Chapter 6

The majority of houses erected for this purpose among us, have been of the cheapest possible description. While the culture was merely experimental, this was all well enough; but now that the Orchard house has taken its place among other Horticultural structures, the same arguments we have urged against cheap Graperies will apply with equal force to this class of buildings.

The principal differences between the plans for Orchard houses and Graperies are, first, the somewhat lower roof of the former, that the pots containing the trees may stand upon the earth floor or border, while the foliage may be brought as near as possible to the glass; and secondly, the very ample ventilation required by the trees, at certain periods of their growth, and in completing the "hardening off" process of the wood, and leaves if the trees are to be removed to the open air.

Fruit trees are frequently grown in pots in Graperies. After the vines have expanded their leaves maturely, and obstructed the light, it becomes necessary to remove the trees to the open air. The leaves and new grown wood being very tender, the abrupt change to a different climate is too great, and they suffer in consequence. In a well constructed Orchard house, the means of ventilation should be so ample that the trees may be gradually inured to the change; or if it is desirable to let the trees remain within the house through the summer, the access of the air must be so abundant as to give as nearly as possible that flavor to the fruit which it would acquire if fully exposed.

_Fig._ 56 is a perspective view of a "lean-to" Orchard house, erected some years since by J. S. Lovering, Esq. of which the following description has been furnished to us:

"Mr. Lovering's Orchard House is 165 feet long by 14 wide, is a lean-to, points south, under shelter of a hill. Back wall 12 feet high, 8 feet stone work; on top of wall 4 feet of wood, in which the back row of ventilators (2 feet by 20 inches) work, hung on rollers, and all opened and closed simultaneously by means of a wire representing a front door pull. Front wall 4 feet high, made by nailing plowed and grooved planks to locust posts, in which are cut the front ventilators, 4 feet 8 inches long by 18 inches deep, and covered by a screen of gauze wire with board shutters to close 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 appearance 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 sun-light--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 graperies for several years."

_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.

_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 "lean-to" form, except where it is desired to force the fruit in advance of its season, in which case the lean-to possesses the advantages of better protection, and of being more easily heated from the smaller area of glass exposed to radiation. These designs are of houses of a cheap class, such as might be erected for merely experimental purposes.

We 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 the outset. Some of our numerous designs for graperies, both of the curvilinear and straight roofed form, would, with slight alteration in adding to the means of ventilation, be well adapted to this purpose. This is especially the case with designs numbered 7, 8, and 14.