October 24.1 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 5o 
EXTRACTS EROM CORRESPONDENCE. 
Potatoes: Heating by Hot-water.—You were kind 
enough to furnish a description of Rylott’s Flour Ball Potato 
in n late number of your interesting Cottage Gardener. 
I have to tell you that an acquaintance in this neighbour¬ 
hood has been eminently successful in its cultivation this 
season, many of his plants having produced 40, or more, at a 
root, and a single potato which he brought me weighs nearly 
7 ounces; this leaves me far behind. My Cheshire friend 
already alluded to, sent me some specimens of Fox’s Radical 
Potato, weighing about six to the pound, of which he had a 
splendid crop this season, the produce (large and small) 2d to 
30 at each root, and in one instance, the enormous quantity of 
| 7± tubers at one root. I never heard anything like this before, 
but have no reason to doubt its correctness. If you will not 
| call me troublesome, I will ask what is the construction of 
1 the “polmaise” apparatus for heating apartments, eulogised 
| so much by your Tirydail correspondent! I never see any 
allusion in your columns to the plan of heating greenhouses, 
<fcc., by boiling the water in the pipes, the latter not more than 
1 inch inner diameter, arranged in 10 or 12 coils round the 
inside of a square brick-built furnace orftre-place ; the lower 
end of the pipe carried into the house along the front wall, 
which it traverses six times ; the upper end of the pipe con¬ 
veyed into the house along the back wall, which it traverses 
six times; the ends of the two pipes terminating in an ex¬ 
pansion tube, situated at the far end of the house, and fur¬ 
nished with a kind of safety valve. The pipes in traversing 
the interior of the house, are hung with a few cast-iron 
troughs, into which water is occasionally poured; the hot 
pipes in passing through these little troughs supply the 
house with a moist atmosphere whenever required. I have 
never in my travels, seen any hot-water apparatus on this 
construction but one, this was at Macclesfield, some 14 or 15 
years ago, and it then appeared to me the most efficient of any 
I had ever seen ; the house was not large, yet it contained a 
choice collection of rare and interesting plants, all in a 
healthy vigorous state, and many of them natives of the 
tropical regions; the following were amongst the number : 
Nepenthes Distillatoria, and Dioncea Muscipula (both in 
flower), Lauras Camphora, and Cinnamomum, Coffosa 
Arabiea, Thoea Yiridis, Gossypium Herbaceum, Saccharum 
Officinale, Zingiber Officinale, Maranta Arundinacea, Sagus 
Farinifera, Ficus Elastica, some beautiful orchids in flower, 
grown on blocks, besides a multitude of young plants, and 
others (full-grown), as many as the house could accom¬ 
modate, sufficient to prove the adequacy of the system, yet, 
I never hear it named now. It would be interesting to know 
why a plan, apparently so effective, has not come into 
general use; perhaps you can tell us something about it, if not, 
I will tell you as much as ever I can about it, and finish the 
rough sketch I have given (with your permission, of course). 
The hot-water apparatus alluded to was at T. Brocklehurst’s, 
Esq., The Fence, near Macclesfield. I cannot tell whether 
it is still in use. I omitted to state that the furnace was 
placed on a lower level than the point where the pipes 
entered the house, which ensured a continuous return of the 
water into the furnace as it got some degrees cooler; also, 
that the pipes were all made of wrought iron, excepting, 
perhaps, the expansion pipe, which I think was cast iron.— 
W. L. 
Contrast of Flowers. —I have an accidental mixture in 
my garden, which I am led to recommend to your readers on 
account of the striking and pleasing contrast of colours. I 
have some Tropceolum canariensis rambling round the base 
of my windows, about a foot from the ground; and I see 
that some Scarlet verbenas, planted in the grass below, have 
climbed up amongst the Tropoeolums, and I assure you pro¬ 
duce a most agreeable contrast.—W. K. TV. 
Rats. —The following is found very effectual in destroying 
them :—Rye-flour, three parts ; lime, in powder, one part: 
mix, put it where they frequent, and place water near to it. 
They eat it greedily, and run to the water, which they drink 
till they burst, frequently on the spot.— Yerax. 
Goon Way to Keep Preserves.—P ut powdered loaf- 
sugar on the top ; cover with tissue-paper dipped in the 
white of an egg : when this is dry it becomes like a bladder. 
Your plan of the pasted paper is good, but this I think still 
better. 
