492 



JODKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GA3DENER. 



I December 2, 1875. 



habit of seeing the orJinary lime kilu at work may, perhaps, 

 fancy that large volumes of Bmoke will issue from the top of 

 these kilns, but this is not the case, for the top is all cased-in 

 like an ordinary hot-water apparatus, and the smoke carried 

 away in flues and ultimately discharged from a tall chimney. 

 I have a balance-sheet before me sent to the Chairman of the 

 Cowan-Patent's Company by the Earl of Cawdor, where the 

 system has been tried for twelve months, showing that the 

 heating has been efficiently carried out, and a balance of 

 £10 4*. id. is shown in favour of the system. I have since 

 my visit been informed that the heating at Garston is in full 

 working order, and that there has recently been a gathering to 

 inspect the working of the new system. 



In order to show the heating power required for this establish- 

 ment I will here give the dimensions of the glass structures. 

 No. 1, span-roofed house, 200 feet long by ii wide. This house 

 is divided, one-half being devoted to growing pot Vines, the 

 other half for Pines. No. 2, span Camellia house, 144 by 

 26 with a winding walk through the centre. This may be 

 called a sort of winter garden, Marfchal Niel Roses being 

 trained up the roof after the fashion of Vines. No. 3, span, 

 144 by 20 (Muscat Grapes). No. 4, span, 42 by 21 (stove). 

 No. 5, lean-to, .S6 by 10 (nursery stock). The above are laid 

 to one kiln apparatus, heating 5800 feet of 4-inoh piping. 

 No. 6, span, 6.5 by 24 (Muscat Grapes). No. 7, lean-to, -55 feet 

 by 16 (vinery). This house is planted with Gros Guillaume, 

 one Vine only planted and grown on the extension system. 

 This was a sight well worth seeing, showing that the system 

 is well suited to that fine Grape, which had good foliage, good 

 bunches, and good berries, showing that Garston still main- 

 tains its high reputation as a Grape-growiug establishment. 

 No. 8, lean-to, 2.j feet by 11 (fernery). No. 0, span, 64 by 23 

 (early vinery). No. 10, ditto, 55 by :-il (show house). No. 11, 

 four ditto pits, average 48 feet by 12 (nursery stock). No. 12, 

 pit, 40 feet by 6 (nursery stock). The above are laid to the 

 kiln which also makes the gas for the establishment. This 

 kiln heats 4000 feet of 4-inch piping. No. 13, span, 23 feet 

 by 23 (Cucumbers and Tomatoe.s). No. 14, lean-to, 37 feet by 

 li; (viueo'). No. 15, ditto, 112 feet by 15 (ditto). No. 16, 

 lean-to, 116 feet by I'.t, north aspect. This house is planted 

 with late-keeping Grapes, such as Lady Downe's, Gros Guil- 

 laume, &c. Tliey were just colouring, but the latter looking 

 very unhappy, and certainly out of its element in a late house 

 with a north aspect. No. 17, two span houses, 62 feet by 13 

 (Vine eyes planted out). No. 18, ditto, 57 feet by 17 (stove). 

 No. l!l, two span pits, 57 feet by 10 (propagating). No. 20, 

 ditto ditto house-i, 62 feet by 13 (stoves). No. 21, span, 

 78 feet by 11 (fornery). No. 22, lean-to, 38 feet by 16 (vinery), 

 Madresfield Court Muscat. This, like the Gros Guillaume, is 

 growm on the extension system. This fine Grape, both in 

 bunch and berry, was remarkably good, being well finished, 

 the berries being as black as sloes and carrying a beautiful 

 bloom. It seems a pity that this fine Grape is not a late 

 keeper. The above are laid to one kiln, and healing 5800 feet 

 of 4-inch piping. 



All the kilns are connected by mains, so that one only or 

 all may be set in operation as may be required, the whole com- 

 bined power being equal to heating 20,000 feet of 4-inch piping. 

 The kiln which heats 4000 feet of 4-inch piping also makes 

 sufficient gas for two hundred burners. All the kilns are said 

 to be doing their work well, and as the time is yet young in 

 working out the system, the Company have not yet been able 

 to strike a balance-sheet, but sanguine hopes are entertained 

 that the undertaking will ultimately prove a success. 



Garston is about six miles from Liverpool, and can be 

 reached by rail from the central station. — G. E. Allis. 



NOTES ox VILLA .vnd SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



The cold jiit or frame to the amateur is quite as important as 

 a convenience for storing plants as it is to the general gardener. 

 These structures are often the only means whereby a few plants 

 can be secured or others raised for the supply of the garden 

 during summer. Let us, therefore, look at some of the principal 

 points to be attended to in order to save a few plants over the 

 winter. If there is a greenhouse it should bo stocked with the 

 tenderest plants or any plants of doubtful health. The pit or 

 frame should be filled with such as are a few degrees hardier. 

