■lonnary 25, 1868. 1 



JOURNAL OP HOBTICULTURB AND COa>TAGE GARDKNBB. 



79 



Put ynnr Marcrhal Niol Rpainst your pnnth-east wftll, spread it out, fliid 

 nail it nffsinRt the wall as if it were n fruit treo. I>o not put ftny manure 

 to ynur ClimbinR Devonionsis till it has formed its luids, and then 

 mftnnre accordinc to products. To overdo ia Bomettmes to undo. It 

 rarely occurs In ihei matter of manuring.— W. K. Hadclyffr."* 



Pl \NTiN« Ivv (Wcm).— If rooted in potg the plants may bo turned out 

 nnd placed where they are to remain now. 



Gas Heating (TV. r/ir/^-i/i.— You may heat yonr vlnei-y with pas, if you 

 hav a Bufflcient ijunntity consumed, and the fumes carried out of the 

 house, as we have often pointed out. 



Hrativo by Gas (O. H.\— The whole subject of heatinp stoves by pns 

 for jilant houses has lately been treated on, and plans, &c.. given. We think 

 it likely that the rensons why tlie pas in your case comes back into the 

 honst' and will not co out at the pipe in your friend's house are these :^ 

 First, most likely tlie burners are too near the floor, tlie plnro where the 

 burnt rs are. not'suffieiently shut in, and the l-ineh pipe coiumunieatinf* 

 with the burners from the ontpr air may he too nineli at times. If the 

 burners are raided afoot above the floor, nnd the chamber, when the bumers 

 are liphtod, is kept close, a small hole near the floor will ho suflieient for 

 combustion. Secondly, The burned k^^ '^'ill ff'"* away most efVoetuallv 

 when the burners act on a concave bottom lilto a reversed funnel, and 

 the discharge pipe si^es from its centre, and after passing through the 

 stove boiler goes at once perpendicularly out of the house. Let your 

 friend first ti*y the perpendicular pipe as an outlet, and do away with the 

 horizontal one. \W are glad your stove acts. 



House fou Crci-^reERs and 3Iet,ons (J. 7i.).— Your plan will not suc- 

 ceed, proposing as you do to grow Melons and Cucumbers over your bed 

 in front, with hot-water pipes beneath it. and also have a Peach and 

 Apricot tree trained against the back wnll, and Peach and Plum trees in 

 the nne-stem or cordon style up the rafters. Apricots will scarcely stand 

 any ai-tifielal heat until after the fruit is set and swelling, and, therefore, 

 to have Cucumbers and Melons moderately early, you must give up all 

 thoughts of Apricots. Peaches and Plums wouM only succeed if yon 

 were satisfied with late Cucumbers— thrt is to say, the temperature of 

 your house must not he above fO^ with artificial heat until all the fruit is 

 set. and the second swelling must commence before the heat is much 

 above 5^>- at night ; but then that would not Jo for 5Ielons and Cucnm- 

 hers, which would need some 10 more heat. This moderately early 

 crop of stone fruit, and late crops of Melons may be the object ; nt any 

 rate with two 3-inch pipes in the chamber beneath the bed, and outlets 

 from it into the atmosphere of tlie house, there will scarcely be 

 half heat enough for early Cucumbers and Melons. With that house 

 merely 8 feet wide, if Melons and Cucumbers are to be trained under the 

 glaps, there will be no light for anything after the plants are established. 

 Such a house with present arrangements would do for medium early Cu- 

 cumbers, Strawberi'ie*:, Kidney Feans, i-e., on the hack wall, and then 

 would come in for keeping bedding plnnts in winter; or it would do 

 admirably for a stone-fruit house, especially for Peaches and Nectarines, 

 planted out or in pots, but we have little faith in the Cucumbers and 

 stone fruit together. 



