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JOUKNAIi OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 



[ January 12, 1871. 



occnpies the place of the true organ in perfect flowers. Of 

 course only the ray florets of Silphium have perfect pistils. 

 This clavate false pistil or ovary has hitherto been supposed 

 to be a necessary production for the fertilisation of the plant. 

 It was supposed to push out the pollen, which was thereby 

 scattered to the ray florets about it. But these observations 

 show that this is probably an error, and that fertilisation is 

 chiefly carried on by the easy falling away of the mass of 

 stamens, as I have shown in a paper on Euphorbia jacr[ninio3- 

 florain last year's proceedings, is the ease with that species. 



I am anxious to call particular attention to the different 

 ratios of growth in connection with the appearance of the 

 different floral organs in this plant ; because I think I see 

 traces of a general law in plants that there are vibrations or 

 varying intensities during each season's growth, and that the 

 production of the various organs depends on the degrees of 

 these vibrations. — Thomas Meehau. — (American Gardener's 

 Monthly.) 



GRAPE GROWING IN SCOTLAND. 



Scotland has of late years taken a leading position in the 

 production of Grapes. This was first demonstrated at the 

 Great Exhibition of Pruit held in Edinburgh in 1865, where 

 many of the leading Grape-growers of Britain, and even France, 

 put in an appearance, yet first honours were retained in Scot- 

 land. Again, in 1869, we had another Grand International 

 Exhibition in Edinburgh, when the triumph of the Scotch 

 growers was as marked as before. 



These remarks, however, refer more particularly to Grapes 

 grown in the gardens of the great of the land, and not to such 

 as are grown for commercial purposes. We have, however, to 

 notice a notable step in advance in this latter direction also in 

 Scotland. Some four or five years ago, Mr. Lindsay, of Dryden 

 Bank and Physic Gardens, Edinburgh, who is a most exten- 

 sive importer of every description of green fruit, built at his 

 country residence two splendid vineries, each 160 feet long and 

 about 18 feet wide. These are built on what may be called the 

 lean-to principle. Their construction and heating are of the 

 most substantial character. Their borders were formed after 

 the_ most approved method, and the results have been highly 

 satisfactory — the crops of Grapes having given ample evidence 

 that the foundation was well laid, and the after-management 

 all that could be desired. We believe Mr. Thomson, of Dal- 

 keith Park, was the architect of Mr. Lindsay's vineries, and we 

 are going to refer to what he is now doing in the same direction 

 for himself in Selkirkshire, where he has feued land near the 

 Clovenfords Station of the railway leading from Galashiels to 

 Peebles, about three miles from Galashiels and one mile from 

 the classic grounds of Ashieatiel, where Soott wrote the greater 

 portion of " Marmion," and from which ha dates many of the 

 introductions to his cantos. We believe Mr. Thomson selected 

 this spot because of the excellence of the soil for Grape-grow- 

 ing, the supply of water, and the facility with which the fruit 

 can be sent on to Loudon by express trains from Galashiels. 

 He has named his establishment The Tweed Vineyard, but 

 Grapes are not the only fruit he means to produce ; he has 

 made arrangements for fruiting about a thousand Pines annu- 

 ally, besides Melons, Cucumbers, and other fruits. It is but 

 a year eince he got possession of the ground, and those who 

 have a««D the place recently can only marvel at what has been 

 done in so short a space of time. Hothouses have been erected 

 requiring thirty tons of glass to glaze them, and three miles of 

 hot-water pipes to heat them. 



The great central blocks of glass for the production of Grapes 

 consist of three span-roofed houses, each 200 feet long, 2i feet 

 wide, and 17 feet high. These are placed 24 feet apart, and 

 parallel to each other, terminating at one end in a house run- 

 ning along their ends and forming a corridor for them ; this 

 corridor is of the same height, 135 feet long, and 25 feet wide, 

 and in it are placed all the appliances by means of which the 

 veritilation of the whole block of glass is effected ; it is inter- 

 esting to observe that this is done in as little time and with 

 as great ease as an ordinary three-light frame, such is the per- 

 fection of the gear employed. Two of the long houses have 

 eight rows of pipes in each, one has twelve rows, and the 

 corridor has ten rows. This, with some connecting nipes, 

 gives 7000 feet of 4-inch pipe, which is all heated by one 

 boiler, of an entirely new constrnction, which Mr. Thomson 

 has had constructed of boiler plates. It might be called the 

 telescope boiler, for it is some 20 feet long. The Yines are all 

 of the most approved sorts. 



