March 28, 1667. ] 



JOURNAL OF HeKTICDLTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



231 



before dry weather sets in. Finish digging if not already done, 

 turn gravel, edge and clean walks, Sec. Examine half-hardy 

 plants, such as have been protected through this severe winter, 

 and remove the covering, unless an unfavourable change in the 

 weather takes place. Do not yet prune tender Eoses, they 

 might be much injured by so doing until they begin to grow, 

 which will soon be the case if line weather sets in. Sow Sweet 

 Peas in borders and pots, also hardy annuals. Plant-out from 

 the reserve garden Pljloxes, Pentstemons, &c. Auriculas, those 

 beautiful spring flowers, will now require very great attention. 

 They may have occasional warm and genial showers any time 

 previous to the development of the flowers. The pots to be 

 kept free from weeds, giving the plants all the air possible, 

 avoiding rough windy weather. Polyanthuses, look the beds 

 carefully over and any plants loosened by the frosts should be 

 immediately secured. Tulips in spite of the past severe weather 

 are looking well. Keep the wet from lodging in the hearts of 

 the plants ; it is apt at this season to he frozen, and the mass of 

 ice has a pernicious effect on the rising bud. Pansy and Pink- 

 beds must be carefully dressed with some decayed vegetable 

 matter, omitting the rich compost till later in the spring. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



A thorough revision of all the various tribes in the different 

 houses where plant-growing and forcing are carried on in a 

 mixed way is necessary at one period or ofJier during the 

 spring, the shutting-up of late vineries or Peach-houses gene- 

 rally offering facilities for this arrangement, and of course for 

 relieving the other structures. It is of the greatest impor- 

 tance to keep plants classified or in families as much as 

 possible, which, as well as facilitating business, will add a zest 

 to these structures. Exhausted forcing stock should by all 

 means have a pit or frame fitted up especially for it. The 

 plants should by no means be allowed to mix with the general 

 stock. A bed of fermenting material of a mild character, 

 covered G or 8 inches deep with tan and well topped up with 

 linings, and m.itttd at night, is required. A bottom heat of 80', 

 with frequent syringings, and plunging the plants in it, will 

 restore them to perfect heath and prepare them for another 

 campaign. Fuchsias will be benefited by the application of 

 clear liquid manure. Very Uberal shifts will be necessary at 

 this period, more especially with those intended for very large 

 specimens. Cinerarias for late blooming should, if pot-bound, 

 be shifted likewise. Let plants in need of water have imme- 

 diate attention ; nothing conduces more to the encouragement 

 of insects than suiiering plants to become checked through 

 drought. This is now the proper time to regulate the branches 

 of Pelargoniums intended for early flowering. Let the shoots 

 be brought into their exact position and carefuUy tied to short 

 stakes. Those intended for late flowering should be potted 

 immediately in their blooming-pots, and kept cool to promote 

 the production of wood rather than flowers at this time. 



riTS AND FRAJIES. 



Follow the directions given in last week's calendar. Look 

 over bedding-out stock, and if you are short of any kinds now 

 is the time to remedy the evil by putting in cuttings or seeds. 

 Some of the more hardy plants might be removed to colder 

 situations to harden, but by no means expose them to the 

 mercy of the weather yet. Brompton and Ten-week Stocks 

 that have been kept in pots in frames through winter might 

 be prepared by exposure to the air for a short time for planting 

 out. Shut up early every fine day to forward the growth of 

 any sickly plants, or such as are most wanted to be increased, 

 and prick oi^ tender annuals as fast as room can be made for 

 them. Water them sparingly until they begin to grow freely 

 for fear of damp, &c. German and Ten-week Stocks may also 

 be sown in fresh soil in a cold frame, or one that will soon 

 cool down, and a few Early German Asters on a slight beat. — 

 W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



What a change from Saturday, the ICth, to Saturday, the 

 23rd of March ! — a difference in temperature of more than 30°. 

 Then, again, a drifting, dry, frosted snow on the 22nd, and a 

 warm rain dispersing the last relics of the snow on the 23rd. 

 During the week up to that time, with the exception of some 

 rough jobs, all out-door work was reduced to a minimum, as 

 even covering and uncovering pits and frames was let alone, 

 except where there was extra heat, as in the case of Cucumbers. 

 We think it, therefore, a good opportunity to say a few words 

 to meet the wants and wishes of severed correspondents on 



stoves and boilers, and more especially as we have had to alter 

 the arrangements of an iron stove in our orchard-house. 



