170 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— June 3, 1850. 
WINTERING BEDDING PLANTS IN A COLD 
FRAME. 
“ Mr. Fisli would confer a favour upon man)' of your 
readers by giving a few details as to the mode of striking 
and preserving bedding plants in a cohl frame through the 
winter. Is the frame raised on a stage above the ground, or 
how is the damp prevented rising and rotting the cuttings 
off? Is no heat ever applied?— J. S. Joy.” 
[Mr. Fish will, most likely, attend to this matter before 
the autumn is over, though lie can hardly add more to what 
he has already advanced. To prevent misapprehension, how¬ 
ever, it is right to state, that lie approves of any mode of 
heating, if it can he obtained. He merely instances facts to 
show that without any artificial heat many, nay, most bed¬ 
ding plants can be preserved during winter, merely by 
covering and by giving all the air possible in favourable 
weather. He advocates no raised stage, but, whether a pit 
or frame be used, he advocates a raised site on which to 
build the one or place the other, that site being some twelve 
inches high above the surrounding ground, and that ground 
sloping downwards from the site all round, so that all rain, 
&c., may run from the site or platform. Then the next 
thing is to make that site, and the ground for two or three 
feet round it, as waterproof as may be. Two modes present 
themselves,—concreting two or three inches thick, or spread¬ 
ing over it a layer of coal tar, from one-eighth to one- 
quarter-of-an-inch thick, and then covering with as much 
fine pebbly gravel as will roll in. If the latter is used, the 
•work should be done two months before the place is wanted ; ten 
weeks would be better. There will be little damp that will 
ever come through it. On this, place several inches of 
rough rubble as drainage, and between that elevated drainage 
and the external ground there must be frequent openings, 
to allow all excess of moisture a free outlet. TVe would 
place some rough gravel on the top of the rubble, or rough 
coal ashes, and on these pots of cuttings could be placed, or, 
as he prefers, the proper soil should be put on and the cut¬ 
tings be inserted in rows. Mr. Scobie used old hotbeds 
without a tithe of these preparations, but when given, they i 
multiply the chances of success.] 
HEATING TWO HOUSES FROM ONE BOILER. 
“ I am about to heat two houses with one boiler, and am 
anxious to have the arrangement required for shutting off 
the hot water from either of them as effectual and simple as 
possible; and I find that when the flow-pipe only is stopped j 
by a valve, the return-pipe gets quite warm by contact, I 
suppose. Now, I will tell you what I thought of doing, and 
perhaps you will be kind enough to say if you see any ob¬ 
jections to my plan. I will connect the boiler by the flow- 
and-return pipes, with a small supply-cistern, and have a 
flow-and-return pipe for each of the houses from this cistern 
instead of from the boiler direct. This supply-cistern will, 
of course, have a moveable lid, and when it is required to 
withhold heat from either of the houses, it will only be 
necessary to put a plug in both the flow-and-return pipes 
of that house. The cistern will be inside one of the houses, 
and about four feet from the boiler." 
[If properly set, we never had much trouble with the 
heating of a return-pipe. However, you could have a valve 
on each a short distance from the boiler. Your proposed 
plan will answer if the pipes are nearly level throughout; 
but we can see no advantage that the cistern, as placed, will 
give to the circulation. If the supply-cistern was elevated 
two or three feet above the boiler, and a flow-pipe taken 
into it, and flow-pipes taken from it, for the two houses to 
to be stopped at pleasure, the weight .-of the water would 
cause a more rapid circulation ; but in this case, the return- 
pipes must enter at the bottom of the boiler, and there be 
stopped, if necessary, though we have never felt any neces¬ 
sity for it. Very probably you would like your own plan 
best. You would find the plugs, &e., easier managed on the 
other plan.] 
GIVING MOISTURE TO THE LEAVES OF FORGED 
VINES.—CULTURE OF THE ORANGE TRIBE. 
