892 
THE GARDENERS 
CHRONICLE. [ Dec. 23, 
ment, had the glazed case been applied three weeks, or 
even a month earlier. I have at all times kept a thermo- | 
meter within the case, and another near to it out of the | 
case, and registered their differences at various periods of 
the day and night, in order to draw some general conclu- 
sions from the effects of the glazed frame. The results | 
rather surprised me. It would, however, be useless to | 
detail every particular ; to show the effects of the experi- | 
ment in a practical rather than a philosophical view, it | 
will be sufficient to state the main points. 
The temperature within the case was at all times 
higher than the open atmosphere, but their difference 
varied greatly according to circumstances. When the 
sun’s rays were powerful, and fell directly on the glass, 
the thermometer within the case ranged from twenty 
to twenty-five degrees above the one which was exposed. 
Jn the night, when calm, they fell to within one or two 
degrees of the same point. These form the extremes of 
variation ; and of course the approximation of the two 
thermometers, either to their greater or less difference, | 
was always in favour of the protected branch of the Vine; 
inasmuch as the atmosphere within the case, when warm, 
PLAN OF A MELON PIT. 
© Tris pit (contrived by Mr. T. Berry, gardener to the 
Right Hon. C. 8. Lefevre) which is usually known as 
the Heckfield pit, 
pit in having, instead of that contrivance, 
chamber or close flue, which commences at the founda- 
tion and is continued all round the pit to the height 
| blew for a few minutes in a warm day, and quickly lowered 
| 
| of three feet—the depth of the pit below the ground level. 
| in to give stability to the wall. The back and end flues 
differs from the common pigeon-hole ; are covere: 
a warm air| which projec! 
| 
cooled more slowly—and when cool, heated more rapidly, 
than the open air. When I have named one other cir- 
cumstance, the principal influences of the glazed frame 
will be clearly appreciated. When sudden cool winds 
the case was tolerably well ripened. Had the glass case 
been applied three or four weeks earlier in the spring, it 
is reasonable to believe that its use would have forwarde 
the ripening a month at the least. In the present 
instance it seems to decide not only whether Grapes shall 
| —the 26th of September, at which time the fruit within 
| be ripened or not ripened in cold districts of England, 
the temperature of the open air several degrees, the air in 
the case would scarcely be influenced. ‘Ten to fifteen 
degrees in warm weather was a very common difference | but also whether any or none shall be produced ; for, in 
of the thermometer during the day. this instance, nearly all the berries fell from the exposed 
J will now mention the progress of the Grapes to matu- | bunches whilst flowering. As I am anxious that the 
rity. The case was put over the branch on the 22d of May. | method of securing this advantage should be clearly 
understood, I send the case, with the branch of the 
Vine and its fruit as it grew, and specimens of the fruit 
from the exposed wall. I exhibit it only to show the ad- 
vantage of the protection I bave adopted, and which may, 
I believe, enable the inhabitants of the north of England 
and Scotland to raise for themselves fine Grapes without 
artificial heat.—B. Maund, Bromsgrove. [This was exhi- 
bited to the Horticultural Society on the 3d of October» 
and was described in our report of the proceedings 
that day.] 
On the 28th of June, the flowers first opened in the case 5 
those without the case, on the 5th of July. On the 20th 
of July, the berries in the case were well set, and as large 
as peppercorns; without the case, the flowers had mostly 
fallen, and the young fruit also was rapidly falling off from 
cold nights, At this time the advantage of the protection 
was most evident—the most perfect exposed bunch was 
left with only eight berries on it, and some with only one. 
On the 5th of September, the first change of colour of the 
protected fruit occurred. The same effect did not take 
place with that out of the case till three weeks afterwards 
above the cross bricks. In the back flue and under the 
centre of each light, an opening about a foot long is lefty 
upon which the ventilation passage, in the shape of a thin 
box, is formed by the back wall and two pieces of slate, 
placed in such a manner as to discharge the warm aif 
towards the plants, at the distance of six inches below the 
glass. Below each rafter a nine-inch duct (a a) is sunk 
in the floor, which communicates with the bottom of the 
cavity both in the front and back flues, so that a current 
of air from the ducts supplies the place of the warm alr 
which makes its escape to the surface amongst the plants. 
This pit, which is simple in construction, and safe and 
c i in the appli of top and bottom heat, at 
the same time, and from the same materials, still con- 
tinues to give great satisfaction in the culture of Cucum- 
bers, Melons, and young Pine plants.—Proceedings of the 
Horticultural Society, No. XX. 
