March 24, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



226 



lavender-coloured flowers, somewhat resembling the Ageratum. 

 These plants are of too robust a habit for general purposes, and 

 would require a large conservatory to produce a good effect. 



The Messrs. Smith, of Dulwieh, sent a collection of Cyclamens 

 of various shades of colour, also some well-grown plants ot 

 double pink and white Primulas. These were very beautiful, 

 and decidedly an improvement, both in form and colour, on the 

 semi-double flowers from which they were raised. A special 

 certificate was awarded this interesting collection. A basket of 

 small plants of Azalea Flag of Truce, a double white variety, was 

 also sent by Messrs. Smith, and received a special certificate. 

 This Azalea maintains its good character, and is not surpassed 

 by any other double white variety, either for its purity or pro- 

 fusion of flowers. 



A small plant of Azalea Souvenir de Prince Albert was sent by 

 Mons. Verschaft'elt, from Ghent. It will be remembered how 

 highly this Azalea was spoken of at the Azalea Exhibition, 1862 ; 

 it was then considered a first-class variety. The plant sent on 

 fhis occasion, either from not being in condition, or from some 

 other cause, disappointed those who had formed so favourable an 

 opinion of it, neither colour nor form of flower at all resembled 

 in quality those of the specimens exhibited last year. 



Mr. Parker, of Tootinj, sent a Tropa?olum named Yivid. The 

 plant was covered with flowers inferior both in form and colour 

 to TropEeolum Brilliant. It may possess some merits from its 

 tendency to early -flowering. 



assessable upon the rent the land would let for, supposing all the 

 stock in trade was removed. Such is our opinion ; but you had 

 better consult an attorney, and have your case placed before a 

 barrister.] 



BATING OF NURSERYHEiX'S GREENHOUSES, 

 &c. 



I have erected several hothouses and greenhouses employed 

 solely for the purposes of supporting myself and family. Now 

 the parish have just doubled my rates on the ground of the glass 

 houses I have erected. Would it be asking too much for a 

 reply as to whether this is lawful? — that is, whether the parish 

 authorities can rate a nurseryman's glass houses to the poors' - 

 rates, and, as he increases his buildings, rate additionally such 

 buildings or not?— An Old Suesceibee, G. R. 



[We are of opinion that a nurseryman's greenhouses and his 

 s imila r structures used exclusively in his trade are not rateable. 

 We reprint the following from a former volume of our Journal : — 



"A nurseryman rents a piece of ground, erects upon it green- 

 houses, and stocks it thoroughly. The parish then endeavours 

 to rate him to the poors' -rate according to its improved value ; 

 and the question has arisen whether this higher rating is ad- 

 missible. The question was brought before the Winchester 

 bench of magistrates, and was decided by a majority that the 

 higher rating is not maintainable. They held that greenhouses, 

 unlike other buildings erected by tenants in other trades, do not 

 attach to the land, but are always treated in law as stock in 

 trade, which is clearly not rateable. What Lord Eenyon stated 

 in Penton v. Robart (2 East 90), is so strongly in support of 

 this view of the case, and is so illumined by that enlightened 

 policy which should influence a decision upon this question, 

 that we offer no excuse for its quotation : — 



( The old cases upon this subjecl,' said his lordship, 'leaned to consider 

 as realty ipart of the freehold) whatever was annexed to the freehold by 

 the occupier ; but in modern times the leaning has always been the other 

 ■way, in r ivour of the tenant, in support of the interests of trade, which is 

 become the pillar ot the state. What tenant will lay out his money in 

 costly improvements of the land, if he must leave everything behind him 

 which can be said to be annexed to it ? Shall it be said that the great 

 gardeners and nurserymen in the neighbourhood of this metropolis, who 

 expend thousands ui pounds in the erection of greenhouses, and hothouses, 

 <fcc, are obliged to leave all these things behind them, when it is notorious 

 that they are even permitted to remove trees, or such as arc likely to 

 become so, by the thousand, in the necessary course of their trade ' If it 

 were otherwise, the very object of their holding would be defeated. This 

 is a description of property divided from the realty.' 



" Now, i£ a greenhouse be property divided from the freehold, 

 it cannot, in the case of a nurseryman, he anything but a part 

 of his stock in trade, which, as we have already observed, is 

 clearly not rateable. The bench were not unmindful of the 

 recent decision in the Queen v. Haslam (Justice of the Peace, 

 xv. 24) ; but they held, though not unanimously, that green- 

 houses being uniformly treated as part of a nurseryman's stock 

 in trade, the present was distinguishable from that case." 