 In many nursery gardens a great portion of the stock of Heaths, 

 Aazleas, Hydrangeas, Myrtles, Fuchsias, &c., are preserved in 

 brick pits the whole of the winter. The principal management 

 consists in carefully covering them at nights and during frosty 

 days, and carefully ventilating them in fine weather. There 



must be no mistake about this matter ; the object should be to 

 try and have the foliage dry over every day if possible, and 

 keep everything about the plants clean ; all dead leaves to be 

 kept cleared away, and the matter of watering be carefully 

 performed. 



Among bedding plants particularly the utmost care is needed. 

 They should be examined every day if the weather will allow, 

 because it might happen that a period of frost or bad weather 

 might seal the plants against examination for several days, or 

 even weeks, together, and it is important that this contingency 

 be provided for. If not clean and clear of decay before being 

 closed tender plants would damp-off, such as variegated Gera- 

 niums for instance. I have more than once been called upon 

 to give an opinion as to the cause of bedding plants going off, 

 and when I have visited the frame the plants have been almost 

 covered with dead leaves in a rotten state ; this is sufficient to 

 cause the death of almost any succulent kind of plant. 



The frames should stand in the driest spot to be found and 

 on a bottom well drained, and the pots if not placed on a stage 

 clear from the ground should at least be placed on a layer of 

 dry ashes. Pits built of bricks with their walls tolerably thick, 

 and covered with lights of the best glass well put in, will keep 

 out several degrees of frost if covered up with mats. But during 

 severe frost it is safest to protect the sides i^f the pit. or frame 

 with litter of some kind ; or, as is done in nurseries, their eidts 

 are banked up with rotten dung aud other rubbish. This work 

 is doue about this time of the year aud cleared away in the 

 spring after all danger from frost is over, and seldom, if ever, 

 does the frost penetrate through the whole. By a constant 

 system of covering up the glass becomes dirty; this must bo 

 washed occasionally in order to afford the plants the most light 

 possible during the dull winter months. 



Whenever the plauts are cleaned let each pot be taken out 

 aud the soil stiried up on the surface, and if wet apply a little 

 dry silver sand, and even if thrown over the foliage it will absorb 

 the moisture and assist to dry both soil aud plants. Turn the 

 plants frequently, and at times examine the drainage to see 

 that nothiug is in the way to prevent the free escape of the 

 water.— Thomas Recobd. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT "WEEK. 



KITCHEN G.1RDEN. 



When but little else can be done in consequence of unfavour- 

 able weather, manure aud vegetable-mould heaps may be turned 

 over. Where farmyard manure cannot be obtained in eufiicient 

 quantity for the use of the garden, a heap where all the trim- 

 luiuga of vegetables, plants from the flower garden when they 

 have served their purpose, Hollyhock and Dahlia stalks — indeed, 

 all succulent vegetable matter thrown together, is a sine qua 

 nun. Of course such a heap must be at a suflicient distance 

 from any dwelling-house, as the smell from it is offensive. 

 When the material has sufficiently decayed it may be dng into 

 tho ground the same as manure, and it is well adapted for any 

 crops. We knew a gardener who used to grow most excellent 

 crops of vegetables, and his main supply of them used to be 

 grown entirely by the aid of manure from the vegetable-mould 

 heap. Not a leaf of any kind was wasted, and the young gar- 

 deners were sent as time could be spared to gather leaves in the 

 park. It was no part of the gardener's duty to collect the leaves, 

 but their value as manure was an ample equivalent for the 

 labour of collecting them. In the course of a season an immense 

 heap was formed, half of it beiug composed of the sweepings 

 from the park. The drainage of the farmyard, which in many 

 places is allowed to run to waste, was collected in a large tank, 

 and as occasion offered a quantity of it was carted to the place 

 and thrown over the heap. Now here was a large garden of 

 four or five acres kepi in good condition by double-digging and 

 trenching, and almost without the aid of farmyard manure, as 

 the spent Mushroom and Melon beds were required for the use 

 of the flower garden almost exclusively. If a gentleman takes 

 any interest in Uis garden he will not allow his gardener to be 

 put to such shifts ; on the other hand, when but little interest 

 is taken in the garden by the ovfuer, the gardener still wishes 

 to do all he can in the way of keeping up a supply for his own 

 credit. We pay considerable attention to all crops of Kalade and 

 Cauliflowers under glass Irames or lights. Decaying leaves 

 mould on the stem are removed at once, and it is of much 

 benefit to the plants to stir the ground amongst them. 



CUCUMBEB house. 



In many families the supply of Cucumbers is a most import- 

 ant one, and at this time it is difficult to obtain a full supply 

 them. Under the best conditions, with good management how- 

 ever, winter Cucumbers may be produced with a tolerable degree 

 of certainty. I'or winter the best form of house is the half- 

 span, and perhaps this form is as good as any other for all 

 seasons. The plan pursued at Loxford Hall is to have a move- 

 able trellis which is as close to the glass in winter as it possibly 



