1889. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



285 



roots and tops of the plants while pniiliieing 

 their most active gx-owtli and greatest amimnt 

 of blooms, out i)f doors as well as under glass, 

 the amount of moisture being equal or nearly 

 so. Tlie several thermometrie tests made indi- 

 cated from lU to 'M degrees ditferenee between 

 the temperature iit the soil and of the atmos- 

 phei-e, when the plants were making their most 

 aetive growth, giving a profusion of blooms 

 The soil Indicated from 40 to 50 degrees. These 

 ttsts were made during spring time. The result 

 of these experiments formed a eonelusion in my 

 minil, that by placing my radiating pipes sus- 

 pended near the glass would give me results 

 more nearly to the out-door ones than by the low 

 down i-adiation. Two years of experience with 

 overhead radiation has given me even better re- 

 sults than I anticipated. I lune also become 

 moi-e satislied that most of the diseases of our 

 plant houses are directly traceable to a \ iolation 

 of Nature's law in the methods of heating and 

 ventilating plant houses as at present practiced. 

 Advantages of Overhead Pipes. The advant- 

 ages T have found so far, are: First, It does not 

 reciuire so great an outlay for pijiing a house, a 

 lineal foot of 1'4 inch, for steam, is ecjual to a 

 lineal foot of 4-inch pipe for hot water under- 

 neath the benches. Steam at 2-pound pressure 1 

 have foiuid that a lineal foot of lJ4-inch pipe will 

 give sullicient radiation, if steam is used, for 

 three scpiare feet of glass; if hot water, then 1)^- 

 inch is sullicient tor the same amount of glass. 

 This for zero outside and sixty degrees inside. 

 Second: 1 have found, by thermometrieal tests, 

 that the heat is \ery much more evenly diffused 

 throughout the entire house, even within two 

 inches of the floor, even under the benches not 

 to exceed three degrees lower than at six feet 

 above the floor. Third: Air currents are formed 

 much more completel,\' than by underneath radi- 

 ation. The pipes being susiicnded just beneath 

 the glass, the heat radiated from them immedi- 

 ately comes in cimtact with the cold air sliding 

 along just beneath the glass, imparts heats to it 

 and as it passes the line of pipes in its descent, it 

 receives more heat, which it carries along impart- 

 ing it slowly until the entire atmosphere of the 

 house is evenly warmed, forming upward and 

 downward currents. Fourth: The molecular or 

 wavy action gi\en to the air iust beneath the 

 glass by the radiation of the heat from the pipes, 

 seems to have the eftect of intensifying the light 

 as it passes through it, and this intensification 

 gives a greater amount of radiant energy, thus 

 assisting in the diffusion tending to the equaliza- 

 tion of temperature or equilibrium. That this 

 intensified condition e,xists is shown by the fact 

 that on very cloudy days, without any change in 

 the thermometrie condition of the pipes, while 

 dark and after light appears, when the atmos- 

 phere is very densely cloudy, the thermometer, 

 as the light increases, will show a rise of se\'eral 

 degrees according to the idensit.v of the clouds. 

 That this takes place, to some extent, with un- 

 der radiation is true, but not to the extent of the 

 overhead. This intensified light has very much 

 to do with the gre-.iter vigor and healthfulness 

 of ijlants, for it is a well known fact, that 

 the most healthful plants, the most intense 

 coloring in blooms are found on that por- 

 tion of the earth where the atmosphere is clear 

 and the greatest number of rays strike the 

 earth on a given amount of surface. 



Fifth. Hy the overhead system of heating 

 jilant houses, the soil on the benches is warmed 

 from the surface downward, just as we find it 

 out of doors, the evaporation from the surface 

 is slower, carries away the heat, the roots of the 

 plants are therefore in a cool, moist soil, conse- 

 quently healthier than where the heat is applied 

 ciirectly beneath the benches in a soil that is dry, 

 a high temiierature which forces the moisture 

 ra]>idly away. Water is not needed .so copiously 

 at each watering, rarely so as to run through. 



I am of the opinion that the atim)Sphere is, as 

 a whole, moister, yet I have not used a hygrome- 

 ter or wet bulb thermometer to determine that 

 fact, judging by the sense of feeling. From my 

 two years experience in the use of overhead 

 radiation, the healthfulness of my plants, the 

 abundance and size of my blooms, I am very 

 sure I shall not return to the old system of heat- 

 ing. Surely there could be no more convincing 

 jtroof than a thorough testlike this. 