Since the foregoing was written there has been a decision of the 

 highest court of appeal in Scotland, determining that a nur- 

 seryman's greenhouses and hothouses are removable by him, 

 being only part of his stock in trade. Now the poors' -rate is only 



FLUES vebsus HOT WATER-VINES INJURED 

 BY MICE. 



I have read with interest Mr. Robson's paper on the above, 

 and I believe that we have not that advantage in hot water over 

 flues which the extra expense should obtain. I have just such 

 a house as Mr. Robson mentions, only wider. It is heated with 

 a flue, and in it we grow Pines all the year ; Yiues up the 

 rafters in summer; besides forcing a few Dwarf Ridney Beans, 

 and a great many Ferns, hothouse plants, &c. They all appear 

 to have good quarters, plenty of heat, and sufficient moisture. 

 The flues are covered with tiles, which hold water on their tops, 

 AU our houses have flues in them, and we have no difficulty 

 about heat. 



I have had the management of houses heated with pipes for 

 growing Pines, Yiues, Peaches and plants ; and here we have 

 the same fruits growing, but heated with flues, and I see no dis- 

 advantage from them. Care is required with both, and ex- 

 perience before you can succeed. 



Water thrown on hot flues is ruinous to everything, but 

 especially to Grapes in bloom or when swelliug. It will kill 

 the bloom and spot the berries. 



I beg to inform your worthy correspondent "R. F.," that he 

 has not suffered alone, for my Yiues have received just such 

 treatment from mice as his own, only with me it occurred last 

 year. About twelve months since, when I was making prepara- 

 tion for taking in my Yines (which are wintered outside, and 

 the border was covered with fern), I saw that a young Yine, 

 planted the season before, was out of its place. I took it in my 

 hand to replace it, and to my surprise it was completely gnawed 

 asunder. I took off the fern covering, and in so doing we caught 

 the destructives, for there were, as is usual, a pair ot mice. 



Not satisfied with the destruction of one Yine, they had 

 nibbled away all the bark from the old Yines close to the soil, 

 but not very deeply, some part of the way around. 1 mixed 

 together a good lump of clay and cowdung, put a thick plaister 

 on the places gnawed, and let it remain on all the summer, and 

 I believe it has done much towards the recovery of the Yines, 

 for I perceive they are not suffering much now. — James Haeeis, 

 Gardener, Machen Rectory, near Newport, Monmontlishire. 



DESTROYING WEEDS WITH OIL OF VITRIOL 



AND GOOSEBEBBY CATEEPILLAE TVITH TVHITE 

 HELLEBOKE. 



I hate noticed the remarks in your Journal relative to the 

 use of sulphuric acid for the destruction of weeds on walks ; and 

 having repeatedly seen it tried in the course of several years, 

 can fully corroborate what has been advanced as to its excellence 

 for that purpose, if the earth or gravel is not of a chalk or 

 limestone formation. 



The acid not only perfectly destroys the weeds, but assists in 

 binding the gravel. Where chalk or lime abound the acid is 

 speedily neutralised, and the weeds soon re-appear ; but where 

 the soil is not of an alkaline character the effects of the acid are 

 very permanent. A gutta percha watering-pot, being perfectly 

 acid-proof, is far preferable to one of tin ; for, as it is impos- 

 sible to have the interior of the spout and rose protected with 

 paint, these parts are speedily corroded in a metal watering-can. 



If the acid and water are mixed in the watering-pot, seven parts 

 of water to one of acid must be first introduced, or the heat 

 evolved during the combination would probably make the gutta 

 percha collapse. It is, perhaps, best to mix the two in a wooden 

 tub, which will not sustain the slightest injury if the water ia 

 first put into it. 



As the diluted acid not only changes the colour, but also in 

 a few hours almost destroys the texture of cotton or linen fabrics, 

 it should be used with caution. Woollen textures are not seri- 

 ously affected ; and although the colour is changed if spotted 

 with the dilute acid, it will generally return if the material is 

 dressed with a solution of carbonate of soda. The shoes may be 

 effectually protected when using the acid by wearing goloshes, 

 which are not in any way affected by it. 



