January 29, 1871. ) 



JOURNAL OP HORTiCULTUBB AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



95 



3 feet higher than the pipes in the pit last named. The flow 

 pipe in this case is not more than half tilled with water, it 

 being the highest point of the apparatus, the water in this 

 pipe when the apparatus is filled with cold water being level 

 with that of the supply cistern 71, as shown by the dotted line 

 from u to 7K. This allows for the swell of the water ; and though 

 there is an air tap m at its highest point, and the highest point 

 of the apparatus, which is left always open, there is no blowing- 

 out of the water, as the swell and blow of the water is taken 

 by the air pipe c shortened to d. Before the c air pipe was 

 shortened the run-out at iii of the water was constant when 

 the apparatus was highly heated, and when closed the heating 

 was very satisfactory, as it now is with the tap always open. 

 This, I am convinced, it ought always to be, so as to allow of 

 the water expanding and falling as the heating necessitates, 

 and it should be from 1 to 2 feet higher than the blow-off of 

 the water at d ; or it would answer just as well to have the 

 pipe full of water, and have taps in place of all the air pipes 

 except c, which would require the taps to be opened occasion- 

 ally to let out any au- that will, if there be a high part of the 

 apparatus, always find its way thither. Therefore it is best to 

 have an air pipe at the highest part of the apparatus, and also 

 one on all the levels, where, it being inconvenient to have air 

 pipes, taps may be used, one of the air pipes having less length 

 than the others, and it should be on those pipes which are in 

 use whenever any part of the apparatus is in action. This is 

 the case with the apparatus described, the heating of which 

 is very satisfactory ; the only thing to be wished for is an air 

 pipe in place of the tap m. 



The boiler is fed by the pipe 0, 1 inch bore, which enters the 

 return pipe e at a short distance from the boiler. On the 

 end of this pipe in the supply cistern is a self-acting valve, 

 the valve being drawn up when the boiler needs water, and 

 closed when the pipes are filled to the same level as the water 

 in the supply cistern. The supply of water to the cistern is 

 regulated by a ball-cock. 



The pipes in all the compartments are furnished with screw 

 valves, they being on the return as well as the flow pipes, 

 which prevents the water heating-up the return pipes, as is not 

 au uncommon occurrence when there are only valves on the 

 flow pipes. All pipes which leave the main flow-and-return 

 pipes have valves, and directly those pipes leave it ; so that 

 there is no waste in heating pipes not required, the water, by 

 the valves, being shut-off to a drop, which enables the boiler 

 or furnace to be attended to for cleaning or repairs without 

 having to empty the apparatus of the whole of the water. 

 Thus the apparatus is sooner filled and sooner at work again 

 than would otherwise be the case. The valves are 4-inch 

 screw, and very satisfactory, which is more than can be said 

 of many kinds, some being next to useless for shutting off the 

 water. 



The pipes used throughout are 4-inch, and the flow pipes 

 one and all have a certain rise from the boiler, which is main- 

 tained through all the levels, the rise to the levels being direct, 

 and the return pipes have a fall to the boiler corresponding to 

 the rise in the flows, the pipes in no case being taken below 

 the level which the return pipes have before dipping for passing 

 to the boiler bottom. It is a fact in heating by hot water that 

 ■when the heated water commences to fall it becomes cooled, 

 and ought to pass at once to the boiler by the return pipe for 

 the purpose of being again heated. — G. Abbey. 



June 1st take them back again to the stove, gi-adually giving 

 more water, and it will be very strange indeed if you do not 

 soon see the bloom spikes coming up from amongst the bulbs. 

 Once they are seen, this is the time to give liquid manure, but 

 not before. 



After blooming this time let the plants remain in the stove 

 till the middle of August, then take them again to their country 

 seat for about six weeks, giving them the benefit of all the sun 

 they can have ; after which they must be again taken to the 

 stove and treated as before, and about Christmas you will have 

 a good stock of blooms to cut from. This is all I can promise. 

 I hear of some gardeners blooming them three times a-year, 

 but I think it only occurs accidentally now and then — it may 

 be a retarded bloom ; but to bloom the same bulb three 

 times a-year is more than I can promise, and I think is not 

 practicable. 



The important points are — 1st, To mix the soU well together. 

