280 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 9, 1891.' 
Eckford, Matthew Campb?ll, Rebecca, Genfral Gordon, Dorothy, 
Major Barttlelot, Pelican, Frank Pearce, Eric Fisher and T. W. 
Girdlestone are not to be found on the analysis for 1883. Of these 
Duchess of Albany, Henry Eckford, and Matthew Campbell now 
occupy positions amongst the first twelve. 
In the following short lists the varieties are arranged according 
to the total number of times they were staged in competition at 
the last two Exhibitions of the National Dahlia Society. 
Pompon. —E. F. Junker, White Aster (Guiding Star), Darkness, 
Favourite, Gem, Rosalie, Isabel, Golden Gem, Lady Blanche, Grace, 
Little Duchess, Whisper. Cupid, Dora, and Leila. 
Cactus and Decorative. —Mrs. Hawkins, Empress of India, 
Panthea, Amphion, Juarezii, Constance, Charming Bride, Cochineal, 
Henry Patrick, William Darvil, Zulu, and Honoria. 
Single. —Amos Perry, Miss Henshaw, Duchess of Westminster, 
Mrs. J. Coninck, W. C. Harvey, Cetewayo, Duchess of Albany, 
Formosa, Hugo, Marion Hood, Miss Ramsbottom, Miss Roberts, 
Sunningdale White, and White Queen. 
During the past fourteen years I have kept an account of the 
date when my Dahlias were killed by frost. From these records 
it appears that the average date for the destruction of the Dahlia 
in the neighbourhood of London is the 3rd of November. In 1888 
all my Dahlias were killed as early as October 3rd, but in 1878 not 
until November 29th. These are the extreme dates for the period. 
The mean of all the temperatures by which they were destroyed 
is 20°, or 12° of frost. The least cold to which they succumbed, 
as indicated by a thermometer on the surface of a lawn adjoining 
the Dahlia beds, was 8° of frost. Last autumn they fell victims 
to 16° of frost on the 28th of October, which is nearly a week earlier 
than the average date of their destruction.—E. M., Berkhamsted. 
CUBRENT NOTES. 
Violets. 
These are welcome at all times, and most welcome from 
November to April. The cultural details given by Practical ” 
on page 257 are so sound that little in that way can be added. 
The finest Czar Violets I have ever seen were grown in 1870 
under the conditions mentioned, and planted in an unheated 
brick frame facing south. The winter of 1870-71 was a severe 
one, but all the protection these Violets had was that given by 
shutters—made of inch boards, and battened—placed on the 
lights. During the month of February these Violets were a 
mass of bloom. I have heard it suggested that one cause of 
failure of Violets to flower is that they have been planted too 
far from the glass. The Violets in question were fully 2 feet 
from the glass at the back of the frame. I have since been 
equally as successful with Marie Louise and Comtesse de Brazza 
ill frames with hot-water pipes round the sides. 
Violets are most impatient of bottom heat, and it is difficult 
to conceive by what process of reasoning would-be cultivators 
arrive at the conclusion that they ought to have it. By bottom 
“ heat ” I mean a temperature considerably higher than the 
average of the atmosphere for the time being. The greatest 
failure I have ever seen was in an instance where they were 
planted on gigantic hotbeds. 
CCELOGYNE CRISTATA. 
This lovely Orchid does not absolutely require sphagnum for its 
growth, and to trouble about it growing as upon Odontoglossum is 
quite unnecessary. An occasional watering M’ith very weak liquid 
manure during vigorous growth is very beneficial to this and 
many other strong growing Orchids. 
Spir.ea aruncus. 
A magnificent plant when well grown. It is not generally 
known that if lifted in fair sized chimps and potted it forces and 
flowers quite as easily as Spirasa japonica, and is more effective 
either as a single specimen or amongst groups of plants. 
Watering Peach Trees. 
Mr. Scott wntes very practically on “setting” Peaches, and his 
times of watering are doubtless quite correct for the trees and 
borders under his charge ; but probably he would not recommend 
that no trees receive a more frequent watering. So much depends 
upon the mechanical nature of the border and subsoil that probably 
there are many Peach borders that would require two or three more 
jgood waterings than he enumerates. 
