES Aim HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 53 and furrow" system, as shown in sketch. This system presents great advantages, and, by using no cap on the ridge piece, air is given in the simplest and safest manner, by the sash being raised by an iron bar 9 or 10 inches long, pierced with holes, which answers the double purpose of giving air and securing the sash, when closed, from being blown off by heavy winds. There is no necessity for the sashes being hinged at the bottom, as might be supposed ; all that is required being to nail a cleet along the wall plate, fitted tight to the bottom of each sash. Every alternate sash is nailed down ; the other is used in giving air in the manner described. The advantages of such erections are so obvious, that I need not trespass much on your space to enume- rate them. The plan can be adapted to detached buildings already up, by erecting houses of the same length alongside ; or, in the erection of new houses, if not more than one is wanted, it may be put up with a view to further extensions. I have had four houses on this plan in operation for nearly two years, and I have never before had so much satisfaction with any thing of the kind. Intending next season to remove my green-houses from their present site, all shall be put up after this style." Messrs. Parsons & Co., of Flushing have also built several houses similar in design for the propagation of 54 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND grape vines. These latter are heated by brick flues and have proved very satisfactory. The vines are grown in beds and not staked. Pot culture in the usual manner would require greater height of roof. The only objection that we can see to houses built in this manner is the accumulation of snow in the far- rows. Mr. Henderson assures us that this is not an objection of any moment in this latitude, and that the expense attending the removal of snow is too slight to be considered. DESIGN No. 1. FIGURES 5 and 6 are a section and ground plan of a propagating house for growing grape viaes, but it might serve as well for other plants. The length of the house is on an east and west line, giving a northern exposure to the roof on one side, the opposite facing the south. A board partition runs through the centre dividing the house into two. This partition might be made movable, so that at any time the house could all be thrown into one. The foundations are of stone projecting 6 inches above the ground. Two and a half feet of vertical boarding, above which is two feet of sash, give a height of four and a half feet above HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 55 the foundation for the side of the house. The side sashes are hinged for ventilation. Top ventilation is afforded at the ridge by ventilators raised by rods from the inside. The roof is on the fixed principle that is n . HH FIG. 5. Section o/ Propagating House. 40 ft- Frr.. 6.P.an. composed of sash bars extending from plate to ridge, in which the glass is set. In the north division a com- bination of the tank and flue systems of heating is u ^ opted, by which economy of fuel to a considerable 56 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND extent is effected. The boiler is so set that the back of it and all the connecting pipes are inside of the house, only the fire and ash pit doors project through the brick partition into the boiler pit. Much heat is generally wasted from hot water boilers by the direct connection of the chimney with the outer air, that might be saved by means of a well constructed flue. It will be seen that the smoke from the boiler is carried under the tank, in this instance through 8 inch vitri- fied drain pipe. To prevent the cracking of the pipe near the boiler the first 6 or 8 feet is laid with cast iron pipe. Wooden tanks built on posts and elevated two feet above the floor furnish bottom heat. These tanks are two feet six inches wide and six inches deep, built of 11 inch pine, well put together with white lead and securely nailed and screwed. A division through the centre separates the flow and return water. Roofing slate of proper size is used to cover the top, the joints of which are carefully cemented to prevent the escape of steam. Sand is placed directly on the slate as a plunging material for the pots con- taining cuttings. In the south division tanks are also used, but as the plants are potted off when placed there, bottom heat is not so necessary ; the sand is dis- pensed with and the pots rest on a shelf or table built about two inches above the tanks, allowing the heat radiated from the slate to diffuse itself through the HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 57 house. Slides in each tank afford means of shutting off the water allowing each house to be worked inde- pendently. The centre of house is occupied by an earth bed in which the plants (after becoming wt.41 rooted in the