JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ January 13, 1676. 



collection of Sarracenias and Cephalotus follicularis. Fancy 

 for a momont pang of these plants upwards of 2 feet in diame- 

 ter, in tho most vigorous condition, the individual pitchers of 

 the Sarracenias over inches, and thirty or forty of these in 

 the pan, and it is not one plant that is to be seen so, but 

 maDy ; and scores smaller are growing everywhere, in the stoves, 

 in the cold houses, and in the open air in the greatest luxuri- 

 ance. Who would not be tempted to cultivate these plants, 

 especially the Sarracenias, when it is seen how easily they can 

 be grown ? Here we seem to spoil them by coddling. Herr 

 Winekler gives them the most liberal treatment ; his plants 

 are potted in very rough sandy peat, liberally supplied with 

 drainage, and abundantly supplied with water. These seem to 

 be the great points — abundance of moisture without stagnation, 

 and a coldish rather than a warm temperature. 



Forming a group near to the house, beneath the shelter of 

 some friendly trees, we espy a brilliant mass of some lovely 

 scarlet blossoms ; at the distance we are sorely puzzled as to 



what it can be. Is it a new Pelargonium or a new ? No, 



it is simply Disa grandiflora, the lovely South African terres- 

 trial Orchid. Thus coming upon it we were not a little 

 startled. Never had we imagined Disa grandiflora so lovely, 

 never had we thought it would have made such a display, and 

 little did we think it could anywhere be seen cultivated so well 

 and to such an extent as it was to be Been here. With us it is 

 seldom to be met with, around Hamburg it is one of the com- 

 monest plants. Mr. Leech, of Clapham, did much to encourage 

 its cultivation, yet excepting himself few in this country have 

 succeeded with it. The plants at Consul Schiller's (about 

 thirty) in 8-inch pots were about 3 feet in height, with from 

 six to eight stems in each pot, and each stem having three 

 or four flowers, and some six or seven, open at one time. 

 These plants, we understood, were potted in rough peat and 

 lumps of charcoal, supplied at all times with abundance of 

 water, being kept in almost a Bemi-aquatic state, and grown in 

 a cold pit from which frost is simply excluded. 



On the opposite side of the road Consul Schiller has yet 

 another garden called the Nursery, under the direction of 

 another obergartner. Here are all the usual appendages, fruit, 

 &c, and again more stoves full of glorious plants, as Alocasia 

 macrorhiza variegata, very fine ; Alocasia Lowii, with leaves 

 2 feet in length ; Alocasia acuminata, a very fine variety ; and 

 a splendid plant of Caladium Eelleymei, with very large and 

 fine leaves. Here also are a magnificent lot of Vandas in flue 

 condition, Cephalotus follicularis, upwards of a hundred fine 

 plants of Sarraeenia purpurea, and so much of riches that we 

 were glad to retreat and bend our steps elsewhere. 



We would just say that Consul Schiller was not an exhibitor 

 at the great Show ; yot nothing, we believe, gives the proprietor 

 more genuine pleasure and satisfaction than to show his superb 

 collection of plants to anyone interested in horticulture. 



IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OP 

 HOLLOW WALLS. 



Me. E. Tctte, of Fareham, Hants, has patented an inven- 

 tion having for its object improvements in the construction of 

 hollow walls. By constructing walls hollow or with an air 

 space between the two faces they are rendered impervious to 

 moisture, and if the two sides of the wall are properly tied 

 together a stronger and better wall can be made than would be 

 obtained if the same material were arranged to form a solid 

 wall. 



Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a wall built according to this 

 invention, with wall ties consisting of flat plates built in to the 

 vertical joints of the wall. Fig. 2 shows one of the wall ties ; it 

 may be made of any strong material which will not rapidly 

 decay ; cast or wrought iron, slate, and zinc are very suitable 

 materials. The wall ties are made with notches on their 

 lower edges to prevent water flowing along them. The width 

 of the wall tie is made slightly greater than the thickness of a 

 brick, so that it may bear on the bricks above and below it, 

 and so be very firmly held in the wall ; the length of the tie is 

 such as to admit of its passing across the cavity in the wall and 

 being firmly embedded in the brickwork on either side. The 

 thickness of the wall tie is only such as is requisite for strength, 

 and its ends may be perforated to cause the mortar to obtain a 

 firmer hold. The walls may receive any suitable coping at 

 the top. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the wall shown at 



fig.l. 



A still lighter wall than that shown at/;;. 1 may similarly be 



built, but with the bricks laid on edge in place of flat, as is 

 shown at fig. 4, the dimensions of the wall ties being varied 

 accordingly. Thicker walls may also be built when required, 

 the additional thickness being given on either or botb/sides of 

 the cavity. 



INS --^ 



m 



:: ^; 



m 



o ini'lies wide. 



b b, Patent ties in £ 

 edge wall, 41 inches 



c c, Slate damp course 



h brick-on- 



d d, Mortar droppings. 

 e c, Tv'et external wall. 

 //, Dry internal wall. 

 tj\ Tie in iron or slate. 



We may add that the ties are supplied by the patentee at 

 very cheap rates, and their use undoubtedly effects the preven- 

 tion of damp, besides a saving of time and material in the con- 

 struction of walls. — (English Mechanic and Mirror of Science.) 



WORK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAKDEN. 



Should your garden be imperfectly drained, lose no time in 

 attending to this. Never allow one drop of the sewage from 

 the house or piggeries to drain away, or it will deprive the 

 garden of that which would enrich it. The digging and trench- 

 ing of ground should receive early attention. Trenching is to 

 be preferred unless it was done last year ; if so, do not neglect 

 deep digging, leaving the ground as rough as possible, par- 

 ticularly if the soil is tenacious. Fork it over frequently in 

 frosty mornings, likewise the ground trenched this season. 

 Doing so will mix the virgin soil with a portion of that which 

 has been previously exposed, rendering it more congenial to 

 the roots of plants. Embrace every favourable opportunity of 

 stirring the soil amongst winter Lettuces, Onions, Broccoli, 

 and Cabbages, filling-up all vacancies in the latter. If yon 

 have your ground in readiness for the various crops, proceed 

 to plant a few early Potatoes in a sheltered situation ; if they 

 have begun to grow, be careful not to break the young shoots, 

 as they are the best ; to avoid this, place the Potatoes sideways 

 instead of upright. Sow a few Longpod Beans in a patch, to 

 plant-out between the rows of Potatoes, or in some other suit- 

 able place, towards the end of the month. Sow Onion.; ; a 

 mixture of Brown Globe, Portugal, and Deptford is preferred. 

 Sow in drills 10 inches apart, forming the beds for this as, in 

 fact, for all crops, north and south. In some sheltered place 

 sow a little Radish and Lettuce. Shelter herbs and other 

 tender plants from sharp frosty winds by sticking evergreen 

 branches round them, or a few hay or straw ropes twisted 

 round a few sticks. Some such shelter in exposed situations 

 will preserve plants that would be lost if not protected, as sharp 

 frosty winds often prove more destructive than long-continued 

 yet calm frosts. 



