374 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 13, 13j>. 



Vines \W. 31.\— You want to grow Grapes for profit in a house- heated 

 by a flue at as small a cost as possible. There is no variety you can 

 «row that "will produce finer bunches and berries, and not be inferior in 

 flavour" to Muscat of Alexandria and the Frankenthal. Sarbelle Fron- 

 tignan, and Prolific Sweetwater are verv well in a large collection, but 

 not lit for your purpose. Champion Hamburgh is synonymous with 

 Mill Hill, a splendid Grape, which you may advantageously adopt; but 

 Black Champion is an entirely different and distinct variety also -well 

 worth grooving. Gros Colman is not worth your notice, and if you want 

 a larger bunch than White Frontignnn with the Frontignan fla'vour you 

 cannot do better than get Graham's Muscat Muscadine. If vnu have 

 room add Black Muscat of Alexandria, or if you have not, make'it. 



Propagating the Chrvsanthemum IE. M. /?.].— The same post which 

 brought us your iuquiry also brought us the following:— " Cuttings 

 should he taken from the most choice of the old plants in the first or 

 second week in February, using a light sandy loam with a thin layer of 

 silver sand on the top. The pans should be placed ou a gentle bottom 

 heat. When the cuttings have struck, and are sufficiently rooted, which ■ 

 can be easily ascertained by turning the plants out, thev should at once [ 

 be repotted into small 60's, and set near the glass on" the greenhouse 

 shelves, or, better still, plunge them amongst ashes in a cold frame, ! 

 taking care to protect them from frost and damp. As Chrysanthemums 

 are very gross feeders, they require a verv rich compost, in'order to grow i 

 to perfection and flower well. Half loam and a little decnved dung, i 

 mix«d with a portion of peat, will form a' compost in which they will do ' 

 very well, Cure should he taken to shift them into larger pot* as soon 1 

 as they fill their pots with roots. In order that the plants mav be bushy, 

 dwarf, and compact, they should be stopped at every potting. The last I 

 shift may be given about the middle of June. They should have every I 

 attention paid them in watering, and a little liquid 'manure helps them I 

 to swell their flower-buds. They ought to be taken out of the frames at 

 the end of April, and set on a bed of ashes in an open situation till their j 

 blooming period is at baud, but on the first approach of frost thev should , 

 betaken into the greenhouse. In order tn bloom the plants well it is 

 important to thin out the branches so as to leave them as much space as ' 

 possible, and then to neatly stake and tic them up at equal distances. 

 When the bloom is over cut the flowering shoots down and remove the 

 plants to a cold frame, giving them just enough of water to keep them 

 from flagging. As they are nearly hardv. a slight covering with n mat in 

 severe frost is all they require, but afford them plenty of air on fine davs. 

 The old plants are very useful for the flower-borders. — A Young 

 Gardener." 



Various (£.).-— To turn out Azaleas to frost to free them of thrips is a 

 novel proceeding. The house should bo Oiled with tobacco smoke on two 

 consecutive nights, and afterwards whenever the insect is Been). We 

 cannot give you the treatment of Bougainvillaea Speetabilis, Stephnnotis, 

 Bignonia radicans, Combretum purpnreum, Allamandas, and Clerodcn- 

 drons. as that would occupy nearly the whole of a Number. The plung- 

 ing of the Clerodendron in bottom heat would not cause the buds to 

 perish unless the heat were violent. The Ipoincea Horsfallirc should be 

 cut-in during winter. Hoya variegata will grow, only it must have heat 

 and moisture. "We are always glad to answer any questions, but we can- 

 not reply to ten at once. 



Plants for Baskets is Conservatory fffifoml.— Saxifraga sarmen- 

 tosa, S. japonica, Nierembergia intermedia, Mikania scandens, Scdum 

 Sieboldi, Convolvulus manritaniens, Disandra prostrata, and Trades- 

 eantia zebrina splendens. 



Ventilating (A Bexley Reader).— We do not know exactly what von 

 want. Your two-feet openings, one on each side at the ridge, "may either 

 slide or be pivot-hung so as to open by a cord. You will want two cord-. 

 if hung in the middle, and ouly one if yon hang them half their length 

 from one end, as the weight will always shut them. We do not think 

 these two openings will b< enough in n house 40 feet by 20 feet, but they 

 would do if the ends at the apex opened, and if in a span-roof there were 

 ventilation at front on each side. 



Lily of the Valley in Tots (Inquirer- Nenagh)^-The best plan for 

 securing good pots and boxes of Lily of the Valley from the plants now in 

 borders is to take them op, separate them, and only pot those with firm 

 prominent buds. 



