THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



279 



layered during summer may now be di- 

 vided and planted out in rows lor budding 

 next summer. 



RiiDBAKB and Sra-Kale put into force. 

 We object to tlic usual plan of blancliing 

 rhubarb as spoiling it; unless it is acid, it 

 is worthless, and the blancliing system as 

 followed for the markets, only produces a 

 mass of vegetable pulp, without beauty or 

 fiavoiir. 



Tom Thumd is the best of all peas for 

 forcing ; sown now and grown in pots witli 

 French beans it will give a good return. 

 Those who force for Covent Garden sow in 

 October andNovember. This pea is of dwarf 

 branching habit, and of very little use for 

 out-door work being tender in constitution. 



VEKiUN. — Now that gardeners have a 

 little breathing-time is a good opportunity 

 for cleaning frames, lights, and the under 

 sides of stages, iin<l other places where 

 vermin harbour. In the stove there is often 

 great need of such work when there is no 

 time to do it. 



Vines in growth may have a tempera- 

 ture of from 50' to 60', and during sunshine 

 10' higher. If 55^ is taken as the average, 

 it will be safer than a higher temperature, 

 now that we have so little daylight. A 

 too rapid growth is often the precursor of 

 mildew and shanking, and after the turn of 

 the year heat may be used more liberally, 

 and the vines being then well leafed, will 

 enjoy the full advantages of it. 



TO COERESPONDENTS. 



Peopacating Case.— Observing in the Flohal 

 AVosLD for November, the inquiries addressed 

 to " K. Z.," for a further explanation of the 

 lamp referred to in )ii3 communication in the 

 Flokai. WoiiLD for October, allow me to say, 

 that I think an undue importance is attached to 

 it. My experience, and that of many friends, 

 goes to prove that the lamp must be adapted to 

 the circumstances of each particular case, and 

 that one description of lamp which would be 

 Euitable in one case, would be the reverse in 

 another. In respect to the lamp, I tbmk the 

 first desideratum is simplicity of construction. 

 Thus, in some instances, a common tumbler 

 filled with oil, in which one or two floating 

 ■wicks are placed, has been found to answer ad- 

 mirably. One great poiut in its favour is, that 

 as the oil is consumed, the floats necessarily 

 fink gradually lower, and consequently the heat 

 is kept up at a more equable temperature than 

 when the flame is always at one point. The 

 greatest dilBeulty I found was in procuring good 

 colza oil. Complaining one day to a friend on 

 this subject, and also on what I considered the 

 expense of the article, he gave me information 

 upon which I acted, and as I have by so doing 

 Faved much trouble and expense, I wish to let 

 the readers of the Flobal World have the 

 benefit of my experience. And now let me di- 

 gress to observe that although we are always 

 so ready to complain of the adulterations and 

 disho esty of tradesmen, I do not think we are 

 equally ready to speak well of those in whom 

 we may place confidence. To resume then, 

 the next time I drove into town I called at the 

 establishment spoken of by my friend, and re- 

 quested to have my empty can refilled. As I 

 was anxious to observe the appearance of the 

 oil, I stood by while this was being done, and 

 what was my astonishment to find that before 

 the gallon measure was emptied my can was 

 actu.illy overflowing. This led to the following 

 explHnation by the tradesman in whose shop 

 this occurred. It appears that it is too oftt n 

 tbe case, that cans which should hold eight 

 pints (or one gallon), are constructed to hold 

 only seven pints. Consequently, as In my case, 

 the can appears to contain the proper measure, 

 when the purchaser is being defrauded of one 

 pint of oil. Remaiking upon the dilficulty of 

 discovering this kind of fraud, I was tcld that 

 on the contrary it could be most easily and 



simply detected as follows : It appears that 

 one gallon of colza oil weighs just nine pounds, 

 and sperm oil eight and three-quarter pounds, 

 consequentl}', all that is necessary to be done 

 is to weigh the empty can when sending it to be 

 refilled, and again weighing it on its return. 

 Thus, if a one gaUon can when empty weighed 

 one and a-haLf pound, it ought, if it contains 

 one gallon of colza oil, to weigh ten and a-half 

 pounds when full. Very few people keep 

 measures, but almost all have weights. As 

 the quality of the oil was far superior to any 

 I ever had before, and as I obtained full 

 measure, I found the expense nearly one-third 

 of what it was before. The name and address 

 of the tradesman referred to is, Mr. Samuel 

 Bonsor, 433, Oxford St:eet.— A'. Z. 



Making tjp a Fire. — Last winter I found my 

 furnace fire (saddle) would not last all night. 

 I sought advice but did not learn much, now 

 I have found out the secret of my own at any 

 rate. Supposing I have a nice little fire half 

 an hour before my last visit, I push with a 

 bent poker, made on purpose, all the live fuel 

 to the hack, and let it alone for five minutes, 

 I next charge it up to the door with cinders 

 and small coal, and leave the ash-pit door 

 open ; in about twenty minutes I close it and 

 leave only the door-ventilator open, closing the 

 damper all but one and a-half inch. Of course 

 the amount of air left must be regulated by the 

 damper in the chimney. I use one of the house 

 chimneys, and that used to smoke a room till 

 I had a loose board fixed, which at once cleared 

 all diflficulties. 



DorBLE Glazing and Keeping Feost Oct. — I 

 know there is nothing new in what I have to 

 propose, but many amateurs may not think of 

 doing what I have done and found very useful. 

 Tbe roof of my fernery is of sheets twenty inches 

 by fourteen, and I had the rabbets cut deeper 

 than usual (although this is not absolutely ne- 

 cessary), so that on droppimr a loose sheet of 

 glass of the same size, it is held by the hard 

 putty about a quarter of an inch away, and 

 thus great loss of heat prevented. This makes 

 a uselul and not objectionable greatcoat to the 

 roof. Over one of my ventilating flaps I have 

 strained a piece of fine tiffany, so that if the 

 sun comes out while the water is hot, lean ven- 

 tilate while the air is frosty without much fear 



