October 12, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
329 
February, when a night temperature of 45° will be required. This 
temperature should be gradually raised as the season advances ; the 
night temperature never exceeding that of 60°, so that very little fire 
heat will be necessary to produce ripe fruit by the end of June, when 
the trees in the orchard house or those grown on a south wall will 
afford a succession. 
Melons. —The first Melon seed should be sown early in January in 
a temperature of 60° at night and 65° by day. This wdll be found 
high enough for seedlings at that time of the year. After they are 
finally planted raise the temperature to 70° at night, while that of the 
bed must not exceed 80°. In this temperature the fruit should reach 
maturity by the erd of April. 
For the second house crop the seed must be sown in the middle of 
February in a temperature of 65° night. After the young plants are 
transferred to the bed afford a rise of 5°, allowing the temperature to 
increase to 80°, or 85° sun heat. This crop will be ripe early in June. 
Seed for the third house should be sown by the end of March in a 
heat of 70° night. The temperatures given for the second house will 
of 75° to 80°, with a night temperature of 65°, that of the bed being a 
steady heat of 85°. In this temperature the young suckers or crowns will 
readily root, and as they grow and the winter approaches the tempe 
rature may be reduced to 55° night, 60° day, and that of the bed 75°. 
The largest plants in the bed should be grown at one end so that they 
may be used as succession plants. The fruiting house will be occupied 
by a selection from the succession plants, and they will require a night 
temperature of 60° to 65° for winter. As the flowering period arrives 
increase the night heat to 70°, and the day temperature 75° to 80°, a 
dry atmosphere being necessary at this time, and again when the fruits 
show colour a similar atmosphere will be essential, including the 
admission of a little air night and day. 
Okchaed House.— Here we have a structure which can be used for 
the purpose of securing early fruits of Plums, Apples, Pears, Apricots, 
Cherries, &c.; also late crops of Peaches, Nectarines, and Strawberries, 
the Strawberries having been forced on shelves in the early vineries or 
Pine stove. The two great essentials in an orchard house are abundance 
of light and air. Artificial heat will not be in much demand, as a night 
SCALE 
0 S R3 15 to 
■ < I t 1 
Fig. 48.—GROUND PLAN. Scale — lialf-moh, eq^ial to 15 feet. 
(JB) Propagating Pine Stove. (O') Early Vinery. (X)) Early Peach House. (H) Medium Vinery. 
{F) Late Vinery. (G) Late Peach House. (ZT) Melon Houses. (Z) Forcing House. (J) Forcing 
House. {K) Melon and Cucumber Houses. (L) Fruiting Pine Stove. (M) Orchard House. 
Flow Pipes. 
Return „ 
Valves. 
also suit this house, and the fruit will ripen about the middle of July. 
After this house is cleared of its fruit it may be utilised by having 
late Tomatoes, which would yield a good crop if grown in a dry, cool 
atmosphere, and as the winter approaches, the minimum temperature 
being 55°. 
Cucumbers. —This one house will be found ample, by alternately 
planting each side of the house. By sowing seed in September, and 
keeping a moist atmosphere of 65° night, while that of the bed is 75°, 
Cucumbers will be ready for cutting by Christmas. If seed be sown at 
intervals of six weeks there will always be a number of young plants 
ready to take the place of the older ones, thus ensuring a regular supply 
throughout the year. 
Forcing. —These houses are used for compelling plants to bloom at 
unnatural seasons. If there are two houses at our command, one should 
be kept from 60° to 65°, and the other 70° to 75° night, because the 
majority of plants yield the best results when placed in a mild 
temperature until the buds have swollen, and then placed in the stronger 
heat of the warmer house. As a general rule, plants subjected to too 
much heat at first often drop their buds, and thereby frustrate the 
object in view. Although the plants will be forced principally by 
artificial heat, yet advantage should be taken of all sunshine procurable, 
when the temperature may be allowed to rise 10° or 15°, which will 
greatly benefit the occupants of the houses. One end of the coolest 
house may be used for the cultivation of Figs. 
Pines.—T he propagating house will require a summer temperature 
temperature of 45° will be all that is needed, and even this can be 
dispensed with when the weather is not severe ; but should the weather 
prove dull and wet during the flowering period, a little fire heat would 
be advisable to insure a good setting of fruit. 
(To be continued.) 
OUT OF TOWN. 
Wet and shivering, with almost a chattering of teeth, was the 
condition of the quixotic “ foresters ” on arriving at the longed for 
destination on one of the rare, cold, rainy nights of the passing away 
summer ; hut all temporary discomforts quickly vanished on entering 
the cheery home of Mr. Merryweather—a home of sweet flowers, 
warm welcomes, good fare, and bright music. Even such white- 
bearded and silvery headed ancients that hobbled about after frisky 
Fenn at Sulhampstead not long ago must soon forget past shiverings 
under a change so pleasant. What wonder, then, that the younger 
and buoyant spirits which emerged from the wild forest should 
resume their wonted gaiety at once when brought back to the 
luxuries of civilisation ? What! Mr. Merryweather young ; ^ who 
has grown-up sons who stage Roses so w^-ll at the shows . Surely 
his locks must be “ silvered with past years.” No, he is as 
and active as they, and can share in the refined pleasures of life with 
equal zest, and is just as quickly, keenly, critical as they are oyer 
the merits and defects of the last new Rose. They are 
brothers, are these two generations of Merryweathers, in their 