Bulbs Blooming Simultaneously f Idem). — ' There is no wav for 

 blooming simultaneously Hyacinths, Tulips, and Crocus in a basket, but 

 the foliage of the Crocus will make a good edging for the others. You 

 may do something to effect your purpose, perhans, by keeping the basket 

 of Tulips and Hyacinths in-doors, and to leave the space for the Crocuses 

 and keep the roots laid out singly in the coolest and driest place vou can 

 find ; but if the bulbs push much before you plant them, the bloom will be 

 deteriorated and the bulbs weakened. 



Waterproof Cloth (E. D. S.).— Pale or old linseed oil three pints, 

 sugar of lead (acetate of lead) 1 oz., and white resin 4 ozs. Grind the 

 acetate with a little of the oil, then add the resin and the remainder of 

 the oil. Place in an iron pot and incorporate thoroughly over a gentle 

 fire, applying the liquid with a large brush to the material, stretched 

 loosely by means of tacks upon a frame. In twenty-four hours it will be 

 ready for another coat, or it may be fastened on tightly to remain, 



Fraxinella from Seed ( Jdewi).— Your best plan will be to sow the 

 seed next April, in an open and sunny situation, in good, rich, light soil, 

 makingthe surface fine, then scatter the seed thinly, and cover with fine, 

 light soil. Keep moist and free from weeds, and when the plants have 

 made two or three leaves, in addition to the seed leaves, prick them off 

 in good soil in rows 3 inches apart, and keep shaded and well watered 

 until established, planting them out in autumn in the places where they 

 are to remain. 



Cedrus Libani Seedlings (i?. D. K.).— The seedlings which you have 

 in a frame are probably tnrning yellow from an insufficiency of air. You 

 will do well to prick them out in an open situation in the' open gronnd, 

 about 3 inches apart. 



Angles of Greenhouse and Hothouse Roofs (Idem).— The best angle 

 or "pitch'' you can have for both is that of 45 . 



Men for Garden of Two Acres (M™).— The garden being in a 

 neglected state, it is impossible to tell bow many men will be required 

 to bring it into order, as that will depend on the' alterations which yon 

 contemplate making; but when it is in order, a man and a strong youth, 

 in addition to a working gardener, will be required to keep it in order. 



Privet and TnoRx Hedge Cutting [M. AM.— From now until M u 

 is a good time to clip this sort of hedge, and yon mav do so verv close ly. 

 We would advise its being cut well in at once. The price of t - 

 "Cottage Gardener's Dictionary " is 5*. 



VARIEGAXtD I'aisv | Frank HilU.~- When the plant has dono bio oming 

 take it up and divide the roots, planting the offset-: about 3 inches apart 

 in a shady border, and keep them well supplied with water, and slightly 

 shade until established. This is our practice, and we find it answers 

 well. It is impatient of hot weather and dryness. 



Heating a Greenhouse (Dr. Strong). — You do not say whether your 

 house of 2S feet by 104 feet is a lean-to or a span-roof. In eithercase 

 the little difficulty of heating proceeds from your making 9 feet of tho 

 28 into a forcing-house, and some 18 or 19 into a greenhouse. Now 

 this could be done by a flue heating the forcing-place separately, and 

 then the heat, by means of a moveable damper, could pass into the 

 other house as wanted. It would, however, be best heated by a small 

 conical boiler, from which you might have what top heat and bottom 

 heat yon liked in the forcing-house, and merely enough to keep the whole 

 temperate in the greenhouse- Were your house of ^8 feet of uue uniform 

 temperature, or nearly so, and only for greenhouse purposes, then sup- 

 posing vnu h;id a paved pathway to walk on, we would make that path- 

 way the top of the flue, and you would have iill the comfort of heating 

 without any heating medium being seen iu the house. Now with re- 

 spect to the questions:— 1st, Hot water we consider better than flues for 

 general purposes, and always where several places have to be heated 

 from the same flue or furnace, and there is never any chance of escape 

 of smoke or gases in the houses; but for all small houses of from '20 to 

 40 or 5,0 feet iu length, in which a mere temperate heat — say from 40 3 to 45" 

 in winter, is required, then we consider such a flue as that referred to 

 the most economical as regards first expense, and for after-expense as 

 respects fuel, &c. ; and if the furnace is of a good size, it would he rarely 

 that the fires would want meuding after the gardener went home in the 

 evening. It is rarely that you can have all advantages from anyone 

 mode. 2nd, From three to four-inch pipes arc best. Alter much ex- 

 perience we do not like to have them less than 3 inches, as the friction 

 of the sides impedes circulation, and if of less diameter they cool 

 juicfely when the bent in the boiler becomes low. We do not like them 

 larger than 4 inches in diameter, because they are longer in heating. 

