Aiiiil i, 187J. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



273 



their way to Brennanstown. One of the traits in his character 

 ■which ■• wo admired most was his devoted attachment to his 

 employer, and we are glad to think that outside tlie widowed 

 wife aiid orphan children none mourn his early demise more 

 than Mr. Pirn. This was shown by every kindness during his 

 protracted illness, and every token of respect paid to his 

 memory at the last. — {Irish Farmers' Gazette.) 



rEOVINCIAL HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 



[Sechetakiks will oblige us by informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. Although we cannot report 

 them fully, we shall readily note anything especially excellent, 

 and we wish for information on such specialities to be sent 

 to us. { 



Gloucester and Clipltonlmra, 7th. 



C.liifgow, Kth and flth. 



lialli, loth. 



Eoyjil .lin-Hpy. IHth. 



Royal norticullnrnl of Ireland, 21sl. 



Camhritlgehhire, Ulst. 



ManchoBtcr, 22nd to 29th. 



Southampton, 25tb. 



Devon and Exeter, 29th. 



APRIL. 

 Koyal Caledonian, 1st. 

 lioyal Horticultural of Ireland, U! Ji. 

 Cambridgeshire, '23rd. 

 Manchester Horticultural. 28th. 

 Nottingham Horticultm-al, 29th. 

 Fermoy, SOtb. 



MAY. 

 Royal 0.^ordshire, Gth. 



TRIUMPHAL ARCH AT A WEDDING. 



I AM anxious to erect a triumphal arch. The most available 

 position is over the entrance gates leading to the village 

 church, and I thought of fixing the arch on the stone caps of 

 the pillars, making a provision for a couple of plants in bloom, 

 a third to be placed on the centre. We have a lot of fine 

 Centaurea plants, would not their silvery leaves do to mix in 

 with the evergreens ? Should there be a monogram or motto? 

 If so, what would be suitable for a bridal occasion ? — J. C. 



[The plan that "J. C." seems inclined to adopt is a good 

 one under certain modifications, and, I may add, amplifica- 

 tions. Just as a village church is the place of all others for a 

 wedding, so the entrance gates to that church are at the most 

 suited place for a triumphal arch. I would advise that the 

 arch, though it actually begin from the stone caps of the 

 pillars, should, to the eye, begin from the ground, by attaching 

 evergreens, with flowers intermingled, to the piljars them- 

 selves. A monogram should certainly be in the centre of the 

 arch, and on the side at which you approach the church — 

 i.e., on the way in. All churches and all church decorations 

 should look one way, but this arch, seen prominently on both 

 sides, must be so made as to bear inspection from the church 

 side as well. The monogram should be the bride and bride- 

 groom's initials intermingled or crossed, and be of white 

 flowers. On the top of the pillars the plants in bloom may 

 be placed, but I rather fear they would to a degree spoil the 

 shape of the arch ; but the eye will tell this at a glance. As 

 to using variegated leaves, let them be in clusters, as, if not, 

 they make an arch look speckled, but bright green and bright 

 flowers show best. Mottoes are apt to be too long and un- 

 manageable, or short and meaningless ; perhaps they are more 

 suited to a ilower show or a triumphal entry. Recently I was 

 present at a wedding in a village church, and there was an 

 arch a little way behind the wedding group, so arranged that 

 all the party, veil-covered maids, best man, Ac, were separated 

 from the throng of lookers-on. The effect, to my mind, was 

 better than an arch placed simply over the bridal pair, but 

 much, of course, depends on the shape of the church and the 

 internal arrangements. — Wiltshiee Eectok.] 



for gas. I am very well satisfied with it. The above facts may 

 perhaps be of use to some of your readers.— Pueston, 

 Lancashire. 



TOP VENTILATION. 



In answer to a query how this is best managed, W6 reprint 

 details published long since by ourselves and Mr. Loudon. 

 The following plan has answered perfectly : — 



Every alternate square next the top is framed (size -SI by 34) ; 

 but, instead of being hinged, is pivoted just sufficiently out of 

 tho centre to cause the 

 top edge of the frame 

 to hang downwards 

 when left to itself 



i.fill- 1). ^ ■ 



In this position what 

 is generally known as ,^^^ ..-^ 



" the up-and-down- 

 cast " system of venti- 

 lation iaas full play ; 

 the rarefied air escapes 

 in the direction of the arrow pointing upwards, and fresh polder 

 air descends in the direction of the other arrow. And in wet 



HEATING BY GAS. 



Seeing in your Journal of August, 1873, a representation of 

 a small gas boiler, I orderd the large size, 32s. My greenhouse 

 is 18 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 11 feet high, span-roofed. 

 The south end is built against a wash-house, which entirely 

 keeps the sun off the end ; on the east side it is built on a 

 li-feet wall, and is exposed to east and west winds. The inside 

 arrangements are a centre stage with walk round, and a flat 

 stage under the west window. I placed the boiler at the north 

 end, and carried a "i-inch pipe under the west stage to the end, 

 and back directly to the boiler, making 34 feet of piping. This 

 kept frost out, even when, on JIarch luth, the thermometer 

 showed 22' of frost. I have only one No. 4 burner to the 

 boiler. I grow Ferns, Geraniums, Fuchsias, Lilies, Cinerarias, 

 Primulas, etc. I use the boiler simply to keep out frost and 

 damp. It did not cost 5s. for the last three months of 1873 



If 



\Eri:~:ii7 



wr 





:? 





0, 



Fig. 2. 



weather, or when thowers may be expected, r.nCi Ihe ttmpera- 

 ture is still comparatively high, if the pivoted frame be brought 

 nearly horizontal, the bottom edge being very slightly lower 



than the top, there will still 

 be an aperture of some 3 to 

 6 inches, vjiryiiig according 

 to the angle of the roof, at 

 each edge of the frame; so 

 that ventilation still pro- 

 ceeds in the same manner, 

 though in a less degree, while 

 — as the top edge of the 

 frame is protected by the 

 ridge-board, and the glass 

 projects about an inch over 

 the bottom edge of the frame 

 — no rain whatever can enter 

 the house. 



The amount of ventilation 

 is regulated in this way : A 

 quarter-inch wire a [firj. 2) is 

 suspended on pullies b from 

 the rafters. A light chain r, 

 about 18 inches long, is 

 fastened to the bottom edge 

 of each frame, passes imder 

 pullies ((, fixed to a cross- 

 piece e, and is fastened by 

 its other end to the wire. 

 One end of the wire termi- 

 nates in a piece of rather 

 stronger chain ;', which can 

 be secured at any point by 

 placing one of the links over 

 a nail driven into the door- 

 post. On account of the 



glazed frames being nearly 



balanced, the .slightest effort 

 moves the whole simultaue- 

 ou.sly. In a houto 120 fetl long half the frames are moved 

 from one end, and half from the other, and a pull by one hand 

 is all that is needed to close either set. As far as opening 

 goes, that requires no effort at all ; the chain/ is released, and 

 the top edge of each frame descends by its own gravity. If 

 the frames were made to overbalance the other way, as may 

 seem more natural— that is, with the bottom edge to hang 



g 

 D' 



Fig. 3- 



