342 



JOUENAL OF HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB 



[October 24, 1865. 



of my disinclination to use the hot strong-smelling sewage 

 there, were being riddled by the roseleaf caterpillar, and, know- 

 ing that I had kept my ttoses in the open free from that in- 

 satiable pest through the agency of sewage, I applied it to them 

 at 160° well under the leaves, for both insects skulk beneath, 

 and never appear upon the upper side. To two syringings the 

 grub succumbed; but the aphides on the Convolvulus would 

 come to be killed, and how the plant and its delicate flowers 

 braved out the hot applications is a mystery. 



After I had cut my Turner's Scarlet Gem Melons from the 

 frame the plants and leaves remained perfectly healthy and 

 green, as I ever wish to see them at those times. The leaves 

 had never had a drop of moisture upon them, and as they were 

 now done with I gave them a syringing with soapsuds heated 

 to 150'. It had no effect. Two days afterwards I operated 

 upon them in the evening with the sewage at lfiO°, and next 

 day allowed the hot sun to strike the foliage through the glass 

 unimpeded, as is my wont. The plants and leaves stood this 

 severe test exceedingly well, and would even now prove capable 

 of producing a second crop did not the lateness of the season 

 preclude the idea. 



At intervals of a few days I gave the orehai-d-house two more 

 sjTringings ; and now that the winged interlopers are on the 

 eve of decrepitude from the cold I have desisted, and caused 

 the woodwork of the house to be thoroughly scrubbed with 

 soap and water, and the glass to be cleaned. The paint looks 

 as bright as ever. I iim now as proud of the healthy, gradually 

 ripening foliage of the trees as I was of the fruit upon them. 

 I will here give the periods of ripening in answer to the 



general request made by the Rev. T. Brfhaut. I gathered tho 

 Peach Apricot from a pot in this locality (Woodstock, Oxford- 

 shire), on July '29th ; Eoyal George Peach from the back wall 

 of the house, August 5th ; and also from the wall a Peach 

 which I will call, till I am better advised, the Alexandra No- 

 blesse, because it is a seedling from the Noblesse which Mr. 

 Eivers sent in lieu of the latter, and which at the time he 

 strongly recommended. It is a lump of delight ; as large, 

 richer, and more conical in shape than the Hoyal George. It 

 is a clingstone, pale, and partaking of a gentle blush. It began 

 ripening on the 20th of August, at which date Eivers's Orange 

 and Duchess of Oldenbmgh Nectarines in pots gave us some 

 ripe fruit. 



To return to the letter of " A Beginner, " I may state that 

 the hot-sewage syringings applied dh-ectlythe fruit is gathered, 

 and at a temperature of ItiO', are certain death to the red 

 spider should the leaves be affected with if, and that is too 

 often unfortunately the case ; and we may conclude that they 

 are so to most other insects as well, for with what will destroy 

 the red spider when established anything else would stand a 

 poor chance. From 120° to 125° is hot enough when the fohage 

 is young and tender in the spring ; from 130° to 140° from 

 thence up to the swelling of the fruit ; and from 180° to 190' 

 after the leaves have fallen till the buds are on the move again. 

 "A Beginnek" says he has a considerable quantity of house 

 slops, and he inquires " how " these should be diluted for the 

 purpose of using them in the troughs, or " on " the hot pipes 

 in a gi-eenhouse or vinery, or for the syringing of orchard- 

 house trees. I answer : The contents of a tank which receives 



a. Greenhouse. 

 6. Back shed. 



c. Hot-air oven. 



d. Furnace. 



e. Ashpit and door. 



/. Cold-air flues leading up to oven from shed. They are on coch 

 side of the furnace. 3 inches vdie by 6 inches high, and their sides next 

 the ashpit are 7 inches fiom the centre of the door. 



17. Cast-iron elbow from furnace, in ■.■onjuHction with the chimney-flus 

 bent under the hot-air oven. . , .. „ 



It. Liquid-manure saucepan and steam pipe. The recess to admit the 

 saucepan is never closed, although, perhaps, a sliding door might be 



all the flowings from the closets and water used for household 

 purposes may be safely employed cither hot or cold to the 

 roots, leaves, 'fruit, and even the flowers of plants; and that 

 six parts of water to one of pure manurial matter is what I 

 conclude to be the natmal proportions of house sewage, pro- 

 vided no undue overflow of clean water from rain, or otherwise, 

 has been allowed to flush into the reservoir. The " pure 

 urine " in question is one of the strongest of manures, but by 

 being diluted with six times its bulk of water it becomes safe 

 and beneficial when applied to the fohage of trees and plants 

 after the manner I have described, using a syringe with a 

 rose-nozzle. To the query whether it may be used " m the 

 troughs ■' or " on " the hot pipes in a greenhouse or vinery, 



placed there with advantage. It is I foot square. When the pot is not 



there, a foot-square firebrick is constantly placed over the six-inch top 

 opening of the furnace, where the fire is fed. and removed and replaced 

 by a small spade each time the lire is replenished with coke i* cindc-rs 

 I always use the latter. Coal should never be burned on account of tna 

 sninllness of the chimney flue. Of course, oii a larger scale coal fuel 

 might be used. 



1. Opening for tin steam-pipe and hot air. 



;, Brick to take out for the purpose of cleaning flue. 



k. Stone wall, 2 feet thick, dividing greenhouse from shed. 



I. Damper to be closed when steam is not wanted. 



m. Large stone slab forming roof of oven, 4 feet 6 inches from the floor. 



I answer, Yes, in the troughs ; they may be filled with it itt 

 the evening, and emptied again the next morning. On the 

 pipes I would not use it, for fear of their maintaining the 

 smell. In preference, if the house is paved I woiUd enter the 

 liquid near the boiling point into buckets, and syringe from 

 one bucket into another, which would soon raise in the house 

 a cloud of pungent steam disagreeable to insect life, and quite 

 sufficient for any foliage during the night. If the floor is of 

 earth, like my own, I w-ould simply syringe the hot liquid over 

 it, and doing so would prove beneficial to the roots ; at the 

 same time clouds of steam would be raised for the foliage, and 

 this mode of proceeding might be persevered in up to the ripen- 

 ing period. For a greenhouse the sewage would be best used 