IlEATrsG A Rmaix House by a PROPAr.ATiNG TANK (A Noince).—'We 

 surely must have made a V'istako in our references, but as you spoke of 

 healing your tank from a boiler, it is probable wc meant to refer you to 

 the answer to " W. A. O.,'' which follows the answer to yourself in page 

 32. Wo have read your letter over twice, and we feel at a loss, keeping 

 economy in view, and your t^wn planp, how to advise you better than we 

 have already done. For a house 12 feet by 8, with a walk in the centre, 

 and a platform on each side, half of the back platform to he appropriated 

 to a propagating tank, and ns yon tell us, yon have as yet resorted to no 

 mode of heatinp,onr great difficulty is, Jiow to reconcile your own proverb, 

 "Poor people must have poor weddings," with yonr proposal to erect a 

 boiler and a chimney nt the west end of this house, for hoatitg this fi-feet 

 tank, dnd by means of that heating the house when it was required, and 

 when not used for propagating purposes. As to thus heating the t.^nk 

 there can be no question; the question is the great labonr for such a 

 small return. We recommended a tank much shallower, because in a 

 deep tank the bottom water is never so hot as that at the top. Your pro- 

 posed arrangement as to making the tank of wood lined with lend, and 

 covering it with slate, is all right enough, so far as giving heat to your 

 cuttings is concerned. These cuttings we presume you will enclose with 

 a wooden case at the side?!, that again covered with glass, nnd wo would 

 recommend you not to have these gli'^ses hinged-on, hut in 18 or 24-inch 

 lengths, so that yon can lift them off and reverse them when you think 

 proper, presenting the dry side to the cuttings when there is too much 

 damp on the under <5ido. .At times the glass might even require a cotton 

 clolh over it, especially nt night. So far, provided the tank is heated for 

 yonr cuttings, there can be no question of that answering, but formed of 

 world as you propose, and cnvered-in with glass— sav from February to the 

 middle of April, yon would not obtniu heat from that tank to keep spring 

 and late winter frosts out of your house. The matter would he difTerent 

 if your tank were of iron, or even of bricks and cement, but little heat 

 wonld come through lend nnd wood, and not enough would paf^s through 

 the glass unless the tank v;ere over-hot. If you heit the tank in the wav 

 proi)osed,yon wonld reqiiire two 3-inch pipes in the house besides, with 

 valves so as to nse them or not. If near a kitchen fire, the svipplying the 

 tank with hot water is a good plan, and then you might have a small flno 

 below the pathway. We think we could do all you want by means of a 

 brick or an iron stove in the house, the heat from the top to be made 

 avnilflble for the propagating bed. To secure cleanliness, and as you do 

 qot care abont a fireplace outside at the end of the house, we would dis- 

 pense with the tank. pipe=;. .ind boiler, make a hole in the wall outside, 

 innke a small fnrnaee there, take a flue from it 6 feet long, return it to a 

 pmall chimney inside or outside the wall, covering the fine with strong 

 tiles or stone, and leave the outsides of the flues exposed, so as to give 

 heat to the house. If there is a space between fill up with clinkers, and 

 plaster smoothly over. Then lay a course of bricks all round the outside 

 of yonr flue in Portland cement, cover the tops of the flue with a layer 

 of the same cement, and thus yon will have what will act as a shallow 

 tank, and the bricks round the side will do for setting your little boxes 

 on. Place brickbats, ftc, in your tank, cover with rough clean gravel, 

 then with finer, and then w^th some inches of clenn sand ; and provided 

 yi«u can pour water when needed into your tank, you will have a first- 

 rate propagating frame, and at less expense than Hie boiler. Ac, would 

 cost you. If the place is warm and close, deep plunging is unnecessary. 

 We should say from 3 to 4 inches of sand— nothing is more cleanly— a pipe 



and a funnel to gtd- water at tinio^< to the bottom of the bed above tin; 

 flue is all that will he necessnry. When you want more heat In the bod 

 than wonld suit the house, leave air on night and day. When not wanted 

 for propagating, then the (ronies of glass being moved, a very little 

 fire would mako all right. If you still, however, resolve on your boiler 

 and wooden tank, let us advise you to have a small boiler and a small 

 fireplace, and to take pipes through the house as well, and so that yon 

 can heat tank or house independently of each other, a very easy matter 

 to do even economically, iu a -'.0 or 60-feet house, but no t in a 12'leet one. 

 Nepenthes ampullacea Cvj.rvnr^iE. M. />.).— Pitcher-plants, though 

 delighting in moisture, require good drainage. The pot ought to be filled 

 with broken pots to one-third its depth, placing tbe largest pieces at tTue 

 bottom and the smallest at the top. A suitable compost is formed of 

 fhopped sphagnum and fibrous brown peut in equal pnrts, adding one- 

 sixth of charcoal from the size of a hn'/.L-l nut up to that of a walnnt, 

 and a like proportion of silver sand. The compost should be made firm, 

 and raised in the centro of the pot in the form of a cone rising above the 

 rim. Like Orchids, the Nepenthes require large pots for tbe size of 

 the plants, and their fibres only should be f^overed with the compost. 

 The plant may he thus potted in March, nnd should be carefully watered, 

 the compost being sprinkled with water tbmngh a fine rose occasionally 

 to keep it moist. The atmosphere should he kept moist and rather close, 

 bat a moderate amount of nir should be given in favourable weatheT, 

 without lowering the temperature or making the atmosphere dry. When 

 the pl ant is glowing freely the pot may be set in a wide shallow sancer, 

 which may be kept full of water all summer. It is well to keep the at- 

 mosphere moist by sprinkling tbe paths, walls, and every available snr- 

 face twice or thrice a-day with water, and by means of evaporation 

 troughs. Moisture thus supplied is better than liea\-y syringings, at all 

 times injurious, or even lightly syringing the foliage ; but an occasional 

 light syringing will do good, and may be given twice a-day in hot weather, 

 more especially if means for creating a moist atmosphere are confined to 

 the evaporation of water sprinkled on the floor and walls. When p-owing, 

 a brisk heat of 60- to 65^ by night in spring, and of Vn " in summer, with 

 an increase of 10^ by day without sun, or when cloudy, and 15"" to 20' on 

 clear days, is necessarv for a good growth. The winter temperature may 

 he 6Q'' to 70 , and at that season theplant should have a considerably drier 

 atmosphere, hut not so di-y as to aSbct its foliage. Slight shade from 

 bright sun is necessary. 



