352 



JOUENAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



[ May 27, 1869. 



They took a ronndabont road, but they kept the destination in 

 fall view. As already hinted at, they neutralised the high 

 temperature at night by a comparatively low temperature during 

 the day. For instance, be the weather what it might, in a 

 vinery the temperature at from 10 to 12 p.m. must be from 07° 

 to 70", a little more when the Vines were in bloom, but no 

 matter how bright the day, air must be given so that the house 

 might range from 70° — scarcely up to 80°. The regularity of 

 the heat at night must be maintained during the day. Pity 

 the poor air-giver ! in a large establishment, the watching of 

 furnaces and fines was a trifle to the watching of clouds and 

 sun. I have frequently given and reduced air four times in a 

 dinner-hour. Every thermometer must show the definite 

 mark of the mercury — an important matter for gaining habits 

 of attention, and rather, I am sorry to say, at times for foster- 

 ing deception, and leading to the cooking the scale of the ther- 

 mometer. No wonder if the Sunday at home was looked for- 

 ward to as a sort of purgatory. Now, whether intended or 

 not, the keeping down the temperature during the day by 

 abundance of air just neutralised the too free soft elongation 

 of growth during the night. It was by no means a natural 

 system, for, in the case of the Vine where it flourishes the best, 

 there is often a difference of from 10° to 30° between the night 

 and the day temperature, but it was made to answer by the 

 day counterpoising the effects of the night, and at the expense 

 of burning much more fuel, and much more trouble in air- 

 giving, because the best and safest of all heat — that of the 

 sun — was disregarded. 



What I call the new natural system has been of the most 

 importance perhaps to amateurs and those having but little 

 glass. With a comparatively low temperature at nigbt, and 

 air-giving early, a fluctuating temperature from sunlight and 

 cloud during the day is of le?s consequence. I have known 

 first-rate Cucumbers grown early where the amount of air was 

 seldom altered from 8 a.m. to 3 and 4 p.m. Avery little practice 

 and judging of the weather would enable one to have the tem- 

 perature during that time from 65° to 8o°, and as it would rise 

 and fall gradually, the plants would flourish with an average 

 night temperature of from tO' to 05°. 



I should almost be afraid to tell how many years have 

 passed since these ideas began to seethe in my mind, the result 

 being an article under an assumed name in Loudon's " Gar- 

 dener's Magazine," which then attracted some attention, and 

 showing that writing anonymously is sometimes very useful. 

 What particularly prompted the writing was the fact, that it 

 was desirable in the place I then lived at as under gardener, to 

 get in two vineries considerably earlier than usual, by a higher 

 temperature at night, extra care everyway, and plenty of heat 

 and moisture during the day. V/e partly failed in our object, 

 the Vines would not be driven, and when their produce was 

 gathered it was neither so good nor so well coloured as usual. 

 I believed then that the continued strniu by night as well as 

 by day exhausted the energies of the Vines just when most 

 wanted, and which would have been there but for the con- 

 tinuous excitement of a high temperature, the stimulus at the 

 top being more than than the roots could reciprocate. At any 

 rate, two later houses in every respect identical otherwise, that 

 did not have one-third of the firing, because the fire heat was 

 rarely above 60° at night, but with sun her.t frequently ranging 

 from 85° to 90°, had Grapes quite as early as the Vines that 

 were more forced and in much better condition. I recollect 

 that at the first place I held, having a visit from the author 

 of the "Domestic Gardeners' Manual," a very clever writer on 

 gardening and ssientifie subjects in different periodicals at that 

 time, to whom Mr. Loudon had given my address, his object 

 being to see if I practised what I had advocated. What struck 

 him in a fine, sunny, spring day, was not so much the regular 

 show of Grapes in a large vinery, but that that vinery was 

 perfectly comfortable and pleasing to the senses, with a bright 

 Buu shining, and the temperature ranging from 85° to 90°. 

 Three things he did or noted. He put his hands on the pipes 

 and found them almost cold. He looked to the front of the 

 Louse found no air on, and to the top at the apex, and found 

 in a very wide house an opening for air from 1 to li inch wide, 

 and taking up a fine feather and fastening it to a string he 

 found that the small openings for ventilation caused the feather 

 to flutter close to the front of the house. I never had Grapes 

 better set, and the night temperature was as often below CO ' 

 as above it, never above 65°. 



