44 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[February, 



more subject than others. But it is only that 

 propagation has been continued from a stock that 

 that has caught the fungus. It is best to change 

 one's stock sometimes, and much better to get 

 new kinds from seed once in a while. These are 

 for a time free from these troubles. — Ed. G. M.] 



Destroying Plant Lice. — " I. J. L."; " 1 had 

 a lot of Chrysanthemum plants last summer, in 

 the open ground, covered with Black Aphis. I 

 applied Paris green, but it had no effect whatever. 

 Are they poison-proof or what ?" 



[The aphis' do not eat as potato beetles do, 

 but live by suction. They bore the plant struc- 

 ture and suck out the juices, hence poisonous ap- 

 plications are of no use as against them. Aphides, 

 which include the whole tribe of black and green 

 flies, can only be attacked through their breathing 1 

 organizations. Smoke, oils, and such like must 

 be employed. — Ed. G. M.] 



Gas Tar on Hot-water Pipes. — Mr. Hen- 

 derson kindly sends us another wail, from " Dr. 

 W. H. H.," Frankfort, Ky., and remarks: "Here 

 is another victim. If you wish to benefit your 

 species, put up on every issue — Gas Tar ! ! Be- 

 ware ! ! — and even then though they would tumble 

 in." 



But the fact is, this gentleman's name is not on 

 our subscription books. We insert, however, the 

 letter as a suggestion to our friends that if they 

 have any neighbors who love gardening, but do 

 not subscribe to the Gardeners' Monthly, it 

 might save them no end of vexation and cash, to 

 take the magazme. But here is the letter : 



" Please tell me why many plants in my conser- 

 vatory look as if the leaves had been browned by 

 a hot sunshine. Even my young thrifty gerani- 

 ums have suffered severely. A large Niel in the 

 end of the house, putting out hundreds of young 

 thrifty shoots and leaves, has dropped every young 

 leaf. My conservatory is heated by a No. 4 

 Hitchings Conical boiler and the temperature is 

 very uniform, from 50° at night to 65° or 70° dur- 

 ing the day. I am at a total loss to account for it. 

 Can it be from the pipes? Now, the pipes the 

 plumber used are 4-inch pipes and are coated with 

 some black substance thatgives out astrong smell of 

 coal tar, when the water gets very hot. Several times 

 in the morning 1 have noticed this so strong as to 

 be very unpleasant, and look as if there was smoke 

 in the house. Do you think it can be this gas that 

 is doing the mischief .' I noticed this state of 

 things after two particularly cold nights, when the 

 firing had to be increased and the water in the 



pipes got so hot as to melt the coating on the 

 p'pes. I would be glad to have your opinion on 

 this, for it troubles me very much." 



Watering Plants with Warm Water. — " I. 

 C. W.," Fishkill, N. Y., writes: "Will you say 

 through the Monthly whether plants in general, 

 roses, carnations, violets, etc., in particular, would 

 be benefited by watering and syringing during the 

 winter season with warm or hot water instead of 

 cold ? If hot, how hot do you think would be ad- 

 visable ? Immersing plants in hot water, 130°, is 

 said to destroy insects without injury to the plants. 

 Would syringing with water at that temperature 

 have the same effect ? Do you think plants as 

 above would be forwarded, or their blooms be for- 

 warded, if always wet with quite warm water in- 

 stead of cold ?" 



[The advantages of bottom heat, as it was called 

 —that is to say, heat applied to the roots of plants 

 — were always deemed very great by gardeners 

 of the old school, and though some special cases 

 have been cited to show that there was not much 

 advantage in these systems, we are induced to 

 think there is more value in it than modern culti- 

 vators are disposed to give it. The argument 

 against it is that it is atmospheric heat that makes 

 plants grow, and that, growth once started, the 

 roots will of necessity respond, even though the 

 roots be actually encased in frost. We all know 

 that a peach or apricot against a sunny wall will 

 push into flower in midwinter, though snow and 

 ice cover the ground above the roots, if a few 

 very warm midday suns shine on the wall or fence 

 against which the branches may be traced. Again, 

 in grape culture under glass it is among the com- 

 monest of experiences, where the vines are in out- 

 side borders and the tops only under glass, and in 

 a forcing house, that the tops will come out into 

 leaf and flower just as well, in just as short a time, 

 when the roots are encased in a solid frozen mass 

 of earth, as when the border has been protected 

 wholly from frost. It must be confessed that 

 these facts are very strong as against any value 

 from the application of heat, whether by means of 

 warm water or otherwise, to the roots of plants. 



Yet we cannot believe that the great mass of 

 belief and practice of the old gardeners, who so 

 loved to provide means for bottom heat, were ab- 

 solutely baseless ; and we prefer to say that care- 

 ful experiments on tlie advantages of hot and cold 

 water in plant culture are yet among the very de- 

 sirable things. 



In regard to syringing with hot water, instead 



