206 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
either that previous statements have not been suffi¬ 
ciently attended to, or that these statements have 
not been sufficiently explicit; and, judging that a 
little blame may rest both with readers and writers, 
we shall glance at the subject thus brought before 
us, and give it a greater degree of prominence than 
it could have received in the correspondents’ column. 
First, then, we premise, that to make the most of 
such a single house, for such a variety of purposes, 
it is necessary to have at least one cold pit, built of 
brick, turf, or wood, for the purpose of retaining 
those plants designed for succession, and also for tire 
purpose of hardening-off those which are removed 
from the house, either when it is intended to place 
them out of doors, or take them to a cool sitting 
room; though, in general, for the latter purpose an 
intermediate position will seldom be necessary. 
Where such a desirable convenience does not exist, 
and nothing can be done except within the walls of 
the house, then anything like forcing at an early 
period, and yet keeping in the same place a quantity 
of plants, as successions for blooming and fruiting, 
must at once be relinquished. All that can be done 
in such circumstances is, to obtain flowering plants 
of the kinds indicated moderately early in spring; 
strawberries, three weeks or a month earlier than 
from the open ground; and grapes, if the house is 
furnished with vines in the beginning of September, 
or the end of August; the effects obtained being more 
the result of fostering protection than of absolute 
forcing. If, however, instead of having a succession 
of fuchsias, verbenas, &c., the object be to have these 
things early, and then the house to be decorated 
during the summer months with tender annuals, 
achimenes, &c., then the case is altered; and unless, 
during a few dull months of the year, you may give 
your house the temperature midway between a green¬ 
house and stove, and thus you will not only obtain a 
greater variety of flowers, but, by commencing after 
the turn of the day, be enabled to have several suc¬ 
cessions of strawberries and earlier grapes, either 
from vines on the rafters, or vines in pots. We 
would again advert to the importance in such cir¬ 
cumstances—the having a single house—of the di¬ 
viding it into two compartments by a glass or glazed 
Calico partition, as described at page 337 of our last 
volume. Upon a smaller scale, much might be done 
(as stated in answer to correspondents, 2 col., p. 204 
of the present vol.,) by enclosing a part of the flue 
at the hottest end, as a sort of liot-bed or pit. If 
the flue runs round the front of the house—which is 
a general thing—the enclosing of the space above it, 
and between it, and the front wall, would give you 
all the advantages of a small separate house, by 
having a glass partition from the flue to the roof, 
made to slide at pleasure. The side of the flue next 
the middle of the house might thus be left exposed; 
and, if properly constructed, would emit from thence 
a sufficiency of heat for greenhouse plants in bloom, 
or when slowly growing. The whole of the flue 
by the front of the house might thus be enclosed, 
and if covered first with brick, then rubble, and then 
sand, and the place then separated from the rest of 
the house by a calico or glass partition; the part so 
enclosed might again be divided, so as to afford 
different temperatures—beginning, of course, at the 
warmest end. A flue for such a purpose is just 
inferior to a tank or a hot water pipe, because it will 
want cleaning, and be apt at times to get out of 
order, and the more likely if, however well con¬ 
structed, water is thrown upon it when hot; but 
with the covering we have indicated, plenty of steam 
[February 14i 
and moisture may be obtained with comparatively 
little injury. 
Now, as to cinerarias, and fuchsias, and calceolarias, 
&c., we do not think we could, at present, add to the 
definite directions given lately, by which a person 
will be enabled, at once, to act according to the cir¬ 
cumstances of his position. Geraniums, though they 
will bear as high a temperature as we lately said the 
fuchsia would do, can only do so in bright weather, 
and with a fair portion of air. A temperature higher 
than 50°, in dull weather, will make the shoots 
spindly, and the flower-buds small. As the days 
lengthen, and the sun gains power, the temperature 
in the middle of the day may be gradually increased, 
when bloom is wanted very early; keeping the plants, 
however, near the glass, and giving them fresh air. 
As to syringing, no plants like a slight dusting, 
morning and evening, better; but heavy syringing 
should seldom be given; and, in all cases, the water 
should be clear, as, otherwise, a sediment will soon 
be formed on the leaves. Where this pure water 
cannot be obtained, syringing the stage, and watering 
the paths, so as to keep up a moist atmosphere, 
should be substituted in the room of wetting the 
plants overhead. Many young hands make sad 
havoc by a rather free use of the syringe; the surface 
of the soil in the pot is frequently thus kept wet, and 
the plant becomes sickly, diseased, and insect-attacked, 
not only because the surface-soil is soured and 
potclied, but because the lower portion is as dry as if 
baked in an oven. 
Steaming .—The advantage of effecting this, by 
scattering water over a hot flue, or pipe, is, that every 
part of a plant is enveloped in a moist, misty vapour; 
and thus parts of the bark, &c., are softened, which 
the syringe might not reach. It is of most service 
in an evening, after a sunny day; and in a morning, 
before a day that is expected to be bright. Its ad¬ 
vantages, however, we consider over-estimated in 
general circumstances. Resorting to it in dull wea¬ 
ther is absolutely injurious: the foliage, by means of 
the heat applied, when anything like forcing is at¬ 
tempted, is, in such circumstances, thin, and the 
shoots inclined to be spindly; because, during the 
absence of the sunbeam, there has been little assimi¬ 
lation of fresh matter to their substance, and giving 
plants a vapour-batli in such circumstances only 
aggravates the evil; and no wonder, though there be 
hurrying and scurrying to shade from the brunt of the 
sunbeam, after the poor plants have been petted and 
coddled like sickly invalids. With few exceptions, 
instead of steaming flues, we consider the furnishing 
flues and pipes with vessels for holding water, fitted 
closely to each, respectively, without any intervening 
body of air, as being the safest and the most natural 
course to adopt; as then you may always be certain 
that the moisture in the atmosphere of your house 
will be in proportion to its temperature. Do not be 
satisfied, however, with merely placing the evapo¬ 
rating pans on the flue and pipe; see that they are 
so placed that no air is enclosed between them. A 
clever scientific mechanic fixed some zinc pans on 
iron pipes for me, by merely putting red lead at their 
sides and ends; and would not be convinced of his 
error until he saw that others on the same pipe, with 
a coating of red lead all over their bottom, and 
squeezed firmly on to the pipe, evaporated themselves 
dry in less than half the time. In steaming, use the 
syringe instead of the water-pot, and refrain from 
touching the warmest end of the flue, especially in 
cold weather, when the fires are strong. 
Bulbs we cannot now enter upon; look over back 
