AueuBt as, 1666. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



173 



to place Thuja Lobbi, a fuat-gi-owing graceful tree, not a shrub 

 like the ordinary Arbor Vitic, but a plant starting with the 

 evident intention of becoming a tree. Cupressus Lawsoniana 

 has not a more promising appearance, although it was put 

 forth as one of the tallest of the Couiferie. As to Cupressus 

 Lambertiana, the only drawback to its general adopti<jn as a 

 garden ornumont is its liability to be blown down by high 

 winds, otherwise its deep green hue excels even that of I'inus in- 

 Bignis. Of Uio more recently introduced Conifers Ketinospora 

 pisifera promisrs well, but Sciadopytis vcrticillata and Abies 

 Kiempferi will take centuries (if they survive so long) to become 

 even second-sized trees. Of the broad-leaved species of Picea, 

 Nordmanniaua is unquestionably the finest of the green class, 

 while the silveiy hue of nobilis is equally striking, and both 

 are free-growing when they succeed well ; we have the latter 

 bearing cones, of the other we have not a good specimen. I 

 believe, however, that most of the I'iccas prefer a somewhat 

 moist situation, certainly the Silver Fir, which may be taken 

 as a type, does so ; nevertheless the experience of others may 

 teach us different ; and I trust any one having a fine specimen 

 of any of this popular family will kindly favour us with the con- 

 ditions under v,liich it has becorno so. I am sure all growers 

 of Conifers must be grateful to Mr. Cramb for his useful 

 article on the subject. — J. Rouson. 



Mil. DE JONGHES SEEDLING STRA^VBERRIES. 



I HAVE not had La FertUe or La Favoiurite, but I have bad 

 the following seedlings of Mr. De Jonghe : — 



Nf Plim Ultra. — .4. hardy strong plant, alllarge fruit, a hea\7 

 cropper, meihum flavour ; a good famOy and market sort. 



L(i Heine. — ^\'hite and roseate, tolerably hardy plant, very 

 high flavoiu' ; a very interesting sort. I should like to see a 

 cross between it and Bicton 'White Pine. It would give the 

 latter more flavom- and firmness. 



Lucas. — This is the best of Mr. De Jonghe's high-flavoured 

 sorts, so far as I have proved them, for general cultivation. It 

 is hardy and a quicker grower, and quicker runner than La 

 Constante. The fruit is level, and high-flavoured. 



Bijuu is a very small hardy plant of the same formation as 

 La Constante. Its berries are beautifully formed, and beauti- 

 fully seeded. It is a slow grower and slow runner. Its flavour is 

 very good. The formation of the berries of this and La Con- 

 stante, both much aUke, is the best in any Strawberries known 

 to me. It is suited to bedding purposes. 



I cannot agree with " A Fragabian," that the Prince of 

 Wales is superior to Wonderful and Eclipse. It is the best 

 style of sturdy dwarf plant, useful and good. I got rid of it 

 because it exposed its beautiful white trusses to the severe hoar 

 frosts. — W. F. Radclyffe, Tarrant Ruehton. 



THE CULTUPwU^ MERITS OF MR. BEARDS 



PATENT HOTHOUSES. 



PLAST-norsES were originally erected for conserving, not 

 growing, plants. They merely afforded protection fi-om wind 

 and rain, excluded the cold, and pro\ided a modicum of heat. 

 The object was simply to preserve in life as many plants as 

 possible in the smallest compass, and the semi-opaque houses 

 then built sufficed for this purpose. The chief merit then was 

 held to be in possession rather than in superior ciUture. To 

 have plants, to know them, and to be able to marshal them in 

 regular gi'adation according to their respective heights, com- 

 prehended much of the science and practice of gardening only 

 forty years ago. Doubtless, gardening has changed and ad- 

 vanced wonderfidly since then. If our tastes and pursuits are 

 less ideal and loftj* now, they are infinitely more useful. Per- 

 fection of growth, profusion and brilliance of flower, and 

 quantity and quality of produce are the higlily utiUtariau 

 objects aimed at by every lover of gardening. This change of 

 taste and practice necessarily created the demand for different 

 and better houses. The old plant-sleeping dormitories must 

 be exchanged for living-rooms, where not only the heat but, 

 as far as our climate permits, the light, air, and moistm'e of 

 the tropics may be secured, if tropical produce is to be grown 

 to perfection. The recognition of this fact arrested the erection 

 of plant-houses for mere architectural effect, and the multipli- 

 cation of those semi-opaque masses of ugliness, lumbered up, 

 apparently, for the express pmijose of absorbing spare timber, 

 and oppressing the plants beneath into a living death, and 



caused a new order of houses to be built on the principles of 

 cultural utility. 



