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43—1846.] 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE, 707 
SENDING OUT. 
NOW . 
ECK'S GERANIUMS OF 1845.—The set of five | pe 
for 1l. 15s.; namely, Desdemona, Isabella, Zenobia, 
Mustee, and Margaret. 
LYNE’S SEEDLINGS OF 1845. 
en, Zanzummim, Cleopatra, Imogene, Leonora, Red- 
worth, Sappho; Meteor Pluto; Exquisite, Beauty of ‘Salthill, 
All orders can be executed immediately for any of the 
soris named above. . 
QE All orders above 31. will be delivered (hamper, 
package, and carriage free) to London, Bristol, Exeter, 
Barnstaple, or. Falmouth ; or above 6l: to Liverpool, 
Dublin, or Cork. 
A remittance is not required from known Correspondents, or 
those who give reference in London. 
Steamers from this Port three times a week to Lon- 
don, Cork, Dublin, Liverpool, and Falmouth. 
Great attention is paid to careful packing.—All plants for- 
warded to long distances are packed in Fir Boxes, and firmly 
Secured. ILLIAM E. RENDLE & Co. 
Office, Union-road, Plymouth, October, 1846, 
The Gardeners’ Chronicle, 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1846. 
MEETINGS FOR THE TWO FOLLOWING WEEKS, 
Monpax, November 2—Entomological . : pig 
8 
bip aaRS 5.0.05. 705 xU adiac 
P B B . . * 8 PM 
Fay, GÉ-BIERIBKDGU, uot a ILI gura 
We are convinced that the importance of imme- 
diate, and for the future constant, autumn planting 
the PorATo, cannot be too strongly insisted upon, 
notwithstanding failures here and there, from the 
“seed” rotting in the ground. Among the many 
memoranda which we have received in confirmation 
of this view, the following, for which we are indebted 
to the Dublin Evening Post, is of great interest, 
and we may add that the Editor in a private letter 
answers for the fidelity of the statement. 
“Jn the month of April, 1844, I: planted with Pota- 
toes a piece of coarse peaty pasture land, containing 
about seven acres, The kind of Potatoes principally 
put down were the coarser kind for cattle-feeding, but 
there were also some of the finer kinds, intended to be 
used for seed in the ensuing year. The land had not, 
I believe, ever before been broken up. 
he crop was more than an average one, when dug 
out in November. From the boggy nature of the 
ground, I found it impracticable to till it till the ensuing 
Spring, and when about then to prepare it for a crop of 
Rape, I found a great number of strong healthy Potato- 
Stalks growing over the surface, which induced me to 
- leave it untouched, and to take chance of a crop of 
Potatoes for that year without any further tillage or 
Planting. Accordingly, inthe month of November last, I 
dug out of it an unusually large sound crop of Potatoes 
—the greater part of which I reserved for seed—and 
all of which were, in the month of April last, when they 
were taken out of the pits in which they had been 
Placed during the winter, found to be untainted and 
sound. They had the strong wild taste of all bog- 
grown Potatoes, and, therefore, were better suited for 
seed than for eating, and were all used for that purpose. 
* In the spring of the present year, notwithstanding 
considerable care had been taken in digging and picking 
up the Potatoes in this ground the autumn previous, I 
found a quantity of Potato plants again appearing over 
ground. I resolved, therefore, to try whether I might 
not have a third crop, My expectation has been rea- 
lised ; and, although the stalks became withered and 
black prematurely, similar to all the Potatoes in the 
country, I this week finished the digging of as fine, as 
sound, and as full-sized.a crop of Potatoes as lever 
Saw. ‘There isnot one bad or tainted Potato in every 
thousand. Indeed, in no year have I ever seen a simi- 
lar quantity of Potatoes with so few bad or small ones. 
Among them are every variety of Potato—Cups, Scotch 
Apples, and Lumpers principally. If I were not afraid 
of their being stolen, I would not dig them at present, 
or until I actually required them for seed. 
“ Within a few yards of where these Potatoes grew, 
and in exactly similar peaty soil, I had some Potatoes 
planted inthe: month of April, this year, which are 
greatly affected by the disease, and more than two- 
thirds of which are useless, 
« The inferences I draw from these facts are as follow: 
* First—That the disease primarily affects the stalks, 
but when the Potato is planted very early, and has ac- 
quired a certain degree of maturity before it is attacked 
with the disease, that the destruction of the stalks. does 
very little injury to the tubers, 
“ Secondly—That peaty: soil, having certain antiseptic 
qualities, is best suited for resisting the decomposing 
effects of the winter frost, and should therefore be 
selected to grow autumn-planted Potatoes in for seed. 
“t Thirdly—That the disease attacks Potatoes with 
equal virulence in all soils. 
* Fourthly— That until the present disease in the 
Potato plant becomes mitigated, autumn planting, or 
when that is impracticable, early spring planting is to 
be preferred, 
*€ Fifthly—That cutting off the stalks is a useless ex- 
nse. 