 2ndly, Not to give too much pot-room, but to choose pots 

 according to the size of the bulbs. Like all other plants, they 

 bloom best when the pot becomes full of roots. Srdly, Place 

 a little moss over the crocks before putting in the soil, thereby 

 keeping the drainage good. 4thly, After fresh potting be 

 sparing of water until growth has commenced, or you may rot 

 your bulbs. .5thly, Give them the full benefit of the sun as 

 directed. 6thly, Do not give liquid manure until the bloom 

 spikes appear, and do not put the plants in a corner after 

 flowering. — James R. Pococe, The Garden, Bromhorough Hall, 

 Gheihire. 



EUCHARIS AMAZONICA CULTUEE. 

 This is one of the best flowering plants we can grow for all 

 first-class purposes, either for the decoration of the dinner- 

 table, the bouquet, or for ladies' hair. The treatment I give 

 is as follows : — By the middle of February my plants will be 

 out of bloom, then any that require it will be repotted ; the 

 soil composed of turfy loam and good leaf mould in equal 

 parts, and one part rotten cow dung, with a little silver sand, 

 and it will be better if a little charcoal be added. Mix these 

 well together. Place a little of the coarsest of the soil on the 

 crocks, then fiU about half full. Select five good sound bulbs, 

 placing four at equal distances round the edge of the pot and 

 one in the centre, fill-up with soU, potting rather firmly. 

 Give a gentle watering through a fine rose with tepid water, 

 and place the pots in a light airy position in the stove. If the 

 pots can be stood on bottom heat all the better. Let them 

 remain there till May-day, then take them to a warm green- 

 house, keeping them rather dry, and let them have the benefit 

 of a good scorching sun. This is a very important point. 



THE ACHAN PEAR. 



The name of this very old favourite Pear appearing in The 

 JouBNAL OF HoKTicuLTnRE (sco page 52) awakened far distant 

 memories, and I was pleased to think that your correspondent 

 Mr. Taylor had found the Grey Gudewife, as I have heard it 

 sometimes called, useful for culinary purposes, although hardly 

 fit to take a place in the dessert. My experience with it, as 

 well as with several other varieties of Scotch Pears, is exactly 

 in accordance with that of your correspondent. 



Having many years ago succeeded a Scotch gardener in a 

 situation in one of the eastern counties of England, I was very 

 much pleased to find that he had, a few years before he left 

 the placij, headed-down some inferior sorts of Pear trees, and 

 had regrafted them with some of the best Scotch varieties, 

 among which were the Grey Achau, the Muirfowl's Egg, the 

 Green Pear of Tair, and several others, the names of which I 

 cannot now recollect ; but all of which I had known, and con- 

 sidered as of first-rate quality when in Scotland. So, as may be 

 supposed, the trees had every necessary attention paid to them, 

 and in due time they all came into bearing ; hut the fruit of all 

 the sorts, with the single exception of the Green Pear of Yair, 

 proved utterly worthless, and after several years' trial they 

 were ultimately in their turn headed-down and regrafted with 

 other sorts ; so that I had come to the conclusion that it was vain 

 to attempt the culture of those esteemed Scotch Pears in the 

 eastern counties of England. But at the same time I thought 

 it quite possible that a different result might be secured with 

 them in the more mild and moist cUmate of the west. Per- 

 haps some one of your many correspondents may be kind 

 enough to inform your readers if they have ever known them 

 to be successfully cultivated in any locality south of the Tweed ; 

 and it would also be interesting if some of your north-country 

 correspondents, whose recollection may extend back some 

 thirty or forty years, were to kindly inform us as to whether 

 or not the fruit produced by these varieties of the Pear tree 

 are as good now as they were then, and if they still continue 

 to hold their own as regards quality with recent introductions. 

 A recent writer would, it appeals, have us to believe that 

 the cUmate of auld Scotland is undergoing a gradual change 

 for the worse, judging by the result of its effects upon vegeta- 

 tion ; but whether meteorologists will be willing to entertain 

 this hypothesis or otherwise remains as yet to be proved. 

 And in the meantime it would be very interesting to know if 

 this supposed deterioration of climate has had any palpable 

 effect upon the quaUty, &c., of the hardy fruits of the country. 

 I have always had an idea that the Cherry, the Gooseberry, 

 and other bush fruit attained a degree of excellence in Scot- 

 land which they seldom acquired in the more southern parts 

 of the island, and I am curious to know if this is still con- 

 sidered to be the case. I mention the Green Pear of Yair as 

 being an exception to the worthless character of the Scotch 

 Pears when grown in the eastern counties of England, and 