“ In forcing Vines, is it the best practice to water the paths 
so as to cause a sufficient moisture, or to syringe the Vines 
freely? If to syringe the Vines is best, at what period of j 
their growth ought I to have commenced it, and at what j 
time should I have left off using it? I ought to have stated 
that my Vines are in a greenhouse, and have broke very well, i 
and are showing a nice lot of fruit, but not yet in blossom. 
“ All my plants I have turned out, with the exception of 
some Camellias and Azaleas, with a little fire heat on by j 
night. 
If you would favour me with the culture of the Orange 
and Lemon, it would be thankfully received?—T.T.” 
[First-rate Grapes are produced which are freely syringed 
once or twice a-day, from the starting of the Vines until the ! 
fruit begins to change colour, except when the Vines are in ! 
bloom. First-rate Grapes are also produced that never see 
a syringe at all,—the atmosphere of the house being kept 
sufficiently moist. See what was said of Mr. Halliday’s 
! system the other week, who supplies the necessary mois¬ 
ture by a pool of water on the top of his flues. An intelli¬ 
gent gardener will suit his operations to his circumstances. 
Where many things are grown in the same house, it might 
not he advisable to keep the atmosphere so moist as would 
just suit Vines breaking their buds, for instance; and in 
this case, if the Vines are placed longitudinally along the 
front of the house they could be syringed or moistened 
frequently, without syringing other things. Again, in many 
places the water is so pure that no sediment is ever left. In 
other cases, though seemingly limpid, it would leave a sedi¬ 
ment that would destroy the appearance of the finest fruit. 
Our own practice—having to make much of each house—is 
to damp the Vines until they break, and after that to give 
them no more of the syringe; except, perhaps, a good 
lathering just after the fruit is fairly set, to clear off all the 
: remains of flowers, &c.; but we, generally, in preference to 
this, give the Vines a good shaking. AVe find no difficulty 
in supplying a sufficiency of moisture from syringing the 
i pathways, the stages, and, above all, having evaporating 
pans over the heating medium. In all cases worthy the 
name of forcing, this latter plan is the most effective for 
securing a due amount of moisture in the atmosphere. 
As you have turned out your plants from the greenhouse, 
you may keep the Vines while in bloom, and a short time 
afterwards, about 05° at night; and when swelling 00° will 
be quite enough, with a rise of 10° or 15° from sunshine. 
This will just suit your Camellias and Azaleas when making 
their wood. 
The culture of the Orange tribe has been given at great 
length in previous volumes. If you wish to grow and fruit 
them in doors, you may treat them much as you are doing 
the Camellias, only give them more light, and harden them 
off by degrees. If to stand out-of-doors in summer, the 
sooner you can place them out safely the better. So that 
they may make their wood and bloom out of doors.] 
CAMELLIA LEAVES SrOTTING. 
“ I cut some Camellias hard in, and they are making 
young wood very nicely, but I find the young leaves to get 
all over with black spots. Is it too much moisture at the 
root and overhead that is the cause of it ? They are growing 
under the shade of the Vines, temperature about 00” at 
night, with a rise through the day. I repotted them, after 
they bad started a little, with a mixture of loam and peat, 
and a little silver sand.—T. II.” 
[Is there any rusty iron in your roof? If so, the drop 
from it would affect the leaves as you say. Arc there any 
spots or scars in the glass? If so, daub them with a piece of 
putty or size ; and give air so as to have the foliage dry be¬ 
fore the sun strikes the plants. AVe see nothing -wrong in 
your treatment; of course, excess of moisture, either at top 
or bottom, must be guarded against.] 
DRIVING ANTS AAV AY.—YOUNG FIGS TURNING 
YELLOAV. 
“ I shall feel obliged if you could inform me how to get 
rid of Ants which have got into a greenhouse. I have tried 
sulphur without effect. 
“ I may likewise mention that in Figs, growing in pots in 
a house, the younger and smaller portions of the fruit are 
