Ataroh 29, 18«8. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
253 
as the Grape-fertilisation question advanced by Mr. S. Castle, who 
£nds artificial fertilisation necessary at West Lynn, though he never 
had to resort to such means before. Even with carefully fertilising 
the blooms I cannot echo “ S. T. C.’s ” words, that he has not 
noticed a single flower in the early houses that has proved unfertile. 
—James B. Riding. 
CELOSIA PYRAMI DALIS COCCINEA. 
This is a very effective plant, the scarlet plumes being most 
telling when intermixed with other plants having flowers of lighter 
«hades of colour. It may be had in. flower all the year round by 
sowing a pinch of seed early in February, and again in August, in 
:a pan properly crocked and filled to within an inch of the rim with 
light soil. This should be made firm with the hand before sowing 
the seed, which must then be covered lightly with fine sandy 
soil, and watered before being placed in heat to germinate. As 
«oon as the little plants appear, the pan should be placed near the 
glass, and as soon as the plants are large enough they may be 
pricked out, 2 inches apart, in well-drained boxes or pans, contain¬ 
ing a mixture of three parts of light sandy loam and one of leaf 
*oil, and sifted manure from an old hotbed, with a sprinkling of sharp 
sand added. These can afterwards be lifted with plenty of soil 
adhering to their roots, to be potted into 4i-inch pots before they 
are crowded in the boxes or pans. From this time grow them in 
heat near the glass until they show flower, keeping them well 
supplied with water at the roots and over the foliage, otherwise 
the leaves of the plants become a prey to red spider. If larger 
plants than can be grown in the 4^-inch pots are desired, some of 
them should be shifted into 6-inch pots, afterwards transferring the 
<iesired number into 7^-inch pots, using the loam in a rougher state 
tfor the last two shifts. As the plants increase in size and the 
weather ^comes warmer, admit more air to the plants, and if a 
^slight sprinkling of Beeson’s manure be applied over the soil once 
or twice a week during the growing period before giving water at 
4he roots, it will be advantageous.—H. W. W. 
MODE OF SUPPLYING BOTIOM HEAT TO 
MELONS AND CUCUMBERS. 
It is surprising with what tenacity we cling to customs which 
(have nothing to recommend them except that they are “ time- 
honoured. They may have been well adapted for the purposes 
'they were intended to serve when first brought to notice, but have 
■.since become quite unsuitable, because of the changes that have 
taken place in surrounding circumstances or methods of procedure 
'iggssted themselves. I cannot help thinking that gardeners have 
in many cases been working on the wrong principles in their mode 
■of supplying bottom heat for such plants as Cucumbers and Melons 
that are grown during the winter and early spring months. Before 
■the age when hot-water pipes were brought into general use for 
supplying bottom and top heat in glass houses the greater part of 
ithese plants were grown in dung frames, and the use of fermenting 
«naterials for creating the bottom heat was no doubt the best means 
fthat could be devised under the existing circumst-inces. With the 
advent of hot-water pipes fermenting materials were really no 
Jonger necessary for supplying bottom heat, yet in many instances 
we still find manure and leaves used for that purpose as well as 
■pipes, with the disadvantage that there is no means provided for 
tkeeping the heat as regular as was the case with the dung bed, the 
linings then being frequently renewed kept the mass heating 
materials at a fairly even temperature. Houses have been built 
iani beds constructed with hot-water pipes for supplying bottom 
■heat. These pipes in some cases are sunk as much as 3 feet from 
the surface of the bed, and over them manure and leaves are placed 
'and pressed down firmly. This material is then covered with soil, 
and mounds are formed, on which the plants are in due time set. 
The strong bottom heat from the fermenting material causes them 
rto make extremely rapid growth for some weeks, but young shoots 
grown under^ such conditions are not so short-jointed or so firm in 
rtexture as it is desirable they should be, and in the case of Melons 
not likely to withstand an attack of canker should it once appear. 
After the plants have grown thus rapidly for a time the bottom 
Aieat gradually declines, and as the hot-water pipes cannot be ex- 
'pected to supply a steady heat to such a body of materials there is 
ffrom that time but little, if any, more bottom than top heat. This 
'State of affairs is often reached just at the time the plants are 
-swelling their fruits and require a brisk heat to enable them to d) 
so quickly, and the want of it causes a check to the fruits, result¬ 
ing in the skins becoming hard and tough. 
