THE FLORAL WOELD AND QAEDEN GUIDE. 31 



Greenhouse Plaxts Destroyed by Gas. — JR. H. ^S".— We have fully consi- 

 dered your case, and our opinion is, that though the naphtha emanations from the 

 newly-made coal tar flooring could not have been beneficial to the plants, no great 

 harm would be done by it. But a gas flame sufficient to keep out a sharp frost in a 

 house twelve feet by seven would, without a doubt, bring about the ruin you describe 

 and deplore. Such things as geraniums will probably recover, for the fact is it is 

 not easy to kill them, but the cinerarias may as well be thrown away at once, thev 

 •will never be fit to look at. You will now be asking what to do. Well, we will 

 endeavour to anticipate you. Contrive by some means to carry direct out of the 

 house, by means of an iron pipe, the products of combustion of the gas flame, and 

 if this c;m be accomplished (no doubt it can be easily) the gas heat will be as safe 

 as any other heat. We have known hundreds of instances of plants being destroyed 

 by the gaseous products of an exposed gas flame in small Jiouses, but in great 

 conservatories, with skilful ventilation and watchfulness, gas may be burnt with 

 impunity. 



C. B. — We really cannot reply privately. The Floral World need not appear 

 at all if we were to answer all our letters through the post. Besides, time is 

 precious, and we detest letter writing. 



Magnolia grandiflora. — T. B. — We cannot explain the unsatisfactory beha- 

 viour of your magnolias ; we can only suspect that they ai-e in a soil not at all suitable. 

 W^e know some hundreds of fine magnolias in various parts of the country, and in 

 all kinds of soils, but the finest are in peat, or that soft friable hazel loam which 

 we sometimes describe as " sillcy," and which has a silky feel between the fingers. 

 Get some such soil, and give to each tree a cubic yard at least, and better, say a 

 bed three feet deep, three feet wdde, and five feet long. A spoonful of soil will not 

 do for a magnolia. Now a very important matter requires consideration in the 

 planting of magnolias, and it is that their roots should receive the least injury 

 possible. An apple or pear tree may be hacked and butchered, and be planted with 

 scarcely a fibre, and yet recover in the end, and do well ; but a magnolia injured 

 at the roots seldom or ever recovers. The roots are fleshy, and when bruised or cut 

 a waste of sap occurs, and the tree receives a great shock. We have always pre- 

 ferred to plant small magnolias out of pots to the removal of large trees. 



Dunton Vicarage. — Centaurea ragusina may be wintered in a frame with mode- 

 rate care. The most important; point is to give little water, and keep a dry atmo- 

 sphere. We have known it live out of doors near London through the winter. In 

 the Floral World of 1867 is an article on the Tree Peony. 



A. B. S. — We have never met with double flower pots, but something approxi- 

 mating thereto might be extemporized by fitting pots one within another, and 

 ■would, no doubt, be useful for plants exposed to powerful sunshine. 



Atjcvba Himalaica. — I observe in the Floral World, in an article by you on 

 the Aucubas, the following remark on A. Himalaica : — " This appears to be quite 

 hardy, but has not, as far as we are aware, been fully tested as to its ability to 

 undergo the rigours of this climate." Now, last June I placed in the open ground 

 a young plant of Himalaica, which stood all the rigour of the winter without 

 sufiering in the least degree, and soon after the hard weather had departed, pushed 

 forth its now leaves in a most vigorous manner. Close to this plant, Garri/a 

 elUptica, Buddlea glohosa, Ceanothus azureus^ and Laurestinus were cut to the 

 ground, the two first destroyed root and branch. No doubt you will hear from 

 other quarters, but I thought you would like to have as much evideuce as possible 

 as to the hardiness of the plant.-— J". J^,, Wingham, Kent. 



Leicester Vase, — A letter from a friend to whom I applied says the Leicester 

 Vase is very beautiful when well filled, but it is very brittle, the az'ms being (;f cast 

 iron. My boy upset ours on the lawn, and broke eight of the arms. You men- 

 tioned this vase at my request in the last Floral World, and I think it only fair 

 to your readers to add the experience of my friend. — A. B. S. [We do not think 

 the Leicester vase will suffer in popularity by the publication of the foregoing. The 

 upsetting of such a thing is not to be counted upon as a probability, and perhaps 

 even wrought iron could not endure such a shock ; and surely we may take our risk 

 with cast iron for the sake of cheapness.] 



SoLDAT Laboureur Pear.— In the list of pears given in the Floral World, I 

 think last month, no mention is made of " Soldat Laboureur," and as I believe it 

 to be not commonly known in England, I think it worth while recommending it to 



