50 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



December, 



A Convenient Cold Greenhouse. 



M. L. RAINES, BRISTOL CO.. R. I. 



I term my small greenhouse "cold," for 

 the reason that it has no direct heating ap- 

 paratus as such. And yet by the use o£ two 

 oil lamps in the coldest nights I have never 

 had a degree ot frost in it. In this house, 

 which opens otf from my back parlor, as 

 shown in Fig. 1, [opposite] I grow an abund- 

 ance of fine Carnations, Geraniums, Cal- 

 las. Lilies, Hyacinths. Cyclamens and other 

 plants which thrive in a temperature rang- 

 ing from 40 to 50 degrees at night. 



By reference to Fig. :i, [page 53] it will be 

 seen how the apartment is kept warm. My 

 home is heated by a hot air furnace, situated 

 in the basement beneath the back parlor. 

 In the engraving a is the back parlor, b the 

 greenhouse, 5}4 feet wide by 13 feet long 

 inside, c basement with furnace d; the pipe 

 e leads to the chimney ('; / shows one of two 

 doors that open from the furnace room into 

 the lower part of the greenhouse, and which 

 doors are kept open much of the time in 

 cold weather; (j stairway leading from the 

 basement to the floor h of greenhouse; i 

 chimney of the house. The furnace room 

 Is always warm in winter, while the chimney 

 above gives off considerable heat; together 

 with having the doors / open, at times, 

 enough heat is conveyed into the plant 

 room to suit the inmates. 



The location of the greenhouse is most 

 favorable for maintaining heat without 

 special outlay, as it is on the east side of the 

 house, our prevailing winds being from the 

 west. There is also a wing extending from 

 the main part of the house to the east on the 

 north side of the greenhouse, thus cutting 

 off the cold from that direction. 



What is so satisfactory in this arrange- 

 ment is that I have a lovely plant apartment 

 which cost but little money, connected with 

 my parlor by a door having glass in it, 

 and owing to the conditions I have taken 

 advantage of for securing heat, it is kept 

 properly warm for plant life without any 

 material expense. The heat which finds its 

 way to the plants would for the most part 

 be lost but for this arrangement. It is pos- 

 sible that we lay some more coal on the 

 furnace during cold weather, knowing that 

 the plants are there, but this cannot amount 

 to more than a ton extra during the winter. 

 What is that in return for the beauty, fra- 

 grance and delight obtained from the plants 

 during the winter months? 



In the summer the doors from the base- 

 ment into the greenhouse are kept closed, 

 and all the glass is shaded with muslin. By 

 having the ventilators wide open, and 

 sprinkling the floor and benches several 

 times daily, the apartment is an agreeable 

 place even at this season, and especially as 

 it is kept pretty well filled all summer with 

 plants in large pots and hanging baskets. 

 In one end of the greenhouse we propagate 

 Geraniums and Coleus (buying some plants 

 of the florist in February), and other bedding 

 plants enough to fill several summer flower 

 beds. A hot-bed that is started in March is 

 of much use in bringing these on, as well as 

 in starting flower seeds, Canna and Dahlia 

 bulbs, etc. 



Parks for Rochester, N. Y. 



Until recently the city of Rochester had 

 taken no steps to place herself in the rank 

 of cities that possess adequate public parks. 

 The extent ot her public grounds heretofore 

 has been comprised in a tew town squares, 

 scattered over her area. Now however, 

 owing to the advances made by some of 

 her prominent citizens seconded by the 

 enterprise of many others, there is every 

 likelihood of this fair city soon po-ssessing a 

 park system in keeping with her progress 

 in other respects. 



The New York Legislature recently en- 

 acted a bill authorizing commissioners to 

 take five hundred acres of land in Rochester 

 for Park purposes. This has been done and 

 much work, such as grading, road-making 

 and planting of trees is well under way. 



It is a pleasure to learn that the honorable 

 nursery firm of EUwanger & Barry of 

 Rochester were the prime movers in this 



THE RING-LEAVED WILLOW. As gltetched from 

 Llff. See page 45 



good work. Their first step in instituting 

 the pro.iect was the substantial one, made 

 some years ago by the giving of twenty 

 acres of land to the city, on condition that 

 it would be improved for Park purposes. 

