i 
p 
f 
| 
| 
37—1846.] 
THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE 
613 
E el A T m 
Which the inmates of a workhouse are subjected, will | of this very V. antiopa had many years back been ob- | man's head, and the nest taken 
Senerally be found quite sufficient check against their 
aving frequent recourse to it, except in cases of abso- 
lute destitution. Surely the utmost caution should be 
en against making it a place of positive punishment, 
Yather than a necessarily disagreeable retreat from 
Selfish Oppression, or a necessarily unpleasant asylum 
against positive want. 
Home Correspondence. 
Polmaise Heating.— While I congratulate Mr. Her- 
bert in finding that the principles of Polmaise are avail- 
able in practice, I cannot allow him, however uninten- 
tionally, to mislead your readers, as to the necessity of 
Combining Polmaise with any other plans of heating, 
Such as boilers or flues, The Air-king is fally able in 
Us own person to provide for the necessities of his sub- 
Jeets, to guard even the tenderest of them from the Ice- 
“ng, and his rule in the gardening world will extend 
from the Orchidaceous house and Pine stove to the 
Simple, cool greenhouse. I hope your correspondent 
Will forgive me for saying, that of all the company in 
Which I shall least wish to see Polmaise, it is side by 
Side with the smoke flue, and I beg your readers to 
Pause before they attempt any combination of the kind, 
et the past experience in smoke flues be sufficient; 
they might have been combined with the hot-water sys- 
tem, but its patrons knew and avoided the evils ; let the 
Admirers of Polmaise be equally wise. They are quite as 
Unsightly as Mr. Murray’s wet blanket; and if the 
olmaise stove is properly constructed and managed, 
far more useless. Mr. Herbert States, that the heat 
that issues from his air-chaurber is i iderable, while 
is flue is quite hot ; in my arrangement, the air is 
Quite hot, 849, 90^, 96° Fahrenheit, while the chimney is 
Rearly cold, the iron damper not being in any way un- 
Pleasantly hot to the hand; and I do not hesitate to 
Assert, that if Sylvester's doors are employed for the 
five and ash-pit, if any quantity of heat worth consider- 
ing is lost up the chimney, it is the fault of the oper: 
Or, who, by allowing more air to pass than is requisite 
sup en for the consumption of the fuel, causes 
à needless waste. Chimneys and flues become heated 
far less by the products of combustion than by the 
quantity of hot-air which is allowed to pass through them 
altogether undecomposed, and therefore unnecessary ; 
and the true mode of economising fuel is by permitting 
Only so much air to pass to it as is requisite for its 
Sradual combustion, and this (thanks to Mr. Sylvester) 
We can now accomplish. I also think that iron forms 
a better top to the stove than a brick arch, for the 
Simple reason, that being a better conductor, it absorbs 
the heat more rapidly from the ignited fuel, imparting 
it to the air that blows over its upper surface, while the 
Sides of the furnace being formed of 9-ineh brick work 
a sufficient store of heat is absorbed to retain a high 
temperature long after the fire is extinguished. I should 
Rot approve of iron alone, that would be too good a con- 
ductor ; the heat would be subject to sudden variations, 
Unless great care was observed to maintain an even 
fire, and there are other objections ; but the exact pro- 
Portion of brick and iron best fitted for the work must 
be determined by experiment, and doubtless, it will be 
‘ound advantageous to adapt the proportions according 
as the heat is required for a forcing house or conserva- 
tory. Your correspondent must be in error respecting 
the size of my tank ; it is 5 feet long by 3 ft. 6 in. wide, 
With a division ; surely as evaporation takes place only 
from the surface, this is sufficient—my streaming win- 
dows seem to prove it so. Lastly, as to the hot chamber 
being without the house, and « losing half the heat it 
Could supply,” the apparatus at Nutfield loses no heat 
except that which radiates from the furnace doors, and 
e work surrounding them ; the stove is otherwise so 
insulated that all the heat it gives off is carried by the 
Currents into the house. I shall he extremely glad to 
See improvements upon my own plan; I do not doubt 
that they will shortly be effected, but I must express 
an opinion, that Mr. Herbert’s is not an i 
served dead upon the shores of Suffolk. These had 
very probably perished in their attempt to cross the 
German Oeean.—J. S. Henslow, Hitcham, Suffolk. 
