TWO BITS FROM AN ENGLISH JOURNAL. 



233 



years without repair, or as long as the building 

 istands. The heat is soft, pleasant and healthful, 

 ^nd there is no smell of gas, no noise or dust. 

 With a proper boiler the same amount of gas would 

 probably heat one-quarter more radiating surface. 



The same radiators in a greenhouse, particularly 

 if the boiler, as described on page 612, Vol. XI, 

 were used, would heat almost 160 square feet 

 of glass ; estimating three square feet of glass 

 •one square foot of radiator surface. For ordinary 

 frame walls, one foot of radiator is sufficient for 

 ■eight feet of wall. For a small greenhouse, "coils" 

 or long groups of pipe would be better and cheaper 

 than radiators. The best size would be i{-inch 

 pipe, costing about ten cents a foot. One hundred 

 and thirty feet would be sufficient, and with the fit- 

 tings and labor, would cost about ^30 ; perhaps 

 ■somewhat less. The best form of boiler for a small 



house, in using gas, would be one enclosing the 

 flame on all sides, with a tubular boiler over the 

 flame. 



Some of the small hot water boilers now in the 

 market would answer by placing one or more burn- 

 ers on the grate bars. The cost of illuminating 

 gas is too high for the continuous use in large ap- 

 paratus, but for spare rooms in a house, used a 

 portion of the time, and for a small greenhouse, 

 where on sunny days no fire is needed, it will pay, 

 because of the saving in labor and attendance. 

 By the use of a thermostat it can be made per- 

 fectly automatic, regulating itself according to the 

 temperature of the air in the greenhouse. Gas 

 for fuel is steadily growing cheaper, and will, be- 

 fore long, become the best fuel for the greenhouse. 



Tlie radiators used for these experiments came from Hopson & 

 Chapin Manufacturing Company, New London, Connecticut. 



TWO BITS FROM AN ENGLISH JOURNAL. 



HINTS ABOUT Freesias — For some time past, 

 varied opinions have been expressed respecting 

 the culture of the freesia in nearly every gar- 

 dening periodical, which I have read with in- 

 terest, as I think many fail to grow this beautiful, sweet 

 scented plant to anything like perfection. Yet, the cul- 

 ture is simple ; at least I have always found it so, and 

 always been able to flower them well. I think where fra- 

 grant flowers are required for house decoration, either 

 in a cut state or in pots, the freesias should be one of 

 the first to be had for autumn and winter work, as they 

 stand being placed in the rooms very well, which proves 

 fatal to so many other plants. I generally pot the bulbs 

 in August, placing eight in a 5-inch pot, in a compost of 

 two parts loam and one of leaf soil, with a liberal quan- 

 ■tity of sand. They are then placed in a cold-frame and 

 lightly covered to a depth of two inches with cocoa-nut 

 ■fiber, in which position they remain until their growth is 

 seen. When the pots are well filled with roots, they are 

 placed on a shelf near the glass, where they remain until 

 ^the plants flower. If a few are required for any specia' 

 purpose they are placed in heat, always being careful to 

 bring them back again into a cooler house to open their 

 Tflowers. When the flowers are visible the plants are sup- 

 plied with weak liquid cow manure at every alternate 

 watering. After they have flowered, they are replaced 

 ■on the shelf in the full sun, and liberally supplied with 

 liquid manure, so as to plump the bulbs for another sea- 

 son. I think the reason why many fail to flower bulbs 

 •of any description after the fruit year is, they forget 

 that they require "feeding" after flowering, to replace 

 the nourishment which has been drawn from the bulbs. 

 .1 have had equally as good flowers of freesias the third 

 year as I did the first from bulbs treated in the way 

 mentioned. — O. IT. Guv. 



From the London Journal of Horlicnllure. 



M. Meissonier and his Gardener. — The death of the 

 famous French artist reminds me that the following 

 amusing story may be worth repeating, and possibly it 

 may be fresh to some gardeners. M. Meissonier pos- 

 sessed one of the most beautiful gardens and the most 

 reihcrclie collections of plants round Paris ; he was, in 

 fact, a thorough-going enthusiast in all horticultural lore. 

 One of his gardeners possessed a special aptitude for 

 naming all kinds of seeds. M. Meissonier had often en- 

 deavored to trip him up, but without success. So one 

 day, when having several gentlemen assembled at his 

 hospitable luncheon table, he unfolded to them a plot of 

 how he would at last humble his gardener by submitting 

 for his inspection some dried herring-roe. Having sent 

 for the man, his employer told him that a gentleman had 

 sent him a packet of seed, of which he asked the name' 

 habitat, how long it would require to germinate, etc. 

 The gardener replied, " The plant from which the seed 

 was gathered was indigenous to the shores of the North 

 Sea, and would require about a fortnight for germina- 

 tion, when he would tell him the name thereof." M. 

 Meissonier handed the packet over, and strictly enjoined 

 the gardener not to fail to let him know when the young 

 plants were fairly growing. This he did about a fort- 

 night afterwards, and at a time when his master had 

 several of his fellow conspirators again at his house. 

 " Now we shall have a lark. Messieurs," he gleefully an- 

 nounced to them, and sallying forth, they followed the 

 gardener to one of the stoves, where, in a propagating 

 frame, about two dozen 3-inch pots were standing close 

 together, each with a herring's head looking out of the 

 center. The hilarity of the great painter's guests was 

 unbounded, but he himself was also equal to the occas- 

 ion, for he drew a loo-franc note from his pocket and 

 handed it to his gardener. — N. 



