= THE 
110 
GARDENERS’ CHRONIC 
LE, [Frs. 21, 
consists in finding out her methods of procedure, and 
then humbly imitating them. By a long course of ex- 
perience, if guided by a habit of observation, every man 
will in time become skilful; but there is a more éompen- 
dious method by which much time will besaved, and that 
is, by reading the results of the observations of others. 
I would recommend to every amateur to study well 
Lindley's “ Theory of Horticulture.” - I owe much of 
the pleasure and suecess I have found in gardening to 
rusal of that book, and no one ean be ignorant of 
ist. 
may be rendered more extensively useful; amy 22 
pplieable to t as it is to small ones. How 
this is to be effected I will endeavour to show. I would 
| propose that the warm air, radiating from the exterior 
of the furnace, and collected in an air chamber, be con- 
veyed through woollen tubes made of flannel; these 
tubes to be placed in such a position as would be found 
most desirable for warming the atmosphere of the house; 
but here a difficulty occurs, how is the air to be made 
to circulate through these flannel tubes. I think itmay 
lished in this y hen the furnace is con- 
ciples and hope to be a ful } 
Tae libour of years will be superseded by becoming 
acquainted in this easy manner with the discoveries of 
o‘hers, and with the great laws of vegetable growth 
which the collation of those discoveries has brought to 
to light. A man may indeed be a great reader, and yet 
not a practical gardener ; but a judicious application to 
books will always shorten our labour and make our 
failures fewer. The reason why a certain mode of 
planting and potting is more efficient than others, it is 
very desirable to know on many accounts, and a man 
must either discover the theory by extensive research 
or learn it from others. Most persons will prefer the 
latte od, and Dr. Lindley’s book will prove a safe 
guide. By the way, would not a cheap edition of this 
valuable work be of great service, and meet with an ex- 
tensive circulation !—H. B. 
A LIST OF STOVE PLANTS 
That will produce a i 
of bloom througl the 
ori 
Ruellia longifolia, b 
Hibiseus Manihot, yellow. 
i speciosa, deep 
ue, 
Eranthemum nervosum, blue 
ragrans, white. 
mata, pink. orange. 
Dipladenia crassinoda, rose. 
ma, scarlet. s' 
ata, rose. Pentas carnea, blush. 
Ichellum, blue. | Chirita zeylanica, violet. 
yellow. Manettia cordifolia, scarlet. 
Passiflora kermesina, crimson. eroeata, orange. 
Euphorbia splendens, scarlet. | Murraya exotica, white. 
ARCH, Columnea scandens, scarlet, 
Combretum purpureum, pur- SEPTEMBER. 
grandifiorus, 
Osbeckia chinensis, rose, [ple. | Aschynanthus 
Gardenia Stanleyana, mottled scarlet. 
white. Justicia carnea, blush. 
1 
Franciscea Gesnera elongata, scarlet. 
» hydr Guzmania tricolor, gr.& scarl. 
Heliconia br Echites stellaris, blush. 
Txora rosea, rose. 
Hippeastrum aulicum, red. 
Gesnera discolor, crims: 
a, pu: 
Begonia coccinea, scarlet. [ple. 
Clerodendron hastatum, pink. 
Max. 
Mussenda frondosa, yellow. 
Gesnera Douglasii, purple 
otted. 
Isotoma longifiorum, white, 
Achimenes longiflora, violet. 
io: grandiflora, rose. 
Clerodendron fallax, scarlet. 
‘OBER. 
Passiflora racemosa, scarlet, 
Gesnera zebrina, red & yellow. 
Aphelandra cristata, scarlet. 
Ismene flava, yellow. 
Franciscea Hopeana, blue. 
Manettia bicolor, red. 
OVEMBER. 
iteairnia flammea, scarlet. 
egonia semperflorens, white. 
Epiphyllum truncatum,crimsn 
Physianthus auricomus, yellow 
Pleroma Benthamianum,blue, 
coronaria, | Ap aurantiaca,orange 
white. DECEMBER. 
JUNE. Goldfussia anisophylla, blue. 
Gesnera Suttoni, scarlet, Euphorbia fulgens, scarlet. 
