258 



JOURNAL op horticulture and cottage gardener. 



[ April 7, 1863. 



then gently rubbed with a common house-broom. The labour 

 ia small, the cost is next to nothing ; no tradesman has to be 

 employed, but merely a boy may be trusted to apply it carefully. 

 " G. A." is right in daubing it on with a dust-brush ; for if 

 done in the regular way, unless performed by a very light band, 

 it will leave many streaks, through which the sun will have 

 sufficient power to burn the green leaves beneath. 



Next, this question presents itself to our notice : Should it 

 be applied outside or inside ? If the latter, it will last much 

 longer, excepting where there is very much moisture, but will 

 not allow you to obtain any heat from the sun ; on the other 

 hand, if applied outwardly, it will give a nice shading, and allow 

 a quantity of heat to be obtained from the sun during the 

 summer months. 



Great care ought to be taken in putting it on, so as to aToid 

 covering the paint on the wood, as it is liable to make the paint 

 perish sooner than it otherwise would do. I have seen this 

 simple composition used for the last eight years, and never found 

 any fault with it, and I shall continue to use it. I have tried a 

 mixture of soot and milk for the same purpose, but find I 

 cannot put it on thinly enough to allow of the admission of 

 sufficient light. 



One may kill two birds with one stone, if possible. 1 will, 

 therefore, call your attention to "E.'s" article, which almost 

 immediately follows that of " G. A." Flues, with one or two 

 exceptions, may be considered a dead loss, as compared with 

 hot-water pipes. I would never have the one if it were possible 

 to have the other, as flues are always out of repair, let the 

 Emoke out, cause nasty smells, take up much room, and are 

 accompanied by a dozen other annoyances. 



In regard to heating by hot air, that m-'ght do for a manu- 

 factory or warehouse, where you wish to keep articles dry, but 

 never for a greenhouse or stove. Only fancy a quantity of hot, 

 dry air coming against some young foliage : I think it would 

 inevitably burn it. I fancy we always require a certain quan- 

 tity of moisture in the houses, which would be done away with 

 by "E.'s" plan, unless he Etood by all the time to syringe his 

 earthenware pipe. Let him go to Mr. Monro, nurseryman, 

 Colney Street, near St. Albans, and see his excellent manner of 

 heatiDg by hot water. His trials have at length brought him a 

 reward in the shape of a new-fashioned boiler, which quite 

 astonished me when I saw it work. Mr. Monro would be most 

 willing, I believe, to put up a boiler for any one who would, if 

 the boiler succeeded, buy his discovery and have it patented. I 

 am not in a position myself, or would most willingly, for I am 

 certain it only requires to be seen to be brought into general 

 use. He has one at work, which he made himself, and it heats 

 two houses, and is expected to heat a third, with merely rain- 

 water pipes. — J. E. L., jw. 



EOTAL HOETICULTTJBAL SOCIETY. 

 Mabch 31. 



Fiobal CoinriTiEE.— A Meeting of the Committee was held 

 this day on the right-hand terrace of the conservatory at 

 South Kensington. Although there were not many subjects 

 Bent for examination there were several plants of much interest 

 and beauty, and which would have amply repaid any of the 

 Fellows for a visit to the garden on that day. 



Messrs. Smith, of Dulwich, sent a Verbena named conspicua, 

 a deep rosy crimson with clear white eye. Also Azalea Surprise, 

 flowers of a pinkish ground ; the centre of the petals blotched 

 and spotted, and sometimes striped with bright red — a very 

 showy variety with badly-formed flowers, though considered 

 useful for decorative purposes. Messrs. Smith 6ent also a seed- 

 ling Azalea Oracle— a pretty, smooth, rosy-tinted flower, after 

 the style of Standard of Perfection, which it much resembled. 



A seedling Wallflower came from F. J. Graham, Esq., and 

 was much admired for its brilliancy of colour — a bright yellow. 

 The Bcent of this single-flowering variety was most exquisite, 

 and a label of commendation was awarded, it being considered 

 an advance upon other Wallflowers in cultivation. 



Mr. Jackson, of Kingston, sent an early-flowering Pelargo- 

 nium, Mrs. Lewis Lloyd, with bright Bhowy carmine flowers ; 

 the upper petals deeply marked with a dark spot ; the throat 

 purple. Although not possessing the usual requisite properties, 

 a label of commendation was awarded, being a decided improve- 

 ment in the early-flowering class of Pelargoniums. 



