HORTICULTURE 



November 11, 1905 



shell gets dry, it gets harder and consequently it takes 

 longer for the seed to germinate, which takes usually 

 from three to ten months. The enemies of the seedlings 

 are snails and other insects and mildew. 



There are over five thousand varieties of roses in cul- 

 tivation. Like many other plants, the rose has a ten- 

 dency to revert to the original single form, which pre- 

 vents us to get quickly the desired results from our hy- 

 bridizing. I started with Bon Silene and Caserta, as 

 seed bearer, and hybrids as pollen bearers. I soon found 

 that the pollen bearer had too much influence, as the 

 most of the seedlings went back to the habit of hybrids. 

 One of the best as a seed bearer to reproduce its own 

 habit in growth and production of flowers is Maria Van 

 Houtte. It partakes freely of the color of the pol- 

 len bearer, but the flowers of the progeny are mostly 

 only semi-double. If I were to give all my experience 

 with the great number of varieties I worked on it would 

 occupy too much space in your valuable paper. The 

 best results have come from recrossing my own seed- 

 ling. My work has been mostly under glass. There 

 will be plenty to do for centuries to come in the field of 

 hybridizing. 



Hints on Boilers and Heating 



It is not my purpose to pose as a practical boiler 

 constructor or heating expert, but to simply furnish 

 information gained by long experience in handling 

 boilers and heating apparatus, and close observation of 

 their use. 



There are four essential features to be considered in 

 selecting a boiler, after the capacity required is deter- 

 mined upon : Economy of fuel consumption, simplicity 

 of construction (so as to be readily repaired — and parts 

 interchangeable), easily cleaned, and durable. We will 

 refer especially to cast-iron sectional boilers which are 

 used for large heating areas. There are few makes of 

 boilers on the market today possessing all of the virtues 

 named. You will find boilers economical in fuel con- 

 sumption at the start compared with others, but diffi- 

 cult and expensive to repair and if improperly construct- 

 ed to clean. This type is the most expensive in the long 

 run, for if you have to employ skilled mechanics to 

 replace a part, and the part does not fit when it arrives, 

 the cost of labor and the delay will in many cases 

 amount to the price you paid for the boiler, and if the 

 heating surfaces can not be conveniently cleaned the 

 boiler \vill lose its efficiency in two or three years, when 

 you will need a new one. There are boilers which ap- 

 parently are durable and easily cleaned but require 

 the capacity of a coal yard to operate properly. This 

 type you will find are either a direct draft-boiler where 

 the heat travels almost direct from the fire to the smoke 

 outlet, or where the flues or air chambers are improperly 

 arranged. The heat should travel at least a distance 

 equal to twice the the length of the boiler before enter- 

 ing the smoke flue, and the heating surfaces should be 

 proportioned in the correct ratio to the grate surface and 

 BO placed as to receive the best benefits from the fire. 



British Horticulture 



A NOTED EOSARIAN 



Mr. Cooling, of the firm of Messrs. Geo. Cooling and 

 Sons, of Bath, who was selected to read a paper on 

 autumn roses at a meeting of the Eoyal Horticultural 

 Society, has devoted considerable attention to the cul- 

 ture of the "Queen of Flowers." The firm has been 

 in existence at Bath for half a century at the nursery 

 business and there are now more than 50 acres in culti- 

 vation. Their white rose. Purity, was the first English- 

 raised garden variety to receive the award of the gold 

 medal of the National Rose Society, and it also received 

 an award of merit from the Eoyal Horticultural Society. 

 Messrs. Cooling have always made a specialty of the 

 growth of garden and old-fashioned roses, which have 

 come into favor in recent years. In spite of the many 

 new comers aspiring for fame each season some of the 

 old varieties still hold their own. In 1853 when Mr. 

 Geo. Cooling, the founder of the firm, started business 

 there were two roses introduced, namely, Gloire de 

 Dijon and General Jacqueminot, and these are still 

 universally grown, the "General" being particularly 

 popular for market work. 



The firm have not confined their attention solely to 

 roses, for- they are far-famed for their fruit trees. Their 

 noted apple. Beauty of Bath, is to be seen at most fruit 

 shows. This variety is largely distributed. The fruit 

 is of medium size, with an attractive color, marked with 

 distinct green spots over the surface. The firm flesh has 

 a pleasant acidity, and the variety comes quickly into 

 bearing on the Paradise stock. It comes on the market 

 at the end of July, and owing to its excellent keeping 

 qualities it is greatly in demand for commercial pur- 

 poses. This variety received a first-class certificate from 

 the Royal Horticultural Society as far back as 1887, 

 and the lapse of time has not lessened its perennial 

 popularity. 



AN ENGLISH SEED TESTING ESTABLISHMENT 



At one time most of the seed testing for the trade m 

 this country was done at Zurich and other continental 

 stations, owing to the lack of proper provision in 

 Britain. There is now in full working order a seed- 

 testing laboratory at Aynsome in Lancashire. Mr. John 

 Stewart Remington, the director, has just issued his 

 third annual report in which he states that the past year 

 has been on the whole an encouraging one, considering 

 the excellent condition of the seed market, and the 

 quality of the seeds offered by merchants. The number 

 of samples tested at Aynsome during the past season has 

 been 1,296, showing an increase over last year of 219 

 samples. Mr. Remington regrets that the principals of 

 some of the large firms who subscribe to the Continental 

 station are the slowest to appreciate the value of a home 

 seed-testing station. In the southern counties of Scot- 

 land and the northern counties of England merchants 

 appear to take more interest in the question of seed- 

 testing than in other parts of the country, except per- 



