676 General Notices. 



fine as from early potting, and it takes two seasons' good nursing to bring 

 them round again, so that they will make their appearance among the early 

 spring bulbs in the beds and borders of the flower-garden. They manage dif- 

 ferently in Holland, where they know the nature of the plant so much better 

 than we do, especially as exemplified in our practice. There, from time out of 

 mind, the first crop of forcing hyacinths is potted about the first week in 

 August. They provide against exciting the foliage till the pots are full of 

 roots, by a thick covering of tan, leaf-mould, or something of the kind. In 

 about six weeks the pots are full of roots; they are then taken to cold-frames, 

 and kept close to the glass, with plenty of air; and the natural warmth of the 

 latter part of September and the whole of October is sufficient to bring up the 

 foliage and flower-buds very gradually, with the least possible injury to the 

 bulbs ; indeed, as compared with our practice, their bulbs can hardly be said 

 to be forced at all ; and, after one season's nursing, the same bulbs are fit to 

 be again forced, or exported in the usual course of business. If one party can 

 procure these bulbs thus early, there is no reason why the whole trade should 

 not be as early in the market, and save themselves and their customers much 

 trouble. (Z). Beaton, in Gard. Chron. for Aug. 19. 1843, p. 576.) 



Conservatory Climbers. — At this period, when people are busily engaged in 

 planning out new modes of heating, and re-arranging houses, pits, &c., or in 

 contemplating new ones, let me suggest a simple, cheap, and efficient mode of 

 rendering the conservatory superior to, and more interesting than, anything that 

 has hitherto been done, with the exception of a few instances, which proved 

 highly successful. It is, to clothe the rafters with the best stove and half- 

 stove climbers for seven or eight months in the year, and thus to impart to it 

 all the character and importance of an exotic stove, with the cool refreshing 

 atmosphere suitable for conservatory plants, where those who cannot endure 

 the broiling heat of the former may enjoy this luxury in a more congenial 

 climate. Something of this kind seems now to be wanted, seeing that the 

 better and more delicate greenhouse climbers are being encouraged as dwarf 

 plants on trelliswork, a plan very suitable to tender and small flowering 

 plants, but which does away altogether with our ideas of the bold unrestrained 

 freedom of a fine climber ; and also that the stronger greenhouse climbers are 

 now turned out against conservatory walls, so that we are left in the dilemma 

 of having the same kinds of climbers in the conservatory as against the hot 

 walls in the open air, or we must contrive to grow others in-doors more 

 suitable to our tastes and ideas, or, at all events, more in accordance with 

 the higher branches of gardening. The plan which I propose for effecting 

 this change is exceedingly simple, and not at all expensive, having had a less 

 economical mode for the same purpose in operation for some years, and I can 

 speak confidently as to the result. This plan is simply to build a narrow pit 

 along the back of the conservator}', or along one end of it, if that is not 

 in sight of the main walks ; to keep up a constant stove-heat in this pit, to 

 plant out stove-climbers in it, and, when they are of sufficient length, to intro- 

 duce them through holes pierced in the back wall of the conservatory ; or, 

 more in detail, to build a pit 6 ft. wide and 4 ft. high, the whole length 

 or breadth of the conservatory, as the case may be, with glass sashes in the 

 usual way, at an angle sufficient to leave you head-room along a path next the 

 back wall of the conservatory. This path may be 2 ft. wide, leaving room for 

 a bed 4 ft. wide, except the 4-inch wall along the path to keep up the soil. 

 This bed is to be made after the manner of a vine border, well drained, 

 with a layer of rough stones over the drainage, and a good portion of them 

 mixed with fresh turfy loam and a little peat and leaf-mould, to the depth of 

 3,ft. If you wish to try the effect of bottom-heat, nothing is easier than to 

 run a trough under the drainage, with a two-inch pipe, to heat the water after 

 the manner of Mr. Green's pits. Mr. Rendle's plan will not answer this 

 purpose. A common flue may be the mode of heating if you want to go the 

 cheapest way to work, and the heat may be from 75° to 85° in summer, and 

 from 50° to 55° in winter. {D, Beaton, in Gard. Chron. for 1843, p. 588.) 