Mr. Earley, of Digswell, sent cut specimens of three varieties 



of Intermediate Stocks. Mr. F. Hopwood, a Cineraria named; 

 British Sailor, with a light blue disk, but not equal to many 

 named varieties. 



Mr. Bull, Chelsea, sent five Zonale Pelargoniums of various 

 shades of colour, also a variegated-leaved variety. No award 

 was made to them at the present season. When they are seen 

 again in the autumn 6ome of these seedliogs cannot pass 

 unnoticed. Auricula and Beauty appeared promising varieties. 

 Mr. Bull also sent Petunia Captivation, a very showy single 

 variety, with mauve flowers margined with white ; eemidouble 

 Azalea Due de Nassau, not new ; Cupressus Lawsoniana varie- 

 gata ; an Amaryllis Fire King, a bright scarlet variety mottled 

 with white, flowers small but very conspicuous. A label of 

 commendation was awarded. 



C. Anderson-Henry, Esq., sent a curious plant — Phsedranassa- 

 obtusa, which had no particular merit. The plant had lost its 

 foliage, and perhaps did not appear to the best advantage. 



Messrs. Veitch, Chelsea, sent several plants of interest. 

 Among them Dendrobium lituiflorum, a very handsome Orchid, 

 to which was awarded a first-class certificate. Perhaps the most 

 interesting plant on the table, sent by Messrs. Veitch, was 

 Anthurium Scherzerianum. This plant was exhibited by the 

 gardener to the King of Hanover last July, at South Kensington, 

 and attracted much admiration from its extremely novel and 

 handsome appearance. It is nearly allied to the Arads, bearing 

 bright scarlet spathes, with beautiful dark green foliage. It 

 reminded one of the scarlet Flamingo, and might well be named 

 flamingoides. A first-class certificate was awarded, which it 

 most justly merited. Messrs. Veitch sent also two Camellias, 

 Filippo Parlatore and Giardino Santerelli, the former a very 

 beautiful variety, with flowers of a pale pink ground, with finely- 

 formed petals, striped and flaked with deep rose. A first-class 

 certificate was awarded. The latter Camellia was not in con- 

 dition to receive any award ; but there could be no doubt about 

 its being a first-class variety. 



Mr. Standish, Bagshot, sent Bletia sp. from Japan. Although 

 a weakly plant, it promises to be a useful one. The deep 

 purplish-mauve flowers and elegant grassy-looking foliage were 

 much admired, and when stronger plants are exhibited w ill gain 

 its award. This will probably prove to be a greenhouse Orchid. 



Messrs. Henderson, Wellington Road, contributed greatly to 

 the interest of this Meeting, by sending a collection of beautiful 

 plants, among them an Amaryllis, with very dark-shaded red 

 flowers, which received a label of commendation. Two red and 

 white varieties of Primula sinensis filicifolia received a second- 

 class certificate. We noticed, also, several other Amaryllids, 

 Rhododendron Veitchii, Rhododendron Princess Alice, Azalea 

 rhododendroides, Hymenocallis speciosa, and many others. A 

 special certificate was awarded by the Committee to thiB col- 

 lection of plants. 



ROTAI HoETrCUlTTJBAl SOCIETY'S READnro-Eooir. — This is- 

 now open ; and we think that no two opinions will be enter- 

 tained, either as to the comfort and beauty of the room, or the 

 liberal supply of daily and weekly papers upon the table. We 

 think a book should be kept, and an attendant, to ascertain the 

 number of Fellows who avail themselves of this gratuitous 

 luxury. 



SEA-KALE. 

 I hate in my garden a bed of Sea-kale which, owing to a new 

 treatment, has yielded very abundantly. Last autumn I had 

 the whole bed covered with seaweed about a foot deep. The 

 Kale grown under the seaweed is eo much finer and more abun- 

 dant than that grown under pots, that I shall discontinue the 

 use of pots, and thus save great expense. I have had shoots of 

 Sea-kale quite tender and white, of from 12 to 15 inches in 

 length, and 1 to 1^ inch in diameter. I have only to watch its 

 appearance above ground, and then to uncover it to the root. 

 Would you recommend a Bimilar treatment for Asparagus ? — 

 T. W. B. 



[So writes a correspondent, and communications like the 

 above are invaluable. Unfortunately, it is only those of our 

 readers who reside near the seacoast that can avail themselves 

 of the seaweed spoken of; but there is uo question but it will 

 suit the Sea-kale to the very letter. We are n«t exactly certain, 

 however, about it suiting Asparagus so well, although we have 

 no doubt but to a certain extent it will do so. If the Boil be 

 light and open the seaweed will he highly useful ; if, however, 



