134 
THE GARDENERS 
CHRONICLE. 
[Mar. 4, 
structed of any substance not liable to oxidation and con- 
sequent evolution of noxious gases, they might be made 
valuable auxiliaries in dispensing heat and moisture. It 
is not, however, at all probable that the tank system de- 
rives its value on the principle of bottom-heat, which is 
contrary to that of nature. The only heat given out by 
the sun, the life of vegetation, enters the ground at the 
surface ; andit is, therefore, more than probable that the 
success of the tank system depends upon the steam arising 
from the hot water'in the troughs falling upon the leaves, 
becoming condensed, and running down the plants in a 
genial form, penetrating the earth, and nourishing the 
roots—infusing life, beauty, and vigour into all their 
parts. Should this view of the action of hot water in Hor- 
ticultural buildings be found by experiments to be correct, 
instead of being placed in iron tanks under the plants, 
open aqueducts might be formed on an economical prin- 
ciple by substituting troughs made of the same material, 
and nearly similar in shape to house-tiles, which could be 
joined together by cement, so as to convey the hot water 
by its own natural gravity to any part of the buildings. 
Under the superi d of an intelligent gardener, an 
artificial hot-water miniature river might be made to flow 
throughout the whole extent of a conservatory, diversified 
by numerous miniature waterfalls, which would add much 
to the purity of the air; and the water, when nearly cool, 
might be received in reservoirs for gold and silver fish, 
and again enter the boilers to be heated, and perform a 
perpetual round, diffusing warmth and moisture equal to 
that of tropical climates, or graduated to suit the produc- 
tions of every country warmer than our own. 
The writer, instead of submitting his views on this 
subject, would have preferred making the experiments 
himself; but his other avocations prevent him at present. 
He feels convinced, however, that any experiments carried 
on bythe admirers of Horticulture will be freely made 
public in the columns of the Gardeners’ Chronicle.— 
John Grant, Editor of the “ Army and Navy Register,” 
Woolwich.—[ We insert this letter from our ingenious 
correspondent, without at all advocating the view he has 
taken of the subject, in some of its details, especially as 
regards light by night, and bottom heat.] 
ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL 
ROCK. 
* Tue pleasure-ground of a mansion can scarcely be con- 
sidered complete unless it contains a piece of rockwork, 
either natural or artificial. There are, however, few per- 
sons who can imitate natural rock successfully. I have 
heard several gardeners remark that the most difficult 
task which they had to perform was that of raising an 
artificial mass, so as to presenta natural appearance ; and 
this is not to be wondered at when we consider the un- 
fitness of the materials which are oftentimes employed. 
@ common method is to raise mounds of large rough 
stones, and I have seen some tolerably good imitations 
made in this way: it is an operation, however, which 
requires much skill, especially when the stones are ill- 
suited for the purpose. 
It is desirable, then, that the construction of artificial 
rock should be better understood; for, in addition to the 
romantic effect which rocks in most places present, there 
are numerous plants which grow admirably upon them, 
and which seem more at home in sucha situation than 
when growing in the common border. The following 
method of constructing" artificial rockwork is now 
coming into use; and as it is greatly superior to the old 
or usual method of employing rough stones only, I doubt 
not but a description of it will be received with pleasure 
by your readers. 
Where a large piece of artificial rockwork is to 
beZformed, it is advisableSfirst to sketch the surround- 
ing scenery, and afterwards to introduce a drawing of 
the rock itself. This, though not absolutely necessary, 
gives a good idea of the effect which rockwork would 
produce in that place. The operator having the future 
appearance of the mass in his ‘‘ mind’s eye,” must proceed 
to stake out the foundation, which, as the_form of the 
rock should be irregular, must be so likewise. If the 
body of the rock is intended to be raised much above the 
ground level, a quantity of soil and rubbish should } e 
carted into the centre of the space. This soil, besi¢ es 
serving to support the rockwork, will also form a bo" der 
for the plants to grow in. 