Gloxinia maxima, blue. Aristolochia gigas, brown and 
Clerodendron infortunatum, buff. 
scarlet. Eranthemum strictum, blue. 
Allamanda cathartica, yellow, | Dysophylla stellata, violet. 
Portlandia grandiflora, white, | Iporncea cymosa, white. 
Erythrina Crista-galli, scarlet. A 
WzEkLY Prices or. PorATOES per ton, in Covent 
Garden Market, in 1845, and 1846. 
x P J 
structed the chimney should be so built as to afford tbe 
means of producing an ascending column of hot air 
through air-flues carried up betwixt the smoke flue and 
exterior wall of the chimney shaft, either by a circular 
flue within a square one, or by two square ones, the 
angle of the inner one being set opposite to the sides of 
the outer one ; the space between the two, on either plan, 
will form the ascending hot-air flues. Now, we will 
suppose that the ends of the flannel tubes, whether 
there be one or more of them, are made to terminate in 
a well constructed brick flue built under the floor of the 
house ; this flue is carried on to the lower end of the 
ascending hot-air flue, into which it is securely built. 
The effect of such an arrangement as this will be to 
cause a circulation of warm air through the flannel 
tubes, and the velocity of this circulation will depend 
upon that of the rarified air in the ascending hot-air 
fiues,—so far the principle of the plan is, I think, 
sound enough in theory to warrant me in saying it 
will effect the object [ had in view ; namely, the cir- 
culation of warm air through flannel tubes in any direc- 
tion that may be required. There are some apparent, 
but, I believe, no real difficulties in this plan ; none, at 
least, but such as may be overcome by a little perse- 
verance, It may be said that air will be drawn into the 
tubes from the atmosphere of the house, but this cannot 
be the ease, because the air passing through the tubes 
being of higher temperature, and, therefore, specifically 
lighter, will have a constant tendency to rise and force 
its way through the meshes of the flannel. The tem- 
perature of the house will be regulated by that of the 
air passing through it; there will be no difficulty on 
this point where there is a well constructed furnace. 
Air in motion over a hot surface will be much more 
quickly heated than when at rest. Ina quiescent state 
it is nearly a non-conductor of heat, and does not 
d 
‘only perhaps. in local districts. Daring last summer I 
had six <f them from a friend, one of wiiich was an old 
one,nearly 2neties 2 length, ofa dirty-brown colour; the 
transparent wings when closed coyeredthe back andabdo- 
men, and extended beyond it, resembling a tail, Two 
others were smaller and their wings just forming ; the. 
rest were about the size of snail grasshoppers, of a soft 
whitish colour, I kept them in a box half-full of soil, 
covered with a pane of glass, which precaution was un- 
necessary, for I found that they could not even ereep up 
the sides of the box, though they had strength enough 
in their fore paws to bore into hard soil, nay, even to 
open one's finger and thumb when pressed hard 
between them. I gave my pets roots of various plants, 
but they refused to eat them, and being at a loss for a 
supply of their proper food, they began to eat one 
another; then I offered them larva or grubs, which 
they speedily devoured, by sucking out the whole of the 
substance, leaving only the skins, I managed to keep 
my crickets about three months, but they were always 
very shy, seldom appearing’ above-ground during the 
day; nor did I ever hear them utter the least sound 
like their noisy smaller brethren in the chimney corner. 
The old one never attempted to fly, indeed the weight 
of its body 
assert that this insect only flies at pairing time, but this: 
seems to be only conjecture, as wellas the notion that 
itis amphibious. Though my eriekets swam well, yet 
they could not dive, but held up their heads and seemed 
anxious to quit the water, a good sign they had.no 
affinity with aquatic insects. Those insects, instead of 
being injurious to plants are, in fact, the reverse, sub- 
sisting solely on grubs injurious to vegetation. —J.. 
Wighton, Norwich. 