 This requirement is now being followed out 

 and bids soon to make it a delightful and 

 refreshing spot. The grounds are an ideal 

 location for a park. They are only two 

 miles from the centre of the city and beauti- 

 fully situated on an elevation over-looking 

 the town, the pleasant Genesee Valley, and 

 in the distance, Lake Ontario. 



In addition to this generous gift, Messrs. 

 EUwanger & Barry have built on the land 

 given, a handsome and commodious pavil- 

 iion intended to be a memorial. On Sept. 

 39, a large number ot people gathered and 

 witnessed the formal donation of this build- 

 ing to the city of Rochester forever. 



This meeting was honored by the presence 

 of Mr Geo. EUwanger, the surviving mem- 

 ber of the firm named, and who had kindly 

 prepared an address relating to the gift and 

 the improvements, which was read on this 

 occasion. In this paper feeling references 

 were made to the.beauty of the commanding 

 elevation embraced in the park, and which 

 the writer said he had rarely failed to visit 

 and admire daily for nearly forty years. 

 Mr. EUwanger had often asked himself the 

 question: where have nature and art — God's 

 handiwork and the skill of man — combined 

 so many elements of beauty ? 



He could frankly say that, though he had 

 traveled in many countries, and had seen 

 many of the fairest landscapes of other 

 lands, he had always returned to this 

 elevation and found it to his mind stiU one 

 of the most beautiful spots of earth. In the 

 later part of life he had come here to refresh 

 himself after mental or physical fatigue, and 

 found that though he had looked upon it so 

 many times, it always charmed the eye and 

 rested the mind. Believing that the attract- 

 tions of Nature develop the best feelings of 

 every one, Mr. Barry, and the writer had 

 desired that this good city of Rochester, 

 should possess forever this Epot, at once so 

 health-giving and so beautiful. They, 

 therefore, for some time past had intended 

 to give this beautiful elevation to their 

 fellow-citizens. 



Mr. EUwanger thought that now since his 

 associate has passed away, it was fitting 

 that this pavilion, erected in the semi-cen- 

 tennial anniversary of their partnership, 

 planned with the aid of Mr. Barry's excel- 

 lent judgment, should be considered a 

 joint memorial to him and to those of us 

 who must soon follow him. 



For possessing these grounds and deep 

 ravines, much credit is due to those who 

 first worked to provide this rapidily-grow- 

 ing city with breathing places at once ac- 

 cessible and suitable. 



Park Commissioner Elliott was compli- 

 mented for his intelligent appreciation of 

 the advantages of this locality tor park pur- 

 poses, and his untiring efforts to have it 

 properly improved. He was among the 

 first of those who secured the action that 

 has made this the central point of the park 

 system of the city of Rochester. He had at 

 once recognized the combined attractions 

 at this point — pure air, extended views of 

 unsurpassed natural scenery, a fountain 

 throwing a jet of water high in air, and a 

 broad sweep of meadow-lands sloping away 

 from it to the distant southern hiUs. 



In closing, Mr. EUwanger said that this 

 would soon be the most accessible place, 

 ■within reasonable distance, to breath the 

 fresh country air in hot summer days, and 

 to obtain a sight of the unrivaled scenery 

 that surrounds the City of Flowers. 



Shrubs and Trees for Town Culture. 



CHARLES WAYLASD, ERIE CO., PA. 



It is well known that not all kinds of 

 woody growths succeed in the close and 

 more or less smoky and impure air of towns. 

 Evergreens of the conifer division, for ex- 

 ample, are seldom seen in good condition in 

 the city, and there are many others. Hav- 

 ing had considerable experience in testing 

 the suitability of various growths in a rather 

 close town garden, I take pleasure in com- 

 menting upon some of the best kinds that 

 have come under my observation. 



The .Japan Euouymus, although not hardy 

 in the north, is so easily grown as a tub 

 plant and is so handsome that it deserves a 

 prominent place in the list. It is an ever- 

 green, and wiU grow, and with little care 

 even flourish in any situation. The dark 

 glossy loliage of the plain-leaved kinds and 

 the bright markings of the variegated varie- 

 ties are almost equally effective, though the 