To those who are disposed to be critical or pre- 

 judiced against any innovation on old time ideas, 

 I will simply say, that in plant houses where 

 pipes are not used under the centre benches, or 

 where solid beds are used, they are warmed by 

 the general principle involved in the overhead. 



viz.: by diffused railiated heat, and I feel <iuite 

 assured that the plants so grown on them, have 

 ever lieen quite as healthy, gi\'en (juite as abuu 

 dant blooms, at least I know of Hoses that ha\e 

 been planted twelve years in a solid bed and are 

 at this time perfectly healthy and giving abun- 

 dant lihjoms. 



Crowing Tulip Bulbs in England. 



lAhslrart of pap,- r rrnil liji Mr. Jtnm-K U'alkfr at the 

 Hortifutturtil Club, England.'] 



The three classes I wi.sli to refer to are tlie 

 Dutch or bedding, the Parrot, and the 

 species of the genus Tulipa. Their culture 

 is simple and well adapted to this country. 

 The treatment ot the varieties varies but 

 little. The few species that are not quite 

 hardy will be kept out of view. 



The first thing to be done is to select a sheltered 

 situation. The land ought to be sandy-light up 

 to medium loam. Wet heavy land ought by all 

 means to be avoided. Select a piece that has 

 grown a croj) without manure, then apply plenty 

 of new stable manure. It may be put in just be- 

 fore planting with the plough. When recom- 

 mending new manure, I am aware I clash with 

 many good cultivators, but I here give the find- 

 ing as I have found it- that is, our results have 

 always been better from new than from old man- 

 ure. Howe\'er, let it be old or new, it ought ne\- 

 er to come in contact with the Bulbs. 



Early in October is the best time to plant; 3 to 

 4 inches deep, three iuehas between the Bulbs, 

 and 8 inches between the rows represents my 

 practice. Some recommend planting l> inches 

 deep, Ijut when grown at this depth in large cjuau- 

 tities the expense is largely increased in lifting. 

 After planting there islittle to do except keeping 

 the Bulbs clean. For ordinary seasons they will 

 be ready for lifting early in June. The time 

 varies a little according to the season, but it is 

 alwa.iis safe to lift whenever the foliage begins to 

 get yellow. If they have been in good cpiarters 

 the rtowering Bulbs in most instances will ha\e 

 produced a good second-sized and also a small 

 Bulb, and the small ones will have developed into 

 flowering Bulbs. I may here say that if they are 

 allowed to remain in the ground after they are 

 ripe the skin of the IJulb will be dark, and not the 

 bright color a salable Bulb ought to be. When 

 lifted they ought to be placed in tra.vs, boxes, or 

 laid out in lofts, with plenty of air. A dark shed 

 or outhouse is preferable, for if exposed to the sim 

 <u- much light the skin will crack and come ofl'. 

 I have already said that the treatment is sim- 

 ple, but there can be no success if annual lifting 

 is not iiractieed, and the lifting and planting done 

 at the proper time. I have also said that the cul- 

 ture is weU adapted to this country. Now how is 

 it we do not grow our own Bulbs ? Seeing that 

 no nation in the world grants us the same privi- 

 leges that we grant them, it becomes us to look 

 round and see if we are not spending large sums 

 of money on a plant we could grow, if not better, 

 equally as well ourselves. Fora number of yeai'S 

 I have jjlanted Dutch-grown Bulbs alongside of 

 home-grown ones, and the latter produced larger 

 flowers than the former, and this was more strik- 

 ing in the Parrot species, a clear proof that these 

 two sections prefer medium loam to sand. I am 

 a little surv>rised that the species are not more 

 cultivated. If we take Gesneriana, Fulgens, 

 Elegans, Elegans allia, Ketroliexa, &c., theii- ef- 

 fect in beds or borders is simply grand. 



Can they be grown to pay ? I have had some 

 experience in growing them by the acre, and 

 cannot throw out the hope that a fortune can be 

 made, but if i>roperly manged, a fair profit may 

 be realized. In field culture we cannot always 

 be certain of sound market flowers. I have seen 

 a shower of hail damage thousands of buds, and 

 the sun shine out ten minutes afterwards and 

 smile on all the destruction the hail had done. 

 Partridges and rooks are fond ot the buds when 

 .voung. Such are a few of the dilhculties to eon- 

 tend with. However, so far as I have seen, none 

 of these misfortunes interferes with the develop- 

 ment of the Bulbs. 



Our advantages over the Dutch growers are 

 better and cheaper land, and cheaper manure. 

