4, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



17 



the cistern Leiug supplied from the tank by a tap. As there 

 are two rows of hot-water pipes over the water-tauk, it helps 

 to keep the rain water during the winter at the temperature of 

 the house. 



The ventilation under the wood staging is through openings 

 in the brick walls, with moveable shutters hung on hinges and 

 regulated by a string. The upper ventilator is a fixed pent with 

 moveable shutters hung on pivots, and also regulated by means 

 of strings. The ventUatiou is in all respects very efficient, and 

 there is always a slight current of air passing under the glass, 

 as the glass in the rafters does not touch the wall-pan by 

 three-eighths of an inch. This prevents water accumulating 

 on the wall-pan, and any raiu which finds its way through the 

 butt joints runs down the inside into the spout, and though 

 there are no laps, the house does not leak in the wettest 

 weather. In summer weather the front row of glass can be 

 taken entirely out and Nottingham netting put in its place, or 

 one or two panes can be taken out and the others separated. 

 I freq)iently do this to harden plants previous to bedding-out. 



The house runs east and west, but I should prefer to put it 

 up north and south. I never use any shading, but after the 

 first or second week in April put a sUght wash of milk and 

 whiting with a very little paste outside on the south side ; this 

 when once dry will resist almost any amount of rain, and 

 breaks the scorching rays of the sun without interfering in any 

 way with the light. I do not claim any particular novelty, but 

 I have never seen any house exactly like it, and I built it for 

 the sake of accommodating as many plants as I could, when 

 potted-off, in a small space. 



The house is only, as I stated, 25 feet long and 10 feet wide 

 outside measure, but I can put 2500 Geraniums in 4-inch pots 

 into it. I built it before I had seen any other house without 

 laps to the glass or putty, and I still like the form of rafter 

 better than any other I have seen, as by ploughing the groove 

 at an angle and then takmg a slight shoulder off with the 

 chisel, a groove is left under the glass, down which any water 

 which is drawn to the rafter nins, instead of dripping into the 

 house. I have never seen any drip whatever from the rafter. 

 I can recommend the house to any amateur who wishes to 

 have a generahy useful plant-bouse, and especially to those 

 gentlemen who expect their gardeners to turn out large quan- 

 tities of bedding plants, and who have hitherto provided no 

 additional means. There is so much light and good ventilation 

 in a house of this kind that I find, practically speaking, plants 

 from it never require hardening-off. Another great advantage 

 is, that the whole of the glass can be removed in a very short 

 time for repainting or other repairs ; and the paint can be laid 

 on by any ordinary hand, as there is no glass to smear, and 

 the work is consequently very quickly done. 



I keep plants growing in a, house of this kind all the winter, 

 and I never find they get the least drawn-up or spindly. Damp- 

 ing-off and e\'ils of that sort are unknown, unless there is no 

 fire heat in November and December, when I maintain nearly 

 all plants raised out of the open ground and potted-off in 

 October must suffer if not allowed to grow. I find the same 

 ci-y constantly repeated, "Don't water! Don't water! Don't 

 let plants grow in the winter ! All growth must be spindly 

 and bad." I feel sure, however, that with properly constructed 

 houses common sense will tell any gardener it is easier to pre- 

 serve a plant in health by allowing it Ught and air, water and 

 heat, than by keeping it stagnant in cold, and dark, and damp ; 

 and a Uttle common sense and attention, which are the great 

 secret of success in gardening, will soon teach gardeners what 

 degree of warmth and moisture is requisite for the various 

 tribes of plants. For instance, it would be absurd to treat a 

 Calceolaria in the same way as a Geranium, or a Chrj'sauthe- 

 mum in the same way as a Verbena ; and yet I have seen Cal- 

 ceolarias in pots dust-dry, flagging from w'ant of water, and 

 been assured by the gardener that they were damping-off, 

 instead of which they ought to have been put into a pail of 

 water for half an hour. — C. P. Peach. 



MES. PINCE'S MUSCAT. 

 I WAS glad to see the notice of Mr. Donaldson's success with 

 this Grape. I think it has been most unfairly run down. It 

 has always done well with me, and was admired by hundreds 

 this season. I think it requires a httle care in setting. 'VSTien 

 in bloom my man always touches the flowers with a camel-hair 

 brush, and every bloom sets. This is done on two or three 

 different days with almost every kind of Grape, as I like to 

 leave nothing to chance, and the trouble is very trifling. There 



are few kinds, except the Black Hamburgh, which do not bene- 

 fit by this operation in some seasons, though in others they 

 may set theii' fruit well without any trouble. The brush we 

 use is as large as a painter's middle-sized painting brush, and 

 the flowers are just gently touched with it to distribute the 

 pollen. 