The question arises, If hot-water pipes can be depended on for 
iisupplying a steady bottom heat why is the manure used at all when 
ihe pipes are at command ? It entails a great amount of unneces¬ 
sary labour, and I have come to the conclusion does more harm than 
good, because it starts the plants into a sappy growth, and often 
leaves them in a stunted condition. We have "discarded the use of 
fermenting materials in Cucumber and Melon houses altogether, 
but as the pipes are placed rather low in the bed large pieces of 
wood are placed over these in such a way as to leave plenty of 
open spaces between, so that the heat from the pipes may circulate 
amongst them and reach the soil above. A few spruce branches 
are placed over the wood, and these are covered with straw to pre¬ 
vent the soil from falling through among the wood, and thereby 
choking up the passages through which it was intended the heat 
should circulate. When this is completed there is room for a depth 
of soil from t foot to 15 inches, which we find is sufficient for all 
purposes. The bottom heat can be regulated at will by the valves 
attached to the pipes, and a steady and continuons heat is kept up 
throughout. The plants grown in this way do not make such rapid 
growth at first, but the shoots are firm and short-jointed, and the 
leaves thick and leathery. With plants answering the above de¬ 
scription Melon growers can look forward with confidence to the 
results. The same mode of supplying bottom heat we also find very 
satisfactory for winter Cucumbers, as even fermenting materials 
are used it is almost impossible to keep up a steady bottom heat 
unless the plants are grown in pots and fresh materials placed 
around them at intervals, but we consider the planting-out system 
decidedly preferable to growing them in pots. Were we construct¬ 
ing new houses for growing Cucumbers and Melons the beds would 
be made only 18 inches deep from the top of the hot-water pipes, 
over here would be placed a layer of wood and straw, with the soil 
added in the usual way. I am inclined to think the plants are 
grown in this way very little would be heard about the attacks of 
mildew on Cucumbers in winter. I believe in nine cases out of ten 
this is caused in the first place by defective bottom heat. Another 
great advantage under this system is that as there is no sinking of 
the bed the young shoots can be trained in their proper positions 
from the first without fear of their being cut by the tying materials, 
which sometimes happens when manure is placed in the beds, and 
which often sinks more than was anticipated, causes a great tension 
between the roots and shoots, and unless noticed in time must result 
in some of the shoots being cut through or the plants being lifted 
bodily from the soil.—H. Duxkin. 
TUBEROUS BEGONIAS IN POTS. 
Having been fairly successful with tuberous Begonias in pots 
both for exhibition and home use, a few notes at this time of the 
year may be of service to some persons who are desirous of culti¬ 
vating this popular greenhouse plant. Many persons fail to grow 
Begonias well through starting the tubers in too much heat. A 
steady free growth made in a cool temperature is more conducive to 
healthy foliage, free growth, and abundance of flowers into the 
autumn from the same plants. A specimen from 5 feet to 6 feet in 
diameter of a single flowered variety—Emperor, for instance, is 
very handsome during July and August. The large-flowered varie¬ 
ties of the present day do not grow into such large plants as do 
some of the older and smaller flowered sorts. Perhaps it is as well 
that they do not, as much space would be needed to house many 
plants of that size. 
The present is a good time to start the tubers into growth. 
Presuming them to be one, two, or three years old, some perhaps 
more. We winter ours in sand in the Mushroom house, scarcely ever 
losing any. One potting of the tubers of the sizes named is enough, 
nothing is gained by successional shifts during growth. The main 
point is to know from previous years’ growth the habit the plants 
have, vigorous, medium, and so on, and pot accordingly. For the 
informaticm of those who do not know, I would say that a tuber 
3 inches in diameter should have a 7-inch pot; a 5-inch tuber, which 
would produce twelve or fourteen growths, should have a 12-inch pot, 
and so on, according to the size. A plant of the last named size will 
require abundant supplies of water during the season of growth, 
and its branches will be what is known .as ‘‘ top heavy ” if a suitable 
pot is not allowed for such a p'ant. 
The compost should be made up with the following materials : 
■—Two parts fibry loam, one part leaf soil, half a part the material-) 
of a spent Mushroom bed, one-quarter part of charcoal broken into 
about 1 inch pieces, and a free admixture of sand according to the 
nature of the loam, heavy or light. To each bushel of this com¬ 
post add a 4-inch potful of finely ground bones. Drain the pots 
freely. Over the drainage place the roughest parts of the compost, 
ramming the soil firmly into the pots. Use soil in a rough state, 
preserving all the fibre of the loam, and cover the tuber about half 
an inch deep ; allowing a good space for water, as co| ious supplies 
will be needed during growth. Place the plants in a house having 
a temperature of about 50°. A vinery just started suits them well, 
