igS 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



IJuly. 



—but the drier climate somewhat weakens their 

 power of resistance, and then they are to mildew 

 an easy prey. So with the garden pea, also a 

 lover of a cool northern climate. Those we sow 

 early bloom and keep healthy to the last, but late 

 sown peas mildew, and come to nothing. They 

 are healthy, but yet weak. It is a nice distinction 

 between a low vital power, and actual unhealth- 

 fulness, but yet an important one. 



Mr. Murchie's suggestion about the evaporation 

 from young growth may also be seen by these 

 illustrations, to have good ground ; for no doubt it 

 is the strain on the juices of peas and gooseberries — 

 plants accustomed to a moister climate — that first 

 leads them to tire of the great struggle for life. — 

 Ed. G. M.l 



PERMANGANATE OF POTASH. 

 BY N. ROBERTSON. 



I noticed an extract in the Canadian Horti 

 culturist from the Garden, London, of a party 

 that had been experimenting with this material^ 

 which induced me to try it, and as his experiments 

 cannot reach many I will repeat them briefly, 

 adding my own opinions of it. 



He says, " I had used this as a deodorizer and 

 disenfectant and as such recommended it to a 

 friend. For convenience sake he kept it in an old 

 can near a houseful of Pelargoniums. A young 

 practitioner took it and watered the plants on one 

 side of the house with it. Dire results were ex- 

 pected from it, but quite the reverse was the result, 

 for the dosed plants showed increased instead of 

 diminished vigor. 1 at once commenced a series 

 of experiments with it, using an unvarying strength 

 of as many crystals as covered a six-penny piece 

 to one gallon of water, for watering the soil ; but 

 for syringing used double the quantity of water. 

 Rare ferns, fuchsias, tender grasses, roses in pots 

 &c., are to all but myself a mystery of luxuriance ",'■ 

 and goes on to state that he had tried plants in 

 sand saturated with a strong solution, covering the 

 surface with cork to keep the roots out of the light. 

 Those plants are vigorous and alive. 



For vase plants it is evidently good as the water 

 does not require changing or become offensive but 

 preserves them in an unusual freshness and vigor. 

 I have also used it in glass buttonhole holders, the 

 flower stalks seized and absorbed the coloring 

 matter in about an hour. This was especially the 

 case with yellow flowers. Overhead watering with 

 this liquid is disastrous to our common enemy, the 

 green fly. 



An amateur of considerable experience told me 

 my plants never looked like what they do this 

 year. My primulas are especially fine. I attribute 

 it to the use of permanganate of potash which 1 

 have been using on them this winter. Green fly 

 has entirely disappeared. From his remarks I 

 looked up the article I have given a part of and 

 my experiments carry out what is stated. 1 have 

 doubled the quantity and syringe every second 

 night with it. Green fly and mildew on roses have 

 disappeared, and the plants seem to have renewed 

 vigor ; but as yet time has not permitted me to 

 give it as a deodorizer the full value he does. In 

 using it for syringing I find that when it stands 

 mixed for any time it is liable to leave marks on 

 the leaves. Not so if it is newly mixed. It is also an 

 extremely cheap article, and will be easily reached 

 by any who wish to try it. A continued applica- 

 tion for some time to see its effect properly will 

 have to be pursued. Although it kills green fly, 

 it will not prevent new crops coming ; and every 

 one ought to know how fast that is. 



Supt. Government Grounds, Canada. 



THE RELATIVE COST OF STEAM AND 



HOT WATER HEATING. 



BY A. B. FOWLER. 



1 have been making some inquiries, by mail, 

 of florists, covering the country from Bangor, Me.- 

 to Baltimore, Md , and from the Atlantic to 

 Chicago, IJl., hoping thereby to obtain the 

 practical facts regarding the comparative merits 

 of steam and hot water as heating mediums foi 

 greenhouses. Responses to my inquiries establish 

 the following facts, viz.: During the past winter 

 one ton of coal burned in a hot water apparatus 

 has heated io8 sq. ft. of ground covered by glass 

 to a temperature of ^y/P. One ton of coal 

 burned in a steam apparatus has heated 149 sq. 

 ft. of ground covered by glass to a temperature of 

 6o'4 -. The questions submitted to those using 

 hot water were identical to those sent to users 

 of steam, and while the hot water apparatus 

 were of all the difl'crent kinds, those of steam were 

 all of one kind, "Exeter." 



I do not know of any method of combining 

 these results, so as to bring into simple form the 

 comparative value of one ton of coal in either 

 apparatus, but submit what information has been 

 gained for the benefit of those interested, if you 

 choose to publish it. Exeter, N, H. 



[We suppose a very large number of compari- 

 sons might give data from which we might get an 



