318 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ October 5, 1882. 
from the open ground, reminding us of the spring time. Crocuses 
are very beautiful in the September sun. A collection ought to he 
in every border, their lovely flowers repay us for all our care. The 
Cyclamens, too, with their various-coloured flowers are always ad¬ 
mired, and they are so easy to manage I wonder they are not more 
sought after. Sedum spectabile will shortly be in its full beauty, 
and to be seen to the best advantage must be planted in large masses. 
Schizostylis coccinea is just coming into bloom, in a little time will 
be very beautiful. Caltha palustris plena is flowering freely. Com- 
tesse Hericart de Thury Strawberry is in full bloom. Apple and 
Pear trees are in bloom ; many of the spring bedders are also forward. 
Triteleia uniflora is producing its leaves in the open border. Col chi - 
cum autumnale will soon be in full beauty. The Michaelmas Daisies 
are fast coming into bloom, and many other old favourites will in¬ 
terest for some time to come ; then we shall have the Porget-me-nots 
and a host of others through the winter. —North York. 
FRUIT-JUDGING AT EDINBURGH. 
Your correspondent “H. B.” has good grounds for his objec¬ 
tions to the adjudication of the prizes in at least one of the 
classes to which he referred on page 289. I, in company with 
other gardeners, examined most carefully on the night previous to 
the Show the collections of twelve dishes of fruit after they were 
arranged. Every dish was examined and its merits estimated, as 
much time being spent m this inspection as no doubt was given 
by the Judges the next morning. The result of this critical 
examination was an unanimous opinion that either Mr. Austin or 
Mr. Goodacre would be first, as some of the Hutton Hall fruit was 
considered unripe or not fit for table, the Pines for instance ; 
while the small dishes, such as Figs, Nectarines, and Apricots, 
were certainly inferior to any in the other collections. The 
Grapes were indeed splendid in appearance, but for quality bore 
no comparison with the others. 
Amongst those who acquiesced in the decision arrived at were 
some first-rate fruit-growers, the representatives of two of the 
gardening journals, and one of the Judges of the Show. Opinions 
were about equally divided as to the merits of the Ashton Court 
and Elvaston collections, but not one individual considered the 
table quality of the Hutton Hall fruit sufficiently high to secure 
either first or second honours. 
I have not the slightest idea who the Judges were, nor have I 
any acquaintance with the competitors ; but I have a very strong 
opinion that if the collections had been judged by the Fruit Com¬ 
mittee of the Royal Horticultural Society the awards would have 
been different. 
If size regardless of quality is to be thus honoured, exhibitors 
must cease growing Muscat of Alexandria and Madresfield Court 
Grapes, even if they can stage handsome bunches weighing 2 to 
3 lbs., with large berries excellently finished, perfectly ripe, and of 
splendid quality, and what owner of a garden would tolerate that ? 
Had all the Grapes been placed on a dessert table it is certain 
the Gros Guillaumes and Trebbianos would have been left till the 
last, and so would both the Pines in the first-prize collection. 
Unless “ H. B.’s ” letter is answered it will be considered un¬ 
answerable by the majority of gardeners who visited the Show, 
and excellence of quality in fruit with good appearance will stand 
officially condemned, is this right?— A Scotchman. 
THE GREENHOUSE AND ITS INMATES. 
No modern house is complete without its conservatory or green¬ 
house however small it may be ; but although giving in the fol¬ 
lowing notes some hints on the greenhouse and its inmates, we 
shall devote more attention to the latter than on the house. At 
one time the village carpenter was the only tradesman to whom 
anyone could apply, but since glass houses have become so common 
their erection has become a distinct calling. This has led to the 
principles on which such houses should be constructed and heated 
being properly understood ; therefore no one need fear to trust any 
of the numerous hothouse builders, for as a rule they thoroughly 
understand their work. 
We may, however, properly say a word on the situation best 
suited for greenhouses. This does not seem to be very well under¬ 
stood. The fact that plants must be freely exposed to light, and 
that they will not otherwise thrive, is in a great number of cases 
ignored. In winter plants die often from no other cause than 
that they are too much shaded. Conservatories are frequently 
placed in positions where they are shaded for the greater part of 
the day by the house. This should not be done if it can possibly 
be avoided, for in houses of this kind the highest skill will not 
produce satisfactory results. Plants in such shady houses grow 
tall, unsightly, and flowerless in spite of any care taken over them. 