 I'm!, where the fire is constantly kept in, we do not like them less than 

 4 inches for forcing-houses, so that they may retain a considerable 

 amount of heat. When only occasional heating, and that to teU quickly, 

 is wanted, three-inch piping we consider best. When a constant heat i.-. 

 required and a constant tire, it matters less which of these sizes is 

 used so that there be plenty of piping. 3rd, The pipes will always prove 

 most efficient when exposed above the floor. For all temporary purposes 

 much heat is lost in the first place when the pipes are sunk in a trench 

 below gratings in pathways. 4th, Ordinary three quarter-inch gas-pipes, 

 even three or four rows of them, would not be sufficient under the com- 

 mon mode of heating from a boiler under common pressure. Under 

 PerMns's system, with very strong pipes nicely screwed and with a high 

 pressure, these pipes would give enough of heat. The difference would 

 be, that then in these pipes the heat would often be far above boiling 

 point, whilst under the common system it would be better if the heat 

 were not higher than 160 : or 180 : . For several reasons the latter heat 

 iu the water is to be preferred. 5th, Gas would be very expensive to 

 I heat a forcing-house. To keep frost out of a house 28 feet long we can 

 1 fancy many cases where, merely for heating a small boiler, or for _ the 

 \ heat circulating from a strong burner in such three-quarter-inch pipes 

 as referred to, it would be on the whole the least troublesome. 



Boilers (F. F.). — We object to intricacy iu boilers, as we do the 

 intricate and complicated in anything else. All that is excellent is dis» 

 ! tinguished for simplicity. The twistings and turnings in the propesed 

 | boilers are sufficient to condemn them, as they would be difficult to make 

 and easily put out of order. We join you heartily in the commendation 

 \n] give to the saddle boiler. We do' not go so far with yon as to the 

 waste -I fuel in conical boilers, but of course this waste will take place in 

 nil boilers where the damper is not attended to. There may be some- 

 thing worthy of your condemnation in the small water way between the 

 sides of boilers, but the object no doubt is rapid circulation. We have a 

 clear recollection of your proposed plan of a gas-boiler to be heated by 

 some twenty copper tubes for the gas passing through it, and regret that 

 you have not yet been able satisfactorily to test its superiority, but when 

 you realise your expectations of doing so we shall be glad to hear the 

 results. 



Constructing a Propagating-hocse (A. Newbery).—A very gooi pro- 

 pagating-house, and with due regard to economy where much artificial 

 neat was wanted, maybe thus constructed:— Length, the size wanted ; 

 span roof; width, between 9 and 10 feet ; height of side walls, 2£ feet; 

 height at ridge, from 64 to 7 feet ; ventilation in the side walls by leaving 

 an opening of 4.J by 2} inches, or the size of a brick, at every 3 feet, 

 place to be filled with a moveable wooden one ; ventilation at apex by having 

 a few squares to open ; if the house is not more than 20 feet long, an open- 

 ing below the ridge at each end would be sufficient. Roof all fixed ; sash- 

 bars, about 2* inches deep, and no rafters, and from 15 inches apart. 

 Inside arrangement: path in the centre from 2.J to S feet in width, and a 

 bed on each side— say 20 inches from the ground level, with pipes below 

 each bed, in chamber or otherwise, and pipes above the bed for top heat. 

 To have such a house moveable of wood, the sides may be wood in 

 pieces, tarred or asphalted, or both, the wood resting on cross planks ; 

 the roof in sashes, moveable ; the boiler one of the many that may be 

 used without setting in brickwork, and which may stand in a shut-off 

 corner of the house, so as to obtain the heat from it when desirable with- 

 out any dust or smoke when lighting or adding fuel. An iron house may 

 be made of pillars at the sides, with pedestals, and the sash-bars of iron, 

 to be glazed on Beard's system, bv which the glass can be taken out and all 

 unscrewed and taken down in a short time. It is always best to make 

 arrangements with the landlord before building such places. Of course 

 nurserymen and market gardeners are quite safe, and can take down and 

 remove all they have put up. No other tenant can do so, according to 

 law, if the glass houses have their foundations in the ground, or if 

 attached to another building. We know of a case where a large lean-to 

 house has been put up at a great expense against the lofty end of a 

 dwelling-house; bnt the tenant never thought of what he knows now— 

 that he cannot remove it without the consent of his landlord. There 

 should have been a written agreement before the house was put up. 



