436 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ Dccombsr a, 18(8. 



meDtal outer casing of copper, so that it waa fitted to Btand in 

 an entrance hall, if needed. It was pnrchased about fonrteen 

 years ago, and used to heat my first greenhouse, a wooden 

 Bhed, with a glazed front aud top, about 10 feet by 8 feet, and 

 about '.I feet high at back. Its operations were then extended 

 to a good lean-to greenhouse, with a small forcing or hothouse 

 at one end, the whole about 20 feet long, by about 10 feet wide, 

 and it is still doing its work satisfactorily. In a small green- 

 house, if the flow pipe were to be conducted through a tank 

 containing a considerable body of water, a brisk fire for the 

 space of about one hour and a half to two hours, would raise 

 Bufficient heat to keep out all frost ; and although the little 

 boiler above spoken of does require coke, it does not contain an 

 inordinate qunntily, and if thefire be made up at 11 p.m. it might 

 be found still warm at G.i.M., or even later. It is some years since 

 I worked it, so that I cannot speak positively on minutiw, but I 

 have three similar boilers on a larger scale now at work, and 

 vrould be happy to show them to anyone who might wish to see 

 them, 86 they are most satisfactory. 



In all these boilers some heat is wasted in the iron funnel 

 liipe, but then this can be well obviated by leading it info a 

 brick flue, to pass through the house, or to be made use of in 

 iieating some other structure. I have done this very success- 

 fully with one of mine, and in a larger place it might be made 

 most useful. I am couvinced that little boilers combined with 

 a tank arrangement, as a store of heat, and with the patent- 

 jointed pipes, such as Trnes's or Kiddells, although more costly 

 at first, are cheaper in the end, when yon look at the ease and 

 comfort obtained, and they have the merit of belonging to the 

 tenant, whi:h sometimes is a benefit. — C. M. Major, CroijdoH. 



GROWING CELERY IN BEDS. 



My attention was drawn to " J. T.'s " observations in page 

 378, upon growing Celery in beds. I must say I find it a most 

 profitable way of growing it for family use. Were I growing 

 it for exhibition, of course I would prefer the single row ; 

 but as I am placed in circumstances much like "J. T.," 

 having but a small space to grow a great quantity, I find the bed 

 system most advantageous. For instance, when I am going to 

 make a trench fi feet wide, I leave 2 feet at each side to hold 

 the soil taken from the trench, making 10 feet ; in this are 

 planted five rows of Celery. Again, when about to plant five 

 ■single rows, I in general leave from 5 to 6 feet for each row, 

 say five — that is, the five single rows occupy 25 feet. The bed 

 growing the same number of rows occupies 15 feet less, and 

 as we cottage gardeners are looking out for the best way of 

 obtaining a large quantity of produce from a small space, I 

 know of no better than this. I have grown Celery in beds for 

 the last three years, and have had no reason to complain of the 

 bed system. The soil in this garden is light and dry, but I 

 have seen Celery grown with success in beds on heavy soil, 

 though it was well drained. 



I will now give a few hints as to how I grow my Celery in 

 beds. I make a trench G feet wide, taking out the soil to the [ 

 depth of 18 inches, dig over the bottom, put in manure, and | 

 dig again, mixing the manure well through the soil. I then j 

 plant five rows of Celery, and should dry weather set in I give, I 

 in the evenings, large supplies of liquid manure or ordinary j 

 water. I defer earthing up until the plants are almost full- I 

 grown; nor do I tie ray plants prior to eartbing-up, as I ^ 

 think water ia more liable to lodge bet^veen the leafstalks when j 

 these are tied, often causing decay, and if they are tied tightly I 

 they are sure to decoy if the crop is not used at once. The ' 

 heart is not able to push itself np through the tying in order to ' 

 continue growing, and the cot56equtuce is it must die. When I ' 

 am about to earth-up I take two boards, G feet in length and 

 10 or 12 inches in breadlb, place them en edge between the 

 rows of Celery, and eartb-in loo?ely between the boards, lift 

 and place them between the next portion, and so on. I like the 

 soil amongst the plants to be as loose as possible, as the rain 

 passes more speedily to the roots, and the soil dries sooner 

 than when it is otherwise. I leave a little of the hearts abovo 

 the surface, and by this menus I have always done veiy well 

 with my beds. — Ignor\.xce, Adamstou-n. 



plant of it here for two years ; it was planted out in a bed in 

 the flower garden in the summer of last year, and grew to a 

 height of 7 feet, showing no sign cf flower buds. It was lifted, 

 potted, and placed in a late vinery during the winter. The 

 Vines were started in February, and in March of the present 

 year it produced thirty-six flowers. After flowering it was 

 removed to an orchard bouse, where it has been ever sinoe, 

 and at the present time shows no sign of flowering. — B. Bobiks, 

 Bncliin Castle danlctis, Brccliin, .V.C 



[Last week a communication stated that the same mode of 

 flowering this Dahlia had succeeded at Waltham Cross. Flowers 

 of Dahlia impcrialis were exhibited at one of the Boyal Horti- 

 cultural Society's meetings in December, ldG8. — Ens.J 



FLOWERING DAHLIA IMPERIALIS IN POTS. 

