ON THE METHOD OF WARMING STOVES. 141 



greater quantity of roots than if potted with its ball entire. The 

 compost I make use of is three-fourths of old turf, with equal quan- 

 tities of decomposed horse-dung and peat earth, cut up with a spade; 

 let it be well blended 'together,' and allowed to stay at least twelve 

 months before it is used, frequently turning it over. In potting> 

 great care should be taken respecting the drainage of your plant ; 

 for if the water does not pass off freely, the leaves become yellow and 

 fall, and ultimately your plant dies. The drainage I make use of is 

 an oyster-shell, just to cover the hole in the bottom of the pot ; I 

 then place some rough turf over it. By draining thus I find a great 

 advantage, for the water not only runs through, but the plant roots 

 in it and grows vigorously, and when the plant is next shifted there 

 is no broken pots to take from the bottom of the plant to break its 

 roots. In my opinion plants receive a far greater check by the 

 drainage being taken from them than by their being shifted. In 

 watering, I make use of a little manure water occasionally, for it 

 causes the plant to keep a good colour and grow strong ; in pruning 

 I use the knife but little, for I have invariably found that when the 

 plant has been cut too hard that it breaks weak and dwindling, con- 

 sequently there are but few blooms ; but I should have remarked 

 that after the plant is removed from the stove I place it in the green- 

 house, there leaving it to grow.' 



I have a plant treated precisely according to the rules I have here 

 laid down, only a cutting of last spring twelvemonth, covering a 

 trellis of at least from sixteeen to eighteen feet in circumference, with 

 at least one hundred and fifty blooms open upon it at this time. 



Should you consider these remarks worthy of insertion they are 

 quite at your service ; and should there at any time be any thing 

 that I can throw the least light upon, I shall be proud in so doing. 



ARTICLE III. 



ON THE METHOD OF WARMING STOVES. 



BY A NORTH BRITON. 



Many attempts have lately been made by Mr. Knight and others, 

 to dispense with the bark bed, or other bottom heat ; and the argu- 

 ment mainly insisted on is, that it is in imitation of nature, there 



