October 22, 1674. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



361 



regret to hear that one who has so much added to our pleasures 

 has been removed from us ; but we hope there are others pre- 

 pared to carry out still further the improvements ho had made. 

 D., Di'id. 



HEATING BY GAS. 



I FELT very much interested by reading Mr. Shaw's ex- 

 perience of a gas-boiler. I have not at any time been able to 

 ascertain exactly what amount of gas was used in those I have 

 had to look after ; but I am quite certain that gas is much 

 more expensive than coke or coal where it ia employed to heat 

 a house containing plants requiring a continual heat. If only 

 for a greenhouse to keep out frost, or to dry the house in damp 

 weather, it is much cheaper than anything else that can be 

 used. 



The advantages are — being able to have gas in a place where 

 it would be impossible to have a stokehole, and also to light it 

 in a moment when you find frost coming on, and being able to 

 regulate it to a nicety. Where a coke or coal fire is used, we 

 are obliged to light a fire in the afternoon to have it in readi- 

 ness when we are doubtful about frost, and often enough the 

 labour and fuel are wasted, for when bedtime comes a change 

 has taken place in the weather and fire is not required. With 

 gas you can wait until the last moment before applying the 

 match. There is the difficulty about getting the gas men- 

 tioned by Mr. Shaw, and anyone intending to use gas should 

 consider a little before commencing. It the locality lays very 

 low the pressure will be lost to a great extent, and this is one 

 of the evils ; but I think for a cool house enough could be had 

 in any place. 



The dimensions of any house to be heated by gas should 

 not be much larger than what are mentioned by Mr. Shaw. 

 The grand point of all is not only having a good boiler, but 

 having it properly fixed. The apparatus should be quite close 

 to the house and built-in, not leaving more than a foot space 

 all round, with a door large enough to get the boiler out if 

 required at any time. If placed in a shed the heat is lost, 

 then there is failure. If it cannot be placed c'ose to the house 

 care must be taken to case the pipes, and fill with sawdust or 

 felt, and they must be watertight. If the heat is not confined 

 as stated, a great quantity of gas will be consumed, and the 

 heating will prove a failure after all. — M. B. 



mine berries, quite ripe, gathered from the south wall of his 

 house. 



TBEDREA, 



I THINK your correspondent (October 8th), has made a mis- 

 take in using 1-iuch barrel instead of a sufficient quantity of 

 ordinary 2-inch hot-water pipe, and in consequence he lacks 

 sufficient surface-heating power, so that it is scarcely justice 

 to pass condemnation on the boiler where evidently the blame 

 is not attachable. Had the proper size and quantity of pipe 

 been used, he would have found that instead of the " tem- 

 perature falliug considerably," as stated, after " eleven," it 

 would not have fallen more than a few degrees even in the 

 most severe frost, of course taking into oonsideiration that his 

 house is well built. 



In reference to the cost of gas, I may state that where one 

 person burns sufficient to cost 9s. per week, another person 

 would get the same eiJectual result by only burning two-thirds 

 the quantity. Your correspondent draws his estimate, I pre- 

 Bome, from the boiler being on full during the whole of the day 

 and night. This is seldom if ever necessary, as if the pipes 

 have first been got hot at full pressure, the consumption can 

 he materially diminished without inconvenience or loss, but, 

 on the other hand, will prove a gain to the consumer. How- 

 ever, supposing it is as stated by your correspondent, I cannot 

 but think he has, on the other hand, forgotten to take into 

 consideration the fact of a coke or coal furnace in like manner 

 being kept roaring all day (but am rather inclined to think he 

 has allowed for letting it die out in the daytime) , otherwise I 

 should like to ask the question, How will he manage to keep 

 a furnace boiler going day and night for twenty-four hours, 

 and get it properly attended to during that time for the sum 

 of 9s. per week, to say nothing of the inconvenience of having 

 to turn-out in the early morning in order to keep Jack Frost 

 from feasting his keen appetite upon his much-prized plants ? 

 I shall feel obliged if you can find space in your next issue for 

 these few remarks, as 1 fear from the desponding nature of 

 your correspondent's communication, it will have the effect of 

 damping the ardour of many an amateur. — M. Lean. 



