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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 30, 1866. 



Will some of the other correspondents of The Journal of 

 Horticulture report on any particular specimens which they 

 may possess ? Comparing notes on such matters is at all times 

 instructive. — J. Robson. 



HEATING A GREENHOUSE FROM A SITTING 

 ROOM FIRE. 



[Although this is in answer to a correspondent, " A. H. T.," 

 yet it is of general interest, and we insert it prominently.] 



You can heat your lean-to greenhouse, 21 feet by 13 feet, 

 from a boiler at the back of the sitting-room fire, or all round 

 the fire-place, except the fire bars in front, provided there be 

 no necessity to take the pipes downwards from the boiler. If 

 the flow-pipe is not lower than the height of the water in the 

 boiler, and the return-pipe is not lower than, say, G inches 

 from the bottom of the boiler, there will be plenty of circu- 

 lation, even if your boiler has a moveable lid for putting iu 

 water, like a common cottage range, with a boiler at back and 

 side. To make the matter more simple, 1-inch or lj-inch 

 pipes could be screwed into the boiler, taken through the walls, 

 and then screwed into caps that would fit into three oi four-inch 

 pipes. If, however, the boiler in the sitting-room should be a 

 number of feet — say from 3 to 10 feet or more, below the level of 

 the floor of the greenhouse, then the heating will be all the more 

 easily done if the boiler have a close top without a lid, and a 

 small cistern be placed at the farther end of the pipes, which, 

 if kept nearly full, will always insure the boiler being supplied. 

 In such a case it will be well to have a tap in the flow-pipe to 

 shut off when heat would not be wanted in the house ; and in 

 that case a small pipe should go from the top of the boiler 

 outside the house, and higher than the highest point of the 

 pipes in the house, to prevent any accident from compressed 

 steam. To prevent that pipe becoming choked up, it should 

 have its mouth turned down thus p. 



Judging from the above, whether the position of the boiler 

 is suitable, and presuming that it is, then to obtain heat enough 

 in cold weather with little trouble, it would be necessary to have 

 a fair amount of piping to keep up heat for a good while after 

 the fire had gone out ; and, in addition, it would be necessary 

 to put on a fire at bedtime ; and to secure the most benefit from 

 that, a plate of iron should be provided to go over the fire, and 

 another to be placed inside or outside the bars, merely leaving 

 some small openings for a little air to keep up a slow combustion. 

 By these meaus such a house attached to a dwelling can be 

 kept comfortable with a very small amount of care, aud even 

 a little extra heat in spring and autumn will do the plants good 

 l)y permitting of a more free circulation of air. 



Three four-inch pipes for the length of the house would heat 

 it admirably — two flows and one return ; and five pipes would 

 be necessary for stove plants, or even six would be as well, bear- 

 ing in mind that the first expense in pipes will be the greatest 

 ultimate economy. 



If the boiler can be managed as suggested, then you may 

 have one end of the house next the boiler made into a stove, 

 with taps to shut oft from the other house ; but if the boiler 

 were about the middle of the house, the main flow from the 

 boiler could terminate in a T-piece, and on one or both legs of 

 the T you could have a tap fixed to regulate the circulation. 

 If your boiler is below the level of the pipes, the water will 

 circulate fast enough through the opening of a common beer- 

 tap to heat a four-inch pipe. Of course, it would be as well if 

 the opening were larger, but there is no question as to the 

 heating with such a small one. AYe mention this more par- 

 ticularly, because against dwelling-houses such heating from a 

 house-boiler is often easiest done by connecting the boiler and 

 main heatiug pipes by means of pipes much smaller than those 

 used in the house. 



If the boiler is lower than the pipes, the top of the boiler 

 close, and the pipes rise a little to the extreme end, and a 

 cistern is placed there, rising about G inches above the level of 

 the flow-pipe, that will allow for the expansion of the water, 

 and provided the pipes are kept full in the cistern, the boiler 

 will always be supplied with water. In an open-lid boiler the 

 flow-pipe must always be kept full or nearly so. 