Sonerila mahgaritacea Culture iIdf'm).—Thc pot should be wel 

 drained, placing a large crock over tbe hole in the bottom, and then solne 

 rather large pieces of broken pot, and enough small pieces to fill the pot 

 I to one-third its dsptb, and over this drainage a little moss may be placed. 

 A compost of two-thirds sandy fibrous peat, nnd one-third turfy loam, 

 with a little leaf mould, and enough silver saud to make the compost 

 light, will grow the plant well. The compost should he broken and rbade 

 fine, and well mixed. Pot in spring, removing aS much of the old soil as 

 practicable without disturbing the roots much ; and in potting keep the 

 centre slightly elevated, and make the soil firm hut not very tight. Be 

 careful not to overwater. merely keep the soil moist until the roots are 

 working in the fresh soil ; but when established give liberal supplies, 

 taking care not to make the soil sour. The shoots when sufliciently long 

 may he pegged down, and they will root from the joints. Do not syringe 

 overhead, hut keep up a moist atmosphere by sprinkling the floors, walls, 

 &c., with water twice daily. Afford a light situation nenr tbe glass, and 

 one which is also moderately airy. In winter he careful not to ovenvater. 

 An ordinary stove temperature is suitable, or from GO to 75° in wintei, 

 and 65° to 85^ in snmmer. 



Vine Leaves Rcstv I A Yoiuifr GarAeve.r). — Without seeing the leaves 

 we cannot form an opinion as to what is the cause of the appearances. 



Fern Culture {IJrm>. — Adiantnms rnrdiochl?enn,concinnum, macro- 

 phyllum, and trapeziforme. and Pteris tricolor succeed admirably in a 

 stove temperature. We should conc'nd?, from tbe young fronds perish- 

 ing as they unfold, that the atmosphere is not wnrro enough, and that 

 the plants are syringed overhead. We should advise you to pot all of 

 them early in March. The plants being turned out of the pots, take away 

 as much of the old soil as can be done without injuring the fibres, and 

 place them in clean pots with a Inrge crock over the hole or holes. '2 inches 

 deep of r'^ther large crocks over that, and then small pieces snlBcient to 

 fill the pot altogcthei one-third its depth of drainage. Over the drainage 

 a thin layer of cocoa-nut fibre refuse or sphacnum may be placed. X'se 

 for potting a compost of two-thirds fibrous brown pent, nnd one-third 

 turfy loam, pulled to pieces with the hand nnd made fine, to which add 

 equal parts pieces of sandstone, from the size of a pea up to that of a 

 hazel nut, and silver sand equal to one-fourth the peat niul loam, mixing 

 all well together. In potting make tbe soil rather firm, but not very 

 tight, and do not bury the plants deeply ; at the same time avoid potting 

 high. Give a gentle watering, and do not syringe the plants over the 

 foliage, but sprinkle the pnth?. walls, Ac, with water twice or thrice a-day. 

 Assign them a position near the glass, with room between the pots and 

 the glass for the fronds to develope themselves. Be cnrcfnl not to over- 

 water until the roots are working in the fresh soil ; but when the soil 

 becomes dry, and before the foliage flags, give a good supply, sufficient 

 to show itself at the drain.Tge. When growing freely tbev will need to 

 he well watered. Give a moderate amonnt of air. but avoid cold draughts 

 and an excessive amount of air, so as to suddenly cool nnd dry the at- 

 mosphere. A temperature of from 60 to 65" at night, and of 70" to 75^ 

 on cloudy days, and 75" to 85- on clear days, with air, will grow them 

 well. They must bo shaded from the sun daily, from 8 a.m to 5 p.m., 

 from March to October. The atmosphere must be kcnt moist. 



MovTNG Damson Trees {J. A.). — If you can lift the trees with a good 

 bill, we should recnmmend your moving them into the orchard; if you 

 cannot make sure of a hall leave them where they are. give each tree a 

 mulching of well-rotten manure, and avoid dicging the ground in future, 

 as it injures the roots. Digging the ground about fruit trees is bat*. 



Planting Vines (hieing. — In planting a new house we should certainly 

 plant a Vine or two of Ladv Downe's. It succeeds in the snme honSe 

 with the Black Hamburgh, but requires fire heat. Tb^ T,»dv I>o^vne's is 

 a good hearer ; the berries not so large as those of the P.lnck Haniburgb. 

 and the bunches are not so heavy; but in weight ptr Vine it is nearly 

 equal to the Hamburgh. The Vines you have will do for planting if well 

 ripened in wood and healthy. 



ViNEB WITH CncvMEEES [W. A'.).— You i^fiy gTOW Cucumbers nnd Vines 

 together ; hut it is not desirable in your cnse, as the Vines will, if they 



