September 5, 1S72. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOBTTCULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



1S7 



the All-England class with twelve bulbs weighing 15 lbs., and 

 some measuring 15J inches in circumference. 



SUPPORTING FLOWERS IN OPEN BEDS. 



Afiee putting twigs in the beds for support I was told my 

 doing so had not escaped a certain amount of adverse criti- 

 cism, such as "a waste of time and labour — quite unnecessary 

 and uncalled for," &c. A little explanation, if asked for, would 

 often lead us to see that there may be reasons for doing cer- 

 tain things by others of which we never thought. As respects 

 this, the use of little twiggy branchlets from 9 inches to 24 or 

 30 inches in height, according to the size of the plants, giving 

 a tie here, and depending only on the branchlet there, two or 

 three facts are now perceptible. Long ago scarcely an inch of 

 the twigs could be seen, but they served their purpose, as in 

 this exposed place (Hertfordshire), with the brisk gales that 

 alternated with heavy thunder-showers, not a plant has moved 

 out of its place, whilst before I adopted the practice I have 

 found strong scarlet Geraniums torn up by the roots. Even 

 where tall Ageratums and Salvias are grown for centres and 

 back rows, the branchlet is far more effective than the straight 

 stick, and without either there are few places where they 

 would stand heavy rains and brisk gales without being injured. 

 Where very dwarf plants only are used, and if what would 

 naturally be vigorous is by the treatment made dwarf, then no 

 bushing or other support may be necessary. There is no want 

 of common sense in noting circumstances, and so far acting 

 in accordance with them. 



With regard to tying plants, when strong Phloxes, Holly- 

 hocks, Dahlias, &c, are grown they must be supported. Times 

 were when a plant would have as many sticks about it as 

 might have done for the framework of an African hut, and as 

 if the sticks themselves were the chief attraction. There may 

 be exceptions, but there is only one rule which I wish to 

 follow, and that is to give to all such plants one stout stick in 

 the centre, and no more, and then that stick will seldom, or 

 for any length of time, be seen, and the less that is seen of 

 any such support the better and the more graceful will the 

 plant look. Of course, it is not intended that the plant should 

 be bundled up to the stick like a truss of straw. A few shoots 

 in the centre may be tied loosely to the stake, and the outer 

 branches may be looped on to it with fine light brown cord, 

 which will never attract notice ; the plant will then look as if 

 it were growing naturally. 



In a fine plant of a Polygala in a 14-inch pot I once counted 

 sixty-five white whittled stakes made from double laths. Li 

 such a plant five stakes might have been permitted, but one 

 would have been better still if the individual shoots had been 

 stronger ; but five would have answered admirably with a 

 band of string or fine wire, which would not have oppressed 

 the eye like a forest of sticks that had taken a great deal of 

 time to prepare. Putting in as many stakes as possible is a 

 great mistake. Try the other plan — have as few as possible, 

 and keep them as much concealed as possible. 



The same rule applies to Chysanthemums, especially the 

 strong-growing kinds in pots. One would sometimes think 

 that the object was to put as many sticks into a pot as possible. 

 If put-in in time, and a ring round the rim of the pot, veiy few 

 sticks, if more than one in the centre, will be absolutely neces- 

 sary. Not so long ago a clever keen amateur, who worked so 

 as to deserve all praise, was perfectly astonished because his 

 neat, bushy, compact Pelargoniums were not placed for honours. 

 The plants were so compact that-they did not require a stick — 

 at least, not one to be seen. Every shoot, however, had its 

 nice whittled stick, each with a sharp point 2 or 3 inches 

 above the bloom and foliage ; one of these points got into the 

 eyebrow, and almost into the eye, of one of the judges, who 

 wanted to closely examine a fine corymb of bloom. I had 

 nothing to do with the judging of these plants, but the con- 

 test was a very close one, plant compared with plant, and I 

 have not the least doubt that the prominent sticks draw the 

 line, as in the winning group not a stick was visible. 



There have been several inquiries as to the colour of stakes. 

 I wish everyone to please himself, but the colour of a fine 

 hazel rod, still fresh, but cut for six months or more, is more 

 pleasing to my eye, so long as it is seen, than a clean-cut lath 

 or the finest painted stick, whatever be the colour. The bark 

 of a nice hazel, or even an ash, is not at all obtrusive. For 

 small plants, where several twiggy sticks must be used, the 

 summer pranings of Apples and Pears when more than a foot 

 in length come in very useful ; and to make the most of 



them the leaves should be stripped off them, and then two 

 or three bands of matting put round a bundle; the little 

 shoots will thus be kept straight for use, after they have laid 

 for some time in a dry place so as to lose all their vitality. 



