The Hot-houses belonging to Jedediah Strutt, Esq., at Belper, are contrived with great ingenuity. The glass roofs are in the ridge and furrow manner of Mr. Paxton, and the pines, grapes, and bananas are in the greatest vigour of growth, and showing abundant crops. The vines in pots were here, as at St. Helen's, and at Mr. Joseph Strutt's, uncommonly vigorous and prolific. Indeed, throughout Derbyshire, as far as we have observed, the growth of grapes in pots seems to be a main object with every gardener, and the success is most remarkable. The vine border has the bottom paved, and supported on stone piers, by which a vacuity below it is formed, into which heated air is admitted in the winter season, and the surface of the border, throughout the whole of the winter and spring, is thatched, so as to conduct the rain and melting snow to a gutter in front, which communicates with an underground drain. In short, the gardener has as complete a command of the soil containing the roots of the vines as if they were planted in pots; and this, indeed, is essential to successful early forcing. All the walks and paths, in and about the hot-houses, are formed of flag-stones raised on props; and the whole of the garden is, by this and other means, kept constantly in the most complete order and neatness. There is so much to admire and commend in this place, that we can only advise all proprietors and gardeners, who have an opportunity, to visit and study it.
