222 THE 
GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
[APRIL 4, 
ful. "he whole process of Rose budding seems to me 
so simple, that I doubt not the universal introduction 
into cottage gardens of the most elegant and delicate 
reneh Roses, and their exclusion of the Daffodil and 
the Polyanthus.— Ockham. Rectory, Surrey. 
Polmaise Heating.—1 have to acknowledge my mis- 
conception of Mr. Meeke's train of reasoning, in which, 
however, I do not appear to have stood alone ; and I 
H d 
by him, the cavities for heating air surround the 
hopper, and. rise rather too high for ient use in 
therefore soon heated for circulation. The other com- 
heating a forcing-house ; and the requisite modification 
would consist in placing the air-cavities and smoke-flue 
in the horizontal, instead of the upright, position, leav- 
ing the hopper only upright. On his plan, the quantity 
of fuel in a state of ignition is always the same ; the 
quantity of air admitted being regulated at pleasure by 
j; d 
may add that the desig of radi l system 
whieh he adopted as distinetive of the Polmaise method 
of heating, helped to lead me away from the clear per- 
ception of his views and meaning. It appears to me 
that the designation radio-thermal is not only inappro- 
priate, but misdirective, and calculated to put in doubt 
(without cause, I admit) the correctness of Mr. M. 
views. i as I now d them, 
e. 
In their 
I have no difficulty in concurring with respect to the 
superiority of air over water in the property of con- 
ducting or distributing heat; and I think the subject is 
susceptible of a very apt illustration from the hot-water 
tank system, not only om account of the identity of 
principle in both, but from the general resemblance its 
details bear to the Polmaise arrangements. Mi 
Glendinning, who appears to be well versed. in every- 
thing connected with the hot-water system, will view it 
for a moment in this light, it may help to modify, if not 
remove, his objections to the Polmaise method. We 
have a body of water to be heated, occupying an ex- 
tensive area ; and it is readily accomplished by means 
of a small boiler communicating with the tank hy a 
flow and a return-pipe. Mr. G. would never expect to 
succeed so well by applying the fire directly to the 
body of the tank. On what, then, does the effect de- 
pend but on the circulation brought into play by means 
of the flow and return-pipes. The Polmaise method is 
precisely similar to this. Substituting air for water, 
the small chamber in which the stove is placed is the 
poiler ; the hothouse is the tank, and the under-drain 
js the return-pipe by which the circulation is effected, 
and the heat rapidly diffused through the body 
iJ 
of air in the house in the same manner that 
it is diffused through the water in the tank, 
with this difference only, that the effect will 
be produced sooner in air than in water, by the 
degree in which the particles of air possess greater 
mobility than the particles of water. Mr. Glendinni 
» 
; and the temperature produced nearly 
equable, while the valve continues unaltered. Self- 
regulation, on Dr. Arnott’s principle, could easily be 
adapted, however; if a still more perfect equability were 
thought requisite. The hopper is filled by means of a 
large funnel, which is then removed, and the top is 
closed by a cover fitting into a sand-joint. Walker’s 
price-list has an engraved section of his stove, showing 
clearly the arrangement of fire-place, fuel, hopper, &c., 
which will, I think, enable any tolerably mechanical 
head to judge how far, and with what modifications, it 
might be usefully adapted to the purposes of forcing.— 
S. P. W. 
Virginian Nightingale.—1n reply to the query 
(p. 152) * Whether the Virginian Nightingale was ever 
known to sing in this country?” I beg to say that I 
possess one that sings a great deal, and I have had 
several others at different times that have done so. 
They generally continue in song till the latter end of 
summer, when they begin to moult.—.4 Subscriber, 
Yorkshire, North Riding. 