aving at hand plenty of large, rough stones, broken 
bricks, or stony rubbish of} any kind or colour, proceed 
with these to imitate the form'of natural rock as nearly 
as possible. Rough, bold, angular projections, and 
deeply-formed chasms, are the principal features in 
natural scenery which please us most. A rock with a flat, 
unbroken surface, whether horizontal or perpendicular, 
presents too much sameness to be pleasing to the eye ; 
therefore, in imitating nature, the projections should be 
varied and bold; and unless raggedness and intricacy 
form principal features in its composition, it will lose 
much of its effect. If the rockwork be on a large scale, 
it should not be one continued line, but broken at inter- 
vals ; in one part lost beneath the surface of the earth, 
ya again rising in another part, and resuming its sinuous 
form, 
So far, there is little difference between this and the com- 
mon method of making artificial rock. When, however, 
every stone has been arranged to suit the eye, the inter- 
stices between them are to be filled up with any kind of 
rough mortar. Of course, fissures and similar places, in- 
tended for the"plants which are to cover the rock, must 
be left open, so that the roots may penetrate to the soil 
beneath the stones. The next operation is to: daub the 
whole mass over with roman cement, or this purpose 
the latter should be mixed with water, until it is of the 
consistence of thick paint, in which state it may be 
applied to the stones with a large painter’s brush. The 
spaces between the stones having been filled with rough 
mortar, prevents the cement from being wasted. The 
thickness of the latter on the stones need not be more 
than the eighth of an inch; it will unite the whole into 
one mass; and rockwork thus constructed, is, beyond all 
comparison, far more natural than that made in the usual 
way. Ithas none of that disjointed appearance which 
usually accompanies rockwork made without cement. 
After a few months exposure to the weather, rockwork 
thus formed (if skilfully made) cannot, without careful 
examination, be distinguished from a natural mass ; it will 
soon assume the appearance of nature, for mosses, lichens, 
&c. will soon cover all but the most prominent parts. If 
the cement be of too light a colour, which, for some 
situations, may be the case, a little lamp-black or soot may 
be mixed with it. Care must, however, be taken that no 
substance which may make the cement more porous is 
used, otherwise it will peel from the stones after a hard 
frost. For the benefit of those who are not accustomed 
to using cement, I may mention that no more should be 
moistened at once than can be used ina short time ; if 
the cement be good, it will quickly harden, and will then 
be in a manner useless. 
In preserving cavities in the rock for plants, care 
should be taken that no places are left in which the 
water may lodge ; or in frosty weather, the ice, by expan- 
sion, would split and peel off the thin crust of cement ; 
therefore, all hollows or cavities should have a hole at the 
lowest part of them, communicating with the soil beneath 
the stones, so that the water may drain off, 
There are many plants which thrive much better on 
rockwork than in the open border. fear, however, 
that a list of them would occupy too much space; and by 
enumerating a few I should undoubtedly leave out many 
interesting ones. There are, nevertheless, seyeral Saxi- 
frages and Veronicas, hardy Heaths, Ferns, and Vincas, 
which grow remarkably well in such a situation, They 
should never be allowed to cover entirely the rock on 
which they grow; considerable portions of it should be 
left bare, or it will assume the appearance of a shrubbery, 
especially if viewed at a distance. I have seen several fine 
pieces spoiled by being too thickly planted. 
