474 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTTJEE AJsTD COTTAGE GAEDENEE. [ December i:., 18D3. 



H, fig. 5, is from 6 to 7 feet in width, and heated by four 

 pipes beneath, with openings also for air cold and hot as 

 desired. This bed is chiefly covered on each side by small 

 bottomless wooden boxes, the wood being about 6 inches 

 deep and glazed on the top. These boxes stand close to- 

 gether, and air can be easily given by tUting at one end and 

 side, and just as the cuttings will stand it. The boxes may 

 be removed for a time and then altogether until the young 

 plants are taken elsewhere. No place could be better for 

 fresh-potted plants for a time, for store plants in general, 

 or anything requiring heat. On part of this centre bed a 

 high glass case is placed for plants requiring extra heat, and 

 for grafting and inarching those plants of considerable size, 

 which could not otherwise be so well managed. On our 

 visit in September this house was filled chiefly with myriads 

 of the newer Cypresses, Thujopsis, Arbor Vita;, and the 

 scarcer of the Pine tribe, many rooting and others caUusing 

 for rooting. At another time the house would be fovmd 

 filled with Eose cuttings. The superintendent seemed to 

 think nothing of tm-ning out of this house forty thousand 

 Eose plants at a time, and said the beauty of such a house 

 was, that it was fitted for almost numberless pui-poses. 



Now, many of oui- readers who wish a nice propagating 

 place could not think of any such house as Mr. Lane's; but 

 still they may receive a hint how they can construct one 

 on a small scale. The numerous inquiries on this sub- 

 ject may render a few ideas not supei-fluous. Now, suppose 

 any one wishes to have a small lean-to house 8 feet high at 

 back, 4 in front, and 10 feet wide, he might have a similar 

 pit in front covered with moveable glass frames ; pai-t of that 

 pit may be used for fresh cuttings, part for potted-ofF plants, 

 and the pai-t behind either as a bed or stage for plants 



Fig. li. 



hardening-o£f. To make such a plan effectual would need 

 three pipes in the chamber if all the heating were to pro- 

 ceed from that — namely, two flows and one return. If more 

 heat were wanted or cuttings were required to be struck in 

 the first months of the year, there might be two pipes in 

 the chamber and two on the open bed for top heat, to act 

 independently of each other ; and if the latter were the case 

 the chamber might be filled below the pipes with clay and 

 above them with bricks, clinkers, a surface of clean gravel, 

 and then sand, &c. But even hot water is not necessary; for 

 a length of 20 to 30 feet a good stout flue once through the 

 chamber, with slides, &c., as shown in fig. G, would answer 

 the same purpose. "Where economy is the great object, 

 for lengths not less than 20 feet — and for all such contriv- 

 ances as small pits and frames from 12 to 20 feet in length 

 — a chamber, with slides, heated by a brick Arnott stove 

 below and a small chimney from it, would be amply suffi- 

 cient if properly worked and attended to. We woiild place 

 that stove so as to be fed from the outside, with an old 

 door to stand in fi-ont of it to moderate cfraught and keep 

 the heat in the chamber. For unpractised hands we would 

 recommend the stove with a short flue ; but to men of intel- 

 ligence and experience, we are fully conrineed that a small 

 house for propagating and hardening-otf plants may be 

 effectually managed with a brick stove alone, and as recently 

 stated, there are no modes so economic as this for heat- 

 ing small places. Mind, however, that for places of large 

 size the hot-water plan is the best. For small places we are 

 convinced that nothing is better or more economical than 

 brick stoves. See the Kiddean system of heating as illus- 

 trated and propounded some time ago by our lamented friend 

 Mr. Beaton. 



Fig. 7. 



CROUND LINE 



We wOl finish with presenting one more example of a 

 most useful combination of house and pits as seen in fig. 7. 

 The house is 13 feet wide, 8 feet in height to the ridge. 

 The pathway is some 2i feet in width, with beds on each 

 side heated as described vafig. 5 when necessary to do so. 

 On each side of this house are pits now filled with hundreds 

 of Azaleas, CameUias, ic. Magnolia exoniensis, and many 

 other things, a slide letting out the heat from the chamber in 

 the house whenever the severe weather would render it neces- 

 sary. The pits or beds in the central house were filled 

 with small plants in pots of Hollies, grafted in August with 

 the variegated kinds ; and now the glass sashes that covered 

 them were elevated to the sashes of the house, that the 

 Hollies, already taken and all right, might be haj-dened-off 



and then planted out of doors. Well might the superin- 

 tendent say, "What cannot be done in such a little house 

 with its outside pits?" And wcU might he add it will 

 never do in a commercial establishment to have a house 

 that you can only use for one purpose. There is not a 

 single practical man but sees to what purposes he could 

 use such a house if he was fortunate enough to obtain it. 

 We will express no opinion farther than this — that we have 

 never visited Mr. Lane's establishment without feeling more 

 and more that there is no reason why the most thorough 

 economy should not be combined with the greatest efficiency, 

 and, leaving the extreme of elegance out of the question, 

 that combination is what seven-tenths of oiu- readers most 



require. 



E. Fish. 



WOEK FOE THE WEEE. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



In this department continue to trench, manui'e, and, where 

 necessary, to drain the ground, preparatory to its being 

 cropped in spring ; and where the crop is to be a compara- 

 tively permanent one, as Asparagus, Khubarb, Globe Arti- 

 chokes, or Sea-kale, a thorough preparation will be necessary, 

 as the best guarantee of future profit and satisfaction. 

 Asparagus, if the heat of the first bed should decline much 

 before it has done bearing, it will be necessary to add a 

 Uning. In making successional-beds use a quantity of leaves 

 with the dung, which will keep up a more moderate degree 

 of heat, and retain it for a greater length of time than all 

 dung. Broccoli, as they will be advanced by the recent 

 mild weather, look over and select the most forward for pro- 

 tection before the return of frosty weather. Continue to 



remove all dead and decaying leaves. Brussels SproiUs, in 

 gathering do not cut out the crown until the spring. Some 

 do so in the hope of inducing them to throw out more 

 sprouts than with it, but this is generally injurious at this 

 season, as it admits moisture, which, in the event of severe 

 frost, proves fatal to the whole stem. Caidiflowers, stir the 

 surface of the soil amongst the plants under hand-lights, 

 and sprinkle some lime dust amongst them ; it will sweeten 

 the sm-face of the soil, prevent a green growth on the sur- 

 face, whidi stagnant air is apt to produce, and will also pre- 

 vent the depredations of slugs. Celery, take advantage of 

 every favoiu-able opportunity till frost occurs of earthing- 

 up the late crops, both for the purpose of blanching and 

 protection. Herbs in pots should be introduced to the 



