42 
CONTEMPORARY WRITINGS. 
walls are placed horizontal sliding ventilators, 
the roof being fixed. The wood-work in the 
roof consists of a series of uniform rafters, 
formed of deal quartering, three by two and a 
half inches ; this, though of very large size, is 
rabbeted out by machinery, at the saw-mill, into 
the usual form of the sash-bars in ordinary 
glass frames. These rafters or sash-bars are 
fixed at the top and bottom, at twelve inches 
apart, and into them is fixed the glass in the 
usual way. Mr. Rivers finds these structures 
answer for horticultural purposes of every de- 
scription, — even the forcing of Roses, Vines, 
and the most delicate of plants. A house 
fifty-four feet long by twelve wide, Mr. Rivers 
states, may be built, including every cost, for 
under 40/." In every garden where choice 
flowers are prized in the flower-garden, a 
building of this description would be just 
suited to raise a supply of plants to produce 
them ; and wherever delicate, or early, or late 
vegetables were required, low buildings of this 
kind would prove invaluable. Of course, the 
buildings in the form alluded to above, are not 
very ornamental. 
TkoPuEOLUIi tricolor. — This plant is 
somewhat difficult to propagate, not that cut- 
tings may not be readily induced to form 
roots, but the young plants thus raised are 
often very slow in producing those tubers by 
which the species is continued from one season 
to another. Seeds, though sometimes pro- 
duced, are not always procurable. A certain 
and easy method of obtaining strong plants 
was, therefore, a desideratum. This is sup- 
plied by the following plan : — Place the bulb, 
when commencing its growth, near the bottom 
of a well-drained pot, and fill up with soil as 
the plant progresses, coiling the shoots three 
or four times round the inner side of the pot 
before they reach the top. The lower parts of 
the stems are thus for a considerable distance 
buried beneath the soil. Under this treat- 
ment, the plants grow vigorously, and, in the 
course of the season, several bulbs will be pro- 
duced along the buried portions of the stem. 
Colour for Garden Stakes. — This, 
though apparently a simple matter, deserves 
consideration. It is not unfrequent to see the 
sticks and stakes necessarily used to support 
the plants painted either a bright green or a 
light green, or sometimes even white. Now 
nothing can be worse than to employ bright 
and glaring colours ; by contrast, under such 
circumstances, the foliage of most plants is 
seen to disadvantage, being rendered dull and 
uninteresting by the proximity of brighter 
tints. The most invisible colour that can be 
chosen is undoubtedly the best ; and, perhaps, 
there is nothing that answers this description 
better— or even so well — as a dull olive-green. 
These remarks apply to all sorts of trellis- 
work intended for plants, as well as to sticks 
and stakes. Even the material used for tying 
would be the better for being steeped in a 
similar colour. 
Propagating Plnks. — Those who require 
to propagate Pinks extensively for the flower- 
borders will find that the plan propounded 
some years ago, by Mr. Mearns, is more 
speedily performed, and is attended with as 
great success, as the wearisome and tedious 
mode of propagating by pipings. In applying 
it proceed as follows : — Choose a shady and 
moist situation, dig the ground, making it 
smooth and fine, at the same time adding some 
sand ; (his is all the preparation necessary. 
Take off the slips by pulling them downwards; 
do not dress them in any way, neither smoothen 
the rough end, nor shorten the grass ; lay the 
slip horizontally on the surface of the ground, 
press the base into the soil in a doubled form 
with one hand, and set the top end upright 
with the other ; let them be well watered, and 
the operation is completed. No shading is 
required. 
New Grape. — Mr. Ingram, her Majesty's 
gardener at Windsor, has succeeded in raising 
a seedling grape of considerable merit. "We 
are not aware that any name has yet been 
given to it. It was raised from the Muscat 
[of Alexandria ?], impregnated by the variety 
called West's St. Peter's. The fruit is black, 
of a round form, with a thickish skin, sweet 
flavour, and about as fleshy as the Muscat. 
It is likely to prove a useful variety for late 
hothouse culture. 
Stands for Stanhopeas. — It is usual to 
plant Stanhopeas in wire baskets, and to sus- 
pend them from the roof of the orchidaceous 
house : this is necessary, as the natural habit 
of these plants is to push their flower spikes 
downwards among their roots. This plan is 
inconvenient when it is necessary to remove 
the plants from one place to another. The 
following is a preferable method : — Select a 
portion of the trunk of a tree, six or ten inches 
in diameter, and of any form that may be 
preferred — that is, either simple or forked ; 
cut the lower end horizontally, to form a base; 
the other end — or ends, if forked — is made 
bluntly conical, and upon the extremity of this 
cone the plant is fastened, just in the usual 
way of fixing these plants to blocks of wood : 
in due time the roots, embracing the trunk, 
fix the plants securely ; and, the flower-stems 
meeting with no obstruction, are borne in their 
natural position, pushing through the mass of 
roots and the moss which surrounds them. 
These stands, of course, admit of the removal 
of the plants from place to place without any 
difficulty. They may, moreover, be made of 
any size or height required. 
New Strawberry. — Mr. Myatt, of Dept- 