Brompton Stocks. —Allow me to say, in reply to your 
correspondent (F. W. T., page 230, July part) respecting 
Brompton stocks, that I have grown them for some years 
without any protection during the winter, and that even with 
leaving the side shoots on. I have had the centre bloom 
over 10 inches in length. The seed (which I save myself 
annually) I sow the last week in May or first in June upon 
a south border, placing a hand-glass over it, or some pea- J 
sticks, to prevent the birds scratching it up. When ready 
for pricking out, which is in about a month, or when the 
plants are three inches high, I place them about the garden 
as I find I have room for them, either singly or in threes 
(for my garden is very small), in which places they remain 
until they bloom the following summer. A very hard winter 
will sometimes cause the lower leaves to turn yellow and fall 
off, but I have never yet had a plant killed, and I do not I 
even protect then’ roots with ashes or other dry material. , 
When three are planted together, and I find one single and 
two double, I leave them all, thinking the bees passing from 
one to the other may improve the seed. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*** TVe request that no one will write to the departmental writers of 
The Cottage Gaedener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. All communications should be addressed “ To the Editor of 
The Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London .” 
Heaths fob August and September (J. S.). — Red.— Grandis 
(new), Ignescens, Erubescens, Cruenta, Vestita rosea. Pink. —Wilmore- 
aua, Linnseoides. Orange. —Nodiflora. White.— Bowieana, Monsoni- 
ana, Reflexa alba. Yellow. —Vestita lutea, Flava, Purplish —Lucida, 
Nitida, Vestita purpurea, Hartnelli, Translucens. The Mitrana will 
suit you, but more anon. 
Melon Plants fbom Cuttings ( J. M. K.). —These are generally 
raised from the earliest bed, and then treated just as seedling plants— 
only they may be planted thicker. The quantity of fruit is generally 
greater, but unless well watered, or well thinned, the specimens will not 
be so large. Mr. Errington will very likely allude to it in good time. 
Heaths fob Sitting-booms (M. S.).—We fear you will not succeed 
without great caTe. It is the confined air, the dust, and the heat at 
night that will ruin them. See list above. 
Tropieolgms (Ibid).—We cannot conceive how your plants do not 
answer. There is such a difference between them—the Nasturtiums are 
termed Troposolums, and so is the Yellow Canary Plant. Do you mean 
the small-growing ones, such as Tricolorum and Pentaphyllum ? Send a 
small bit, and we will oblige you as far as possible. 
Mandevilla Suaveolens (M.S.). —This plant is not particularly sub¬ 
ject to green fly or other insects. Have you got it planted in good loose 
material ? You must not mind a dose of tobacco smoke for once. Open 
the doors in the morning, and burn any sweet smelling herbs, and you 
will scarcely perceive the reek of tobacco. Many plants are troubled with 
insects at times, under the best culture. We have to-day observed a few 
on the Mandevilla, the first time for years. 
Colchicum (F. P. S.). —This may he planted immediately in the open 
border. 
Gladiolus Communis (Ibid).— So you may this, only place it n few 
feet from the edging. 
Amaryllis Longifolia (Ibid). —Not quite sure of it; but you will 
not err in planting it in a dry sheltered place ; at least nine inches deep 
in front of a south wall, or keep it in the house, which perhaps would be 
best during winter. 
Hollyhocks and Cactuses (G. A. B.).— All your Hollyhock seed¬ 
lings will flower next year, exactly the same as they have done ; perhaps 
a trifle better. Your Cactuses ought to be under shelter when you wrote, 
to avoid late rains and early frosts. 
Roses foe Tbellis (Philanthe) .— You will find a suitable list at 
page 13 of our last volume. You will find all the information you seek 
for, if you will refer to our indexes. 
Sea-kale (Philocarpus). —If you propagate this from suckers of the 
old plants, the best time for so doing is in March or April; but the finest 
and most productive plants are raised from seed sown now. The plants 
must he two years old before they are blanched. Root-pruning straw¬ 
berries is very had gardening. 
Bees ( G. J. B .).—“I purchased a hive this spring, which swarmed 
twice ; the first swarm having threatened to swarm itself, I foolishly put 
a bottom straw eke to it to prevent them. I find now, from a neigh¬ 
bouring bee-keeper, that I have done wrong, as it only weighs now about 
IS pounds ; and he says the bees will have to fill the empty comb nett 