Much of the good effect of rockwork depends upon its 
situation. It may, in itself, be beautiful; but if it be im- 
properly situated, nothing can be a greater eyesore, The 
choice of the situation, then, should be left to the experi- 
enced landscape-gardener, or to one well versed in the 
pi que, who can distinguish between the proper and 
the improper situation. After the site has been chosen, its 
formation after the manner that I have just described would 
be easy. Nature furnishes us with an abundance of ex- 
cellent examples ; any one after an attentive observation 
of a natural rock, might direct a labourer to make a rough 
likeness of it. Thus an imitation of the dropping well at 
Knaresborough, or even of the rocking-stone in Cornwall, 
might be made, It is not, however, every piece of natural 
rock that is worthy of being imitated ; a little taste will be 
required in the selection, 
It is not in the pleasure-ground alone that rockwork 
might be advantageously introduced. ‘There may pro- 
bably be many romantic and appropriate situations in the 
length of the approach, or in sequestered drives, where 
masses erected here and there would greatly heighten 
the beauty of the scenery. Even where rocks naturally 
exist, their appearance might, in many cases, be much 
improved by the help of stones and cement. Additions 
to their height or length, or to the diversity of their forms, 
might be easily made, 
Rocks, where they exist naturally, or where artificial 
ones are judicially introduced, tend greatly to beautify a 
piece of water. What can be more appropriate than 
rocks for the high banks of a lake? The introduction of 
one or more islands of 2 proportionate size would add 
much to its picturesque beauty, and what more suitable 
for the banks of such islands than rocks? Crowned by 
the pendent branches of the Weeping Willow, studded 
over with the modest little Heath, or clasped in the em- 
brace of the tortuous Ivy, they seem, with their rocky- 
bound coasts, and their miniature bays and promontories, 
to exult in their triumph over the angry waters dashing at 
their feet. In harmony with the whole, a boat-house, in 
the form of a cave, might be built in some retired corner, 
A fantastic appearance may be given to any piece of 
rockwork, by fixing with cement to its more prominent 
parts large pieces of calcined coal or clinkers, and cover-~ 
ing them with cement of the same colour as the rest of 
the rock. These clinkers will impart to it a singular, but 
certainly not a natural, appearance. If it is desirable to 
form a piece of rockwork without reference to its natural 
appearance, these clinkers may be used; but under any 
r ci cannot i them. 
Chairs, vases, and similar ornaments, having a rude re- 
semblance to the antique, may be easily imitated and 
placed where fancy may dictate, y 
A grotto built of rough stones and’ coated inside 
with cement will form an interesting retreat during the 
heat of summer, An unnatural effect is produced by 
having shells, &c., studded over the roof in diamonds, 
stars, circles, and half-moons; but petrified substances, 
spars, crystals, curious stones, &c., scattered carelessly 
about, would havea much more pleasing effect than if 
disposed in fancy figures. Externally, the grotto may be 
filled up as a piece of rockwork. ‘There should not, J 
imagine, be an extensive yiew from the grotto, nor should 
it open on the highly-finished lawn and pastures. It may 
easily be secluded by being surrounded with shrubs, and 
it will then tempt the fatigued wanderer to take refuge in 
other plants which will grow in a subdued light, and these 
may be planted inside the grotto. 
In making artificial rock for waterfalls, or other 
constructions where the cement may be constantly ex- 
posed to the action of water, the best water-cement should 
be used. Any preparation that does not quickly indurate 
under water will, ina short time, be washed away, and 
leave nothing but the bare stones. It will be seen that I 
have spoken principally of making rockwork on a large 
scale ; the principles are the same, however, whether ap- 
plied to covering a rod or an acre of land. In conclusion, 
it must ever be borne in mind, that ‘ the greatest triumph 
of art is to conceal art.”—Obdservator. 
A DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF CARNATIONS AND 
OTEES. 
Ir is possible that the opinions given below may be at 
variance with the ideas of other cultivators of these beau- 
tiful and fragrant flowers. With all due deference to my 
brother florists, who may have a different standard of 
perfection to that of Nottingham, I beg leave to state that, 
with us, purity of the white is indispensable; and that an 
equal distribution of colour, whether in bizarres or flakes, 
is also requisite : form and regularity of marking take the 
precedence of size, and the pod must be long and well- 
formed. Petals either very thin or serrated are disquali- 
fications which cannot be overlooked. The following list 
will contain a description, which may be taken as the 
opinion of Nottingham florists, of about 20 sorts in each 
class, cultivated by myself. 
SCARLET BIZARRES. 