 Our great disadvantage is the want of skilled la- 

 bor; in this the Dutch grower has yet a great ad- 

 vantage over us. I believe one of their workmen 

 will lift as many Bulbs in a single day as ours 

 would in foiu" days. 



I have a robust faith, however, that with 

 a sturdy will and a little skill England may bo 

 made the home for the Tulip. 



Nomenclature of Fruits. 



[ Kj-tnti't of Paper read by B. K. Van Dcman, U. S. 

 promologiitt, before American Nurscrumen's Con- 

 vention.] 



It has now been six years since our be- 

 loved and lamented Wilder delivered him- 

 self before the American Proinological 

 Society of the reformatory ideas regarding 

 the nomenclature of our fruit.s. 



The committees on nomenclature of the Amer- 

 ican Pomological and American Horticultural 

 Societies have olticially reported in favor of 

 measures looking to the practical application of 

 the new ideas, and the former society has pre- 

 pared and adopted a revised list of the leading 

 fruits of our country. This revision has been 

 made with the most sacrificing care and by the 

 best pomologists of the day. It has been the 

 idea to shorten, simplify, eliminate, and put into 

 as plain English as possible the conglomeration 

 of names that have been dug out of all the na- 

 tions of the earth. The task has been far from a 

 light one, and especially with the Russian list, 

 and I am sorry to say it does seem in a great 

 measure to have been a thankless one. I hope 

 that the day will soon come when the Nursery- 

 mens' Association will be the active agent of 

 carrying into effect what the other societies and 

 private individuals have so well idanned and 

 begun. 



Why has not the association taken ofBcial ac- 

 tiim to establish uniformity of names for our 

 fruits y Ccrtjiinly such a course wtmld be most 

 happy and |irofltable in its results. 



Few nurserymen have made practical applica- 

 tion of the rules that as membei"s of one or more 

 of the pomological or horticultural societies they 

 may have helped to make or endorse. A careful 

 examination ot the nursery catalogues shows an 

 array of synonyms that is truly discouraging. 

 We find the Ben Davis Apple called New York 

 Pippin in some of the Eastern states, and Ken- 

 tucky Red in the South; we have Gilpin called 

 t'arthouse; Romanite, Little Romanite, and Lit- 

 tle Red Romanite, according to previous know- 

 ledge, or, it may be, the fancy of the nurseryman . 

 Some still hold to the old, useless and long ago 

 discarded ajipendage " Pippin," which was first 

 attached to Grimes Golden. The much simpler 

 and equally intelligible name Westfield is often 

 seen with the "Seek-no-further" attachment. 

 Angouleme Pear has its old prefix andsufiix both 

 carefully preserved. Cumberland Strawberry 

 has its " Triumph," and Woodruff and Wyoming 

 Grapes have their "Red" superfluities. The 

 crop of swelling "Wonderfuls" and overloaded 

 " Proliflcs " seems to be still growing. 



It is easy to see how all this confusion and use- 

 less bombast is originated and propagated. Some 

 nurseryman originates or purchases the stock of 

 some new thing, and not to be outdone in a name 

 he goes in for all the thing is worth, and perhaps 

 more, too. Or he may, in his honest, ignorant 

 simplicity, have found some old variety and re- 

 named it. 



Might not this association take some action 

 that would in a few years induce the nursery 

 men to submit their catalogues to a committee 

 on nomenclature or some other authorit.v by 

 which the names be corrected, so that the same 

 fruits may in time have the same names in all 

 places? Of course it will be impossible to change 

 the local names, but the annoyance and incon- 

 venience of teaching the people the correct 

 names will be far less than to continue the pres- 

 ent custom of everyone using such names as 

 may suit their fancy. 



The rules of the American Pomological Society 

 regai'ding the name of new fruits are quite sulfi- 

 cient, but the.v lack ]iractical application by the 

 nurserymen of the countr.v. If they were lived 

 up to, there would be great advancement in 

 knowledge, and the confusion which now occurs 

 would soon cease. 



Evaporation of Fruits. 



t^Vom recent discussion of Ontario Fruit Growers^ As- 

 sociation.] 



Mr. BouLTEii:— In the past few year.s (juite 

 a large number of small evaporators have 

 been made and sold to farmers. There are 

 lots of Apples that cannot be profitably sent 

 in to the factory. They should be sliced up 

 and bleached, and they could realize a good 

 fair profit on them, because they could do 

 this at home, and save drawing those Apples 

 to market, to factories and to evaporators. 