In the same place I had some Dutch Sweetwater Vines on 

 an open wall, and there they set exceedingly well year after 

 year, though when in bloom the temperature was frequently as 



low as 40° at night, but the sun's rayn would raise the tempera- 

 ture near the wall fully to 80° and higher. 



In few words, then, the great ease and economy of a com- 

 paratively low night temperature, are owing to the use we can 

 make of the sun as a heating agent during the day and thus 

 obtaining expansion along with solidification. I do not believe 

 that Vines or other plants will long stand uninjured a very 

 high temperature at night as well as by day, though some 

 tropical plants may be exceptions. Again, keeping to the 

 present case of Vine setting, though I have often set Muscats 

 well at an average temperature of 65°, I should like it for a 

 few nights when in bloom to be 70°. Also, as it seems to be a 

 matter of dispute, I do not like the air of the house to be too 

 dry at setting time, but in a sunny day would syringe and 

 sprinkle the floor and stages. In fact, I have more faith in a 

 high temperature by day from a bright sun, than a roasting 

 heat by night. With air early given yon will never have weak 

 watery growth from sun heat. More in my opinion depends on 

 the state of the Vines and the reciprocal action between the 

 roots and branches, than upon any definite degree of tempera- 

 ture. I shall be, however, as much obhged to others for their 

 opinions, though these may differ from my own, as if they fully 

 coincided with mine ; in fact, more so, as from varied facta 

 and arguments we are more likely to arrive at a right con- 

 clusion.— E. F.] 



THE INTERNATIONAL HORTICULTURAL 

 EXHIBITION AT ST. PETERSBURG. 



This great Exhibition was held at St, Petersburg, in the 

 course of last week, in the Michael's Eiding School, situated 

 near the Michael's Palace, not far from the Neoski Prospect. 

 This is said to be one of the largest buildings in Europe, having 

 a roof of a single span. Its length is 539 feet, width 119 feet, and 

 height 31 feet 6 inches. No better place could have been pro- 

 cured for the purpose, its only fault being that the great surface 

 of ceiling was unlighted, and all the light was admitted through 

 side windows. Besides this there were three annexes, two of 

 which were hothouses for the reception of the tender stove 

 plants and Orchids. On entering the great building it was 

 evident that the Horticultural Society of St. Petersburg had 

 made every effort to rival, if not to excel, their brethren of the 

 West in their exhibition ; and the first impression made on 

 the visitor was that they had succeeded in both. The mode of 

 arrangement was the gardenesque landscape style adopted at 

 Brussels, Ghent, and Loudon, and certainly with more effect 

 than at either of these. To saythat it was perfect would be 

 wrong, for there were many blemishes which tended to neutral- 

 ise, and in some cases to destroy, what might otherwise have 

 been by far the finest, boldest, and most varied design of all 

 the international exhibitions which have yet been held, and 

 in no case was this more prominent than in the rockwork. 

 Tbis was formed of not large pieces of tufa, and where breadth 

 and height were not required it was managed very well, flower- 

 ing and fine-foliaged plants being skilfully interspersed so as 

 to keep up the illusion ; but where, as was the case at the 

 north end of the great hall, it was employed to cover the face 

 of an elevated platform 20 feet high, instead of being cemented 

 together in large masses, and made to represent a heteromor- 

 phous and bold front, it was built up with all the regularity of 

 a wall, and the spaces between were stuffed with moss. There 

 was a crudeness also in the unusual whiteness which charaoter- 

 ijes Russian tufa, it being in some cases as white as chalk, 

 and this might have been avoided by washing it over with 

 stone colour. 



When we speak so highly of the design as being freer, bolder, 

 more varied, and, consequently, more in accordance with what 

 it was intended to represent, than that of any of the previous 

 exhibitions, it must not be understood that the Exhibition 

 itself excelled in quality that of all others. What constituted 

 its great merit was the fine result obtained by what experienced 

 horticulturists would consider very common things, and there 

 being a marked deficiency of colour, the effect was rather 

 sombre than otherwise. When it is considered how very early 

 in the Kussian season the Exhibition was held, no trees out of 

 doors having yet budded at St. Petersburg, it is not to be 

 wondered at that colour did not prevail, as in our exhibitions it 

 usually does. The fact is, it was a Eussian exhibition, and the 

 very beat use was made by the Society of the material they had 

 at their disposal. 



At the south end, where we entered, there was a raised platform 

 representing a terrace, bordered with a bold balustrade ; and a 



