many errors have been committed, especially when the erection of such has been entrusted to persons who have no more knowledge of building, than what is necessary for all the common purposes of joinery. Thus, it can easily be conceived why green-houses are so seldom suited to the wants and convenience of the owner; for it may almost be said to be impossible for an individual who has no information respecting the habits of plants, their want of light, heat, air, &c., to erect a house which shall combine all the advantages of one properly planned and finally constructed, with a single eye to the health of the plants, the economical employment of labor, and the use of fuel. The consumption of fuel, in particular, is one of the most important things in the arrangement of houses; and until it can be procured at a cheaper rate than at present, it should be the first consideration of the builder to study its economical use. The labor of keeping up the heat in houses is another subject of consequence, both as respects economy and health; no person who keeps a gardener, would wish him to employ all his time in looking after the fires, when it should be spent in attending to the plants and to the appearance of the house; nor would he wish to endanger his health, by keeping him up half, and in some instances, the whole of a cold night, watching the furnaces and supplying fuel. To those individuals who possess green-houses for the sole pleasure of having them under their own management, this would at once be a strong inducement to forego the delight and gratification to be thus derived; and it is, and always should be, the first thing to guard against any such errors in building, as will obviate all these difficulties.

The numerous structures, lately erected in this vicinity, for the cultivation of flowers and fruits, collected from all quarters of the globe, from climates both temperate and tropical, has tended much to improve the beauty and convenience of such buildings. Indeed, the splendid specimens at one or two places, are, we venture to say, equal to any thing of the kind constructed by the celebrated garden architects of our transatlantic neighbors. But these were not done without much deliberation, and without consulting all the works which would throw any information upon the subject; all the most approved published plans were overlooked, and those parts selected out and formed into a whole as a model for one, which should have all their advantages, and still contend against the rigors and severity of our northern clime, unknown in that of England. English authors have often misled our horticulturists; we often adopt their examples without reflecting that the temperature of our winters and those of England are entirely different; or at least,

without reflecting that there is more difference than we at first imagine. But the information which is daily increasing upon this subject, will soon lead to a more judicious construction of such edifices.

The heating of such structures by hot water is an important feature in their management. In fact, without this system is adopted, we do not believe a house, whatever its dimensions may be, can be left with safety during the night; the variation of the temperature in our long winter nights is often so great, that, frequently when it can hardly be supposed that a fire is requisite at night, before sunrise the thermometer has fallen below zero; in such instances, unless fuel is supplied to the common brick flue all night, the plants will be in danger of being frozen; if, however, the hot water system is adopted, the house will be found nearly at the same temperature in the morning that it was left the evening previous. So great are its merits, and so superior to any other method do we believe it to be, that no hot-house, greenhouse, or grapery, will be erected hereafter, but what will be heated by hot water. But we proceed to give the following details of the house erected by Mr. Sweetser, and having done this, several facts in relation to the hot water system, which have fallen under his observation, will be added.

The house (figs. 1 and 2), is thirty feet long and sixteen feet in width, measuring from the outside; and fourteen feet and a half wide inside, measuring from the front to back. The fur

1

nace, or head of the flue(a), is three feet from front to back, two and a half wide, and three deep; the door into which the fuel is introduced, opens into an end shed (b, in the ground plan), and is ten inches by thirteen. The flue from the furnace runs under the centre walk(c), the length of the house, and is carried into the chimney at the opposite corner inside (d). The hot water pipes proceed from the boiler to the corner of the house, and across the front, to the reservoir at the other end (e). The flue is built

4

18

16 feet

2.

16

with the bricks flatwise to the distance of six feet from the furnace; they are then laid edgewise. The back border (f) is four feet four inches wide, and is raised to a level with the walk. The stage (g) contains twelve shelves, seven in front and five on the side next the centre walk; this walk (c) is two and a half feet in in width, twelve inches in the middle being open work, that the heat which escapes from the flue may ascend more freely into the house, and also to allow of the passing off of any water which may be spilt in watering the plants. The end shed (b) is ten feet long and ten feet wide. A window is made in the front, which gives sufficient light for all the purposes of potting, kindling fires, &c. The house is built wholly of wood; the back and ends are made with common inch boards placed eight inches apart; between is filled in perfectly dry tan, rammed down very solid; this is necessary, for if it were allowed to settle, a cavity would be left at the top for the admission of cold air. Below the front sashes, the wall is built of four inch plank. The rafters are made of two and a half inch plank, and are ten inches deep; to the sides of each are fastened strips of inch boards, which are about half the depth of the rafter, for the sashes to rest and slide upon. The top of the rafters are covered with a coping four inches wide, to prevent water from entering the house. The sill for the front sashes is two inch plank; but the front

6

plate is made of timber, eight inches by four, and has a gutter, to take off the water from the roof, grooved in it.