Snow a Substitute for Ice.—Having written to you 
some years ago about the preservation of snow as a 
substitute for ice, and which you published, I may just 
state that the whole plan has continued to answer most 
admirably. In the present season many are, no doubt, 
entirely without ice ; in this part of the country there 
has been none. Two days ago we had a considerable 
fall of snow; and on uncovering the heap, to renew it, 
I estimated that the remainder of last year’s stock could 
not be less than 100 cart-loads, ‘The plan may, there- 
fore, be recommended with the most perfect confidence. 
—John Wilson, Millichope Park. 
Repair your own Glass.—The following process of 
removing hard putty from the astragals of sashes, &c., 
may be useful, for by it no risk is incurred of extending 
the breakage. Heat the bolt of an Italian iron, or that 
will perceive, then, that the objeetion whieh he makes 
on the ground of the current of air being made to de- 
scend or move in a direction contrary to its natural 
tendency, has really nothing in it. The descending 
currentis merely one side of the circle, or revolution, 
which the moving air describes, and depends on the 
position of the heating body. In Mr. Shearer's arrange- 
ment, the heating body is placed in front of the house, 
and the ascending current is near the glass, and the 
descending at the back ef the house; but the principle 
does not differ from Mr. Murray's, at Polmaise. I have 
not adverted to the draft through the stove, whieh 
powerfully increases the current, though I believe at 
the expence of a considerable portion of heat. This, I 
am inclined to think, lies at the foundation of Mr. Glen- 
dinning’s objections to the Polmaise system, from the 
manner in which he refers to his own practice of mak- 
ing his house tight, and excluding the entrance of cold 
air. But I do not consider it essential to the system, 
the principle of which remains the same, though all 
communication with the interior of the stove be cut off. 
r. G.s own hot water practice may be taken and 
shown that it may not only be made consistent with, 
but grea‘ly improved by engrafting on it the Polmaise 
prineiple. Let the annexed Figure represent a hot- 
house closed as perfectly as possible against the entrance 
of the external air ; T, 
section of a hot-water f 
pipe running along the 
whole front of the | 
house, and communi- // 
eating with a boiler and // 
furnace outside, which // 
ave no connection f 
with the interior of the /// 
house ; let the pipe be 
surrounded by a case 
, open at both ends, Vj 
and communicating AE 
with one or more under | | 
pipes or drains, D. No VA 
change whatever is // 
made in Mr. G.’s hot | 
water arrangements and. practice, but the house is now 
on the Polmaise principle, much to its benefit in having à 
healthy circulation of air,while the heat is more rapidly 
diffused through every part of the interior.—J. H. H. 
[The length of this ication has led us to 
omit a portion of it, relating to the name of radio-thermal. 
We keep to that of Polmaise, which does not involve any 
question worth diseussing.] ——1 have no experience in 
forcing, but Ihave some with domestic stoves ; and I ven- 
ture to say, a fuel-hopper, such as represented at p. 184, 
willnotanswer. Materials so coarse and angular of any 
sort of fuel will choke the narrow part at the bottom. 
The proper form is nearly a cylinder, but widening a 
little downwards—thus giving at all times free descent 
to the fuel, and perfeetly obviating the occurrence 
dreaded by Mr. Glendinning (p. 185), the burning out 
of the fire, Walker, of Oxford-street, Birmingham, 
has adapted to his patent stoves for domestic use such 
a hopper as I have mentioned, with entire success ; 
and I think his stove (with modifieations) would be 
found a good one for Polmaise heating. As constructed 
which is commonly employed by plumbers in soldering, 
and draw it gently along the putty until the heat of the 
iron softens it. By this means much labour will be 
saved, and putty, which the chisel and hammer could 
searcely clear off without 
be softened so as to be eas 
knife.—P. Loney, Fingas 
Kitchen Garden Cropping.—1t may be an interesting 
fact to record that at our Norfolk and Norwich Horti- 
cultural Exhibition last year, a cottager residing at 
Buxton, in this county, raised four crops of Potatoes on 
the same piece of ground in that year. He has just 
written to me, under authority of Rev. Mr. Jarvis, the 
clergyman of the parish, to say that he intends this year 
to grow four crops of four different sorts, on four dis- 
tinet pieces of land, four times. As I can certify to 
this man’s production of Potatoes last year, I shall be 
happy to let you have any further information.—Chas. 
