178 



JOURNAL OF HORTICDLTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ March 4, 1875. 



and be present at the meeting, po as to support any eonrse 

 that may be devieei for saving the Society and for preserving 

 its legitimate (nnctione. 



GERANIUMS LAST YEAR. 



Though somewhat late in the season I send you a few notes 

 of Geraniums grown last summer, and first I may say that I 

 quite agree with your correspondent " C. S. B." in the Journal 

 of August 20th, when he speaks so highly of "Waltbam Seed- 

 ling, for I certainly find that there is no dark scarlet variety 

 to equal it ; also with regard to Beauty of Calderdale amongst 

 the bronzes, which is the freest grower of any that I have tried, 

 though Mrs. Longfield with me is nearly if not quite as free. 

 " C. S. B." also speaks of Mrs. Upton, which with me is no 

 mere pigmy, but grows most vigorously. Pink May Queen I 

 find to be exquisite for pots and indoor culture, but com- 

 paratively useless out of doors. 



With regard to Vesuvius, which " C. S. B." and also Mr. 

 C. P. Peach speak so slightingly of, and say they mean to grow 

 it no more, I can only say that I can find no other bedding 

 Geranium that can approach it, much more equal it. It is one 

 mass of bloom, and a bed of it is perfectly dazzling to the eye. 

 It may be that the soil here suits it better than elsewhere, 

 for I do not find that it is at aU apt to shed its petals with 

 hot sun or wind, which Jean Sisley (in other respects a splen- 

 did bedder) certainly does. 



For pot culture I find Mrs. Wm. Paul, Donald Beaton, and 

 Masterpiece to be amongst the best. The last-named is an 

 enormous trusser of the Nosegay variety, and is the very best 

 that I have grown for blooming in pots all through the winter. 

 Amongst the older varieties I find few to come up to Indian 

 Yellow and Sutton's Scarlet Perfection as bedders for lasting 

 well in bloom all through the season. — E. C, Oakham. 



FORCING STRAWBERRIES. 



After rfading Mr. Taylor's note on Strawberry forcing 

 (page 135) I wish to say a few words as to my mode of culture, 

 and to recommend, in preference to that of layering the runners 

 in their fruiting pots, to layer them on the ground where they 

 are growing, from plants of the previous summer's planting, 

 whilst there is vigorous growth in them. 



As soon as rooted take them up at once and pot them in 

 their fruiting pots. I use the 48's, and find better results than 

 from pots of a larger size. As to soil, I use a good part rich 

 friable loam, a little leaf soil, and one-third well-decomposed 

 cow dung. After potting they are set in the shade a few days 

 to recover from any little check they may have received, and 

 then take a place in the frameyard well exposed to the sun 

 and air. They are stood about 1 foot apart, and well supplied 

 with water during the summer. 



On the approach of heavy autumn rains they are put in cold 

 frames, placing the pots on boards to stop their rooting in the 

 earth. This shelter assists them to mature the crowns, which 

 are very stout and good this year. They are now in a vinery 

 throwing up fome fine large bloom. 



As to red spider, I can only say if they exist at all they have 

 not much chance to prosper, as I have a bed of fermenting 

 dung and leaves in the house, which I well know is a capital 

 antidote. It is, however, always favourable to the increase of 

 the red spider when you see the fruit with the hard green 

 patches alluded to by Mr. Taylor. In my experience this 

 want of swelling is partly owing to the want of proper watering, 

 a_B of course they should not want for a good supply of water 

 till they get their fruit of moderate size. A good preventive 

 of red fpider is to water with liquid manure alternately, and 

 withhold when the fruit shows colour. My plants were in a 

 cold frame till the first week of January, and then introduced 

 to a house of cool temperature for a week or more. 



I iim of the same opinion as Mr. Taylor as regards the 

 plants being placed on pieces of turf when on the shelves, 

 although I have not experienced it myself, not being able to find 

 time for many such little requisites.— C. M., Morville House. 



Show at Leeds. If successful it may be followed by other 

 season shows, which it is hoped may become annual. The 

 schedule is extensive and the prizes good. The room in which 

 the Exhibition will be held is admirably adapted for such 

 displays, and I am sure any plants sent for exhibition will 

 have every care taken of them. — J. B. Stead. 



Leeds Horticdltubal Snow. — "An Exhibitok "F the 

 Vi. H. S." complains of the withdrawal of the Hyacinth Show 

 from the series of the KovbI Horticultural Snciety's shows, 

 and I apk him and other intending exhibitors to read the ad- 

 vertisement in your columns of to-day of the spring Flower 



HEATING BY GAS-HEATED BOILER. 

 From one or two letters which have appeared in our Journal 

 I venture to think that a little information with regard to 

 warming a greenhouse by means of hot water heated by gas 

 may be interesting and useful to some of your readers who, 

 like myself, live in a town and delight in doing a little iis 

 flower-growing. My house is on the west side of a street 

 running north and south or nearly so, and the town itself ia 

 celebrated for the quantity of rain, and I might safely say 

 smuts ; nevertheless, I can manage to grow many things well 

 enough to be pleasing. My walled-in garden is 42 feet square, 

 and against the west wall I have, with the aid of my late coach- 

 man, erected my lean-to greenhouse. Of its structure I need 

 not say a word beyond giving dimensions. It is 18 feet 9 inches 

 long, 8 feet wide, feet ti inches high in front, and 'J feet 

 G inches high at the back. In continuation and at the same 

 elevation is the potting house, a wall dividing the two. In 

 the corner of the potting house stands a little boiler heated by 

 gas, which during the late very severe weather was quite power- 

 ful enough to do all that was required. 



Fig. 45. 



I question if the shape of the boiler is a great novelty, because 

 I put on paper the same design as the man who made the 

 boiler had done, without any consultation about it ; but the 

 burner, which is in my humble opinion the great cause of 

 success, is invented by Mr. Sharp, in the employ of Mr. John 

 (iarner of Wood Street, Liverpool. The accompanying sketch 

 (fig. 45) of this boiler will, I think, be interesting, as it is so 

 compact. The boiler itself is made of copper and the case of 

 sheet iron, the flue being of zinc. The latter ascends perpen- 

 riicularly through the roof and has a small revolving cap on 

 the top, or the down current extinguishes the flame in very 

 boisterous weather. The boiler rests on a small iron rim, a, a, 

 in which are punched a few holes, and through them the gas 

 vapour passes over the boiler to the flue. The pipes attached 

 to the boiler for flow and return are 1-inch, and the pipes in 

 the greenhouse are o-inch ; a flow and return being taken 

 along the front of the house and the same at the back. The 

 length of the o-inch pipes ia therefore 75 feet. The 1-inch 

 pipes lead to them across the end of the house. 