With me Mrs. Pince is larger in the bunch than ;Lady 

 Downe's, and keeps better. I think Madresfield Court is the 

 best of the new Grapes, but it does not keep so well as I ex- 

 pected. It is a grand Grape both in bunch and beny, and of 

 fine flavour ; but it will not, I think, keep more than a mouth 

 longer than a Black Hamburgh in the same house. If it does 

 not keep so well as was expected, many will be found to deny 

 its other good qualities. To be puffed absurdly, and after- 

 wards run down unfairly, seems to be the fate of all new Grapes. 

 After all, it is better for people to give their experience, as the 

 special requirements of a variety may thus be elicited. A man 

 may miss his way in the cultivation of a new kind of fruit with- 

 out being exactly a fool. — J. E. Pearson, Chilwell. 



WOBK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEDZN. 



Keep Cabbage, Caulijiotcers, and Endive thoroughly clear of 

 aU bad plants and dead leaves. Sow in well-prepared situations 

 the second crop of Peas and Broad Beans, a few of which 

 should be sown in boxes, pans, or flower-pots for fear of frost 

 or vermin. The Peas and Beans that have made their appear- 

 ance above ground should have a short-toothed iron rake 

 passed across the rows to break the surface-crust of the earth- 

 A warm border should be chosen for sowing early Horn Carrots 

 and short-top Radishes in neat drills, alternately. These drills 

 may be formed by means of a triangular stick, and should be 

 covered-in with sandy soil, and protected with such materials 

 as hoops, mats, fern, &c. Sifted dry dust, charred tan, or any 

 other charred refuse, should be shaken amongst them as they 

 progress. It is astonishing what robustness and vigour this 

 imparts, besides keeping out the frost and preventing shanking 

 and cankering. 



FEUIT GABDEN. 



Proceed with planting. Prune and nail wall trees. Dress 

 in suitable weather those finit trees that are infested with moss, 

 lichen, or scale. Prune, train, and tie-in neatly all espaher 

 trees, and clear away to the char heap all refuse that will not 

 readily decompose. Fork among aU fruit plantations, apply- 

 ing some manure, if possible, about the roots of the trees'. 

 Where the nailing of Pear, Plum, and Cherry walls is finished, 

 form and chop out the alleys at convenient widths, and fork 

 up roughly the spaces left next the wall, spreading some sifted 

 cinder ashes thinly on the alleys. This is the means of keep- 

 ing the surface of the alleys from becoming bound by trafiie, 

 and' makes them at all times clean and comfortable to walk on, 

 but scrapers should always be placed at convenient distances. 

 If frost prevails, stir up the soil well with the hoe, or fork 

 glose under the walls and fences. Such places afford a ready 

 efuge for slugs and other vermin to hide away in security, and 

 shake a httle quickhme over the earth thus disturbed. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Make new walks, flower-beds, and renew the soil in old ones, 

 if the weather permits. Holes for planting choice shrubs or 

 trees may also be prepared, by removing the bad soil and re- 

 placing it bj- a compost suitable for the plants ; and even 

 where trees are planted and not growing well, the soil may be 

 carefully removed from the roots and replaced by better ma- 

 terial. 'V\1iere any of the beds require fresh sod, it should be 

 made ready to be wheeled on when favourable weather for such 

 work occurs. Fresh soil is, in most cases, preferable to manure 

 as a dressing for flower-beds, which is too invigorating. On 

 poor soils, and where neither fresh soil nor decayed leaves can be 

 had, a moderate dressing of well-rotted farmyard manure will, 

 however, be useful, but this should be well mixed to the full 

 depth of the bed, and not left in lumps near the surface- 

 Avoid getting upon or working the gi'ouaid when it is in a 

 sodden state. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSEKVATORT. 



About 40° is a good temperature for the conservatory when 

 not attached to sitting-rooms, and only used for the purpose 

 of wintering large specimens without plants in bloom ; but 

 where a supply of stove plants in bloom is constantly kept up 

 from a forcing pit, the best heat is 45°. Cinerarias should be 

 watered and protected from the attacks of insects. Chinese 

 Primroses ai-e very ornamental, and ought to be cultivated. 



