72 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[March, 



think of it to-day and what it was ten years ago ! 

 We remember that system at the Marquis of Sahs- 

 bury's, at Hatfield, and at the Glasgow nurseries, 

 and elsewhere in the kingdom, and the furor it 

 created at that time, and the cry that went up 

 throughout the land regarding its efficiency and 

 economy ! But where is it to-day ? As Mr. Bullen, 

 the curator of the Glasgow Botanic Garden, said 

 to me : " It went up like a rocket but came down 

 like a brick." 



Pharbitis Leari. — Seeds cost about one cent 

 each and you can get them from our leading seeds- 

 men. They germinate readily and the plants grow 

 vigorously, indeed there is nothing delicate about 

 them beyond their being tender. Started early 

 and planted out in rich soil and an open exposure, 

 it blossoms freely the first season. Like most of 

 the rampant morning glories it grows too much for 

 my taste for greenhouse work. Indoors it is a 

 bait for red spiders and mealy bugs ; it requires 

 daily hosings to keep it clean. 



Chrysatxthemums. — You refer, page lo, to the fine 

 show of chrysanthemums in the Fairmount Park. 

 So far as individual blossoms are concerned, I have 

 seen nothing in this country to equal some that I 

 saw in England last November, when the chrys- 

 anthemums were in their glory, but when it comes 

 to handsome specimen plants, and lots of blossoms 

 on a plant, you need not go to London, but instead 

 drop into Horticultural Hall, at Boston, on 

 " Chrysanthemum Day," and I think you will agree 

 with me that Walcott, Woods, and Clark show 

 finer plants than you can see at English shows. 



Seedling ChrysaiitJiemiims. — In addition to the 

 seedlings raised and bloomed in 1881 by my neigh- 

 bor Dr. Walcott, he raised and bloomed a great 

 many more last year {1882), and from seeds saved 

 by himself from his own plants in 1881. Some of 

 these seedlings are of good merit, especially two 

 named President Parkman and President Wilder, 

 and for which the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society has awarded him a silver rhedal. Another 

 he calls "C. M. Hovey," is also a good flower. 



The Chrysanthemum, ever since its introduction 

 into Europe, has been a favorite in cottage as well 

 as pretentious gardens, because it blossoms so 

 copiously in late fall ; sometimes a severe nip of 

 frost mars it in its early bloom, but again, in mild 

 seasons, its duration extends into November. 

 Apart from the ordinary section commonly grown 

 as pot plants, there are varieties of C. Indicum 

 nanum remarkable for their early blooming, com- 

 ing into blossom as they do in August and contin- 



uing in beauty till their stronger relatives begin to 

 flower. Friend Burbidge has just written a book 

 on the'Chrysanthemum ; Mr. Robinson, of the Gar- 

 den will publish it. 



HOT WATER AND STEAM HEATING. 

 I;Y WALTER KLDER. 



In reply to the inquiries of your correspondent, 

 E. Holley, I may state: ist. The number of 

 radiating [pipes required to heat his plant-house 

 100x20 feet will depend on its situation, the work- 

 manship and material in its construction, and the 

 free flow of the pipes. 2d. The greater surface 

 a heated body exposes to a cold atmosphere, the 

 more heat it gives out. Many pipes emit more 

 heat than few ; so that the bore of the pipes as a 

 whole equal each other ; smaller pipes are more 

 economical. 3d. The ascent and descent should 

 be as gentle as possible. 4th. Hot water is safer 

 and as cheap. W^here gentle heat is needed the 

 water is not allowed to boil, but to make steam it 

 must boil; 212- Fahrenheit boils water. Plants 

 could not live in that, but the steam carries off the 

 heat to the colder parts of the house. There is 

 danger from explosion by steam, but there are 

 safety valves for both hot water and steam systems 

 to prevent this danger. 



For forcing cut flowers, and propagation of trop- 

 ical plants in winter, steam heating and many 

 small pipes are best. Either hot water or steam is 

 preferable to drying brick flues. 



They both will maintain a good heat from 10 

 P.M. to 7 A. M., but if the temperature outside falls 

 greatly through the night, or a fierce frosty wind 

 strikes against the house and sweeps over it, the 

 temperature inside the house will surely lower. 

 Much depends on a careful fireman and the kind 

 of fuel he uses. 



The cheapest and safest plan with the iron pipes 

 js to let the furnishers put the whole up and strictly 

 follow their directions in the future management. 



All the boilers advertised in the Monthly are 

 great improvements on those of long ago. It is 

 about fifty years since I first saw both hot water 

 and steam heating used in planthouses, and forc- 

 ing pit frames for pineapples, in North Europe. 



The larger the boiler surface exposed to fire, the 

 more heat it takes in, and the flow of the heat goes 

 faster and farther, either by water or steam. In 

 that there is a large economy in fuel. 



[These general hints will be found very useful 

 to the novice,°but we may remind the reader that 

 though the question has been often asked in our 



