The Temperate House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

The internal dimensions of these respectively are as follows , viz .: — The centre portion , 212 ft . 6 in . by 137 ft . 6 in . Each wing , 112 ffc . 6 in . by 62 ft . 6 in . The intermediate octagons , 50 ft . diameter . The total length of the building will be 582 ft ., and its superficies , 48 , 392 ffc . —about If acres . The Palm-house , at 24

Ohatsworth , contains about 15 , 276 ; that at Kew , , 200 ; and the conservatory at Syon , 7785 superficial feet . The building ivill present an ornamental continuous facade , having wide glazed openings and stuccoed piers , on a stone plinth , 2 ft . high . The centre roof is 60 ft . high , and is constructed of Tvrought-iron framed arched ' principals , springing at 36 ft . 6 in . above the floor , from cast-iron standards , 3 ft . wide , which are bolted down to granite blocks , bedded in brickwork and concrete .

The standards are connected together , at the springing of the principals , by two sets of cast-iron longitudinal arched girders . A gallery-floor of rolled plate-iron forms a continuous bond at this level . A portion of each standard as continued 8 ft . above the gallery-floor , to support the curb and rafters of the upper roof . These rafters are of wroughtiron , 52 ft . in length , with feathering rolls on each side to

receive the sliding lights . There are three tiers of iron purlins , secured to the principals and rafters , and wroughtiron diagonal wind-bracing riveted to the under side of the latter , and vertical bracing on the upper portion of the principals . The upper ridge is of rolled iron , and receives the ends of the rafters , and an ornamental ridging of castiron . A bold cast-iron cornice gutter conveys the water of

the upper roofs to a hollow portion of the vertical standards , whence it is conducted through underground iron pipes or tanks , under the terrace . The wings are 37 ft . 9 iu . high in the centre , the roofs formed by wrought-iron arched ribs springing from castiron columns , ivhich serve as rain-water pipes , as in centre house : cast-iron spandrils support rafters on which the

lights traverse .. Straight instead of curvilinear rafts were necessarily adopted to allow of the roof being uncovered as much as possible during several months of the year . A very ingenious apparatus for moving the sliding roofsashes has been devised by the engineer of Messrs . Cubitt and Co ., by means of which the three upper of the four tiers of lights covering the sides of the roof of centre house will be passed one over the other , and rest on the lowest tier .

The power employed is that of the wheel and endless screw , worked at the level of the gallery , and is such as will enable one man to cover or uncover each bay of 500 ft . superficial area in about five minutes . The vertical sashes throughout are to be hung on centres . Those on the ground-floor and gallery are to be opened and shut by hand , and the remainder , together with the lights of the lower roofsb

, y machinery . Green-tinted glass is to be used , similar to that of the Palm-house : of this about 63 , 848 superficial feet will bo required . There are vaulted basement stories to receive the heating apparatus under the octagons , in which trees and plants which require most warmth are to be placed . The

temperature of the other compartments will be only about 40 ° in winter . The heating will bo effected by hot water circulating in four cast-iron pipes placed under the filleted tables around the sides of the house throughout . The centre part will contain about 4 , 000 yards run of pipe , the wings 2 , 000 yards , and the octagons 700 , or collectively about 7000 yards ( 3 & miles

) . It is proposed to have gravel paths and beds for plunging trees and plants throughout , except in the octagon buildings . The tanks will contain upwards of 130 , 000 gallons collectivel y . The water will be drawn from these by means of pumps placed in convenient situations in the building . _ It is the opinion of the directors that , when this building is completed , Kew Gm-Jciis will be the most important .... a practical !} - useful establishment of its kind in Eurooe . — Builder .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

PROVINCIAL GRAND SUTERINTENDANTS . How is it that there are so few Prov . Grand Superintendants of Royal Arch Masonry , whilst there are so many Prov . G . M . ' s of lodges ? I think the following is worth making a note of : — Province * Ko-of Vrm - RA- Pr 0 T- < J - lrovincc . lodges , G . M . 's . Chapter * . Supts . Bedfordshire 3 0 0 0

Berks and Bucks 7 110 Bristol G 1 3 1 Cambridgeshire 3 12 1 Cheshire 26 1 14 0 Cornwall 13 1 2 0 Cumberland and Westmoreland ... 18 1 < l O Derbyshire 10 1 2 O Devonshire 25 1 13 1

Dorsetshire 9 14 0 Durham 15 1 7 1 Essex 10 1 5 1 Gloucestershire 8 . 1 2 1 Guernsey and Channel Islands 10 1 5 1 Hampshire 15 1 7 1 Herefordshire 3 1 10 Hertfordshire 5 111

Isle of "Wight 5 12 0 Kent 18 1 8 1 Lancashire , East- 47 1 35 1 Lancashire , West 29 1 17 1 Leicestershire 4 1 3 5 . Lincolnshire 10 1 3 1 Middlesex 3 0 10 Monmouthshire 4 1 L O Norfolk 9 12 2

N . Wales and Salop 8 13 1 North Hants and Hunts 8 110 Northumberland 10 1 5 1 Nottinghamshire 5 1 11 Oxfordshire 4 1 11 Somersetshire 12 1 8 1 S . Wales , East : 7 13 0 S . Wales , West 0 12 0

Staffordshire 17 I G 1 Suffolk 11 1 4 0 Surrey ( i 1 3 1 Sussex 9 1 5 0 Warwickshire 10 1 6 O Wilts 7 110 Worcestershire 8 1 3 1 York , N . and E . Hidings 10 1 7 1 York , AVest Biding 34 1 19 1 509 41 210 25

That there are Prov . Grand Chapters there can be no doubt ; the " Regulations' for the Order of Eoyal Arch Masons " contains rules for their guidance , but who ever heard of a Prov . Grancl Chapter being held ?—OSE WHO ESTEEMS THE HOLY E . A . DEGUEE . —[ Consult p . 396 of our last volume , and you will there find a report of a meeting of the Prov . Grand Chapter of West Yorkshire . ]

DK . DESAGULIEKS . On the 24 th June , 1721 , Bro . Desaguliers delivered in Grand Lodge "An Eloquent Oration about Masons and Masonry , " which is stated to have been " printed and distributed plentifully , both in the metropolis and the provinces . " Wanted , either by purchase or on loan , a copy of the said oration by the great-great-grandson of the author .

—E . T . S ., BEIUTE . OIUIER OP ST . JOIIN or JERUSALEM . What is the most recent English work on the Order of the Kni ghts of St . John of Jerusalem ?— -Esio . —[ The History of the Holy , Military , Sovereign Order of St . John of Jerusalem , or Knights Hospitallers , Knights Temx ^ f "' Knihts of RhodesKnights of MediabJohn llllt

g , , y " ^ ° > Commander of the Order . 4 vols ., 8 vo x-uixd ., lbo ^ . J BARE MAS 0 S T' - "OOKS . Are you aware that tb < - ^ is a library of rare Masonic books for sale at Brin gs ?—Ex . Ex . —[ We are ; our foreign bookseller sent = •*• the catalogue , and we have given him instruction **> secure certain works for us . ] THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR AXD THE JESUITS .

"Smat authority is there for stating that the Jesuits were over admitted into the ranks of tho Knights Templar ? If fresh statements of this kind are flung about recklessly , we should have chapter and verse offered us to know upon what authority they rest . —D . C .