628 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
[SEPT. 19, 
I am sure Mr. Hazamp will, on reflection, grant 
me this. The principle of Polmaise, like that of 
nature, is to warm the same air over and over again ; 
but I freely admit it cannot be completely carried 
out till man can carry out those principles of 
compensation in the hothouse which Providence 
is able to do in the earth’s system. 
** Possibly advancing knowledge may lead to some 
artificial means of restoring to the air of a hothouse 
the carbon which the plants have absorbed. Fresh 
airat present must be admitted, fresh. supplies of 
carbonized air provided. Iam still one of those 
horticulturists who think fresh air essential to vege- 
tation ; I will admit that each succeeding day con- 
vinces me more and more of the increased vege- 
table heaith that increased ventilation produces. 
In fact, to carry out this view to its legitimate 
issue, what is it but this—to admit that plants do 
better out of doors than in—that hot and green- 
houses are necessary evils ! 
“tis found, however, that plants will grow in great 
beauty under artificial circumstances ; that it is not 
absolutely necessary to their existence, to place 
them in the open air; that they will flourish if a 
certain amount of fresh air is supplied to them. 
The point to be determined, therefore, is exactly 
what I once before stated, March 28th, namely, ‘to 
ascertain what amount of fresh air is requisite to 
keep plants in a high state of health, and then to 
heat only that quantity.” (1 suggested that this 
quantity will ever vary with the seasons and other 
conditions.) But if plants can only be grown by 
having fresh currents of fresh air constantly passing 
over them, then they can only be grown out of 
doors. This daily experience disproves. I main- 
tain, therefore, that it is wasteful to heat more air 
than the plants require, and that supposing it pos- 
sible by any means to heat and change the entire 
phere of a g every 10 seconds, a 
great portion of those means would be wasted. Both 
animals and plants can live and grow elsewhere than 
in the open air ; they both require a certain amount 
of fresh air; let them have it. But this is not the 
basis of Polmaise. Polmaise isasystem of heating ; 
but it is also true that it isa system with which ven- 
tilation is intimately combined, and almost forms a 
part ofit. I agree with Mr. Hazar when he states 
that the wind is a means, but he is in error in say~ 
ing that mere agitation of the air must be useless ; 
it is useless after a plant has obtained from a given 
portion of air all that the air can supply, but not till 
then. I apprehend this to be a work of time ; that 
contact is necessary between the air and the leaves, 
and one of the necessary consequences of the Pol- 
maise circulating system is this, that it brings the 
same portions of air round and round, till the change 
is effected in the entire air of the house. It does 
not warm a quantity of air to go out unused, so to 
speak. I think Mr. Hazarp will perceive that this 
agitation is a most important assistance to ventila- 
tion, that in ordinary greenhouse heating much of 
the air heated never comes in contact at all with 
the leaves, the use of which the atmospheric agita- 
tion of Polmaise secures. 
“ Mr. H. says, ‘if no external air is to be admitted, 
why not put up a simple stove in the house. Fare- 
well to Polmaise” When did I say so? Do the 
plans showing the 10 ventilators in the walls of the 
hothouse at Nutfield lead him to think so? I say, 
farewell to Polmaise, when it is shown to consist in 
bringing the external air over a stove, and passing 
itinto the place to be warmed. Agitation of the 
air is the consequence of heating, while it is the 
means of the diffusion of the heat, both in nature 
and Polmaise. Ventilation is rendered necessary 
by human imperfection; let us quietly avail our- 
selves of it, delighted to find that we have at length 
discovered a system of heating with which it may 
beso beautifully combined. 
“Some other time, when I have occtpied less 
space, I shall bring before your readers certain con- 
siderations on the difference of action of an ordi- 
nary stove, and the same stove put under the condi- 
tions of Polmaise, by which I shall endeavour to 
prove that if those stoves which are at present in 
our churches and public buildings were put under 
the conditions of Polmaise, we should no longer 
hear of some persons being half roasted while others 
were frozen ; but we should necessarily have a nearly 
uniform temperature, and this with about half the 
fuel now employed, and that this temperature even 
when high would never be oppressive, and I shall 
PA PB especially commend those remarks to Mr. Hazanp's 
attention, as containing the true principles of warm- 
tag public buildings. I have just seen Mr. Davis’s 
advertisement, If he fuifil the conditions of Pol- 
mhise, I wish him (what I am sure he will have) all 
2 fa aner of success. But I would especially caution 
“Beth himself and your readers against any plan in 
ieh the doors of the furnace are within the house. 
Those who have studied chemistry well know the 
fatal effects ofthe compound of sulphur with oxy- 
gen on vegetation. However, as Isaac WALTON 
would say, a blessing on all those that love Pol- 
maise." 