Jasmine Fkciting. — Artliur Sanders, Esq., Hazelmount, 

 near Kyde in the Isle of Wight, has seat us specimens of Jae- 



THE SEAT OF M. U. WILLLUIS, ESQ., CORNWALL. 



It is at all times agreeable to find something remarkably 

 good at a place where it is least expected. Many years ago I 

 remember finding on the verge of Bolton Moors, in Lanca- 

 shire, as well-grown a collection of stove plants as the fore- 

 most London exhibitor could produce, and in the following 

 February some very excellent Grapes at an equally out-of-the- 

 way place still farther north. Unexpected treats of the kind 

 are, however, by no means uncommon, and on a recent journey 

 I met with one of these surprises ; this time, however, in the 

 far west and not in the north. Pleasantly sloping towards the 

 sun, on a bank of one of the tidal streams which form branches 

 of the great Falmouth harbour, the traveller sees through the 

 trees which skirt the road some glass structures and other 

 tokens of a well-kept garden ; an inquiry soon elicits the in- 

 formation that the place we are looking at is Tredrea, the seat 

 of M. H. Williams, Esq. Through the kindness of a friend I 

 was introduced to the able gardener, Mr. Murton, my ex- 

 pectation being that most likely many half-exotic plants would 

 be there luxuriating out of doors, together with healthy 

 Camellias, Ehododendrons, and the like, and this anticipation 

 was fully realised, whilst under glass many interesting Orchids 

 and other stove plants are cultivated, some specimens of the 

 latter far exceeding those often met with in the most celebrated 

 plant-growing establishments near London. 



I will, however, just take a glance at the place before enter- 

 ing on its details. Tredrea occupies a site not far from the 

 Perranwell station on the West Cornwall Railway, and near 

 what appeared to me an unusual interruption to the quiet 

 repose of a country district, an iron foundry and other works 

 resounding with the tones of the heavy forge hammer. The 

 tidal stream also floats-up large masses of timber. An ex- 

 cellent road, equal to any highway in the kingdom, and lead- 

 ing, I believe, from Truro to Penryn, skirts the property, the 

 mansion and grounds being separated from the road by a 

 belt of trees, through which a carriage drive soon enables the 

 traveller to reach the garden, the mansion, however, first 

 passed ; and it, like the garden and grounds, carries the slope 

 to the valley, in which ia the armlet of the tidal water pre- 

 viously referred to. The slope of the ground that may be 

 called dressed was all in one direction, and though quite steep 

 enough for kitchen-garden tillage, was not too much so for 

 turf and pleasure-ground purposes. To the latter attention 

 wiU be first directed, premising that the mansion facing the 

 same way, the chief portion of the grounds is in continuation 

 of its left wing. 



As I have on a former occasion mentioned that several 

 plants usually grown under glass are in Cornwall often met 

 with out of doors, I will not now repeat those before named, 

 although most if not aU of them were represented here ; but 

 what struck me as remarkably fine was a Camellia growing 

 against a wall and occupying a space 18 feet by 10 feet, with 

 the probability of soon requiring double the space if it was to 

 be had. A fineC. Donckelaari, which was taken up and planted 

 again in 1873, hardly showed any symptom of having been 

 moved except in a more restricted growth. Some other kinds 

 were also growing against the same wall with equal vigour, the 

 aspect being south-east ; but aspect and wall did not seem to 

 make any difiereuce, as all were good. A bed was shown me, 

 now grown into a mass, the plants of which were very small 

 when bought at a sale in Covent Garden some years ago. 

 Azaleas were also flourishing, while on a border at no great 

 distance from the Camellias were the remaining stems of what 

 had been fine flower spikes of Lilium piganteum, llj feet 

 high, which must have been magnificent. Not less so were some 

 Hedychiums growing with all the vigour of Cannas, and what 

 was more, the rich and much-valued Vallota purpurea was 

 equally promising outside ; although it had not reached the 

 flowering condition at the time of my visit, there was every 

 prospect of its doing so ere long. Other Liliacese and kindred 

 plants were also duly represented, as well as Cyclamens in 

 abundance. On the lawn I noticed a fine tree of Picea Nord- 

 manuiana that was bearing cones, and in the kitchen garden 

 an excellent Peach wall some 12 feet high well covered with 

 healthy trees. I ought also to have noticed a very good 

 deciduous Cypress, and I was told that Echeveria secunda and 

 its varieties were quite hardy. 