Pelargoniums.—Last September, conceiving the pos- 
sibility of continuing or fixing, as it were, that state of 
growth, which I may call summer border luxuriance,. 
in Pelargoniums, I took up two plants of the very 
pretty variegated Oak-leaved Pelargonium from a border 
edging out of doors. Each plant had two or three roots, 
contorted, snake-like, and fibreless. They were potted in 
very sandy compost, with a large admixture of char- 
coal, taken into an intermediate moist stove, and for a 
fortnight incessantly syringed. They scarcely lost a 
leaf, have never ceased growing since, shooting from 
every axil, and wearing still their free autumnal luxu- 
riance, would scarcely be recognised as the same 
m 
move until it expands by increase of temp an 
hence the difficulty of conveying it through flues placed 
in an horizontal position ; but if we can effect a motion 
through the flannel tubes in the manner I have described, 
there is no reason why it should not be as efficient a carrier 
of heat as water. The making of the tubes would be 
a very simple affair, any gardener’s wife could manage 
this ; there might}be some little difficulty at first about 
the most suitable kind of flannel for the purpose, but 
this would soon be got over. Then there is the way in 
which these tubes are to be Supported ; this is another 
very easy matter, nothing more being required than an 
iron ring with a foot to it of any required length, this 
might be let into a block of wood or stone, secured to 
the wall or made fast upon the floor of the house or pit; 
any whitesmith could make these rings. "There is ano- 
ther point which is not so easily settled, and that is, the 
diameter of the tubes, but in all probability they will 
have to be of ‘greater size than in iron pipes. Iam 
inclined to think that the sectional area of the brick air- 
flue (under the floor of the house) which should be a 
yery dry one, might be half that of the tubes entering 
into it, and twice that of the ascending hot air. I have 
taken this as a rule because there is a datum for it in the 
density of air compared with its temperature ; what the 
exact proportion ought to be I eannot tell, but the tem- 
perature of the air at the several places referred to 
would go far to settle the question; perhaps some of 
your correspondents who may be profieients in such 
calculations, will take the trouble to enlighten us upon this 
part of the subject ; it would greatly facilitate the means 
of arriving at something like the true dimensions of the 
air tubes.— Henry Liddel, Beverley-road, Hull. 
| 1845. || | |. 1846. 
JE. Ausus 18| 50s. to 80s. Jan. .. .....17| 80s. to 160s. 
25| 50 $80 | 24| 160 
Ebro 1|50 80| 170 140 
*8| 50 — 80 ||Feb,......... 7| 70 160 
15|50 80 || 4| 70 160 
22150  80]|| 21| 70 160 
Also at the waterside, Southwark. 
Jan. .....-- «20 | 60s. to 80s. Jan. ........19| 50s. to 1205 
27] 55 . 80 | 26/50 120 
ES... |; 05) 80 [Eebe asye. 2/50 120 
10| 55 80 | 9/50 120 
| | 16,50 120 
17| 55 80 | 
EZome Correspondence. 
Polmaise Plan of Heating.—1 have no doubt what- 
ever that the opinions you have expressed in favour of 
this plan will eventually be more than realized. I be- 
lieve that itis capable of more extensive. lieati 
Potatoes.—My Ash-leaved Kidney Potatoes I had 
removed from the ground before their tops decayed last 
summer, and placed in the Vinery to dry. None were 
decayed, and since not one has decayed,— Alpha. 
Gooseberry Caterpillar.—A friend of mine whose 
garden suffered much from the ravages of this insect, 
tried soot and various other recipes for their extermi- 
nation, but without any success. Being recommended 
to try a decoction of Foxglove leaves, applied either 
with a syringe or from the rose of a watering-can, he 
did so very successfully. Whenever they make their 
and on a larger scale, than most persons imagine y that 
it will be far more i i ble, an 
a better means of producing a more genial and natural 
atmosphere than is effected by some of the modes of 
heating now in use. The days we live in are so fertile 
in invention that itis too much for any one to say that 
the accomplishment of any particular object is an 
impossibility ; that which may appear so to-day, is no 
longer so to-morrow, and no one can tell what ideas 
may exist, or be excited into existence in the minds of 
others, to upset any preconceived notions of our own as 
to the possibility or impossibility of effecting the com- 
pletion uf any plan for this purpose. Had it not been for 
your early discernment of its merits, and the fostering 
care bestowed upon it, this Polmaise plan, which pro- 
mises to be so useful and eheap a one, had been well nigh 
smothered in its birth. It appears to me, however, that 
the plan may be considerably improved upon, that it 
PP a good sprinkling with the decoction speedily 
makes them disappear.— W. S. Shadwell. 