In addition to this grand block there is a pinery 120 feet 



long and 13 feet wide against the boundary wall ; another 

 145 feet long and 13 feet wide ; a third 200 feet long and 5 feet 

 wide along the front of a Cucumber house of the same length 

 and 13 feet wide. In addition to these there is a Pine pit in 

 course of construction 200 feet long, and a plant house 100 feet 

 long. The Cucumber house, it is calculated, will produce in 

 four months three hundred dozen fruit — more, probably, than 

 is consumed in Scotland in a whole year. 



The Vines with which the vineries have been planted were 

 all struck from eyes and grown on the spot, and they have 

 made such progress that about 3000 lbs. of Grapes may be ex- 

 pected from them next summer by cropping a set of Yines 

 called supernumeraries, which will be removed when the per- 

 manent ones completely occupy the houses. Such extensive 

 preparations for supplying the market with Grapes, when taken 

 in connection with many similar establishments that exist, 

 especially in England, must of necessity diminish the cost 

 price of hothouse Grapes, and bring them within the reach of 

 a class of the community from whom their cost hitherto has 

 excluded them ; and in this we rejoice, especially when we con- 

 sider what a boon they must be to invalids and all who are of 

 delicate constitutions, proving to them both food and diink 

 when they often loathe everything else. 



We learn that Mr. Thomson has resigned the situation ho 

 has held for so many years as gardener to his Grace the Duke 

 of Euccleuch at Dalkeith, and in May will take ihe personal 

 superintendence of The 'Tweed Vineyard. Mr. Thomson is 

 well known to be the highest authority on Grape cultivation in 

 this country, and in the foremost rank as a practical cultivator. 

 The important enterprise now undertaken on the banks of the 

 Tweed could not have been inaugurated under more auspicious 

 circumstances. — (Daily Mail) 



SLOW COMBUSTION— ECONOMY OF FUEL. 



Fob " A. Y.'s " information (see page 8) I may state that the 

 valve is fixed on the ashpit, and not on the furnace door, 

 and that both doors fit quite closely. Although the valve 

 answers admirably, yet I quite agree with Mr. Fish that a 

 single hole with a screw valve would be preferable to my sliding 

 valve, as I think it could be more accurately regulated. I had 

 an opportunity only last week of observing the working of one 

 in a close stove in a large warehouse, and saw at a glance that 

 it was preferable to my sliding valve. Nevertheless, I have- 

 no fault to find with my present plan. It has been fairly 

 tested during the present severe frost, and it has proved to be 

 all I could desire in its results. 



It was only the other day that the builder (a nurseryman) 

 who constructed my house called, when I asked him to look at 

 the furnace. Upon seeing the fire he immediately remarked,. 

 "That's capital; it is perfect; you cannot want anything to 

 work better." It was then half-past 9 a.m., and the fire had 

 been made up at half-past 8 the previous night, and had con- 

 sequently been burning for thirteen hours, and still was a good 

 fire. The thermometer showed at the time 16° of frost in 

 the external atmosphere. The glass inside the house stood 

 at 40°. 



The fire was made up last night at a quarter-past 9; at half- 

 past 9 this morning there was still a good lire. The thermo- 

 meter inside the house marked 45°. The frost during the 

 night had not exceeded 4°. I mention these particulars te 

 show how the plan has worked during this severe weather. 



In stating the quantity of fuel used to bum the length of 

 time I have mentioned, I will give my experience as correctly 

 as may be. I cannot give the quantity of coal, but "A. T." will 

 probably be able to form a tolerably accurate estimate. He 

 must bear in mind that I use a tubular boiler of the smallest- 

 size, and that I barn anthracite coal only. The boiler is fixed 

 about 6 or 7 inches above the firebars, and the diameter of the 

 furnace below the boiler is about 21 inches. 



When I make up the fire for the night I fill up to about 

 4 inches above the bottom of the tubes in the inner circle of 

 the boiler. The fire in the space between the outside of the 

 tubes and the brickwork is below the boiler; the fuel, in fact, 

 forms a flat-topped cone-shaped mass. Were I to fill up higher 

 than I have stated, the heat would be too great. My con- 

 sumption of coal is as nearly as possible half a ton per month. 

 I may add that since I have used anthracite coal I have nevei- 

 been troubled with clinkers ; the firebars are always clear. 



I should, perhaps, mention that the inside course of brick- 

 work in the furnace is made of firebricks. 

 I hope this information may be of use to " A. X." He must 