Sometimes, and more especially in crowded localities, no other 
positions are available. When this is the case Ferns and other 
fine-foliage plants should be largely grown, and only a few of the 
more floriferous plants chosen for the lightest positions. 
There is another point to which we would draw attention, and 
that is the heating of such houses. There is no doubt but that 
the most satisfactory as well as the most economical plan ulti¬ 
mately is to use hot-water pipes and boilers. There are very 
many different kinds of boilers, but we think that none surpasses 
the ordinary welded saddle for small houses. For larger struc¬ 
tures either the welded flued saddle or upright or horizontal 
tubulars answer well. A flow and return pipe round the house are 
quite sufficient for an ordinary greenhouse. In the case of very 
small houses the slow-combustion boilers, which with the neces¬ 
sary piping attached are advertised, suit very well. In the smaller 
houses, such as we often see attached to the houses of artisans 
and small shopkeepers, a flue either built with bricks or con¬ 
structed with earthenware pipes properly jointed to prevent the 
escape of smoke, suits better than anything else, and costs much 
less in the first instance than boilers and pipes. 
In the use of fire heat, in whatever way applied, some care is 
necessary. Nothing delights a young beginner more than being 
able to raise a great heat the first fine still night which looks 
like frost, and nothing, except the admission of frost, is more 
injurious. We remember being asked to see a very small house in 
December, which the owner, a working man, had erected and was 
attempting to force Hyacinths in. The whole floor was the top 
of a flue, and the fire was almost directly underneath. The outside 
registered nearly 20° of frost, and the individual in question had 
a heat of 75° inside the house, and exulted in the fact that he 
could, with so little trouble, turn winter into summer ! 
Now this is just the idea that influences many beginners, greatly 
to their chagrin, when they find out the destruction which such 
courses lead to. Growth during the dark days of winter should 
not be encouraged. Forcing is not the easy process persons having 
no knowledge of the matter suppose it to be. With suitable 
plants properly prepared, and in the best appointed houses, it 
calls forth the skill of practised gardeners to the utmost to secure 
success ; but with ordinary greenhouse plants the best gardener 
in the world would fail utterly if he had them in houses when the 
temperature was high enough to keep the plants growing. 
This is a very important point, and is the rock on which numbers 
of beginners founder. During dull cold weather from November 
to February a temperature of from 45° to 55° is quite sufficient, 
and a greater heat is dangerous. The lower figure is the more 
suitable one for the hours of darkness and the higher for daylight. 
When the sun shines and the weather is fine a few degrees more 
will do good if there is a little ventilation on, for superfluous 
moisture will then be dried up, and such occasions should always 
be taken advantage of for this purpose. Stagnation and damp¬ 
ness should always be guarded against, but especially so during 
November and December. During the spring and autumn months 
the temperature should be considerably higher—something like 
55° by night and 65° by day. In cold weather the temperature 
should be allowed to recede, and when it is fine and bright higher 
day temperatures will do no harm, but good. 
Ventilation is a very important point, and a circulation of air 
should always be maintained except in very cold or very damp 
weather. In summer shading during the hottest part of the day 
will prove beneficial. At this time the top and bottom ventilators 
should be very nearly always open night and day, but of course 
the discretion of each cultivator should be called upon to know 
when to ventilate and when to close the ventilators. We advise 
plenty of air, however. Fire heat will very seldom be necessary 
when the summer should be excessively cold and wet. In that 
case a little fire heat during the middle of the day to raise the heat 
and expel damp may prove of great benefit. Even when fire 
heat is necessary it is well to ventilate a little at the same time, 
and not to exceed 65° even at midsummer.—J. H. 
(To be continued.) 
A PLEA FOR PINKS. 
“ Don’t follow everyone’s advice, but listen to it.” So wisely 
counsels Mr. J. E. Ewing in last year’s “ Rosarians’ Year Book.” 
To my brother amateurs, however, I now give advice which I 
hope they will not only listen to but act upon. If you have not 
at least a few Pinks procure them. To your other jewels you will 
find you have added gems of the first water. Of good habit, 
exquisite beauty, delicious fragrance, and easy culture—I cannot 
say too much in their praise. For three months at least, and till 
yesterday (October 1st), when a storm of wind with occasional 
blinding showers destroyed almost every flower in the garden, I 
have had in their continuous profusion of bloom full inducement 
to cut and come again. With plenty of yet unopened pods, I 