Gilman, Norwich. 
Destruction of Wasps.—1 have. practised the follow- 
ing method for five or six years with the greatest suc- 
cess ; it destroys them in a few hours effectually, with- 
out danger and with little trouble:— Anoint the 
entrance to the nest with gas tar, which prevents the 
wasps from taking wing or flying any more. Those 
entering are also disabled from returning, and a few 
hours completely disables the whole colony. I have 
many letters of thanks from apiarians in this neigh- 
bourhood, who have experienced the benefit of my 
method, which is equally good for hornets’ nests in 
hollow trees and in buildings.— W. Buck. 
ury to the astragals, can 
removed by the gardener's 
WEEKLY Prices or Poratons per ton, in Covent 
Garden Market, in 1845, and 1846. 
(1845. || | 1846. 
March ...... 1| 50s. to 80s. | Feb..........28| 70s. to 1605. 
| 50 — 90 March ...... 7 170 
15,50 90 170 
22| 60 100 | 180 
29|60 100| 28 180 
April ...... 5| 60 90 |April ...... 180 
Also at the waterside, Southwark. 
March ...... 3| 55s. to80s:||March .. ... 2| 505. to 120s 
10|55 80 9| 60 140 
17/55 80 | 16| 60 . 140 
24| 55 80 23| 60 140 
31|55 — 80| 30| 60 140 
Societies. 
CALEDONIAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
We formerly gave (p. 186) an account of the prizes 
awarded at the spring meeting of this Society, and shall 
now briefly mention the substance of the communications 
read on that occasion. There were two on the improve- 
ment of boilers for heating fruit and plant houses by means 
of hot water, each illustrated by a model. The first, by 
Mr. Christie,gr., Dundas Castle, recommended an oblong 
square vessel, the top, sides, and back of which formed 
also the top, sides, and back of the furnace. The fire 
has thus full play on every part of the surface of the 
inner area formed by the boiler. The water between 
the plates varies from 3 to 6inches in depth, and is 
was by Mr. R. Macintosh, of Edinburgh, 
who exhibited a, model taken from: a. boiler now in use 
at Dalvey, in Morayshire, the seat of N. Macleod, Esq. 
It also is so constructed. as to have the full benefit of 
the fire ; and, indeed, resembles in every respect the 
form recommended by Mr. Christie, except in its being 
rounded both on its upper and under surface, the 
rounding being calculated to give additional strength, 
and also to simplify the construction.—A letter from 
Mr. Murray, gr., Taymouth Castle, was read, giving an 
account of the restoration to health of a Shaddock tree 
by means of what he styled under-grafting, The tree 
had been all but killed by some animal completely eat- 
ing off the bark and alburnum of the stem for the space 
of some inches. Mr. Murray planted a seedling Orange 
tree, three years old, in the same tub with the Shad- 
dock, and afterwards cut the top off the young Orange 
tree, and inserted the point of the stem into the Shad- 
dock above the wound, when a union was soon effected. 