* Sixthly—In situations where it can be done, and 
where antumn planting cannot be resorted to, it is pre- 
ferable to allow the Potatoes: intended for seed to re- 
main in the ground during the winter months, 
“ Lastly—That, with care and attention, the Potato 
can be preserved in this country, and be made a most 
important auxiliary in the reclamation of thousands of 
aeres of what is'at present unprofitable and waste land. 
— P. M*E. Gartlan, Dundalk, Oct. 10, 1846.” 
Although we do not agree with Mr. McGAnTLAN 
in his inference that peaty soil is necessary, or 
even peculiarly advantageous to the Potato in 
winter, for it happens that the Cumberland autumn 
planted “ moss " Potatoes-have rotted much, yet we 
do think that upon the whole this communication is 
of great importance at. the present moment, when 
men are undecided what to do. 
We have on several occasions ventured to assert | 
that the Pine-growers of this country, the very best 
of them, notwithstanding their great merits, have 
much to learn; that they are in fact only just be- 
ginning to know'their art. This was, no doubt, a 
strong opinion to express in the face of Queen 
Pines weighing nearly 7 lbs, and we can under- 
stand how laggards in gardening should have felt 
convinced that further improvement was impossible. 
It was of a piece with their denial that anybody 
ever did or could grow a crop of Queen Pines 
varying from 5 lbs. to 7 lbs. each. pitts 
Weare now prepared to show that this opinion of 
ours is entirely justified by the result ; and we will 
next week bring them acquainted with the manner 
in which Pine-apples are-grown in France. Our 
greatest Pine-growers will then find that they have 
more to learn than they have learnt, and the inferior 
men will discern that they know nothing at all 
about the matter: 
The: information we: thus:promise- comes from a 
sure hand—one* of the: most’ experienced English 
Pine-growers, and therefore» axpersom: who could 
perfectly understand what hessawrandiheand 
THE LAWS OF HEATING. 
In requesting insertion for the followingeremarks on 
the diffusion of heat, I feel that as*they:d 
sion. Ishall divide this: interesting question into two 
separate inquiries, determinable by the laws given 
above. 
First—By what means have we hitherto attempte 
the equal diffusion of heat in our churches and publi 
buildings? Have the means been successful ? and ar 
they such: as, im consideration of the above laws, are 
likely to prove successful ? 
Is it: possible to diffuse heat equally, and by what 
means? The first and cheapest, and consequently the 
most frequent, though I must say the most erroneous 
mode, is. some form of stoves placed within the build- 
ings. These stoves are most of them excellent means of 
economising fuel, all formed on one: principle; but 
what are their principles of diffusing heat ? are they not 
all radiating stoves, diffusing their heat like the sun by 
radiation? But by law No. 1 they cannot warm air 
by radiant heat; and bylaw No. 2 the effect of radiant 
caloric diminishes as the square of the distance in- 
ereases. Is it possible that we are guilty of the absur- 
dity of attempting to heat the atmosphere by means 
which we know will not heat it; or of the folly of at- 
tempting to heat a building-equally by a power which 
we know decreases inforce in such a rapid ratio. When 
we consider that in a church heated by a stove, an in- 
dividual sitting one yard from the stove receives 16 
times more heat than another who sits four yards from 
it, we shall cease to wonder that:in our churches one 
portion of) the congregation is roasted and another 
frozen ; but the absurdity is greater even than this, for 
all this would be true if the objects around the stove 
were transparent, instead of which they are opaque, 
consequently absorbing bodies, not permitting the trans- 
mission of the rays that might otherwise reach the 
distanee, though with their diminished force; and 
thus the distant objects are totally unaffected by the 
radiant heat, while the nearest become intensely hot ; 
and yet the point desired is equal diffusion. I appeal 
to the clergy whether the constant complaints of their 
parishioners do not prove the fact which philosophy 
explains ? 
But let us forget the existence of this evil influ- 
ence and consequence’ of using a radiating body to 
diffuse heat equally ; let us regard the stove as a means 
of heating the air by contact, either with itself or the 
walls of the pews, church, &e., which it has previously 
heated by its radiating power"; for by Rule 1, in such a 
manner alone can the air be heated. This stove is 
placed in the centre or elsewhere of the church, which 
may therefore be properly regarded as containing an 
strictly and entirely to horticulture, I ought "perhaps to 
offer some apology for the space they will occupy’; “but 
believing their truth, knowing the importanee of the 
diffusion of that truth, knowing how extensive a circu- 
lation they will obtain both in this and other countries 
by this means, knowing also that they will thus at once 
pass extensively into the very hands for which they 
are especially intended, namely, into the bands of the 
clergy and' country gentlemen, I shall only commend 
them to their serious attention, assuring them that the 
principles of Polmaise heating take a far wider range 
than relates to horticul and that their imp ea 
hardly be overrated sinse they affect the question of the 
diffusion of atmospheric heat for whatever purpose re- 
quired. The course I propose is to state plainly cer- 
tain acknowledged truths, laws as they are called, 
well known and agreed upon ; and by these laws I shall 
try our practice, and show that our knowledge and our 
practice are at variante to a singular extent. The laws 
are three :— 
. First— The atmosphere cannot be heated by radia- 
tion; radiant caloric having little effect'on trans- 
parent media. Air can only be heated by coming in 
contact with heated surfaces, 
Second—The effect of radiant caloric decreases as 
the square of the distance increases between the object 
and the heating body. 