small pots, to which they are first trans- fered from the cutting pots) are carefully transplanted and will form large and vigorous vines by the end of the season. DESIGN No. 2. IN Figure 7 is given a perspective view of a propa- gating house of an ornamental character. It is in- tended for forcing early vegetables, strawberries, grapes in pots, and such general propagation of plants as are needed on a country place of moderate extent. The curvilinear roof gives beauty to the design as well as affording more head room inside than the ordinary straight rafter. The pitch of the roof is quite flat, a straight line between the ends of the rafter forming an angle of only 28 degrees with the horizon. It was desirable to have the roof as low as was consistent with suffi- cient head room, that the plants might be as near the glass as possible, without the necessity of high stag- 58 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. f>!) ing in the centre. The house has the ends to the east and west. At the west end is an ante-room, not shown in perspective view, containing the boiler, seed drawers, .desk, &c. On the north side of house are beds for propagating plants, arid the south side is used for early vegetables, strawberries, &c. In the centre is a large bed of earth used for grapes in pots, vegetables and plants. A portion of the roof on the FIG. 8.S., and covered by a screen of gauze wire with board bhutters to close HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 135 j.36 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND tight. The roof is made of 16 feet rafters, on which rests 8 foot sash, immovable ; the glass is first quality, 8 by 10. A single row of supporters on one side of the wall completes the roof. The interior is divided into three borders : the front border (3 feet 6 inches wide) is raised 9 inches above the walk (which is 2 feet 6 inches wide); the first back border is 3 feet wide, and raised 16 inches above the walk ; the second back border is raised 1 foot above the front one, and is 4 feet wide. On this further back border are placed the largest trees only, having the most head room the smallest pots standing on the front. The appear- ance of the house, when seen by the writer on the 7th of April, 1860, was truly magnificent, being one dense mass of bloom, (except some of the early kinds, on which the fruit was already set,) resembling a green-house of Azaleas in full flower. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums and figs are embraced in the assortment, and are grown principally in 11-inch pots placed about three feet apart, every leaf being fully exposed to the sunlight vines being, of course, entirely prohibited. Of the success of this mode of culture in America, no one who has witnessed Mr. Lovering's house can have the shadow of a doubt. With him it is no new experiment, having fruited pot trees in his cold grape- ries for several years." HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS. 137 Fig. 57 is a section of a " lean-to" form of house, showing arrangement of trees and sunken walk to give sufficient head room. Fig. 58 represents perspective view of a span- roofed house, in which ventilation is effected at the bottom and very freely at the ends. No ventilators are placed in the roof as they were not in this case deemed necessary. \j FIG. 57. Section Fig. 59 gives a view of the interior of the span-roofed house, in which are shown the pots containing the trees. The span-roofed house we consider better adapted to the growth of Orchard fruit than the " loan-to" form, except where it is desired to force the fruit in advance o its season, in which case the lean- to possesses the advantages o better protection, and of being more easily heated from the smaller area of 138 WOODWARD'S GRAPERIES AND HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS 139 glass exposed to radiation. These designs are of houses of a cheap clasc, such as might be erected for inertly experimental purposes. \Ve consider the successful cultivation of Orchard fruit under glass, to be a fact so well settled, that we should advise substantial structures to be erected at FIG. 59. Interior View. the outset. Some of our numerous designs for Draperies, both of the curvilinear and straight roofed f..rm, would, with slight alteration in adding to the sueaus of ventilation, be well adapted to this purpose. This is especially the case with designs numbered 7, 8, and 14. THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY WILL INCREASE TO SO CENTS ON THE FOURTH DAY AND TO $1.OO ON THE SEVENTH DAY OVERDUE. uc DEC 3 1982 fff '9 LIBRARY, BRANCH Of THB COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY OP CALIFORNIA 5m-8,'37(s) 33592 BB416 Woodward , G .E. w6 Woodward 1 s graperies and horticu Itural build r ings. cn[ ol i G0= s 33*92 LIBRARY, OOLLBGK OT AGRICTTLTURB, DAVIS UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA