6 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GOIDE. 



(Copy) No. 2. 



Lauder Road, Grange, Edinburgh, 

 21st September, 1858. 



Sir, — In your number of 2nth of July last, appeared a notice regarding Thomson's Hot 

 Water Gas Stoves, in which you request information from those " who have actually tried 

 it, so that if it is reallj' efficient, the inventor may have the benefit of the statements, or 

 if it fails the public may be apprised of the circumstance and stand upon its guard." 



In compliance v^ritli the request contained in the above, I duly replied, giving the 

 results of mv experience and mj^ consequent testimony in favour of the stove, and what I 

 then stated has been confirmed by every day's experience since, not only by my own, but 

 also by that of many others. As I have only met with one opinion, expressed by every 

 one who has seen or used the stove, whether by scientific men, by practical men, or by 

 partis who use it for hurticviltural or other purposes, viz., that it is a most invaluable 

 invention, and that it only requires to be universally known to be universally used. In 

 justice to mj'self, therefore, and also to the inventor, I now write to ask why my com- 

 munication has been withheld ; and being withheld for such a length of time, I am led to 

 question the honesty of purpose, and the professed desire to elucidate the truth displayed 

 in your notice above alluded to. You say here is a doubtful point ; you ask informa- 

 tion from parties who have used the stove ; I give you the results of my experience — these 

 you think proper to withhold. Perhaps you would prefer to publish " the conrmunications 

 which have reached you, which excite an apprehension that this contrivance is not so use- 

 ful as was expected." I shall expect to find these in full in an early number of your 

 Chronicle, with the names and addresses of the parties appended, and hoping that they 

 will serve to elucidate the truth. — I am, &c., 



John Christie. 



CAMELLIA RETICULATA FLORE-PLENO. 



This beautiful vai'iety of our old conserva- 

 tory favourite, has already been referred to 

 in tliese pages. Mr. Standisli intended to 

 send it out in the autumn of 1857, but 

 his stock was not then sufficiently forward 

 to meet the demand which its fame has 

 already created ; for, since the exhibition, 

 at a meeting of the Horticultural Society, 

 of the first flower obtained from the stock- 

 plant, there has been a continual inquiry 

 for it. Mr. Standish is now prepared to 

 send out Camellia reticulata Jlore-jjleno 

 in the ensuing autumn, and, in anticipa- 

 tion of it becoming a highly poptilar 



variety, we present our readers with a 

 faithful portrait, drawn from the life. The 

 distinguishing features are a beautifully 

 reticulated foliage ; the colour- of tl-e 

 flower is a bright rosy carmine, the petals 

 of great substance, and the form perfect. 

 When well bloomed, the flowers average 

 six inches across, occasionally nearly eight 

 inches, and they hold their character for a 

 considerable lengtlr of time after being 

 fully expanded. Our drawing is reduced, 

 in order to bring it within the compass of 

 our pages. — [Price 63s. per plant.] 



TEMPORARY COVERING FOR A TEMPLE. 



I LIVE within two-and-a-half miles of 

 London-bridge, (Peckham). I leave mj- 

 house March, 18G0, so that I have only 

 next summer there. I have had a large 

 slx-eolumn wire rose temple with cupola, 

 &c., sent me. What can I plant to make a 

 .show n'-xt summer? I want foliage and 

 can only think of the tall, dark nastur- 

 tium ; pirhaps hops would do the first year ? 



CoCICNEY. 



[Hops rarely make a free growth the lirst 

 year, but you may plant two columns with 

 tiiem, and put Tropoeolum canariensis to 



I the same two columns to mix with them. 

 I For the other four columns use Major 

 I convolvulus, Cobea scandens, Lophosper- 

 mum scandens, and dark and light Major 

 Tropceolum, the two last to mix together. 

 A bit of Calystegia pubescens planted next 

 March, instead of the nasturtium, would give 

 you flowers as near like roses as any you 

 can have, ai run thirty feet before July. 

 The Cobea should have nothing mixed with 

 it ; it is so fine a thing in itself. Of this 

 and the Lophospermum get good plants 

 from a nursery in May.J 



