26 Calls at Gardens and J^Turseries. 



return to the boiler. Several amateur and practical gardeners 

 have seen it, and pronounce it the most complete apparatus for 

 the purpose that has ever been invented. Mr. Wilder has al- 

 ready put one up like it in his stove. 



It only remains for us to say that this improvement is the in- 

 vention of Mr. P. B. Hovey, jr., and was erected from a plan 

 drawn by him, at the request of Mr. Sweetser, who was desirous 

 of adding a pit to his stove, for plants that require bottom heat. 

 The success which has attended this system is such as to give 

 us the utmost confidence in recommending it for all similar pur- 

 poses, and more particularly for forcing cucumbers and other 

 vegetables in the months of January and February, when it is 

 all but impossible to work ordinary hot-beds. The first cost is 

 not great, and the fuel which it consumes is very small; and in 

 the latter case it would not cost half as much as the quantity of 

 dung necessary for the formation of beds. 



Art. V. Calls at Gardens and Nurseries. 



Charlestown Vineyard, Messrs. Mason, — Dec. I4th. Within the 

 past year there have been many additions made to the forcing depart- 

 ment here, and it now contains, for the pm-poses of growing grapes, 

 peaches, and various vegetables, as lettuces, radishes, &c., upwards of 

 four hundred feet of glass. An immense quantity of grapes will be 

 produced here in the course of a year or two, as soon as the plants get 

 well established. Mr. Mason, senior, is a very good grower of grapes, and 

 we have no doubt that he will be able to make it a very profitable busi- 

 ness. There is a great demand for forced grapes, and it would give us 

 much pleasure to see them supplied by such men as the Messrs. Ma- 

 son, who are very industrious in their profession, rather than from the 

 gardens of amateurs and Avealthy gentlemen, who should be above 

 such petty dealing, which interferes with the business of the forcing 

 gardener, and prevents him from procuring the ready sale for his vari- 

 ous articles, which he otherwise would. This is carried to a consider- 

 able length by some gentlemen, who, were it generally known, we can- 

 not but believe woiild be ashamed to be considered as competitors with 

 the industrious and hard-Avorking forcing gardener. The same prac- 

 tice in regard to flowers is pursued by too many who wish to be con- 

 sidered as amateurs, but who are, in fact, nurserymen under this as- 

 surned title. Until this practice, unknown in any other section of the 

 Union, except Boston and its vicinity, is done away with, it will be in 

 vain to expect to find nurserymen possessing good collections of plants. 

 It is one of the most serious drawbacks upon the progress of floricul- 

 ture; and if as much of it is done for the future as has been within a 

 year or two past, we fear the business of the nurserymen will be so de- 

 pressed as to render it scarcely worth pursuing. We throw out these 



