THE FIELD. 
1163 
their forcing grounds in the daik months of winter, when 
they ore forcing cucumbers and other early crops, but you 
might as well try to look through a 14-inch wall as to dis- 
cover the contents of the frames through the glass ; yet how 
astonishing is their success 1 
Wood shutters and thatched hurdles have been used since 
the days of Abercrombie ; but if they are durable, they must 
be awkward and clumsy ; and if they are not durable, they 
become expensive. They have also another and still worse 
objection, which is, that if not very carefully handled they rub 
the paint off the sashes. . 
Mats, if they arc good, so long as they remain in that con- 
dition, are a very effective protection ; but thin, hard, common 
mats, a 3 too many of them have been of late years, arc dear 
at any price A really good mat, if held by the four corners, 
ought to hold water for a considerable time without its soaking 
through; but even the “best Archangel" mats of this de- 
scription are few. Mats, however, are expensive, troublesome, 
and littery ; and when shabby, they are shabby indeed. The 
price of good mats will average about a guinea per dozen*; 
and supposing each mat to cover three square yards, that 
fixes the price at 7d. per yard, or, as double mats must be 
used, at Is. 2d. per yard annually. Frigi domo may be com- 
pared to a poor blanket ; it is a good non-conducting substance, 
but thin, and I fear not very durable ; but still I should think 
as good as mats. 
Now, it is an established fact that confined air is an excellent 
non-conductor, and hence a covering, to he really effective, 
ghould be as nearly as can be air-proof, and of course at the 
same time it will be waterproof. Hence, acting upon this 
hypothesis, some nine years back, I had waterproof covers 
prepared for all the pits and frames under my charge ; these 
were made of sail-cloth, of which several qualities were offered 
by the dealers, but the best was procured from Henry and Co., 
of Mark-lane, being such as is used by the Admiralty for 
sails for our first class men-of-war vessels ; in width it was 
something less than a yard, and the expense at that time 
something like Is. 3d. per yard. This was made up by a sail- 
maker into cloths of a size suitable for the pits to be covered, 
allowing six or nine inches to hang over at the back and front 
of the pits, and being elevated about two inches above the 
class, and fastened tightly down, it became both air-tight nnd 
waterproof; each cover was fastened at one end to a roller, 
and the other end was fastened to the frame of the pit, and 
at the time for covering up nothing more was necessary than 
to roll the cloth on and fasten it down by strong springs to 
staples back and front fixed for the purpose ; and hence, “ Let 
the storm pelt us" or not, we could retire for the night certain 
that everything so protected was safe from frost. These 
covers, with a coat of boiled oil every alternate autumn, lasted 
for seven years, and I believe one of them at the present time 
forms the cover of one of Mr. Colyer’s principal plant vans. 
Of course such a covering in the first outset will be more 
expensive than mats or other temporary appliances, but the 
first expense is the last, for seven years, and consequently the 
saving is considerable. With proper care, and applied only to 
their legitimate purpose, I believe such covers would last 
several years longer than mine did, and perhaps with some 
preparation of gutta percha they might be rendered still more 
durable But my covers were used for all kinds of purposes, 
such as'shading seed-beds or cuttings in the open ground in 
the summer, protecting strawberry beds when in fruit from 
drenching rain, sheltering plants in temporary frames, har- 
vesting seeds, and sometimes protecting the hay-ncks in 
catching harvest weather; and this last was the most destruc- 
tive use of all, for the heat caused the oil to liquefy, and hence 
a cood deal of it was lost. 
For shading duriug the summer months thin straw mats 
made with tar- twine, or, still better, where they can be procured, 
reed mats, are very useful, as they may be made (sufficiently 
thin to shade the plants without obstructing much light ; but 
nossiblv good screens, or Haylhorn’s hexagon netting, would 
be still less expensive, and certainly preferable, and more 
convenient for use. . , . 
