Queries, Answers, Remarks, i$'''- ■i*'- 
Would it not also he more g'enerally useful, if in your pulilicatioii the coiniiicii 
names of plants and flowers were put with their hotaiiical ones? 
If your correspondent, Electricus, (see February,) would have tiie goodness fo 
show hy estimates and plans, how small forcing' houses, for grapes, &e,, can be 
built, of the dimensions, and for the sums he states, 1 am sure he would confer an 
obligation on many of your readers, myself amongst tlicm ; and as Vigornieusis 
has given a scale by which to regwlate the heat in pineries, perhaps he, or some 
other of yotir correspondents, would favour us with a siinilar one, not only for 
Vines, but for Melons and Cucumbers. May we also enquire whai is the peculiar 
method of pruning, &c., adopted by Mv, lioare, of Siddlesltam, by which he ob- 
tains the Black Hamburg!! Grape in perfection on an open >vall ? — here we cannot 
get the fruit to ripen. The Common Sweet Water, and the Black Cluster, seldom 
fail. 
Have any of your correspondents, or readers, cultivated tlie ^'erbena, or Lomou 
plant, (I know not that 1 am correct in tlio name) out of doors, if so, would they 
have the kindness to inform me of their mode, the soil n»ost suitable, and the 
easiest way of propagating it? By so<k)iiig- they will confer a favour upon, 
(lentlemen, your obedient Servant, 
fVJ.27, 1832. Suffolk. 
Prop.vgating B.M.SAMS, &c. nv ctiTTiNGS. — When 1 lived as foreman at the lale 
Duke of York's, Oatlauds, 27 years ago, we liad some fine Double Balsams. I was 
desirous to retain some of them genuine, as they were ; consequently I put in some 
cuttings of the choicest kinds into pots, in a hot-bed, and ihey all struck root freely. 
They were not struck under l>ell gla.sses, but in pots filled with maiden loam, to 
within something more than the height of the cuttings from the top of the pot, to 
allow room for the extension of the cuttings whilst striking j and then covering- 
the top of the pot with a Hat glass. The sides of the pots act as a sufficient shade 
for the cuttings, and turning the glasses upside down every morning, prevents the 
condensed vapour upon the glass from injuring the cuttings. The strong sweet 
steam of a hot-bed is the best to strike them in ; and if a little fine pure pit-saud is 
put upon the top of the loam, there is a much greater chance of success. The 
Balsam is as easily propagated by cuttings as the Cucumber and the Melon ; and 
few good practical gardeners are ignorant how readily those will strike in 
a steam, .md a fine bottom heat, having the pots plunged nearly to their brims in 
the soil of the bed. 
Most gardeners of extensive and enthusiastic practice, have used their utmost 
endeavours to keep the Balsam, Cucumber, and the Melon, by cuttings through 
the winter months ; but with very little success. I have kept all of them 
till after Christmas, but after that period till the middle of February, it is 
very difficult to preserve them, especially if the Thrips and lied Spider be in the 
houses. Therefore G. I. T. will only find the importance of propagating from 
cuttino-s for his late crops of Cucumbers and Melons, and for such as lie intends to 
retain in pots for the hothouse, and to continue in bearing till Christmas, and as 
lono- afterwards as skill, attention, and well adjusted machinery will do. We could 
accojiplish every thing as in the summer months, if we had the power of light 
from the middle of December to the middle of February ; but I fear, amongst all 
our wonderful and important inventions, r.otliin^- v\ill ever be discovered to retaik, 
or act as a substitute for light. 
J. Mearms. 
Vol 1, No. 10. 3 N 
