116 
THE FLORIST. 
filled with active roots, will be in full bloom before another with 
imperfectly ripened wood, and not over healthy or active roots, will 
show any symptoms of having felt the excitement, which, if it had been 
in perfect health, would have been sufficient to have induced it to put 
on its best appearance. For plants in a sound healthy state, with well 
ripened wood, from a fortnight to a month in the intermediate house 
will be sufficient to bring them into full beauty; but others, with 
imperfectly matured roots, may require longer. I can, however, only 
say that there can be no mistake in having the plants early enough, 
for a vigorous plant of this Gompholobium will be in full beauty for a 
month at a time at least. 
The soil which I find to be most suitable is the light fibrous kind of 
peat found in Kent; this, broken up moderately fine, and cleared from 
excess of fibre and strong decayed roots, and mixed with about one- 
fourth its bulk of Reigate sand, is the compost I use. In potting, care 
should be exercised to have the soil in a proper state as to dampness. 
I use soil just moist enough to bear compressing in the hand without 
sticking together or readily falling in pieces; and in potting, the fresh 
soil should be pressed about the ball, so as to make it as nearly as 
possible in the same state as to water as the ball of the plant. 
There are two other twining varieties of Gompholobium well 
deserving of a place in every collection, viz., G. splendens, which, when 
grown in the form of a bush, and clothed with its clear bright yellow 
blossoms, is one of the most charming plants I know of, and G. versi¬ 
color, the blossoms of which ar^ of a buff colour, large, and remarkably 
striking. This variety is somewhat difficult to procure, but it is well 
worth any trouble that may be necessary to obtain it true. 
Hawkesyard Park, Rugeley^ Staffordshire. Wm. May. 
HOT WALLS FOR FRUIT TREES. 
Before glass coverings to walls or orchard houses were thought of, 
hot walls were very generally employed to facilitate the ripening of the 
wood in the autumn, and protect the blooms from frost and wet windy 
weather, which appear to act more injuriously on the constitutions of the 
Peach and Nectarine than even frost, as the results of late seasons have 
taught us. Hot walls are simply ordinary walls built with a flue or flues 
making three or four returns in the middle of the wall before the smoke 
escapes at the top. One flue will heat about 30 or 35 feet of a wall 
12 or 14 feet high. Fires are lighted only when the bloom is about 
opening, and continued till the fruit is securely set, and even up to the 
middle of May, when cold or wet weather intervened, which affords 
great protection to the trees, by being in close contact with dry warm 
material ; for when once the walls had become slightly heated, 
the trees would resist frosts when not too severe without further 
protection. Indeed, we well remember, when we had charge of a 
large extent of hot walls, that a single net in front was ample 
when once the wall had become warm, to keep the bloom safe from 
