328 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[November, 



Pot culture, whether in rooms or greenhouses, 

 depends, in a great measure, for its success, on how 

 to water properly. Everything is simple after that. 

 Now, the oftcncr plants want water, the healthier 

 they will be ; but to give them water when they 

 do not need it is " awfully " bad practice. The 

 " drainage " — that is to say, the material over the 

 hole at the bottom of the pot — is in order to help 

 carry water rapidly away. It seldom hurts a plant 

 to give it a great deal of water, provided it runs 

 rapidly through the pot, and away through the 

 hole at the bottom. Therefore if you give a plant 

 water in some quantity and it does not run through 

 rapidly, be assured there is something wrong with 

 the drainage. We must always watch very care- 

 fully when the plant is dry, before watering it. 

 But the best plan is to turn the pot up-side-down, 

 and knock the edge against a post, letting the ball 

 fall into the left hand, e.\amine the bottom of the 

 ball and take away whatever may obstruct the 

 water's passage, and then return to the same pot. 

 We should like to repeat, so that it may be always 

 present in the mind of the novice in pot culture, 

 that it is almost impossible to give a plant too 

 much water, when the water passes away rapidly 

 through the soil and through the hole in the bot- 

 tom of the pot. Of course our philosophical 

 readers, who have followed the articles in the 

 Gardeners' Monthly, especially its Natural 

 History Department, know the reason for this; 

 but in this column the idea is to give only practi- 

 cal directions, and to leave reasons alone. 



near perfect as can be, working nicely at two and 

 three pounds pressure. But we do burn coal, 

 when we want heat, always. 



We consider steam a success with us, though we 

 pay 54.50 per gross ton delivered for large broken 

 hard coal, and it has cost us over $400 for coal the 

 winter just past, to heat about the same space, that 

 in Ohio would cost only $go — quite a contrast! I 

 think there is something wrong somewhere. 



iVil/tamsport, Pa. 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



STEAM HEATING A SUCCESS. 

 BY HARRY CHAAPEL. 



In reading the article with the above heading in 

 September issue, by N. B. Stover, I was much 

 surprised at the statement that the cost of heating 

 over 12,000 square feet of glass, a work-shop, and 

 a dwelling house of 13 rooms, the past winter was 

 only S90. Would it not be more to the point, for 

 Mr. Stover to give us the cost of fuel per ton at 

 Youngstown, Ohio? 



In contrast to Mr. Stover's statement, I will say, 

 that I have about the same space to heat, i. e., 

 about 12,000 square feet of glass, a packing house 

 16x40, a dwelling of eight rooms, and my office, 

 using about 6,000 feet of 1(4 -inch pipe. 1 am 

 using the "Exeter" Boiler No. 2, 32 sections, in- 

 cluding the "Exeter" manifold valves, automatic 

 dampers, etc. The system of piping seems as 



PENTAS CARNEA. 

 Hy CHARLES E. PARNELL. 



The flesh colored Pentas, P. carnea, is a very 

 handsome and free flowering stove or warm 

 greenhouse plant, belonging to the Natural Order 

 Cinchonacese. It is the only species known, and 

 is a native of the south of Africa, from whence it 

 was introduced in 1842. It is a half shrubby plant 

 of robust symmetrical habit of growth, and can 

 with a little care and attention be so grown as to 

 form an excellent exhibition plant, and it is espe- 

 cially valuable for the length of time in which the 

 flowers are produced. Although it requires a 

 light sunny situation and a winter temperature of 

 from 55" to 60° to enable it to bloom, it will live 

 in a much lower temperature if care be taken as 

 to watering, and young plants struck early in 

 spring, and planted out in a well-enriched deep 

 border, will flower during the entire summer. 



The blossoms are produced in corymbose 

 cymes or clusters and stand erect, displaying 

 their lovely soft flesh-colored flowers. When the 

 flowers are at first developed they are very pale, 

 but gradually acquire color by exposure. Like 

 most soft-wooded plants of vigorous growth, the 

 P. carnea requires a generous treatment, and 

 at all times it should be given an abundance of 

 room for its roots. It prefers a compost 

 of two-thirds of well-rotted sods, and one-third 

 well decomposed stable manure. If large speci- 

 mens are desired, the plants should be repotted as 

 often as is necessary, until they attain the desired 

 size, when they should be given liquid manure 

 water at least once a week. 



Where it can be given a light sunny situation, 

 and a winter temperature of from 55 to 60°, it will 

 be found to be an excellent winter blooming plant 

 for either the greenhouse or window garden. If 

 wanted for this purpose, it is advisable to prepare 

 the plants during the summer, by gradually 

 shifting into larger sized pots, until the plants at- 

 tain the desired size ; by training carefully so as to 