For purposes of protection I look upon it to be of as much 
importance to have a waterproof covering as one capable ot 
preventing the escape of heat ; for if on cold stormy nights, or 
in heavy falls of snow, it runs through the covering, and 
trickles down the glass, it is quite certain it cannot do so with- 
out abstracting a considerable portion of heat in iU P r0 8 r e«- 
I think a waterproof and air-tight substantial cloth, supported 
two inches above the glass, is as nearly perfect as can be ; and 
those who make the experiment will find (though expensive at 
the first) that in a few years they have avoided the genera 
rule in such matters, viz., that of being “ penny wise and 
P °Where 0l pit 9 are heated sufficiently by hot water or flues 
the expense of coveiing may be avoided ; but, in all cases of 
very severe weather, it will be found more advantageous to 
cover than to use much firing -not because of the expense of 
the fire but lo avoid the dryness of atmosphere, inevitable 
where a high internal temperature has t° he JMintained a 
the same time that all the moisture contained in the atmo- 
sphere is being condensed upon the cold glass. All forc . in 6j 
houses ‘would be best covered in severe weather, especially 
whcie it is indispensable to maintain a high moist tempera- 
r u and where fuel is dear, I think the expense of providing 
good w* ierproof covering would soon be covered by the saving 
in U m\y not be out of place to give our great horticultural 
buildcr/a bint which, if carried out, would offer consulcrablo 
facilities to gardeners in large establishments and that ia in 
a pew garden to have the whole of the sashes of the 
sami size so that the sashes of a late might be placed over 
au^nrly 0 * peach-house or vinery and thus form the best 
covering that could be had for such a purpose 
In the practical management of covering, of coursc 1 , j 
important in severe weather that cold pits and frames should 
l e.p=cUlly if care be .akerr .toward, 
not to expose the plants to strong sunlight ,um.l they bare 
been exposed to moderate light (ot some fen da,,^ 
DESSERT REARS. 
As we shall have much to say about “ k „ 
season returns, let us at once commence by 
on pears. Our readers are doubtless aware that the 
name “Van Mens” is attached to many of our 
Belgic pears, and that the latter have attained 
notoriety in our times by their great ““ 
the winter's dessert ; indeed, so great, that a moder 
dessert for any important occasion, would prove j of the origin of many of our now famous dessert 
matter of astonishment if there wero not a dish or pears : — 
dishes of noble melting pears, even in January, Origin of the Pear Tree, its Progress and Success. 
February, or March. The pear question, therefore, II1 thc endeavours to obtain new and improved varieties of 
is second to none in the whole range of practical s . eed * chemist, Van Mon. . of Brussels was the 
. . , , . . , , e . 1 , llrat in Belgium who was guided chiefly by the idea of raising 
horticulture, and as we boldly lay chum to as much needlings from the pips of fruit of vigorous trees in the first 
experience ill their culture as any British gardener, instance and continually re -Mowing the seeds obtained from the 
we shall frequently offer remarks calculated to be of * RSt generation of seedlings, in order to obtain improved fruits, 
i 1 i « , .a* in form and taste. lie is also the only one who lias stated 
real service to our readers. As we must speak off- tho principles by which hc WM guidc y d in hi9 re9ea rches. 
baud lor the present, it must be to advise those Who These were commenced at Brussels, about the end of last 
are about planting pears to keep their eyo well fixed century, ill a nursery bearing the name of La Fidelity. Called 
.i f* « - • !• i -ii £- • — » 1 > nt » '»•<■» dnto in ho <>f Chemistry nt tho University 
I, his numerous seedlings to 
losing a great many ; and 
Jargonelle Aug., Sept. 
Delicc d'Hardenpont . Sopt, 
Duumore Oct. 
Fondante d’Automne . . Oct. 
Beurrd d'Amanlia Oct. 
Williams' bon Cliretienno Oct. 
Stda. 
E. or W. 
Stds., or E. or W. 
Stda. 
Stda. 
Stda. 
Althorpo Crassanne .... Nov Stda. 