 Having seen it stated in your Journal that Dahlia impcrialis 

 was in flower at Chiswick, is it. may I ask, the first time it 

 has been noticed to flower in England? There has been s 



FORCING PLANTS.— No. 4. 

 CRAT.SGCS (Hawthorn). — The CrataDguses are but seldom 

 forced. Nothing, however, is finer, and they force well and 

 easily. The best sorts are the common C. O.xyacantha, C. Oiy- 

 acantha multiplex, double white ; C. Oxyaeantha pnnicea, scar- 

 let ; C. Oxyaeantha flore-pleno, double red ; and C. Oxyaeantha 

 rosea, pink. They are best grown as standards or pyramids, and 

 none but worked plants ought to be employed. They should 

 be kept in the open ground and specially prepared for the 

 purpose. Standards can be most readily obtained with clean 

 straight stems, and they ought to be shifted every autumn, 

 80 that they can be hud with the roots close to the stem, 

 and not left to grow three or four years without being moved, 

 as in this case the roots are not fibrous except at a dis- 

 tance from the Eteio, and in taking up we run the risk of 

 the plants growing but little, if at all, in the succeeding year. 

 The plants require no care beyond annual transplanting, and 

 the shortening of irregular growths, until they have formed 

 compact, good-sized heads. I pot them in autumn when the 

 leaves are falling, using pots no larger than sufficient to hold 

 the roots well, but confining rather thau overpotting them. 

 Light turfy loam, enriched with one-fourth of leaf soil or old 

 rotten manure, is a suitable compost. Plunge the pots in coal 

 ashes in an open situation, and keep tho soil well watered. 

 The potting will act as a check to growth. The plants make 

 short stiff wood, aud spurs form pieutifuUy ; but if they grow 

 or make shoots more than C inches long, I stop them to that 

 length, and in August take the pots out of the ashes and set 

 them on ashes in front of a south wall or other shelter, keep- 

 ing them well watered until the close of September, and then 

 reduce the watering. The leaves will fall early, and the pots 

 maybe plunged to the rim in a sheltered situation, and be 

 taken into the forcing house at intervals of a fortnight or three 

 weeks from December to April. 



Pyramids are easily formed ; I head-down the plants to 1 foot, 

 and pinch the side shoots at G inches, but train the best situ- 

 ated erect as a leader. It is shortened to 15 inches in 

 autumn, and the plant lifted, and this is continued until I 

 have plants large enough, when it is potted, and grown a year 

 in pots as described for the standards. They may be had of 

 any size from a tiny tree a yard or less high, np to that of a 

 giant, and if the close-stopping system be practised, they need 

 not be of greater diameter than twice that of the pot. 



The Thorns force as easily aa Lilacs, are fully as swee*, and far 

 more handsome. I think it would be easy to have May blossom 

 at Christmas. The plants, after forcing, should be continued 

 under glass, be hardenedcfl, and then placed outside. Some 

 may be forced again the second year, but they are all the better 

 of a year's rest, pinching off the blossoms as they appear, so 

 as not to weaken the plants needlessly. The older they are 

 the better they flower. Top-dress in autumn with rich loam 

 and old cow dung, removing the old soil to some extent from 

 nrouc 1 the sides of the pot. The results will be seen in the 

 bloom, and there is no fear of the fruit falling. 



The New Scarlet Thorn is a splendid variety. It will bloom 

 iu Cinch pots. 



The temperature required for forcing is the same as for 

 Lilacs. 



Cytiscs (Labcbndm) — The Scotch (C. alpinus), is the best 

 for forcing and every purpose. Plants should be grafted ; they 

 seem to flower at an earlier age without lunning so much to 

 wood. Pyramids or bushes may be formed like Apple and 

 Pear trees, and staudards have a fine effect, for the flowers, 

 being seen from beneath, appear much larger than when on the 

 level of the eye, or below it. The treatment is the same as 

 that of the Thorns. The older the plants are the better, and 