[The Rev. Mr. Lloyd, of Gosfield, Essex, has also 
captured one specimen, and heard of another. ] 
The Hamiltonian System of Pine Growing —Mr. 
Stothard (p. 597) appears to be of opinion that ina Pine 
plant, having four or more suckers attached, the latter 
are so many distinct plants. Now by the same mode of 
reasoning, every branch in all plants attached to the 
parent stem is a distinct plant. Mr. S. has, however, 
a mistaken potion of my system. I can prove that I 
will cut 4 fruit in 1846; 3 fruit in 1847; 4 fruit in 
1848, and all from one plant; and which shall occupy 
no more room than is generally allowed for a maiden 
plant. But to clear up the point, I cannot do better 
than call in question the testimony of Mr. Ellis, lately 
come to be gardener at Ultra Cottage, Eccles, who 
accidentally called this morning to look through the 
hothouses. He is a stranger to me; but told me he 
knew Mr. Stothard perfectly well ; and he appeared to 
take much interest in investigating the subject of con- 
troversy. Mr. E. counted the old stools, which proved 
to be 62 in a bed 24 feet in length, by 7 ft. 4 ins. in 
width. On each plant are from two to four suckers, 
say three on an average ; now if 62 be iplied by 3 
the day-time. I pre- 
fer taking them in the day-time, and in seeing some 
dozens of nests so taken, I do not recollect any person 
having been stung ; but care must be taker to avoid 
noise and bustle. In the year 1845 about 112 nests 
were taken within the range of a quarter or half a mile 
of my garden, for which I allowed 2d. for each nest. 
When the nests are taken in the dark, or by candle- 
light, there are fewer wasps away from the nests than 
in the day-time, when so many are on the wing; but 
they are apt to be taken ina more slovenly manner at 
night than in the day time. I have hitherto described 
a good way of taking nests under favourable circum- 
stances; and I will now mention some precautions 
necessary under reverses, At night you may lose all 
trace of the hole to the nest, until the wasps recover 
from their suffocation ; and the safest way is to give 
such a nest a respite; but if the nest is amongst the 
roots of a tree, a pick-axe will be require 
better reserved for another opportunity 
side of a highway, which are continual 
stones, and struck with boughs, are dangerous to pas- 
sengers and horses. If there is more than one hole to 
a nest, the squib cannot have the proper effect, for when 
put into one hole, the wasps fly out at anotherin greatfury. 
I once met with a nest of this description in 1845, and 
à A 
P y 5 
the product will be 186 ; therefore, supposing Mr. Sto- 
thard's calculations to be correct, i.e. that every sucker 
is a perfect plant, then I have 186 Pine plants growing 
in about 170 superficial feet. Can anything be more 
absurd. With respect to the age of the suckers when 
fruited, I contend that both sucker and fruit may be 
perfected in summer in about seven months. I may 
further state, that I have several plants from which I 
Shall cut four fruit during the ensuing twelvemonths. 
