i88i.] A PLANT- PIT. 173 



cavated for a footpath c, building a wall on each side in the usual 

 way. The space between the pits should be in the form of a gutter, 

 asphalted, and made to carry the water to tanks inside the pits. These 

 gutters should be 18 inches or 2 feet wide, and if the ventilators are 

 placed alternately there will then be plenty of room for cleaning out, 

 attending to shading in summer, or applying mats or other coverings 

 in the winter. A drain-pipe under the ashes in the beds will carry part 

 of the water (otherwise wasted) back to the tanks. The inside arrange- 

 ment of this pit is specially adapted to the growing of decorative 

 plants of dwarf growth, such as Cyclamens, Primulas, Cinerarias, 

 Bouvardias, Achimenes, Begonias, Poinsettias, and dozens of other 

 plants, which will do far better than in houses of any other description. 

 But with a little modification of the arrangements, it can be made 

 equally suitable for propagating, forcing winter-flowering plants, grow- 

 ing pot- Vines, Melons, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, &c. &o. 



The great objection to these sunken pits is the necessity of having 

 steps down to the doorways. This, however, is not always necessary. 

 If they are built on sloping ground they may be so arranged as to be 

 wholly under ground except the ends in which the doors are placed. 

 In such a case the end walls would have to be built first, the mean 

 height of the soil ascertained and levelled in the same way as you would 

 form a terrace, and upon this level, properly consolidated, commence 

 to build as on level ground. In building a number of such pits a large 

 tank should occupy the opposite end to the door, and these should not 

 only be connected with each other, but should be made one tank, so 

 that the water will run direct from the gutter into it. In every such 

 tank a flow and return hot-water pipe should be placed, for the use of 

 cold water in watering plants works untold mischief wherever it is 

 applied in heated structures. B-. Inglis. 



THE HERBACEOUS PLANT CONTROVERSY. 



For some time our contemporary, the 'Garden,' has been endeavouring 

 to make it appear that we are opposing its pet branch of gardening 

 — the culture of herbaceous plants ; and, as our readers are aware, 

 we defended ourselves in the 'Gardener' of March from this misre- 

 presentation, and to some extent dealt with the sneering manner in 

 which the ' Garden ' referred to us, our position, and our aids in con- 

 nection with this subject. Here is our contemporary's reply, for 

 which we desire neither better nor worse than that it be read in con- 

 nection with our remarks in March : — 



'' The bitter feelings of Mr David Thomson in respect to the ' Garden ' and 

 its work, have long been accumulating in a deep reservoir, which, overstrained, 

 has burst at last. A few perhaps may remember that the question (originated 

 by Mr Thomson) concerned the flower-garden as regards the cost of staking— a 

 theme that hardly deserves a violent attitude. This is the way he talks of it :— 



