Febrnary 23, 1871. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



139 



principle of Mr. Beard. Would some who have tried this plan 

 give U3 details as to how it passed through the late severe 

 weather? United testimony on this matter would be most 

 valuable, and especially in ornamental houses, as in them the 

 Japs often become eyesores. 



We trust that even the amateur who purposes putting up a 

 Jiouse or two for his pleasure will ponder over what Mr. Pear- 

 son says of cheap imperfectly annealed glass. It would be well 

 ii there were some simple test beyond appearance for detecting 

 glass not properly made. At present we must depend a great 

 deal on price and the character of the glass merchant. We 

 ■have known cases in which very bad scored and spotted glass 

 was obtained at the price of good glass. The rage for cheap- 

 ness, however, is so great that it is no wonder that clever 

 people are frequently taken in, and find that cheapness is just 

 another word for dearness and discomfort. A few years ago a 

 gentleman who was resolved to have a cool house as cheap as 

 possible, showed us a fair specimen of some glass he could 

 have for about Id. per foot. We stated we should be sorry to 

 use it at any price. We grounded our opinion on the colour, 

 the warpings, soratehings, and blotchings. However, like many 

 people who ask advice and have already resolved to have their 

 own way, the glass was purchased, and hardly anything could 

 be kept under it without having the leaves blotched and burned, 

 no matter the amount of air given. This we expected, but we 

 did not expect that as soon as the first frosts of the autumn 

 came the squares would begin to crack and fly in all directions. 

 After the second summer all had to be replaced. How are we 

 to know when the annealing is all right ? 



As so much has been said on heating of late, we may mention 

 that we went one afternoon to see the new stokehole and 

 boilers placed in a little wood at Luton Park. Two boilers are 

 placed side by side, to be worked singly or unitedly, one being 

 deemed sufficient in ordinary weather to heat the whole esta- 

 blishment, with its many ranges of glass. We have mislaid 

 and forgotten some of the details, but most likely we shall 

 revert to them ere long ; meanwhile we may remark, that no 

 better example could be given of the economy of heating large 

 establishments by hot water, as there is only one low chimney 

 instead of many, and this being 60 or mora yards from any 

 of the glass, there will be no dirtying of the houses by blacks, 

 &S. The boilers, placed side by side, and working unitedly or 

 separately, secure safety, as it is scarcely likely that both 

 should go wrong at once. 



The main flow and return from the boilers go through an 

 arched tunnel, deep enough for a man to pass along, and from 

 these other main flows and returns are taken off as wanted. 

 This conduit or covered passage being shut at each end, the 

 pipes are found to contain a great reservoir of heat ; and 

 important, as bearing on some statements lately, the main flow 

 in the conduit does not only rise a little all the way, but the 

 other secondary flows to all the houses also rise from them ; 

 and from these, again, the heating pipes of each separate 

 house rise considerably, so that the lowest pipes even for 

 bottom heat are considerably higher than the main flow and 

 return, and still more elevated above the boiler. As respects 

 heating, nothing could answer better. But let those thinking 

 of such a plan bear in mind that here there is no lowering of 

 pipes, all are above the boilers. Lastly, for the present, after 

 trying many boilers and systems, these new boilers at Luton 

 Park are just the old simple saddle-back. — E. P. 



AN IVIED WALL. 



There is nothing to my mind which gives a greater degree 

 of comfort and snugness, combined with a cheerful home feel- 

 ing, than well-kept Ivy walls. I emphasise well-kept, because 

 their beauty mainly depends upon a little care and attention, 

 and a very little will suflice to keep them in beautiful order. 



The Irish Ivy, so called, is best suited for the purpose. It 

 should be planted in good soil and occasionally watered, and if 

 with a little iitiuid manure it will grow the more rapidly. Care 

 should be taken to cover the whole wall, but the main secret 

 for keeping it in beautiful trim is every year to cut it closely 

 at the beginning of March. It will, of course, remain bare and 

 unsightly for a week or two, but the new leaves soon compen- 

 sate for the temporary dullness, and give a lovely green surface 

 that will delight and soothe the eye all the summer and winter. 