The Arrangement of Hot-water Pipes. 
lam glad to see a “ Heating Reformer” amongst us. I was 
wondering the other day how it is that we still require coke and 
coal for our boilers in practically—for the quantity of piping to 
be heated—as great quantities as ever. Every boiler of new design 
sent out is claimed to save so much per cent, of fuel. In other 
words it is claimed for them that they require so much per cent.^ 
less fuel than their predecessors, and I think we have long, ere now, 
arrived at the point when, if the claims have any foundation in 
fact, there should be a very marked difference in the consumption 
of fuel for the year. Can any readers of the Journal testify to- 
any such marked saving by a change of boiler alone ? If not, can 
“ Heating Reformer ” tell us why not ? 
That the heating power or surface in a house should be distri¬ 
buted as evenly as the requirements of the house will permit few 
will deny ; but I think that the permanent welfare of its occupa,nt3 
and the general working facilities must have careful corsideration,. 
as well as the equable distribution of heat. I think “ Heating 
Reformer ” has not made out his case that a network of hot-water 
pipes over Vine borders or Peach borders is a less evil than the 
same number of pipes placed in two sections at greater intervals. 
The onus of proof lays upon “ Heating Reformer,” and not upon 
either Mr. Williams or Mr. Divers. Since “ Heating Reformer’s ” 
first article appeared I have altered the pipes in a span-roofed 
house. There were four rows on one side and three on the other ;■ 
triple flows and one return on one side, and double flows and one 
return on the other. One of the triple flows I have cut out, so 
that now both sides are heated in exactly the same way. Further,, 
the flows on each side of the house were next the centre path 
the single return on either side were nearer the wall. It will thus 
be seen that by this arrangement the greatest amount of heating 
surface was originally placed where there was the greatest volume>- 
of air to be heated. This was exactly in accordance with a most 
beautiful theory propounded by a writer some fifteen or twenty 
years ago, which was to the effect that the greatest heating power 
ought to be placed where there is the greatest volume of air. It- 
is astonishing how perverse and unwilling some people are to be 
taught, but I have altered those pipes notwithstanding. 
Horticulture in America. 
Mr. J. H. Laing’s paper contains many useful hints that we 
“ Britishers ” will do well to make note of and act upon, and 
it is as pleasing in style as useful and instructive in substance. 
Drawing for Young Gardeners. 
The Journal is second to none for aiding and advancing the- 
knowledge or education of young gardeners. Can any of it& 
readers give any practical hints on drawing and colours ? A know¬ 
ledge of both is useful to most people, and if a gardener or 
nurseryman has not a correct knowledge of colours how can he- 
(unaided) describe them so that he may be correctly understood by 
two or more different people ?— Hugh Dale. 
NOTES ON HERBACEOUS PLANTS and ALPINES. 
(Contimied from, page 191.') 
Euryangiuni Sumhul. —This is a plant but little known. I 
have never seen it in collections where herbaceous plants are 
honoured, and yet it is worthy of a place, although perhaps it may 
not be quite hardy, requiring some protection in winter. It belongs- 
to a family remarkable for its very decided odours. To it belong 
Assafoetida and the Giant Fennel, while this is distinguished for 
its remarkably pungent smell of Musk, stems, root, and all being 
thus scented. A native of Turkestan, and is used by the fair 
dames of that region for toilet purposes. It is a somewhat stately 
plant, and is well adapted for placing in isolated spots well 
sheltered from high wdnds. It seems to grow in any ordinary 
garden soil. 
Eritricluum nanuin .—One of the cruxes of all growers of alpine- 
plants. It has been imported over and 'over again, but I know of 
no one w’ho grows it successfully. The late Mr. James Backhouse 
told me that he had spent £100 on it, and yet had failed ; indeed, 
few growers of herbaceous plants ever put it into their catalogues. 
I have had it, but gave it up long ago. It is doubtless a little gem:, 
but we must leave it to its native mountains, and not attempt it 
in our lower positions. 
Gentiana havarica. —In these smaller but most lovely alpine 
Gentians we are again met with difficulties in culture, and 
although they are not so great as in the preceding plant they are 
quite sufficient to test the skill of the growers. I know a few places 
in which it is successfully grown in the open, but our climatic con¬ 
ditions are against the cultivation of some of these beauties. This 
is shown by the fact that this and its allied and very similar species, 
G. verna, can be grown to any extent under glass where they are 
sheltered from the vicissitudes of the weather ; but the alterna- 
