April 27, 1882. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
341 
flowers are produced in racemes, and sometimes more than a yard 
of the growths are thickly clothed with them. It begins flowering 
in February and continues until the present month. Isolated 
plants of it are perfectly appropriate for any lawn, pleasure 
ground, or park, or it may be placed among other rows or clumps 
of bushes. It is not dilficult to suit in soil nor situation. The 
largest plants here are about 8 feet high and as much in diameter, 
and when specimens of this size are covered with flowers they are 
very beautiful.—J. Muir, Mar (jam. 
KENNEDYA MARRYATTiE. 
The Rev. C. P. Peach recently sent us a fine spray of the 
beautiful Kennedya represented in the woodcut (fig. 70), and his 
experience of its usefulness quite accords with ours. He says in 
a letter accompanying the specimen:—“Kennelya Marryattae I 
do not think is sufficiently known and appreciated as a winter- 
flowering plant. My specimen is planted in the Vine border of 
the cooler house, and in March of the present year was literally a 
sheet of flowers when looked on from above, and there was a 
bloom on every spray.” 
This species is admirably suited for a greenhouse, and can be 
either planted out or grown in a pot, the former being preferable. 
The branches should be trained to the ratters of the house, and 
when the bright red, almost scarlet-coloured, flowers are freely pro¬ 
duced it has a very handsome appearance. It does not always 
flower so early as March, its usual season being April and May ; 
but at whatever time the flowers are produced they usually last 
Fig. 70.—KENNEDYA YIAIUIYATT-E. 
enter into details still clings to writers, for, not being satisfied 
with any method of growing Melons, I sought for information. I 
have examined amateurs’ guides, seed catalogues, and books, but 
I cannot get what I want. I can only grow them in a frame, and 
I wanted to obtain information how best to do so in an ordinary 
two-light frame, but I can get nothing definite how many loads of 
manure I require, how often and for how long it is to be turned, 
when the bed is to be made up ; if vegetaole refuse is to be used 
to temper the heat, whether it is too dry or moist. All these 
things I cannot find, and should be thankful to get them.^ I am 
told to get stable manure, to turn it several times, &c. This is 
like cookery receipts—add a little salt and pepper, &c., where 
“little” is a relative term, and one person’s “little ” may destroy 
the flavour of the dish, and so with regard to 'Mushroom culture. 
I hope when your correspondent comes to the culture we may have 
the details as carefully given as have been the preliminary ac¬ 
counts of cost, &c.—D., Deal. 
[Detailed instructions for making hotbeds appeared on page 147 
of the present volume (Feb. 23rd). On page 217 of the same 
volume (March 16th) “Single-handed” described his method 
of growing “ Melons under restriction ” in a narrow pit : and on 
page 205, vol. ii. (March 17tb, 1881), will be found an excellent 
paper by Mr. Abbey on growing “ Melons in Cold Frames.” Par¬ 
ticulars for making hotbeds and growing Melons are .also given 
on pp. 27 and 42 of our “ Garden Manual.” The height of a hot¬ 
bed may vary from 3 feet to 5 feet, according to the quality of 
the material and the time of year it is used. At the present time 
3^ feet high would be safe, the materials being good. The size of 
for a considerable time, and brighten the greenhouse very much 
if near the purple-coloured forms of Kennedya or any other light- 
tinted climbers. 
HOTBEDS—MELONS IN FRAMES—PRECISENESS. 
Old Mr. Rivers, than whom no one possessed a greater share of 
common sense, said in the preface of his “ Rose Amateur's Guide,” 
“A practical cultivator iD writing on cultivation labours under a 
disadvantage. He almost obstinately supposes that everyone 
must know something relative to those, with him, everyday opera¬ 
tions ; he is apt, therefore, not to go sufficiently into detail.” No 
truer words were ever written, and I am afraid this reluctance to 
