364 



TEE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[Decembbe^ 



when their flowers can be spared. They will 

 then have time to make yovmg wood before the 

 following winter. 



Thanks to Mr. Grey for bringing up this 

 subject, and giving his method of culture. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Pritchardia filifera, (sec Frontispiece.) — We 

 give as an illustration with the title page for the 

 annual volume a representation of this beautiful 

 Palm, the recent discovery of which in the lower 

 Colorado districts of the United States has caused 

 so much interest, both in this country and in 

 Europe. It is, we believe, about five years ago 

 that we received a leaf for name from Mr. John 

 Rock, of California, but for want of flowers or 

 fruit, there was no way to identify it. The his- 

 tory of it« name has already been given by Mr. 

 Sereno Watson in our pages. As it extends up 

 the Colorado River region almost to Utah, it Avill 

 probably prove hardier than any other Palm we 

 have; and as it will not be diflicult to procure 

 seed as it is with so many other palms, it will 

 probably become more popular than any of the 

 many beautiful things that form the Palm tribe. 



Circulation of Hot Water.— In scientific cir- 

 cles there is some interest taken in the fact that 

 the soundings of the Challenger expedition shows 

 that down in th« deep water of the Pacific and 

 Atlantic Ocean there are many places where the 

 water is but little above the freezing point. Gar- 

 deners accustomed to the circulation in hot 

 water boilers can easily understand this, as well 

 as why the Gulf Stream flows towards the poles 

 and other similar phenomena. As the water on 

 the surface at the tropics is warmed and light, 

 ened, the colder from the poles flows down and 

 re-places it, and the warm lightened water, of 

 course, flows over the surface to take its place. 



The New. Palm .—At the October meeting of 

 the "Germantown Horticultural Society," the 

 first premiuna for new and rare plants was award- 

 ed to Edwin Lonsdale, florist of that place, for 

 a plant of the beautiful palm, Pritchardia filifera. 

 We think this is the first time it has been exhib- 

 ited in Philadelphia. 



Hydrangea Thomas Hogg.— This is a pure 

 white variety of the common form, and will be 



very popular. We have before had the pink, 

 often a blue, and now a white, giving great vari- 

 ety to this beautiful plant. 



Rhyncospermum jasminoides. — This popular 

 greenhouse plant, which in spite of its long 

 name, has managed to become well-known, will 

 in future have lo struggle along under Trachelo- 

 spermum jasminoides. 



Remedy for Ants. — The papers tell us that 

 " a new industry has been introduced in France 

 — the breeding of ants for their eggs. These eggs 

 are sold to the breeder of pheasants. As yet the 

 business is in the hands of its originator, a woman, 

 and she already appears to be on the high-road 

 to fortune." Perliaps they who are pestered with 

 ants in greenhouses may here see a way out of 

 their little trouble. 



QUERIES. 



Lime for Cell.\r Floors. — M. S. B , Port- 

 land, Oregon, writes : " I should be glad to 

 be informed through the Gardener's Monthly, 

 or otherwise, how to construct ' Lime floors ' 

 for cellar bottoms, and how long after making 

 before the floor can be used. 



" Is sand to be mixed with lime after the slack- 

 ing ; and is lime considered as good a cement for 

 cellar bottoms where there is much dampness?" 



[Lime for cellar floors should be "drawn" 

 tlirough water as plaster is — not slacked as it is 

 when masons use it for brick or stone work* 

 After being taken out of the water, it may have 

 from one-half to three-fourths of its bulk of 

 sand, gravel, or any hard material mixed Avith it. 

 It will not "set" or crystalize as mortar does. 

 Its solidity will depend on the pressure it re- 

 ceives.* It will take two or three weeks to dry, 

 the time varying according to the dryness of the 

 cellar. In a very damp cellar it may never get 

 hard — we have had no experience — for the hard- 

 ening is due to drying, and this to evaporation. 

 —Ed. G. M.] 



Heating a Cucumber House. — P. W., Winters, 

 Yolo Co., California, writes : " I wish to inquire 

 the best way to heat a greenhouse, three hun- 

 dred and twenty feet long and tnirteen feet wide. 

 The house is used for the purpose of raising early 

 cucumbers. I have been in the habit heretofore 

 of using stable manure for bottom heat, but find 

 I am so much troubled with the green fly, (or, 

 lice, as we call them,) on the vines, that it is im- 



