256 Flued Walls at ErsJcine House, 



leaves. On my first entering my present situation, I found several plants 

 nearly covered with white scale, and 1 had determined upon throwing them 

 away ; but, thinking I might as well try some experiments with them, either to 

 kill or cure, I had recourse to hot water, being aware it was destructive to 

 insects, and, until I had tried it, I doubted not, to evergreen plants also ; but, 

 in this 1 was wrong, as the sequel will show. I took for my experiment two 

 plants of Coronilla glauca each 6 ft. high, one of Coronilla glauca variegata 

 .3 ft. high, one iV^erium Oleander 6 ft. high, and one Corrge^a pulchella 2 ft. high. 

 I heated a copper of water to 180°, I laid these plants down by the side of it, 

 and well washed each of them with water from the copper by means of the 

 syringe ; I turned them about several times that no part might escape the 

 washing : the Corrae'a being the smallest plant, I plunged the head of it into 

 the hot water and kept it there for the space of three or four seconds. I fully 

 expected this would have killed both plants and insects ; but in this I was 

 also mistaken, for the plants are now alive, the leaves are slightly dis- 

 coloured, but the wood is not at all injured. The insects, I believe, are all 

 dead, many washed off with the hot water, and many more with cold water ; 

 and, as the plants grow, I have no doubt the whole of them will fall off, as I 

 am persuaded that the water killed all those it touched. It will be useful to 

 know the degree of heat water may be applied at to evergreen plants, as it will 

 not only destroy the scale, but all other insects. It is frequently applied to 

 wall trees, and with good effect, but I am not aware that it had been tried on 

 evergreen plants. I am trying the effects of it on plants with more tender 

 leaves, and in due time wiU send you the result. 



In the mean time I hope some of your correspondents and readers will 

 prosecute the enquiry, and ascertain what degree of heat different evergreen 

 plants will bear with impunity. 



Rosehill Garde?is, Sussex, Jan. 21. 1841. 



Art. v. Further Information respecting the Flued Walls at ErsJcine 

 House. By G. Shiells, Gardener there. 



Agreeably to your request, I now send you some further information respect- 

 ing our flued walls, by the aid of which we have been enabled to oljtain 

 abundant crops of ripe fruit at an early season. But I shall confine my ob- 

 servations at present chiefly to the construction of the wall, and our mode of 

 protecting the trees and fruit. 



The flues are not plastered within. I have tried it with lime mixed with 

 cow-dung, but I do not approve of it ; lime being a non-conductor It suits, 

 however, for the under flues of walls on the old principle, to prevent them 

 from overheating, and to do away the use of hot air, which I never found to 

 answer. On the north side of the wall are four places or holes for cleaning 

 each flue, 9 in. wide, and 1 ft. deep ; one of which is placed within 3 ft. 

 of each end, and the other two divide the intermediate space equally. Four 

 bricks, as stretchers, are put into each of these holes flush with the face of the 

 wall, laid without mortar, only pointed on the outside, to admit of being easily 

 taken out when cleaning is required. The bricks which cover the flues are 13 or 

 14 inches long, and reach to the face of the wall, forming a course of headers. 

 The wall is 21 in. thick ; the stone coping is of the saddle-back form, being 

 6 in. thick in the middle with raised joints, 4 in. thick at the edges which 

 project 4 in. before the face of the wall and the same behind, having a groove 

 or throating underneath, to prevent the wet communicating with the wall. 

 We use no wooden coping, although a temporary coping of wood is certainly 

 of use to protect the trees in the spring when in bloom. We protect with 

 nets for the vines and cherries. Upon the flued walls a single woollen net or 

 double herring-net is used ; the upper side fixed on nails fastened in the joints 

 of the coping near the edge. The under side is fastened to temporary stakes 

 about 3 ft. in length, placed about 3 ft. from the wall. 



