428 THE GARDENER. [Sept. 



to a large size, the white flower in great profusion on a large well- 

 trained specimen being almost unique. Some of the best-shaped 

 plants which have flowered during the winter should be selected for 

 this purpose, and partially shaken out, repotted, and cut back, and 

 placed in a gentle heat, and grown on to any size which may suit the 

 cultivator's taste and convenience. Dundonian. 



ECONOMY OF FUEL IN HORTICULTURAL 

 ESTABLISHMENTS. 



I observe that a paper has been read before the Scottish Horticultural 

 Association by Mr A. D. Makenzie upon the above subject, which is 

 attracting so much general attention at the present time. 



Mr Makenzie has, T daresay, from his own point of view, almost 

 riddled the subject ; and with many of his statements I am not at all 

 disposed to disagree, because they are the rudimentary principles which 

 I was first taught when I entered the garden as a lad — a good many 

 years ago now. The principle of heating by hot water is being dis- 

 cussed, to my mind, in a very masterly manner in the pages of 'The 

 Gardener ' at the present time ; and I am proud that it is one of our 

 practical horticulturists (who are the bone and muscle of gardening) 

 who is directing attention to another principle of heating which, if 

 his reasoning turn out to be correct, will be a great boon to gardening 

 generally, and remove obstacles which have hitherto been regarded as 

 insurmountable. My object in writing these remarks is not because I 

 wish to signalise myself upon this particular subject as far as the 

 " principle " of heating is concerned, but, on the contrary, with the 

 object of supplementing Mr Makenzie's remarks by taking another 

 view which may not have come under his notice. 



I may perhaps remark that I have had opportunities of witnessing 

 the progress of horticulture in its various phases, and under varying 

 circumstances. In addition to this, I have sometimes been consulted 

 by gentlemen who lived in the neighbourhood where I resided as to the 

 best form of house, its aspect and internal fittings, for cultivating cer- 

 tain plants or fruits at various seasons. This position sometimes brought 

 me into contact with persons who had undertaken duties of which they 

 are as ignorant as I am of the Zulu tongue. It must be borne in mind 

 that a gentleman may be an accomplished scholar — his training may have 

 been of the most profound and erudite character, he may have excelled 

 in science, natural history, and mathematics — and yet be totally unfit 

 to advise as a garden architect. To bring matters to an issue at once, 

 I may state that my argument is, that no architect is an authority on 

 practical gardening save the " practical gardener." This is no reflection 

 upon the social position, the intelligence, or education of the architect 