CUCUMBERS GROWING IN WINDOWS. 
Berne an invalid confined to my bed, amongst other 
things I have sought in growing t 
in my bedroom window. In order to carry out my 
object, Ihad an eight gallon washing pan filled with 
mould, in which I have three plants. On these I bring 
to bear heat, voltaic electricity, and optics, in rather a 
novel manner ; and which, I am pretty sure, might be 
beneficially applied on a larger scale. To obtain bottom 
heat, I apply a floating lamp, consisting of a flower-pot 
saucer, a thin piece of wood covered with tin, through 
which are three different sized wicks ; the largest half 
an inch, the second a quarter of an inch, and the third 
a full eighth of an inch in diameter. By placing this 
simple lamp with the largest wick lighted under the 
pan, the heat ean be raised to 85° in an hour ; and when 
at that point, the smallest wick will keep it there. I 
can hardly imagine any means for obtaining bottom 
heat more convenient than this, excepting gas, which, 
when obtainable, would, perhaps, be found to be econo- 
mical as well as convenient, as any amount could be 
turned on or off at pleasure, regulating the heat to a 
nice degree, and avoiding the ammoniacal gas arising 
from stable refuse, which ean hardly be supposed to 
improve the flavour of the fruit under the most favour- 
able circumstances. 
Voltaic electricity I apply in the following manner : 
from 20 io 30 yards of old bell wire are placed in the 
pan in a promiscuous manner, crossing it in all direc- 
tions, and quite filling it, the mould filling the interstices 
of the wires, and the roots of the plants running down 
amongst them. The ends of the wires are attached to 
a 50 pair 3-inch plate Cruikshank battery, excited with 
salt and water. This would be the routine for a single 
bed, but a continuation of the same wires may be ex- 
tended to 20 beds, one battery answering for the whole. 
But in the present case, I kill another bird with the 
same stone. The wires after traversing the pan are 
carried through the window to a Vine at the front of 
my house. Here I follow the directions of Mr. H. 
Weekes, in his excellent pamphlet on ‘Electro Cul- 
ture": I insert one wire into the pith of the tree close 
to the ground, the other about 6 feet from the ground. 
However, I imagine if a branch wire from the return 
one were inserted towards the termination of the main 
leaders of the Vine, the effect would be much increased, 
I say this in reference to the whole of a fruit tree. 
Mr. Weekes confined his experiment to one limb only. 
= 
Med 
Opties I bring to bear on my small erop in this way. 
Light being as essential to the health of a plant as heat, 
and my pan being rather too heavy to be played with, 
I give solar light as well as heat to the hindermost 
plant, by means of a tin reflector, inclined forward at 
the top in an angle of 119. This answers beautifully 
and perfectly for both purposes, and I am sure could 
be most advantageously employed for early forcing on 
a large scale, particularly when the sun is low and 
weak, reflecting back as it would over the whole bed 
his full light and heat, and thereby nearly double 
the effect of both. The cost for a reflector for a 
bed 6 feet by 12 feet, would not exceed 35s, and 
would last for years, if once varnished with the 
following:—4 ounces of Canada balsam, 8 ounces of tur- 
pentine, and 4 ounces of pale copal varnish, well mixed 
together. When this becomes opaque from exposure 
to the weather, a strong solution of pearl-ash, or soda 
and lime-water, would quickly remove it. To be fully 
instruetive touching this reflector, I would recommend 
three tolerably strong posts to be let into the ground, 
their tops coming level with the lights ; one at each 
corner of the bed, the third in the centre, Into each, 
at the back, drive two or three strong staples 1 foot 
apart ; these are to receive each an iron rod 1} inch in 
diameter, which is to be flattened and carried up two 
feet across the back of the reflector, which, if made of 
Pine (3 inch thick), would, with strong cross pieces and 
framing, be of sufficient strength. The degree in which 
the top of the reflector should incline forward, would 
depend on the inclination of the bed, but it would be 
included between 11° and 229 ; if the bed were level, 
11? would answer; if the bed inclined considerably 
| 22? would be requisite. 3 
| _ With the view of carrying out this mode of eultivating 
| Cueumbers and Melons still more perfectly, and to any 
extent, I would recommend a metal box (say zinc or 
tin) of sufficient depth, inclining at the bottom a little, 
to secure drainage ; this box to be placed inside an- 
other metal box half an inch larger all round and at the 
bottom, and the top edges of the boxes soldered toge- 
ther with a funnel-mouthed pipe, to fill the interval be- 
tween the boxes with water ; a pipe from the bottom of 
the inner box to be carried through the outer one, to 
take off the drainage water. Such a box may be in- 
clined, and completes my idea of a very perfect appa- 
ratus for the before-mentioned purposes. The supe- 
riority of this double box would consist in carryiug an 
equal heat to the top of the mould, and diffusing the 
same quickly and equably throughout the bed. I must 
add, any required number of steam-pipes, with stop 
eocks, could be carried from either of the boxes into 
the bed, to diffuse moisture to the plants; I need nof 
say they should be inserted into the boxes near their 
tops, This plan might possibly be improved on, and 
rendered conducive both to pleasure and profit. 