In carrying up this flue, a cross brick is occasionally laid 
d in with a course of brick on bed laid across, 
ts one inch beyond the other brickwork on 
the outside ; this projection not only gives a neat finish 
asa surface line, but serves as a rest for the boarding 
which conceals the lining. The front 
flue is covered by one brick laid across 
and also lengthwise alternately, on the 
outside course ; thus, an opening is left 
between each cross brick for the ingress 
and egress of air from the cavity of the 
flue. In order that the air may take an 
jnward direction, and also to prevent 
rubbish from falling into the flue, mar- 
row pieces of slate are fixed in the joint 
Ground Level 
ene a 
HANNAN 
| 
AMATEUR’S GARDEN.—No. LI. 
In a note on the ‘One Shift System ’’ of potting 
plants, in the ‘‘ Gardeners’ Magazine ’’ for November, 
Mr, Barnes, of Bicton, the writer of it, has offered some 
remarks on an article of mine at p. 135, and also on those 
persons who have exhibited plants grown on that system, 
which if left unnoticed might lead to some misapprehen- 
sion respecting its merits. Mr. B. says, “ This system was 
no sooner made known than plants were exhibited and 
said to be grown upon it, although to any experienced 
man the plants were well known to have been growing for 
years previously on the old system.’’ This is a bold asser- 
tion, and one which, as far I am, or those with whom I 
am connected, are concerned, is altogether a mistake. 
Plants grown on this system were exhibited before the 
Horticultural Society long before my article was written ; 
but it was not until after it had appeared that any were 
exhibited as the result of that system of 
\ 
Z 
I 
Lining pit, 
Mr. B., however, thinks that but ‘little merit is due | where it has not been properly carried out, there can be i 
to the system,” as he hears ‘‘on good authority that | doubt that it has effected considerable good, for there neve) 
many valuable plants have been lost through going to} Was such a general movement in the direction of specimel 
the extreme,with the one-shift.” Did Mr. B. never hear of plant growing as there has been during the present yea! 
yaluable plants being ruined and lost under the old system I potted a number of plants in the spring for an amate! 
of management? I anticipated that many plants would | gentleman, and on inquiring a short time back how ay 
be lost; but delicate plants have been and will be lost 
viz., ‘* that the plants grew 
regulate 
than at 
different opinion.”? Will 
reasons for so thinking; he will have some difficulty in 
doing this without contradicting a considerable part of 
what he has written in the ‘Gardener’s Magazine.” I | 
myself cannot agree with the principle inculcated at p. 693 | 
by Mr. Wood, that ‘plants the most difficult to rear 
should be removed at once from the cutting or seed-pot 
ber of thé 
| Peat, or Heath-Mould. 
| Gardeners’ Chronicle, at 
. 839, in answt 
| respondent, Mr. Wood states that the pea 
t used for 
Mr. B. imagines this system to be only a wild theory, he 
is mistaken, for there have been many fine specimens 
grown upon it for years past; and if he has still any 
doubts respecting it, he may have them in a great measure 
removed by calling upon Mr. Glendinning, at the Chiswick 
Nursery, who will show him some excellent specimens, 
principally hard-wooded plants, that have been produced 
since February last. In this there can be no deception, 
as plants that were bought in at from 17s. to 18s. per 
dozen are now worth that money per plant. Similar 
results have been achieved in other nurseries, where the 
system has been properly understood and carried out. 
to the largest pot in which they are to be exhibited | 
as specimens ;’’ because on the very same principle that I occasionally adverted ; 
would puta plant in poor sandy soil to induce a profuse | cultivation of Heaths, & 
development of roots, so would I have a plant thoroughly | entertain the same opinion respectin 
established in a small pot before I removed it to a large | afterwards says that the latter kind ‘* 
one. So far as my experience enables me to judge, I | first-named after a much higher state of fermentation and 
should lay this down as a first principle, more especially | decomposition,’’ and goes on to show that the only dif 
with very delicate plants ; indeed, the principal secret—if | ference between them in point of quality lies in the oné 
there is now any secret in the matter—is to have the plants being more decomposed than the other, and accounts fot 
well rooted and to remove them to the large pot just at | this difference by saying that one has been exposed {0 
the time the young roots are breaking away in the early | heat, air, and moisture, while the other has been excluded 
part of the year. from the decomposing power of such agencies. Now, by 
Whatever injury the one-shift system may have done ' comparing these assertions with those that follow, it clearly 
“is not in any respect the kind of peat to w 
” namely, 
c. I beg leave to observe that 
git. But Mr. WwW 
is the same as thé 
Sa: Reece 
hich he hag 
the kind used in the 