Jolly Dragoon (Ely’s).—A large and rather coarse flower, 
colour high, and white tolerably pure. 
Game-boy (Rainforth’s).—Does not crown well, yet is a 
great favourite with many, on account of its beautiful 
markings ; too thin for a first-rate flower. 
Leader (Hepworth’s). — Finely-marked, and a high- 
coloured flower ; rather small, but a general favourite. 
The layers appear to be more shy in making roots than 
some other varieties ; it therefore requires to be layered 
early. 
Don yi ohn (Merchant’s).—Thin of leaf, muddy, and 
worthless. 
Lady of the Manor (Milwood’s).—Rather small ; often 
deficient in dark stripes; may occasionally be caught 
fine, and requires to be grown strong. 
Patriarch (Hufton’s).—Pod good, inclined to be thin ; 
ut when grown fine there are few in its class that can 
excel it ; the colours and disposition of the stripes are 
good. 
Union Jack'(Ward’s).—A fine and large flower ; colours 
well distributed ; of excellent shape and petal, crown- 
when the flower is opening. 
Sir Robert Peel (Groye’s).—A well-shaped, finely-marked, 
and useful flower. 
Locomotive (Marris’).—Raised’a short{time ago at Leices- 
ter; the stripes are good, on pure white ground; and 
it promises to become a favourite. 
Duke of Leeds (Hoyle’s).—Thin ; the white seldom pure ; 
by no means first-rate, although it wins many prizes in 
Lancashire. 
Prince Albert (Hale’s).—Fine pod and very large flower ; 
well-marked, and decidedly the best of its class which 
I have yet had from the south. 
Splendid (Martin’s).—A finely-shaped flower, though not 
so ‘‘ splendid ”’ as I was ledjto expect. With me, there 
was not a fair proportion of bizarre; the colours were 
not properly balanced, although having only grown’ it 
one season, I am not sure that this is its usual cha- 
racter. 
Conquering Hero (Wilmer’s).—Large ; rather coarse 3 
colours inclined to be dull ; sometimes comes fine. 
Brutus (Colcut’s)—A very large and finely-formed 
flower ; indispensable to a first-rate collection. It is a 
question whether Splendid or Don John can beat it. 
Juba (Colcut’s).—A flewer of later date than the above; 
of first-rate shape; a good marker, and a decided 
= 
acquisition. 
Charles the XIIth (Mansley’s).—Sometimes rather de- 
ficient in dark stripes; when in good order it is a 
superior flower, 
William the IVth (Walmsley’s).—High-coloured ; white 
impure ; decidedly second-rate. 
Colonel (Lee’s).—Good shape, but rather thin; the white 
has a yellowish tint, otherwise it is a meritorious flower. 
Duke of Devonshire (Fletcher’s).—Not, large, but with 
stiff, well-formed petals ; generally the succession blooms 
have less bizarre than the first. 
Mars (Walmsley’s).—The whife rather impure, but the 
petals are broad and the stripes are extremely rich and 
well distributed ; sometimes very fine. 
CRIMSON BIZARRES. 
Duke of Bedford (Ely's).—A. beautifully-marked flower 3 
white pure, and shape good. 
Count Paulini (Holmes’).—This, although much admired 
by many, appears to want that due proportion of colours 
which constitutes a first-rate flower, 
Duchess of Kent (Brown’s).—A beautiful, high-coloured 
flower, of good form and substance; rather late. 
Bloomsbury (Soorn’s)—The petals are rather narrow 
aud thin; the white often impure ; still it is a pleasing 
flower. 
Hector (Brown’s).—Improperly called Toone’s Con- 
ductor ; late, but highly-coloured; is sometimes met 
with extremely fine; the petals are stout and well- 
formed. 
Lord Milton (Ely’s).—A great favourite; form ‘good 3 
its refreshing coolness, There are numerous Ferns and 
colour. high and well-distributed ; extremely apt t0 
run, but, when in colour, first-rate. 
ing well: its only drawback is that the white is flushed — 