Into the opposite side of the tub he stuck the shoot of 
an old Orange tree, and grafted the upper portion of 
this shoot into the stem of the Shaddock, at two places, 
or both above and below the wound. These nurses, b 
the transfusion of their sap, evidently assisted the Shad- 
dock in recovering its vigour.—A letter from Mr. Gow, 
of Tulliallan Castle, mentioned his having observed at 
Roehampton, in 1823, a disease in the Potato erop, 
similar to that which now prevails, In regard to the 
general culture, Mr. Gow gave it as his opinion that our 
farmers in general are not sufficiently attentive to the 
breaking up or the pulverising of the soil before plant- 
ing ; being often satisfied with ploughing in autumn, and 
giving a turn or two of the harrows, before making the 
drills for planting in the spring. He thought that the 
planting is commonly too long delayed, and that it 
ought to be accomplished by the end of March, and not 
left till the middle or end of April. He condemned the 
way in which the seed-tubers are frequently managed, 
when, after being cut into sets, they are thrust into 
large bags, and allowed to stand for several days till 
wanted at the field; thus they are apt to get heated, 
and to lose the power of vegetating, or to be capable, at 
best, of only producing enfeebled shoots. Seed-tubers, 
he observed, whether eut or uncut, ought always to be 
kept in a dry well-ventilated place till required for 
planting. In the storing of the erop he recommended 
the forming of long narrow heaps, with a good covering 
of earth, but using no straw, and selecting a cool shady 
place. He added that a farmer near Tulliallan had sue- 
cessfully employed drain-tiles for ventilating his ‘Potato 
pits.—The next communication consisted of an account 
of experiments on the culture of the Jerusalem Arti- 
choke (Helianthus tuberosus) by Mr. Morrison, agri- 
cultural foreman at Golden Acres Nursery. The ex- 
periments were made on several rows of equal lengths, 
being about 60 yards each. The tubers were planted 
in March, 1845, in the ordinary soil of the nursery 
garden, whichis a light sandy loam. On one row the 
experiment of topping, or cutting over the stems, was 
tried. ‘This row was divided into four portions. 
The first portion was cut over, 1 foot from the 
ground, on the 8th June; the next portion was eut on 
the 2d July, 14 feet from the ground ; the third on the 
20th July, at 23 feet ; and the fourth on the 17th Sep- 
tember, about 5 feet from the ground. The produce of 
the first and second portions was equal; that of the 
third and fourth considerably better ; but, on the whole, 
the topping, instead of producing any advantage, proved 
injurious to the erop ; the weight of tubers produced 
on the entire row being only 144 Ibs. ; while another 
row, immediately adjoining, being left uncut, yielded 
163 Ibs. of tubers, Neither of these rows had guano or 
any other manure applied tothem. A third row had 
8 ounces of Peruvian guano applied to the surface of 
the soil, when the shoots were 3 inches tall, and this 
row afforded 188 lbs. of tubers. A fourth row, atthe 
same stage of growth, had 8 ounces of guano put 1 inch 
deep into the soil, near-the roots of the plants ; and the 
produce amounted to 210 lbs. of tubers. This. last, 
therefore, is the most advantageous. mode of applying 
guano tosuch a crop.—Professor Barroun communi- 
cated an extract: of a letter from W. F. Campbell, Esq. 
of Islay, describing flowerspots formed out of very 
porous peat moss, These pots are found exceedingly 
useful in the raising of all sorts of rare seeds, as well as 
others that are more common, such as Russian and 
German Stocks, Asters, &c., intended for transplanting. 
The roots penetrate the porous: sides and bottom of the 
pots, and the plants may be lifted about at pleasure, 
without suffering from the change. When it is wished 
to add manure to any plant. growing in one of these 
pots, the pot is dipped in the following mixture, which 
Mr. Campbell recommends as an excellent fertiliser :— 
1 gallon blood, 2 lbs. of sulphate of soda, 10 gallons of 
cow-house drainings, and 9 gallons of water.—A com 
munication from Mr. Srrenr was read, on the aceli- 
mating of exotic plants. Mr. Street, enjoying a very 
favourable situation at Biel, near Dunbar, has been 10 
the practice, for about 30 years past, of saving the see 
of various exotic plants generally: regarded. as tender, 
but which ripened their seeds in the open air with him, 
and he has succeeded in. rearing successive generations 
of several of them. For example, the Cedar of Goa 
(Cupressus lusitanica), perfects its seeds:and: sows itself 
on the open border; and last year Mr. S. gathere! 
nearly two imperial bushels of cones from one old plant. 
Edwardsia microphylla, as a. standard, ripens its seeds, 
and has sown itself. Lavatera triloba; a native of the 
coast: of Spain, grows about 10 feet high, and has yielded 