Successful cultivation demands a suflicient supply of light, 

 air, heat, and water, and that each of tliese be ))laccJ under 

 the immediate and direct control of the practitioner. These, 

 with suitable soil, are the elements which the transforming 

 powers of jjlaut life, and the skill of man, weave into every 

 form of vegetable produce. Do Mr. Beard's houses furnish 

 them in purity and plenty, and place each under easy control? 

 I think they do. Mr. Beard offers no new plan of heating; 

 but as these houses are, or may be. made closer than most, 

 they will economise to the utmost extent both natural and 

 artificial heat. The arrangement of the sash-bar will also 

 favour an ecpuible temperature. The entire structural arrange- 

 ments arc well adapted for the collection and stowage of water. 

 The roof-plate collects it throughout its entire length, and every 

 front pillar may convey it into tanks either outside or inside 

 the house. These houses also cure, or reduce to the smallest 

 Umits, a great water-evil incident to most others — drip. Drip 

 is caused more by the condensation of water on the inside of 

 the glass than by the action of capillaiy attraction in drawing 

 in the external rain, or dew, through the laps. Practically, 

 this scarcely ever happens. But when the wami air of a hot- 

 house impinges upon the cold surface of thi^ glass, the air sudi 

 denly cools, and is imable to hold the same amount of water 

 any longer, and, consequently, leaves it behind on the glass. 

 So far, no harm is done. Presently, however, the water begins 

 to run down the glass. In oi'dinary-lapped glazed houses, as 

 soon as it reaches the bottom of the square it drops down in 

 virtue of the change of level. Hence we have rows of drops 

 all over houses, which prove a source of great mischief. From 

 the very position of this water it is of necessity cold in cold 

 weather. On ordinary metallic roofs, unless well painted, this 

 water is generally impregnated with iron rust. Often such 

 drops prove a chilling shower of death to tender leaves ; more 

 frequently they leave irremovable blotches on fine foliage. The 

 mechanical arrangement of the glass in Mr. Beard's houses 

 cures this evil. It jiresents a level sui'face inside and out ; con- 

 sequently, when the water begins to run, the chances are largely 

 in favour of its flowing down to the bottom, where it falls 

 into the roof-plate, into which the glass drips, and is conveyed 

 away in company with the external water. It is said that no 

 water gets through where the ends of the squares abutt against 

 or touch each other. The ventilation of these houses is very 

 l^erfect. There is but little new in the mechanical arrange- 

 ments by which it is effected, and in some minor details I think 

 them capable of improvement ; but the positions at which air 

 is given are the best possible. The lowest and the highest points 

 of a house are decidetUy the sjiots at which air ought to be ad- 

 mitted and discharged, it the whole atmosphere of the house 

 is to he renewed, and these Mr. Beard has chosen. It is of the 

 utmost importance to change the entire air of hothouses. The 

 rapid gi-owth induced in them speedily exhausts the air of aU 

 its plant-feetling jiroperties, and fresh air to them is, Uterally, 

 new supplies of food. The quantity given must be largely de- 

 termined bj' the amount of hght and heat enjoj-ed, as air is not 

 simply supplied as food, hut as a controller of temperature. 



There is another great advantage in admitting air at the 

 giMund level. In most cases, from (J inches to 1 foot from the 

 front wall is the most convenient ))lace for placing the hot- 

 water pipes. It is not only the most convenient, but the best, 

 for they should always be situated at the lowest and coldest 

 part of the house. Supposing that they are so placed in these 

 houses, the fresh air wiU enter directly over them. It will thus 

 get heated before it comes into contact with the plants. The 

 rarefaction which the heat imparts will also cause a thorough 

 circulation of the entire atmosphere of the house. If the pipes 

 are furnished with evaporating-paus, kept full of water, the air 

 as it sweeps over them will get charged with moistm-e as well. 

 These arrangements are of the first importance in a cultural 

 point of view. Cold au- does not simply check, or chill, plants 

 from its coldness, but also from its dryness. The colder it is 

 the di'yer it is, and if it is not moistened by artificial means, it 

 will steal water from the first delicate foliage it touches. This 

 loss of water causes a further depression of temperatirre, and 

 often produces disease and death. All this may be prevented 

 by warming and watering the air before it is admitted to the 

 plants, and these houses admit fresh air at the best point for 

 these purposes. They also allow the used-up heated air to 

 escape at the highest point, where it is sm'e to be found in 

 virtue of its lightness. 



But the gi-eatest ciiltural merit of these houses is, that they 