The dimensions of the roof sashes are as follows:-lower ones, nine feet by three and a half; upper ones, six by three and a half; front, two and a half by three and a half. The glass made use of is seven inches by five; five rows of lights in each sash. The laps are about an eighth of an inch; but this may be varied at the option of the builder, either more or less; they should be well fitted, and the work done thoroughly by a first rate glazier, or much cold will blow in through our long winter nights, and cause the consumption of much more fuel. Care should also be taken that the crowning part of the glass is put downwards, that the water may be carried off in the centre of the lights, and not be allowed to get under the putty. The door which opens into the green-house is two feet seven inches wide and six feet high. The walk is two feet six inches wide; twelve inches in the centre being lattice work, which, besides the advantages before mentioned, has an exceedingly neat appearance. The front stage is four feet two inches wide, and contains twelve shelves; the highest being two feet and a half from the level of the walk. This will hold many plants; over the hot water pipes, which run close to the wall, is a shelf eight inches wide, and made on a level with the sill of the front sashes. The back border is filled up with coarse sand, to allow the water to pass off freely; on this are placed all the large and fine specimens of plants of all kinds, and their appearance is highly beautiful, and the effect much more striking, especially upon entering the door, than when they are set upon stages. If any of the plants are very tall, the pots should be sunk in the border. On the back wall is a trellis, as seen in the section, on which may be trained any climbing plants, such as passifloras of different species and varieties, Multiflora roses, Lophospérmum, &c. the furnace and boiler a small stage is built, on which are kept the Cácteæ, Crassulàceæ, and other of the tribes which like a dry and warm atmosphere, and which, in green-houses in general, scarcely retain their life through the winter. This stage may be of any shape, but in this house it is made with a square back to fit in close; the front forming a quarter of a circle, which looks extremely neat, and covers the brick work.

Over

The end shed is built of common boards the back being filled with tan in the same manner as the back and ends of the house. The roof is not carried up quite so high as that of the house, but is of the same pitch, front and back. In front of the furnace door is a pit, four feet square, to admit of the easy introduction of fuel, &c.; across the opposite end of the shed is a bench for potting plants; underneath is

placed the different kinds of soils, generally used for the purpose.

These are the particulars as respects the building of the house, as taken from exact measurement, and drawn to a scale in the above plans. The expense of erecting the same will be given at the close of this article. The next and most important thing is the method of heating by hot water; and, as we wish to be perfectly understood, we have had engravings made, which we shall here present; and from them, with the annexed description, we believe any person can have a similar apparatus constructed.

The size of the furnace, or head of the flue (figs. 3 and 4), has been previously given. It is built of eight inch brick work; on the side next the walk and the back towards the bor

der is a hot air chamber, five

inches wide. All the heat is thus saved and conducted into the house through an aperture (a), on the surface, at the back. The cool air drawing in at a similar aperture (b) opening into the shed, and becoming heated as it passes out at the former one (a). This chamber is formed by merely building up one course of brick on two sides of the furnace, at the

distance of four inches, and covering the cavity, with the

exception of the apertures.

a

h

4

k

The doors (cc) are those used for common boilers. The grate (f) is moveable, being bars of inch iron resting on a cross bar in front, and upon the brick work at the back, as seen in the side section (fig. 4).

The flue (g) is built like any common one, and connects with the side of the furnace. The boiler (h) is sixteen inches wide, twenty inches long, and fifteen deep, measuring from the under side of the rim, and contains about sixteen gallons of water. The pipes (ii) are four inches in diameter, and both them, the boiler and the reservoir, are made of copper. The reservoir, which is only shown in the section of the