Third—The velocity of a current of air bears a defi- 
nite ratio to the difference of temperature of the places 
between which it is travelling,'other things being equal. 
In proof of law the first, I would remind your 
readers of the power of the burning-glass, itself remain- 
ing cold ; also of the t ture of the air d ing 
the higher we ascend ; while, if the air were heated by 
the radiant caloric of the sun, the very reverse should 
be the case. The proof of law the second is found in 
the different effect produced on the thermometer by 
radiant caloric at different distances. As an illustration 
of this law I would say that were the earth double its 
present distance from the sun, it would require four 
suns to heat it. If three times the distance, nine wo! 
be required to cause the same temperature. The third 
law is proved by our daily experience of drafts. 
The point to be considered is the equal diffusion of 
heat; with the economy of its production I have nothing 
todo. The merit of pointing out the true principles of 
economising fuel belongs to Dr. Arnott—to him is the 
public indebted for pointing outa principle, the prac- 
tical importance of which can hardly be overrated ; 
namely, that the proper mode of economising fuel was 
to regulate the supply of air (containing oxygen), ena- 
bling that fuel to burn ; not to regulate the heat by the 
supply of fuel, but by the supply of air; and whether 
the stove be this man’s or that man’s, whether it have 
a screw door or a sliding door, the principle of its 
economy is thesame, Let the mechanic have the praise 
for his mechanism ; but far more is due to the pro- 
pounder of the principle. But of equal importance with 
area of P around thestove ; these 
atmospheres must therefore necessarily decrease gra- 
dually in temperature as they increase in distance from 
the heating*body. There is no sudden variation ; each 
ring of air, so to speak, is only just! warmer or just 
colder than the one on either side of it, so that by 
Rule 3, there is ‘no inducement to rapid currents, and 
thus the air'that is: hottest remains so. "The action of 
the lady’s fan or Indian punka illustrate: this principle. 
A room in‘India‘is at the temperature, say of 869, its 
occupants complain of heat, the fan is worked, they 
are refreshed ; but why ?—for*the thermometer indi- 
D | cates the same temperature, It is because their own 
bodies are the source of the heat which annoys them, 
Their bodies'create by their animal heat an atmosphere 
around them, say of 90° Fahr., and this, being sur- 
rounded by one of 86° is not rapidly displaced, becomes 
oppressive, but is at once removed by the mechanical 
agitation of the punka orfan. So in the church, the 
change being gradual and not sudden, there is no in- 
ducement to rapid diffusion. The air at 50° is not 
rapidly displaced by that at 45°, neither is 45° by 40°, 
or 40° by 35°, or “35° by 30°, and thus one portion of 
the church may contain air over-heated, while the rest 
is cold; and thus the stove, so admirably fitted to 
economise heat, but so ill fitted to diffuse it, becomes a 
positive nuisance to some, and is useless to others; and 
et this very stove, placed under the conditions of Pol- 
maise, will probably be found equal to warm the entire 
air of the building, and that to nearly a uniform point. 
The second mode of heating is by means of iron pipes 
filled with hot water, the temperature of the pipes bemg 
sustained by the constant flow of the water to and from 
the boiler. The advantages of this mode over the first 
are at onee apparent, for the evil (that is the radiating 
force) is lessened in intensity, while the good is further 
secured; for instead of the small and intensely heated 
surface of the stove radiating very powerfully, we have 
a great extent of surface at a low temperature, and pro- 
portionately low radiating power, and the diffusion of 
that power secured by the mechanical extension of the 
d | heated surface, insufficient to annoy those who are near 
it, and not very farfrom any one. It also presents a 
much larger surface to the air, which becomes warmed 
by'contact with it, and as it extends through the air, 
it of course warms it more equally; in truth it does 
literally take the heat to the air. These remarks I 
intend to apply only-to water cireulating at moderate 
temperatures ; in that plan-where the water circulates 
at very high temp , and under quently greai 
pressure, the evils of the stove are approached to, 
and I am eonvineed the danger is considerable, 
I think the admirers-of hot water will admit the 
above as a candid statement of its claims ; and yet I 
cannot allow that it heats a building equally. The 
same objections, founded on the same laws, attach to 
it as to stoves, only in a very much more mitigated 
form. The diffusive power still depends on radiation ; 
that cannot be right. There is the same. obstruction 
the economie production of heat is its economic ditiu- | to the diffusion of the heat of contact, and then, to 