One plant has ripened a fruit this year, a second is half 
swelled, a third and fourth are also in different stages 
of growth, and which are now on the plant. The four 
fruit will not weigh less than 16 or 17 lbs. I may also 
erhaps mention another plant of the same sort (black 
Jamaica) from which I cut a fruit in February (this 
year), a second early in August ; a third is now ripe, 
and a fourth sucker is making rapid progress. — 
J. Hamilton, Thornfield, 
3 2 
ly upon using the squib, two wasps stung me 
on one hand, upon which I made the best of my way 
out of their reach, and deferred taking the nest ; but 
the second hole was then stopped. This nest was taken 
after working hours, before dark, by my workmen, and 
it being in a situation exposed to passengers, some 
common bottle and funnel was put into the place where 
the nest had been, and 2002 wasps were so entrapped, 
the usual numbers taken in the glass traps seldom ex- 
ceeding half that quantity. I never had so many nests 
taken as in the year 1845, and very few wasps infested 
my garden; and particularly the Greengage and 
Orleans Plums, on a wall with a western aspect, were 
entirely untouched by them this season, although they 
are generally much injured by wasps. The glass bottle 
and funnel is very efficient in being handed from fruit 
to fruit, when the wasps fall into it. On the 19th of 
August, one of these glasses was placed on a shelf near 
some ripe Grapes, baited with treacle and water, in a 
1 
Thunbergia chrysops.—I have been uring all 
this summer to persuade a plant of the Thunbergia 
chrysops to flower, but I cannot succeed. I have re- 
sorted to all the ordinary means of effecting this object, 
but in vain, Ihave tried bottom heat, confining the 
roots, stopping the shoots, &e., but to no purpose. I 
have plenty of leaves on the plant 
Luxuriá foliorum exuberat umbrá 
but I never have had a blossom, and I fear the season 
will go out and I shall be disappointed of my hopes. 
Will any of your correspondents tell me what I can do 
in such a case, and whether this infecundity is to be at- 
tributed to unskilful treatment on my part, or to an 
obstinacy of character on the part of this truly beautiful 
species of plants ?— Derwent. [Some ‘practical in- 
formation as to this plant is much wanted. Itis a 
charming species, but one which few succeed in making 
flower abundantly.] 
Vine Growing (see p. 597).— Watering the roots in 
an outside border, where fermenting material is em- 
ployed, would be the last thing I should think of doing, 
more especially if the border has been properly made. 
After top-dressing in autumn the border will very soon 
receive a greater amount of moisture than is required 
to perfect the wood and fruit. When the fermenting 
material is applied a week or two previous to the start- 
ing of the Vines (which it ought to be, to put the roots 
in motion), the border, I presume, is sureharged with 
moisture, which willk ficient during theforeing 
When the fruit has changed colour, remove the ferment- 
ing material by degrees ; but should the season prove dry 
or hot, leave an inch or two of leaf-mould or rotten 
dung, to prevent too excessive evaporation. By the 
heat of July, August, and September, the roots, having 
1 
nt 
| have given my reasons for such opinion, and I espe- 
cially call the attention of your readers to the fact, that 
as far as the principles of Polmaise have been carried 
Ont in his apparatus, they have proved suecessful, — D, 
B. Meek, Holmsdale House. 
The Camberwell Beauty.—l took a fine specimen of 
Papilio Antiopa, or Camberwell Beauty, this week, so 
Intent upon diseussing the remains of a Peach lying on 
the ground, that I threw a piece of muslin over and 
Secured it.— A. B., Leatherhead, Sept. 7.——l was 
“bout to send a notice of my having captured a speci- 
men of Vanessa Antiopa (the Camberwell Beauty) in 
, y garden last Saturday, Sept. 5 ; when I find in the 
Bury Post to-day an aecount of two having been taken 
at Stowmarket Vicarage, and one by Dr. Probart, at 
Bury, I have also heard of another having been seen 
at Semer, three miles from hence, about a fortnight 
wee. As a period of 40 years has sometimes elapsed 
pithout any specimens of this butterfly having oceurred 
n England this notice will be interesting to entomo- 
The periodic appearances of certain insects in 
Peculiar abundance are 
there 
a8 go, 
favouy, 
Vathey 
8 
in the aet of migrat- 
and I have seen a dum i p i 
e Rev. L. Jenyns, which stated that vast numbers 
een to give a generous support to the top 
in time of need, as well as induced to keep near the 
surface, will, by the powerful influence of the sun and 
dews during those three months, have become perfectly 
ripened ; at the same time the wood will have become 
consolidated, and at pruning time the canes will resem- 
ble, when cut, the appearance of a Hazel-shoot of two 
years’ growth. Top-dress in October or November; 
proceed as before, and despair not.—James Roberts, 
Raby Castle. 