Failing tho boiler, the simplest plan for keeping the frost 

 out of such a house would be having an iron or brick stove in 

 the house, with an iron funnel through the roof. A combi- 

 nation of economy, efficiency, and cleanliness would be secured 

 by having a small flue and a furnace outside, and if the top of the 

 flue formed a part of the floor or pathway so much the better. 



It is difficult to secure all advantages. The boiler at the fire- 

 place would be next to self-acting, and would require no extra 

 fuel except in very cold nights, and, perhaps, lighting an hour 

 earlier in the morning. If fires are used in summer, when 

 heat would not be required in the greenhouse, an iron plate or 

 even a thin fire-brick, with a small vacancy between it and the 

 boiler, would prevent the boiler heatiug much. If furnished 

 with an open lid, the heat could he shut off and the steam go 

 up the chimney in the usual way. In a close boiler, as already 

 alluded to, it would be necessary to have a steam or vapour- 

 pipe when the circulation in the pipes was stopped. (This 

 answer will also reply to " Z.," " 0. G.," and " J. W.") 



ALPINE STRAWBERRIES IN AUTUMN. 



Ix answer to a correspondent, inquiring how he may have 

 this Strawberry in the autumn, I see you have recommended 

 him to raise it from seed, which is very different from my 

 mode of obtaining this- Strawberry from May up to the present 

 time, and even later, if the weather be open. 



For early fruiting, I leave those plants that gave me the 

 autumn fruit in the previous year, allowing them to bear as 

 long as possible. In a season such as we have just experienced, 

 they will continue bearing until August, without even a single 

 watering ; but should the season be dry, they can scarcely have 

 too much water. 



After they have done bearing they are dug down at once to 

 make room for something else. 



Those for autumn-bearing I take from the parent plant from 

 the middle of April to about the same period in May, according 

 to circumstances, preferring a few dull days for planting them 

 out, as that saves much after-attention in the way of watering. 

 I also prefer a north border, if possible, for there they require 

 less watering when the season is dry, and I find the fruit 

 larger. 



The plants, being planted at the season I have recommended, 

 are very apt to come into flower ; but the first flowers ought to 

 be picked off, as they weaken the plants, not over-strong as yet, 

 and the fruit would come in at a season when not required, as 

 early fruiters would be still in full bearing. 



I find from experience that by only allowing the plants to 

 bear two crops, there is but little more trouble, and no dis- 

 appointment, as you are always sure of excellent crops, both 

 late and early. 



My mode of preparing the ground is simple, and little ex- 

 pensive ; plenty of leaf mould being put on the border, dig as 

 deeply as to cover it. — James Stewart, Nuneham Park. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



TYeekly Show, October '21th. — At this meeting prizes were 

 offered for the best collection of vegetables, and this brought 

 together one of the prettiest Saturday exhibitions of the season. 

 Mr. Sage, gardener to Earl Brownlow, took first prize with a 

 very fine collection both as regards quantity and quality. Mr. 

 Earley, of Digswell, was second ; and Mr. Young, of Highgate, 

 third. Mr. Young received an extra prize for a collection of 

 fruit, as did also Mr. Earley. Mr. Young obtained in addition 

 an extra prize for a collection of Agaves. Mr. Perkins, gar- 

 dener to Lord Henniker, received a certificate for a dish of 

 very good Strawberries. 



UTILISING A ROOM CONNECTED YvTTH A 

 GREEXHorSE— ANTS ON PEACH SHOOTS. 



My small lean-to greenhouse has a door in the back wall 

 opening from a small room communicating with my house. 

 This room has no window, but receives its light from the 

 greenhouse. It has a small fireplace, and its other door leads 

 into the principal passage of the house. Under the green- 

 house is a chamber about 4 feet deep, with an earth floor. It has 

 a small window opening into the scullery, where my stove is 

 placed. A trap in the greenhouse floor admits to this chamber. 

 All the pipes are above the floor, and do not pass through the 

 lower chamber. Can I use this chamber for wintering my 

 plants ? Can I lay down my potted Yines there ? How can I 

 best turn it to account ? Can I use the small upper room at 

 the back of my lean-to for similar purposes? or how can I 

 otherwise utilise it? 



One of my wall Peaches is infested with ants, which fill every 