It may be said, " Little staking may suit very well if the 

 plants are never to be moved any distance, but how will they 

 be then if not well secured?" I think all the better. If the 

 mass of outside shoots are merely looped to the support with 

 fine string, on moving you can place a broad band of matting 

 once or twice round the plant, so as to make a sort of safe 

 bundle of it. When you take it to its fresh position undo 

 the bands, shake the plant out, and it will at once assume 

 its natural gracefulness. I am the more diffuse on this little 

 matter because I see clearly that there will be so much de- 

 manded from gardeners otherwise, that there will be no time 

 for cutting laths, making pegs from old brooms, and all the 

 rest of it. With a bundle of summer primings in one's hands 

 I can make quantities of pegs as I go along, cracking neces- 

 sary lengths in the middle, and inserting them as so many 

 hair pins. 



I have made some remarks about staking in flower-beds, but 

 that is not always enough. Heat and moisture have this year 

 made plants grow fast, and in round beds, and especially in 

 straight-lined ribbon-borders were no means adopted to coun- 

 teract it, there would soon from the free growth be a dense 

 confused mass of leaves and bloom ; for instance, huge masses 

 of Trentham Bose Geranium falling over and mingling with as 

 dense masses of yellow Calceolaria. I remedy all these things 

 on a dry day by putting in inconspicuous stakes 3 or 4 feet 

 apart, and connect them with very small cord, such as can be 

 purchased for about 3d. per ball of 200 or 300 yards. This 

 done neatly, after the second day neither stick nor cord will 

 be seen, and yet the massive lines will be clear and distinct, 

 with whatever little blending here and there that may be 

 judged necessary, so as to prevent the irksomeness of a strict 

 uniformity. Some lines have had to be thus treated a second 

 time, as Geraniums grew so strongly. In such cases taller 

 sticks were put in, and the same cord was used again, placing 

 it higher. Many people have wondered that, with not an inch 

 of ground to be seen, the lines of colour could yet be so de- 

 fined and distinct ; but it is all due to a few bits of stick and 

 a iew balls of small cord, and neither can be seen without 

 looking on purpose for them a day or two after they have been 

 used. I know of no plan so effective with the same amount of 

 labour and time spent. Here, again, I may state that wher£ 

 small plants are all that can be desired, such stringing will 

 never be required ; but it so happens that I like healthy vigor- 

 ous growth as well as plenty of bloom. — B. F. 



BOILERS AT 

 SOCIETY'S 



THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL 

 BIRMINGHAM EXHIBITION. 

 No. 1. 

 In giving a description of the various boilers exhibited at 

 Birmingham, both those under trial and those not entered for 

 competition, we should hardly have thought it necessary to 

 have entered upon any discussion on the principles on which 

 the circulation in horticultural boilers is effected, had it not 

 been that we still find differences of opinion with regard to it. 

 Many persons are apt to confuse cause and effect. Some say 

 the motive power is the natural tendency of heat to rise, others 

 that it is owing to the gravity of cold water, and that the greater 

 the difference between the temperature of the flow and return — 

 that is to say, the hotter the flow and the colder the return, the 

 more rapid the circulation. The real motive cause is simply 

 the difference of gravity between equal cubic volumes of water 

 at different temperatures. As water is heated it expands and 

 becomes lighter By expansion, and therefore rises. In boiling a 

 kettle by convexion, as the heated particles rise the colder fall, 

 to become heated in their turn, tiB the whole water in the kettle 

 is boiling. In horticultural boilers the water is heated not only 

 by convexion, but still more by direct conduction from the iron 

 surfaces of the boiler, both from those surfaces which receive 

 the direct action of the fire, and also from the outward surfaces 

 heated by flues ; in fact, in whatever way or by whatever means 

 we apply heat to the surfaces of boilers for horticultural pur- 

 poses, the heat is conveyed to the water by the direct con- 

 duction from the iron, and. we should bear in mind that, as the 

 circulation is only effected by the difference of weight between 

 equal volumes of water at different temperatures, the motive 

 power is really a very weak one, and that nothing in the make 

 of the boiler or the position of the pipes ought to inteifere with 

 or impede the circulation. Instead of a cold return and hot 

 flow pipe being a proof of a rapid circulation it is on the con- 