Storex. — On commencing these gossiping articles, one of the 

 first had reference to an iron stove which we made use of when 

 in the severe frost of 18G0 and 1861 our boiler for the conser- 

 vatory gave way, and we had to depend on an old iron stove 

 that had been discarded from an entrance-haU, for keeping out 

 the frost. There was fixed to the stove, about (J inches from 

 the top, on one side, a horizontal pipe, about 3i inches in 

 diameter, and 5i feet in length, and this was so rivetted to the 

 stove, that we concluded that any attempt to move the pipe 

 would bring the stove itself in its ricketty state to grief. This 

 long pipe, and lengthened by another almost as long, was very 

 well, so long as the stove stood in the entrance-hall with the 

 pipe terminating in a lofty chimney, and thus securing plenty 

 of draught ; but it was contrary to all our experience of stoves 

 to have such a long horizontal pipe terminated with a short 

 upright one as a chimney, and therefore we have constantly 

 recommended that for all such stoves the horizontal pipe from 

 the stove, before it takes a perpendicular or upright direction, 

 should not exceed from 12 to 2-t inches in length. A corre- 

 spondent particularly wishes to know " why a little iron stove 

 with the smoke-flue or pipe proceeding at once from the top of 

 the stove should not answer as well as the having the smoke 

 pipe proceeding from the side, as in the section of a stove 

 shown in the ' Heating Manual,' page 18." We do not per- 

 ceive why such a stove would not answer for general purposes 

 where merely heating a corridor, warehouse, &c., is con- 

 cerned, or even when a very mild heat was applied in a small 

 plant-house ; but we would object to such a stove in a plant- 

 house of any extent, chiefly because the heat would too freely 

 pass up the chimney-pipe, and that would become very hot, 

 whilst the lower part of the stove was comparatively cool ; the 

 great merit of all stoves used in plant-houses should be the 

 giving out enough of heat economically, and yet the stove 

 itself never in any part to be so hot as to burn the particles 

 floating in the air in its vicinity. We would prefer, too, that 

 all stoves for such gardening purposes should have a moveable 

 top, as then the inside can be cleaned and examined at pleasure. 



We would n>it wish for a better stove for a large house than 

 that to which we have been referring. It is 2 feet 9 inches in 

 height, and 18 inches square, outside measure, the bottom 

 raised a couple of inches or so from the ground. There are 

 two moveable tops, the inner one a piece of sheet iron, resting 

 in a small groove, and when put on, the groove, and even this 

 inner top, are covered with sand ; then the plain outer top is 

 put on, and when at work the top is covered with an iron 

 vessel for evaporating moisture. The fireplace, which stands 

 in the middle of the stove, is made of iron, about 13 inches 

 square, and a foot deep. This iron firebox is lined inside with 

 four fire-brick pieces, about 10 inches deep, above the firebars, 

 leaving the iron frame 2 inches above them on three sides, but 

 bevelled down to form a plate between the box and the circular 

 opening for fuel. The firebox is 9 inches square, and as much 

 in depth, whilst the rim of iron prevents the fuel dropping into 

 the open spaces between the firebox and the outside of the 

 stove. This small firebox is suflieient to give out a great heat, 

 whilst the open space all round it prevents the outside of the 

 stove from ever becoming dangerously or offensively hot. A 

 small pan is placed below the firebars for ashes and for draught 

 at lighting ; but when fairly set to work, and a continuous 

 mild heat from a slow combustion is wanted, the ashpan is 

 shut close, and air admitted by two or three slits half an inch 

 long, and one-eighth of an inch in width. 



We have used this old stove for several purposes, and mostly 

 in a surreptitious manner. When we placed it in the orchard- 

 house, we had to make it as inconspicuous as possible. We 

 durst not meddle then with the longitudinal-pipe, and show- 

 ing anything in the way of a chimney was out of the question. 

 These considerations, and an idea, confirmed rather than other- 

 wise, that such stoves, if sunk somewhat, spread their heat 

 more equally than those standing on the surface, led to our sink- 

 ing this stove near the front of the lean-to house llj feet in 

 width, and sufficiently low to permit the horizontal-pipe and 

 another joined to it to pass from the stove beneath the pathway 

 and outside the back w,all, and theie terminate in an upright 

 low chimney of earthenware pipes. 



The space in which the stove stands after being bricked round 

 on the slant, is 5 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet deep, leaving 

 plenty of room in front to attend to the stove. The latter was 

 kept black for free radiation, and the bricks kept whitewashed 

 to reflect the heat radiated from the stove. We have reason to 