A safe and effectual way of taking Wasps’ nests.— 
Tie a penny squib to a stick, or put, the squib into a 
piece of an old gun-barrel, about 6 inches long, fastened 
to a stick or handle; the squibs are about 5 inches 
long, and the gun-barrel may be left open from 4 to 5 
inches, for receiving the squib, to be fastened in with a 
bit of stick, or something about the size of a goose-quill. 
As soon as the squib is ignited, and forced into the hole 
of the nest, stop the hole up with your foot or a tuft of 
Grass, or both ; the wasps will be instantly suffocated, 
but gradually recover in the open air, In the mean 
time, take two or three spade grafts round the hole, 
and on reaching the nest it may be removed with the 
naked hands, and put into a bag of coarse linen and 
drowned, and the grubs, &c., are very acceptable in the 
poultry-yard, particularly for young turkeys ; then in- 
sert a bottle and funnel in the hole, leave it for 24 
hours, and take it up at night, when the wasps are prin- 
cipally at home, and you will capture about 400 or 500 
wasps. Bait the bottle with a small bit of the comb. 
This is supposing the nest to be about the size of a 
g with the view of taking some wasps; but 
there were very few wasps to be dealt with. However, 
three slugs got into it in the night, two small ones, but 
one very large one, 5 inches long ; another got in the 
next night, and it appeared to be of the same size and 
weight as the former one (6 drachms). My people 
declared that they measured the latter at inches, on 
the move, inside the glass. The slugs were of a brown 
colour, and white breasted, exactly like the large black 
and white slugs which are frequently ; these 
slugs must have travelled about 4 yards 
of the Vine, not as an accidental circumsta 
an instinctive search for food, as a similar occurrence 
took place in two successive nights, to the o 
which were ripe. 
These glass tra 
Oswestry, at 2s. 4d. each ; but cheaper a 
easily contrived for ordinary purposes. The Grapes 
were growing under the glass roof, on the wall of the 
Vinery facing the east, at the extremity of the plant, 
and I conclude that the slugs were attracted thither by 
the fruit, and not by the bait; but, if the glass funnel 
had not entrapped them, they would never have been 
seen, and the damage to the fruit would have been un- 
justly laid to the charge of the w I further think, 
that they would not have found their way into the glass 
bottle, if they had not got upon a bunch of grapes along- 
side of the opening. It is scarcely credible, that a 
glass trap should have caught 1002 wasps on the wing 
rom one nest, and two large slugs, 7$ 
Vinery ; one each night for two suc 
4 yards from their hiding place. ve had about 
three scores of wasps’ nests taken this year, but the 
wasps damaged my plums to some extent.—JVorth 
Shropshire, August 25. 
articles may be 
when the public fully understands the merits of the 
hydraulic engine, it does not become a general favourite. 
Who would be without a good supply of water on their 
premises when it can be procured from the distance of 
half a mile as easily as a man can pump it out of a well? 
Easier indeed ; for no manual labour is called for.— 
Piston, 
Elder Rob ov J elly.—Pick the berries when quite dry, 
and free them from their stalks. Put the berries into 
large jars, and fill them. rather more than three-parts 
full Set the jars ina baker's oven after the bread 
is drawn, and let them remain all night, or put them 
into saucepans two-thirds filled with water, and let them. 
simmer gently about two or three hours. Place a coarse 
cloth or muslin over a eullender, pour the contents of 
the jars into it, and then squeeze the pulp till not any 
juice is left. To the juice from a gallon of fruit put 
145. of fine moist sugar, or common loaf sugar. When 