Louis bonne of Jersey . . Nov Stds. 
Marie Louise Nov., Dec Stda., and E. or W. 
" Thompson's ” pear . . Nov Stda,, and E. or W. 
Nelis d’biver Dec., Jon S. E. or W. 
Beurrd diet Dec E. or W. 
Glout morceaux Dec., Jan E. or W. 
Passe Colmar Dec., Jan E. or W. 
Beurrd d'Aremberg .... Dec., Jan E. or W. 
Soldat Laboureur Dec., Jan E. or W. 
Easter Beurrd Dec., Jan. . Stds., or E. or W. 
Ne plus Meuris Feb., March . . E. or W. 
Beurrd de Ranee March, April. . E. or W. 
..i wuuuuvu .... l»ij. mi iou, the time of his decease. 
After continuing his researches for twenty-five years the first 
catalogue, indicating tho new varieties obtained, was printed 
at Louvain in 1623. Some of these varieties have been de- 
scribed by the author, and published in the following works 
Annates des Sciences Naturclles . MM.Tobnrd et Wcissen- 
bruclc, 1819-30. New [American] Orohardist by Mr. Ken- 
rick : Boston, 1833. American Gardeners' Magazine, T. G. 
Ilovey : Boston, 1835. Systcmntischcs Handbuch ucr 
Obstkundc, J. G. Dittrich : Jena, 1837. Album de Poraologie, 
par A.Bivort, and others 1 vols. 4to, 1817 — 1851. La Pomo- 
nomie Beige, of the late Van Mons, appeared at Louvain in 
1 1835 and 1836 in 2 vols. 8vo. 
In 1845 the nurseries of Louvain were given over by the 
lieirs of Van Mons to M. A. Bivort, nnd tho collection trans- 
ferred to the gardens of the village of Geest St. Remy, near 
Jodoigne. In consequence of the vigorous trees having been 
transplanted into a less favourable soil than that of Louvain, 
many of them again fruited in 1817 mid lH 18. The new and 
good varieties were named and sent out, at least a great nura- 
1 her of them ; nevertheless they are still but little known, and 
. . » - » si .... l .1 .1 1.1 
. * IJCT U( mnit , UUi v I tlititaa mxrj uii otns w-.v — 
As to the abbreviations they explain the aspect. ^ 
For instance : — Stu., standards ; that is, no wall ot ret i rei i f ra m busiaess in 1852, formed a society, a committee 
fence. E., W. S., &C., of course signify east, west, or of w h, c h is charged to ascertain the good varieties which may 
south aspects on walls. be found among those that have not yet fruited, and of which, 
, , . . f , , • .v | consequently, the merits have not been proved. Major 
With this hasty preface, we bog to give tho IollO - £ 8pcreili 0 f Mechlin, commenced researches of the same kind 
ing extract from the Gardeners' Chronicle, from the aomew hat Inter than Van Mons, and he also obtained result# 
pert of Mons. de Jonghe, of Brussels, giving an account ( deserving notice. 
This extraordinary grass, so singularly adapted to plea- 
sure-erounds, is said to cover the open country to a vast 
« ,ft B enos Ayres. These plains, us our readers 
know are termed pampas, and hence the popular name 
This noble herb flowered first, wc are informed, at the 
gardens of Robert Hutton, Esq., Putney-park, and has 
Lee flowered at various places. 1 he flower sterns, some- 
times thirty to forty in number, grow nearly twenty feet in 
height, and are terminated by a silvery -panicle of- more 
gynerium argenteum, or pampas grass. 
; length, which forms a beautiful 
plume. Thu fcliugc - tm'ieiSr’ mu’i 
than half a yard 
plume. The foliage is ' Graceful semicircular and# 
of flinty texture, describing a gracelul su 
wavy outline, and produce known to remain 
Puflly "hu2y\oon to btcorjo 
under-water a who J wc entreat those gardemog 
«bo are at present unacquainted 
'this charming acquisition as soon us possthk. 