At a late residence a wall -10 or 50 feet long and about 10 feet 

 high ran along the flower garden, and I covered it in this way, 

 adding, at the same time as the Ivy was planted, some of the 

 strongest-growing Bourbon Eoses. IJy adopting the plan above 



recommended the eflect was admirable, and elicited the praises 

 of all who saw it. If a good syringing can be given to the Ivy 

 from a garden engine in the course of the summer, it will add 

 much to the effect. — Hoktatoe. 



VERBENA PLANTS SHRIVELLING. 



Like " E. F." we lost most of the Verbenas here in the way 

 he describes. I could form no idea of the cause ; they were 

 struck in the usual way — that is, about eighteen cuttings were 

 inserted in a 6-inch pot in September, and plunged in bottom 

 heat until well rooted. Then they were gradually hardened off 

 before storing them in their winter quarters, and all seemed to 

 be thriving well until they were attacked jast before Christmas 

 with dark brown spots, first at the tips of the shoots. These 

 spots seemed to gradually wither the plants up. I tried flowers 

 of sulphur to no purpose. The disease seemed to me to attack 

 the Verbenas in the same manner as the Potato disease attacks 

 the Potatoes, and for both I have failed to find or hear of a 

 remedy. I may mention that Purple Eing and Crimson King 

 suffered the most. 



I am glad to say I have not seen any signs of the disease 

 this season. The plants received just the same treatment last 

 season as they have this ; they occupy the place where the 

 Verbenas have stood for several years. I hope some of your 

 correspondents will be able to find out a remedy in case of 

 future attacks. — S. W. J. 



THE RIVERS PORTRAIT. 



At a meeting of the trustees of the Lindley Library held on 

 the loth iust.. Dr. Hogg presented, in the name of the sub- 

 scribers, the portrait of Mr. Thomas Elvers, of Sawbridgewortb, 

 to be held in trust by them as part o£ the property of the Lindley 

 Library. The portrait, which is a beautiful picture and an 

 admirable likeness of Mr. Elvers, is now suspended on the walls 

 of the large ball, on the right of that of Dr. Lindley. It was 

 painted by Mr. I. T. Peele, of Grafton Street, Fitzioy Square, 

 and bears strong evidence of his high attainments as a portrait 

 aitist. 



REPORT ON THE STATE OF TPIE VINES- 

 PRACTICE AND PROPOSED ALTERATIONS. 

 [The following report from a gardener to his master contains 

 information which may be useful to others who possibly may 

 be in somewhat similar circumstances. Gardeners should keep 

 in mind that a mistake, or an unfortunate termination to a 

 previously unexplained measure, may be to them of serions 

 consequence.] 



With the exception of two White Frontignans and one Buck- 

 land Sweetwater the Vines are all Black Hamburghs. 



The Past. — About fifteen years ago a new border was made, 

 the old Vines being lifted and some young ones put in. The 

 border is of the same length as the houses, 10 feet wide and 

 3 feet deep, including at the least 6 inches of broken stones and 

 rubble. It cannot be widened. The soil is yellowish loam, 

 not turfy, of medium texture, and mixed with some charcoal. 

 The Vines have not been forced ; they have been worked on 

 the spur system and have borne uniform crops of excellent 

 Grapes with but little shanking. The border has had frequent 

 surface-mulchings of fresh soil and some sweet decayed manure. 

 It has been covered with wooden shutters during the winter. 

 I should add that immediately in front of the border runs a 

 gravel walk, and beyond the walk kitchen-garden ground. The 

 roots are not confined to the border by a partition wall of any 

 kind. 



Tlie Present, commencing 1869, During this year I observed 

 that the spurs pruned the closest produced Grapes inferior in 

 size of bunch and general finish to those hanging from spurs 

 which had been left longer at the winter pruning. During 

 the summer I noticed the growth was unusually vigorous and 

 rather coarse in wood and foliage. An abundant yet careful 

 amount of air was given, and the houses never entirely closed 

 at night ; indeed they were, as they always are, worked at a low 

 temperature. The Vines were allowed to carry as much foliage 

 as possible, carefully preventing overcrowding. The shoots 

 were stopped at two or three leaves beyond the bunch, and 

 from this point the laterals were kept timely and continually 

 pinched. My opinion at the time was, that the excessive growth 

 was attributable to the roots passing under the walk at d into 

 the garden. I looked but could find none, still, however, hold_ 



