52 
THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE. 
: [JAN. 24, 
able success in growing it. An opinion is prevalent that 
this flower is more difficult to eultivate than most others 
which are grown in the open air, and it must be con- 
fessed there is reason for it. Skill and attention are in- 
dispensable to the suecessful eulture of the Ranun- 
culus, and in this sense it presents difficulties. Many 
flowers seem almost independent of the care of man, 
demanding scarcely any time or thought for the pro- 
duction of their beauties; the Ranunculus lays a heavier 
tax upon its votaries, and if it is cheerfully paid it will 
rarely fail to develope its surpassing charms. 
Few garden spectacles are more attractive than a 
well-grown bed of Ranunculuses, and it is to be re- 
gvetted that the sight is so rare. A few solitary patches 
ave occasionally met with, but a large bed, containing 
150 or 200 distinct sorts isso rare that some counties 
will not furnish it. Those who have had the privilege 
of leisurely contemplating such a bed will not readily 
forget ‘the pleasing impressions it produced, and will 
think that some time and money would be worthily be- 
stowed in the creation of such a splendid phenomenon. 
The foliage being very humble in its growth, and hav- 
ing rather a spreading character, the bed, if properly 
planted, will be quite covered with a carpet of soft 
green, from which at intervals, of 3 or 4 inches, will 
rise the tall slender  flower-stems, which appear 
scarcely strong enough to support so full and heavy a 
flower. But who can describe the flowers themselves, 
with their infinitude of colours and endless varieties of 
tints, spots, and stripes? As the roots will not require 
to be planted for a month to come, I hope to induce 
many of the readers of the Chronicle to attempt the 
production of such a bed for themselves, and they will 
then, if suecessful, confess that its varied beauties can- 
not be described. 
It has been thought that certain neighbourhoods 
cannot grow the Ranunculus, and it is unquestionable 
that some soils are much more favourable for this pur- 
pose than others. The locality in which I reside had a 
bad character in this respect, and I remember Mr. Tyso, 
whose authority in this matter is first-rate, gave his 
opinion, as he passed. through the neighbourhood, that 
»uneuluses would not be likely to attain perfection 
init. The soil is a tenacious loam, with a gravelly 
subsoil, and certainly appears a wrong habitat for this 
very sensitive plant. However, I tried,.and for several 
fseqgons met with entire success, rst grew 
a bed ot about 200 roots in a small garden 
in a country town. I piaced the bed on the 
north side of a row of lime-trees, whose friendly 
shade, in the month of June, counteracted the arid 
nature of the soil and situation. The leafless branches 
admitted the full sunlight in the earlier periods of 
growth, and yet administered appropriate shelter from 
the hotter beams at a season when they would other- 
wise have been fatal. The great beauty of this bed I 
must attribute to the ci just tioned, for 
I do not think any care would have secured a perfect 
loom in that spot, if artificial shade had not been given. 
On removing from the premises where this experiment 
had been tried, my next attempt was in a very small 
garden indeed, complétely surrounded with buildings, 
and having, in consequence, some very inimical currents 
of wind. ‘The bloom here was also very fine, and gained 
the applause of many amateurs who saw the bed. 
success led to the purchase of considerable quantities 
of the root by several gentlemen, but they met with 
very varied success, Indeed, there were so many 
failures, that I was obliged to conclude my own treat- 
ment was more careful than that of others, and I will 
endeavour to detail the precise methods I adopted, for 
the instruction of any who may wish this season to try 
their fortune with this flower. 
‘= Choose a small bed in the lowest part of your garden, 
and in a situation where the rays of the sun will only 
fall for about three or four hours a day, either in the 
morning or evening, although the former is much to be 
ed. That I may not neutralise my efforts by too 
intricate directions, I observe that what is called good 
garden mould may be taken as it is, without any foreign 
admixture, unless it is very poor, when a little leaf- 
mould, or very rotten frame manure, may be added. 
Dig up the bed thoroughly to the depth of twelve inches, 
and leave it rough until a January frost has pulverised 
it. Then level the bed, and after some heavy rains 
have settled the soil, any time in February the planting 
may take plaee. Previous to this, of course, the roots 
must be procured, and I will, next week, initiate you 
into that very important branch of the business.’ Care- 
fully survey your domain in the interim, and cautiously 
choose your site. Having decided on the spot which 
will best secure fresh air, moisture, and shelter in the 
heat of mid boldl ions, a 
in an hour or two you will have done all that can 
present be accomplished.—H. B. 
n 
at 
HEATING sy tue CIRCULATION or WARM AIR. 
Tux following woodcut represents a Vinery which 
was erected here in 1840, and exhibits a different ar- 
g it, in t irculation of the heated air, to the 
one at Polmaise. By reference to the ground plan, it 
will be seen that the stove is placed in the inside of the 
house, at the end ; that the air-chamber, in which is a 
smoke-pipe, is 2 feet from the front wall ; and that the 
chamber runs the whole length of the house. The 
smoke-pipe passes up the end of the house, within 
2 feet of the glass, entering a chimney in the back wall, 
but which is not shown on the plan. 