I have nearly omitted to mention that my plants look 
well, and have fruit on them, though I was from six to 
eight weeks later in sowing the seed than is usually re- 
commended. I attribute no effect on them from elec- 
tricity, as I have required the use of the battery for 
other purposes three-fourths of the time. One of the 
plants was raised ina novel manner, The seed were 
inserted in a beer-glass full of mould, next the glass, 
and then suspended round my neck and placed in my 
bosom. The first seed that germinated threw out roots 
at the end of 36 hours ; in 48 hours the end of the stem 
appeared ; in 56 hours the leaves showed ; in 76 hours 
the leaves were clear of the husks $ of an inch ; and in 
a few hours more they were above the mould. They 
were then transplanted, experiencing no visible check. 
It wil be remarked, the seed vegetated in a heat of 
989. I raised six other plants in the same way, which 
are now in my garden bearing fruit. Thus * misfor- 
fortune brings us acquainted with strange bed-fellows,” 
and “drowning men catch at straws."— Richard Wing, 
F'ordingbridge, August 12. 
BRUNSVIGIA JOSEPHIN &, 
I nave now flowered this noble plant two years ran- 
ning from the same bulb, which encourages me to send 
you an account of the observations I have made during 
its cultivation. 
Ist. A certain and full period of burning and arid 
sleep is necessary, and this must occur when scorching 
is to be had cheap, consequently the leaves should 
mature and die at the earliest possible period in late 
spring, and xe-vegetate as early in autumn to complete 
the circle. These periods will occur every season 
earlier as the bulb gains strength and health of habit 5 
but you must not expect to see a flower till at least two 
years after potting the bulb from the shop, when, if you 
have good luck, which is the popular word for goo! 
management, you shall see some sunny day in August 
the enormous scape protruding like the bill of some 
gigantic sea bird, or other “lang nebbit thing,” and 
growing at the pace of a Bamboo, till it expands its 
marvellous blossom head. s 
Now for the potting. Take a large pot to begin with 
—say a 12-inch for a stout bulb. For drainage & 
small deep pot upside down, nothing else. For soil, 
fresh strong red loam from a pasture, with the turf 
just pared off ; pull this into large lumps half as big a$ 
your fist, most of them ; add coarse charcoal from the 
size of a Walnut downwards, with no other admixture: 
The smaller fragments of soil and charcoal which ap- 
pear in the mixture will make the composition perfect. 
Introduce this, and build up the substructure by 
thumping it down with your fist at every two inches 0X 
so, till it is high enough to let the bulb stand one-third 
of its height out of the ground ; set the bulb in, and 
continue the piling up and thumping of the soil round 
it till the surface forms a, convex half an inch below the 
rim of the pot at the sides, and an inch above it round 
the sides of the bulb. If this operation has been per- 
formed well, you may pour water through the pot in at 
the top and out at the bottom for five minutes, without 
disarranging the convexity of the surface. ave 
dwelt on this part of the subjeet, as I believe that d 
system of potting will suit many plants, independent © 
the Hippeastra, which you would not accuse of the 
preference ; what do you say to Balsams and Mesem, 
bryanthemums? 1 never marked the proportion o 
charcoal, say one-fourth. After all half a bushel © 
stuff out of Mr. Barnes's Pine-pit would be the bes 
practical and. visible illustration of the material. a 
Now place it on a pan of moist sand in the stoves a 
plunge it 3 inches in a Cucumber bed if dormant, °F m 
the greenhouse if unfortunately pushing, and E ^ 
alone, forget it, trust to Poanes et o he p 
ary, till your bulb begin to push with decision, 
water with 5 à ti ae fe i ing to profusion 
with the vigorous growth of the plant in the edd 
aerated greenhouse, to whieh you must remove i d 
the leaves are an ineh long, and growing fas! ehe 
it mustremain till the leaves begin to lose their Be Hae 
ness in May. On the first appearance 9 E A 
it to the hottest place you have, and I have S ie 
leaves wither and drop off (a good sign) in 
after removal. In conclusion, I 
of soil described to be Een only, í 
tance to the observance of the perio a 
rest. The above treatment will suit D a an 
Brunsvigia equally well, and I believe ae dier 
larger rooted Amaryllids. 1f the QD. 
trustworthy, I im MU eh bright things, 
observatiounss HEYATI | 
is ae ice a the wo— the wind, fair ones, the wes 