The Mole Cricket.—This is perhaps the largest and 
most curious insect that Britain produces ; it differs from 
the majority of crickets in not passing through the 
larva and pupa state to complete its growth ; its first 
appearance is like the last, except-the wings, which 
grow as the insect increases in size. When this king 
of crickets is creeping, he is not unlike a very small 
lobster, or locust, but with extended wings which open 
and close like a fan under two parchment-like cases, 
which give it a singular appearance. His two strong 
fore-paws, or feet, are similar to those of his namesake, 
the mole; by these he burrows in the earth, and from a 
wrong opinion of his gnawing the roots of plants, he is 
looked upon by gardeners as anenemy, But the habits 
of this, like those of the rest of crickets, from its being 
nocturnal in its movements, are not well understood. 
It is to be met§with, however, in wet boggy places, and 
ggling untidy plants usually seen hiding the pot with 
their large leaves and thick depressed frondage.— 
Micklewell. 
Double Brompton Stocks.— Last summer among 
other diffieult things, such as Cactus-fruits, and Cu- 
eumber tendrils, I struck a number of Double Bromp- 
ton Stocks under a Ward’s case in a compost of which 
one-half was charcoal. They were a long while 
striking, but all rooted finally ; all sized cuttings rooted 
equally well, and could not now be distinguished from 
seedlings.— Micklewell. 
Impositions : The Sussex Monster Pear.—Observing 
a Pear advertised under this name, I looked in at 28, 
Cornhill, and found it to be as I suspected, an old 
friend under a new name, viz., Uvedale's St. Germain ; 
the specimens are of a fair size only, and very high 
coloured. Plants can be bought in any nursery at 
1s. 6d. each; now, 9s. is rather too much to pay for a 
new name, for these plants, I observe, are 10s. 6d. each. 
The advertisers have doubtless been imposed upon.— 
A Looker-on. - 
Fire Mortar.—In constructing the stove with bricks, 
you will find it well to recommend them to be laid in 
strong loam, mixed with a small quantity of good lime, 
where the fire acts; this is far more durable than: 
mortar, and is frequently used for arches of brick-kiln 
furnaces and malt-kilns.— Alpha. 
Transmutation of Corn.—Having read in last week’s 
Paper Mr. Wighton’s remarks and experience on this 
subject, I beg to add the following, which may perhaps 
tend to further experiments on this interesting pheno- 
menon. In the year 1827, I was at Lucerne, in the 
canton of that name. In strolling by a field which had 
been cropped with Wheat (then in full ear), I was sur- 
prised to see amongst it a grain to which I wasa 
stranger. The ears resembled Barley in shape, but 
more tapering and slender, whilst the grain was ver 
similar to Rye, but somewhat thinner; the stems or 
stalks, however, were those of Wheat. On plucking up 
a few, I discovered that the different ears all proceeded 
from the same root! I brought some of these speci. 
mens to England, which I submitted to the inspection 
of an extensive and practical agriculturist in Kent, who 
assured me he had seen the same transmutation on 
poor soils (badly cultivated) in this'country. In corro- 
boration of the system, I beg- to copy an article from 
the Gardeners’ Chron., which I find in “ Explanations” 
of the author of * Vestiges of the History of Creation,” 
page 111, as follows :—* At the request," says this 
learned person, “of the Marquis of Bristol, the Rev. 
Lord Arthur Hervey, in the year 1843, sowed a hand- 
ful of Oats, treated them in the manner recommended, 
by continually stopping the flowering stems, and the 
produce in 1844 has been, for the most part, ears of a 
very slender Barley, having much the appearance of 
Rye, with a little Wheat, and some Oats."—C. IWayth, 
Bursted House, Maidstone. 
Calceolarias.—1 beg to differ from the opinion ex- 
pressed in the Leading Article of last week respecting 
the exhibition of these beautiful flowers. 1 have re- 
peatedly urged their value as objects of display, and 
suggested to the Exhibition Committee the offering 
such prizes as would induce competition of high order. 
rendered it unfit for much flight. Some: 