From the stove being at the end of the house, it 
may appear that the heat will not be equally diffused, 
but this is not the case ; for the heated air can be car- 
ried along to the other end by keeping the cover on, 
which makes the other end of the house the hottest, if 
the covers are raised at B and C on the ground plan. 
In the Polmaise system I do not like the return, or 
cold-air drain, being so far from the front of the house. 
The house would, I apprehend, be considerably warmer 
at the top than at the front. Because, on the system 
here, although the sides of the hot-air chamber are only 
2 feet from the front, by placing two thermometers, 
one at D and another at E, in transverse section, there 
is a difference of from 5? to 109, according to the state of 
external p , the th at E, of course, 
being highest. Perhaps, however, the difference is not 
so great in the Pol- 
maise plan. The cur- 
rent of air in the 
house here is so 
strong that it rushes 
with great rapidity to 
the. top (as indicated 
by the direction of 
the arrows), so much 
so that the leaves of 
the Vines arein con- 
stant motion through- 
out the whole house. 
So strong is the cur- 
rent of air that a! y 
candle will not burn goya Seton ofthe stove on a tanger 
at the distance of 4 open and the other shut, witha small 
feet from the air- handle for opening; 9, Spiral tubes in 
chamber when the the Bot air chamber fo make tho pas- 
covers are tilted ; stove; 10, the ash pit; 11, Castiron 
and it is remarkably cover on the top of the fire, covered 
Strong at the valve With sand, as shown by the dots. 
(fig. 4) at the entrance into the cold drain ; the instant 
the valve is shut the motion of the leaf stops. 
|, — 
c Ne wwe A 7 
T MM 77 ZZ 
Section, 
777 
ZZ 
Reference to the Plan.—Section. 1, The fire-place of the stove. 
2, 2, The smoke pipe, 5 inches diameter, with trough for hold- 
ing water, 3, 3, The heated air-chamber, with covers to lift at 
pleasure. The arrows show the direction of the heated air, 
and the return into the cold air drain, to be again heated by 
e stove, Ground plan.—4, An opening in the back wall of 
the house to admit the cold air into the drain below the pave- 
ment ofthe pathway. 5, An opening on the outside, to admit 
fresh airat pleasure. 6, Stoke-hole, with three steps down to 
it. 7, A plug on the end of the smoke pipe,to take the soot out 
of. 8, A pit in the Vinery for growing Cucumbers, forcing Sea- 
kale, &c. j 
There is no provision made here for moisture, except 
by the troughs on the pipes; but with these, and the 
moisture that goes through the pavement into the cold-air 
drain, there is abundance ; for in a very short time after 
the house is shut up every leaf in the house is hanging ` 
withsmall globulesof water, so that Inever use the syringe 
(which, by-the-by, I do not approve of), nor is it 
necessary, if the houses. are properly constructed. If 
we could syringe them on the upper surface of the leaf 
only, it might be all very well; but the system of dash- 
ing water on the under side of the leaf will, I hope, be 
soon among the things that were. If more moisture 
was required here, it could be easily obtained, equally as 
at Polmaise, by hanging a wet woollen cloth in the air- 
chamber, and it might be made to pass through a series 
of thick cloths. Those who have never been in a 
house where air is i 
was planned and erected by him, the rafters being iron 
and the astragals zine ; the system of giving air is 
I I may mention that the cost of coke for the 
stove averages 37. 15s. a-year, or about four tons andia 
half. I keep greenhouse plants in the house all winter, 
fire being only applied to the Vines about the latter end 
of March. 
I have never been able to produce such large bunches 
as those raised at Polmaise, the heaviest being 21 lbs. 
The border is not at all rich, being made at first with 
nothing but light turfy loam. The number of bunches, 
and the weight of the whole has been great; and the 
Vines at present are all I could wish—Alex. Shearer, 
gr. to the Marquis of Tweedale, Yester, Haddington. 
SUMMER FRANC REAL PEAR, 
ne 
Synonyme: 
bin 
e, 
Frans 
It is 
Pale yellowish green, 
with a sprinkling of brown russet. 
The fruit here represented was one of medium size 
from a standard, on which it bears abundantly. The 
flesh is white, buttery, and rich. In perfection in the 
first fortnight of September, The tree grows vigorously; 
shoots yellowish-brown, sprinkled with pale-brown dots. 
Leaves large, ovate, somewhat eordate at the base, 
acuminate, the margin almost entire ; they are remark- 
ably woolly when unfolding. Flowers middle-sized 5 
petals roundish obovate. This variety does not require 
& wall; and as it bears abundantly, a small tree, grown 
