Jannary 24, 1867. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTUKE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB, 



73 



in proportion as its surface was frequently brolcen and turned 

 so as to break the lines of the radiation of heat. 



Since the second frost -we had uncovered no cold pits and 

 frames until the bright day of the 15th ; and then, as the air 

 was very keen, we merely uncovered a part of the glass to give 

 the benefit of sunlight, and covered up again early in the 

 afternoon. We were rather afraid that the cold places were a 

 little too warm ; but when, in the case of Caulifiowers under 

 hand-lights, we found the plants were lying on the ground, 

 both the ground and leaves crusted a little, we let well alone, 

 and allowed the covering to remain on, knowing they were 

 better as they were than if alternately thawed and frosted. 

 Such plants will sustain no injury when thus slightly frosted 

 if they be covered up for weeks, only they must not be uncovered 

 until properly thawed, nor must they be exposed to a fierce 

 sun for a few days afterwards. 



It would not be safe to expose Calceolarias and the generality 

 of the hardier bedding plants to so much cold as Cauliflowers, 

 Lettuces, and Radishes will stand ; but if these should be 

 covered up days and weeks it is necessary that the atmosphere 

 about them should be as much above freezing as to keep them 

 safe, and cold enough to prevent anything like growth. An 

 average of 3.5° under glass is good under such circumstances. 

 In such a temperature they will not prow, and little moist 

 vapour will be raised to create damps and their evils. In very 

 cold dull days even -Asparagus in a hotbed-frame was left 

 covered-up, but in fine days it was exposed to the light ; other- 

 wise, fi-om the heat below, the heads or shoots would be apt to 

 be drawn and too much blanched. 



Double Hoofs or Sashes. — Except in the way of experiment 

 we have had little practice with these, though recommending 

 them to others. It would be very interesting to know how 

 such large houses as the fernery of Mr. Bewley, near Dublin, 

 behaved during this frost, as well as those belonging to other 

 gentlemen who have given the system a fair trial, and that, 

 where it was desirable to have a tolerably regular temperature 

 and a somewhat equable degree of atmospheric vapour with 

 the least application of artificial heat. TVe shall be surprised 

 if these conditions were not more easily secured, and at a less 

 expense for fuel, in houses with double sashes than in those 

 glazed in the usual way. 



The necessary amount of atmospheric moisture in such 

 severe weather is most easily secured in common houses and 

 pits by allowing the heat to fall, so that the plants shall be 

 safe, giving what little air may be neceasary at the highest 

 point of the roof, and chiefly in suushine, preventing sun heat 

 and fire heat meeting and raising the temperature so much 

 as to require much cold air to l.e admitted, and covering the 

 glass of front sashes of houses and pits, however slenderly, 

 so as to diminish the escape of heat from the glass, and thus 

 obviate to some extent the necessity of large fires. In such 

 weather in common houses, from which it is next to impossible 

 to exclude the external air, more evil is done by admitting that 

 air freely at the ventilators than in giving none at all beyond 

 a little in the sunniest days, after the sun has affected the 

 temperature of the house, and when, in expectation of its 

 shining, the fires have been allowed to go out or become very 

 low. The man who cannot be brought to study and consider 

 whether there is likely to be sunshine early or not is not fit to 

 take the management of houses, or of the furnaces that heat 

 them, if the requisite amount of economy in fuel and labour is 

 to be secured. Thus, as alluded to above, suppose that the 

 mean temperature of a house in average weather is 70" by day 

 and 65° by night ; to maintain the house at that temperature 

 in such weather as we have lately had would not only, if it were 

 large, require a large quantity of fuel, but also a great amount 

 of vapour to he thrown into the atmosphere, which vapour of 

 itself would require additional heat to raise it, for the higher 

 the temperature of the air the greater would be its capacity for 

 moisture ; and then again the higher the temperature thus 

 maintained, the greater would be the necessity for admitting 

 eold frosty air in sunshine. 



Let two facts be kept in mind, and then there will be less 

 perplexity about firing and ventilating : First, there is no heat 

 so good and so cheap as sun heat ; and secondly, in every way 

 it is mistaken policy to allow in plant-houses a strong heat 

 from a fire and a strong heat from the sun to meet each other. 

 In a common glazed house, with some openings between laps, 

 ifec., and in such a cold day as the 15th, but duU and without 

 STin, we would have put on a small fire, and would have given 

 no air except what found its way in in spite of us. In a dull 

 damp day, with an average temperature of 40°, a brisk fire and 



moderate air-giving would do good by setting in motion a 

 stagnant atmosphere ; but we see no reason for making strong 

 fires in cold sunshiny days that we may neutralise the effects 

 by sending in huge volumes of cold, dry, frosty air, both pro- 

 cesses being exhaustive of the plant's energies. — R. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEn'"ED. 



