1885.) 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



199 



average ; but averages are dangerous in calcu- 

 lations of this kind. The heating of a house very 

 often depends as much on the setting of a boiler 

 by the mason, as on the actual heating capacity of 

 the boiler and pipes. The glazing of a house has 

 an influence, and the velocity of the wind in con- 

 nection with outside temperature will make the 

 inside vary immensely. As a question of physics, 

 it takes more coal to heat a certain amount of 

 water to the condition of steam, and to keep it to 

 the condition of steam, than it does to warm water ; 

 and if people could only persuade themselves to let 

 the warm water run down hill, as long ago advo- 

 cated by Mr. William Saunders of Washington, 

 instead of the silly practice of forcing it up hill as 

 everywhere prevails, we should have a much 

 better showing for hot water than the figures 

 collected by Mr. Fowler can possibly show. But 

 though it must take more coal to make steam than 

 hot water, there are so many counterbalancing 

 advantages for steam in many instances, especially 

 for heating large establishments, that it is better in 

 these cases than hot water. — Ed. G. M.] 



A REMEDY FOR ROSE MILDEW. 



BY A. VEITCH. 



Since the fact became known that linseed oil 

 and sulphur kills mildew without hurting the foli- 

 age of roses or other plants, it is claimed by some 

 that the oil is wholly unnecessary as sulphur alone 

 is a perfectly safe remedy. It is true that this sub- 

 stance has been frequently used without doing 

 harm, but it is also true that in untold instances 

 much mischief has been done by applying it in 

 this state even when under the direction of experts. 

 Knowing this, and also that such work is often 

 intrusted to incompetent hands, it seems highly 

 important that a harmless remedy has been dis- 

 covered which not only kills mildew but also pre- 

 vents it appearing, however favorable the causes 

 might be for its development. That it can do this 

 is placed beyond a doubt, for we know of several 

 cases in which plants perfectly infested have been 

 made clean and kept so by occasionally renewing 

 the dose. 



But the merits of this mixture do not end with 

 the destruction and prevention of mildew. Red 

 spider cannot live in the house in which it is freely 

 used. And there is good evidence for believing 

 that the plants are benefited by the vapor from 

 the oil in the atmosphere ; but whether this comes 

 by inhalation or by lubricating their external parts 

 we presume not to say ; but certain it is under 



this treatment the leaves assume a deep and glossy 

 green which is rightly interpreted as a sign of vig- 

 orous health. 



In recommending this remedy " to the afflicted" 

 we do not assume the role of one who trumps up 

 a quack medicine for gain, but from the convic- 

 tion that, all in all, it is the best yet made known, 

 and those who oppose its introduction may yet 

 find it take the place of all others. 



New Haven, Conn. 



[The writer of this has two houses, one wholly 

 with Catharine Mermet, the other, several kinds 

 mixed, in which mildew had always been trouble- 

 some, though sulphur was freely used. This 

 season the pipes were painted as recommended 

 last fall by Mr. Veitch, and there has been no sign 

 of mildew since. — Ed. G. M.] 



A HYBRID BETWEEN THE ROSE GERA- 

 NIUM AND THE PELARGONIUM. 



BY ERNEST WALKER. 



The difficulty experienced in obtaining seed of 

 the Rose Geranium is well known — at least to me. 

 In 188 1 and previously 1 had tried a number of 

 times to induce the flowers to form seed, by fertili- 

 zing them with their own pollen, in vain. At last 

 I tried fertilizing the flowers with pollen from the 

 ordinary Geranium and Pelargonium of florists 

 with but little hope of success, from the difference 

 in species. But to my surprise and pleasure after 

 watching anxiously for the results, from thirty 

 crosses I obtained two plump seeds ; one from a 

 cross Rose Geranium Zonale, Wonderful ; the 

 other from Rose Geranium Pelargonium, Lady 

 Washington. 



The seeds were carefully placed in the soil, and 

 though slow germinating they at last unfolded their 

 seed-leaves above the soil. Eagerly I watched the 

 plumules unfold and with pleasure I saw, as one 

 after another of the leaves unwrapt itself, after 

 the third and fourth attained their size, unmistaka- 

 ble evidence of their being affected by the cross. 

 I say third and fourth because variations or 

 peculiarities manifest in the first two leaves are 

 not reliable or permanent. 



Unfortunately the cross between the Rose and 

 Zonale Geraniums, which appeared the more 

 promising, was lost. Being of delicate constitu- 

 tion^as I observe seedlings effected by crossing 

 frequently are at first — a little extra water that 

 dripped into the pot from a leak in the sash one 

 rainy day caused it to damp off. 



I was more successful with the other, from in- 