William Cutbush & Son, Highgate, London, N. — Catalogue 

 of Vegetable, Flower, and Farm Seeds. 



Richard Dean (.\ssistant Secretary to the late International 

 Horticultural Exhibition and Botanical Congress), Ealing, 

 London, W. — Catalopue of Xiw and Choice Verjetahte and 

 Flower Seed-i. Though chiefly confined to novelties much care 

 has evidently been exercised in their selection, and there are 

 in addition useful descriptive and cultural remarks which will 

 render this Catalogue what it professes to be, '• A ' Welcome 

 Guest ' at the Gardener's Fireside.'' 



B. S. Williams, Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, Upper 

 Holloway, London, N. — Descriptire Catalogue of Floieer and 

 Vepetable Seeda. — List of Choice Bedding and Border Plants. 



Hooper tt Co., Central Avenue, Covent Garden JMarket, 

 London, W.C. — General Spring Catalogue. 



COVENT G.\RDEN M.^RKET.— .Januaby 2:$. 



DuRiVG the past week we have experienced a creat falling off in the 

 supply of rouf^h Roods, and the continued frost has compelled us very 

 materially to modify the importation of French produce ; still the prices 

 are but nominally bicher, and any increase would soon check the 

 demand. Very few arrivals of Potatoes have been reported, and the best 

 are worth more money. The trade in Broccoli from the west of England 

 is almost suspended. Dessert Apples and Fears remain the sam.e. 



Apples A sieve 2 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bush. 10 



Currants ^ sieve 



Black do. 



Firs doz. 



FUberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseherries ..quart 



Grapes, Hothouse, .lb. 6 



Lemons 100 



FRtriT. 

 d. B. d I 



to 3 Melons each 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 9 

 

 



, Nectarines doz. 



Oranges 100 5 



18 I Peaches doz. 



Pears (dessert) ,. doz. S 



kitchen; doz. 2 



Pine Apples lb. 4 



Plnms ^ sieve 



Quinces ". doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries lb. 



d. 8. 



0to4 



8 

 



5 10 I Walnuts bush. 10 20 



Artichokes each 



Asparagus bundle 



Beans, Kidney, per 100 

 ScarletRun.^ sieve 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brus. Sprouts ^ sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers each 



pickling .... doz. 



VEGETABLES, 



d. s. d B. 



6 too 8 Leeks bunch 



10 Lettuce per doz. 2 



4 Mushrooms pottle 1 



Mustd.& Cress, punnet 



3 ' Onions. . . . per bushel 4 



Endive doz. 2 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bnnch 



Horseradish .. bundle 



3 1 Parsley.. doz. bunches 12 



6 I Parsnips doz. 



3 Peas per quart 



Potatoes bushel 3 



6 8 Kidnev do. 



8 P^dishes doz, bunches 1 



3 I Rhubarb bundle 



2 Savoys doz. 3 



! Sea-kale basket 2 



0, Shallots lb. 



3 Spinach bushel 5 



8 10 Tomatoes per doz, 



3 I Turnips bunch 



6 0. Vegetable Marrows dz. 



d. a. d 

 6 too 

 3 



2 







5 







1 







4 



4 



1 



1 



4 



8 







t 















TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 



FtoEisTs' Flo'v\"ers, &c. {G. Mo$s). — There is no such work aa yon 

 name. If you enclose sixteen postage stamps with your direction, &nd 

 order "Flower Gardening," "Greenhouses," and "Florists' Flowers," 

 they will be sent to you psst free. 



Gakden Plan (A. F.). — Write to Mr. Gibson, jun., whose advertisement 

 is in our first page. 



Pine and Fik (A Beginner). — They are popular names, and are indis- 

 criminately applied to the section Abietinse of the Conifenc. 



Willows and Osiers (Id-em).— These are all members of one geaaSt 

 and the names are indiscriminately used in popular conversation. If 

 any distinction is commonly attempted, it is by calling every tree Soliz 

 a Willow, and every Salis annually cut down for its rods an Osier, 



Daphne odora Floweb Buds Falling iA Younri Gardener). — Yonhavfl 

 excited your plant into growth, and caused it to cast its buds, not having 

 allowed it sufficient time to Bwell them ; although they were not cast 

 until a few days ago, they have probably been inactive for sometime. 

 You should place ihe other plant in a light, airy situation in a house frith 

 a nice, growing, rather moist temperature of from 45* to 50^ at night. It 

 will flower in due time. A temperature of from 55'^ to 65"^ by fire heat is 

 too high. 



