)KC]iMBEK l(i. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
201 
The following is a list of the Horticultural and Poultry 
Shows of which we arc at present aware. We shall be 
obliged by any of oiir readers sending ns additions to the 
list, and giving the address of the Secretaries. 
HORTICUI.TUBAI, SHOWS. 
South London (Royal), Dec. IG. 
roui.TEY shows. 
Birmingham and Midi,and Counties, 14th, 15th, IGth, 
and 17th Decoinbor. 
Cornwall (Penzance ), Jainiary 10th, and 11th. (Sees. 
Rev. W. W. Wingfield, Gulval Vicarage, and E. H. 
Rodd, Esq.) 
Honiton, January 12th. (See. H. K. Venn.) 
PlNIhCtlLTURE : THE HAMILTONIAN SYSTEM. 
( Concluded from pnyc 100). 
We have now the remaining heads—“ Piping, Root- 
culture, Recipes, Rijicnirig, Soil, Structures, Stickers, 
Syringing, Temperature, Watering, Ventilation,” and 
; then a few wind-ii}) remarks; and wo cry mercy of one 
portion of onr readers, to whom this apparent repetition, 
or rather “ summing-up ” may be tedious. 
^ Pii’iNG.—Eor disposition of this in Hamilton’s house, 
; we may refer the reader to page 4 of The Cottaok 
( iAiiDENEii; and as a “Querist” has desired to know 
the calibre of pipes in that house, wo beg to say that 
they are of five-inch bore, altliougli Mr. H. observes 
they might he of four-inch. It will be seen, that there 
I are two five-inch jiipes in each bod for bottom-heat, 
I viz., a How and return; and that tlioy are made to 
proceed to, and return from, an iron reservoir or tank 
I at the farthest end; this saves the cxjicnse of elbow 
I joints, we suppose, and is more simple. Two five-inch 
pipes also proceed along the soutli, and two along the 
north, turning round the end opposite the boilei'; there 
also are a How and return on each side, so that the 
hou.so is fairly surrounded by piping to w'arm the air. 
Now, as in hot weather the air-piping is not required 
on duty, Mr. H. says, on this head—“ The pipes wliich 
heat the air of the house can bo plugged up at any 
time, when only bottom-heat is wanted ; this is a mode 
oi' my own, and simpler and better than valves.” Our 
advice is, wlierc you have any doubts about amount of 
jiiping, either call in an old practitioner, a man who is 
e.xperienced in Rines as well as jiipes, or else employ 
Ids fee in laying down a little of wdiat you conceive to 
be liipiug which might bo dispensed with ; anything, 
in i'act, but under-heating. 
Root-culture —But little is requisite—still some is 
desirable. Mr. H. says in his book, page Go—“ In con¬ 
clusion I may state, that only when tlie roots are to be 
seen in the a.xils of Ibe leaves, the operation of oarthing- 
; iqi is rcijuircd; and it is bettor to oarth-iqi among the 
loaves, than to destroy them before they have performed 
their destined ollicos for the plant.” It will bo seen, 
I also, that in pot-culture, when an attempt is made to 
! cultivate the old stool without planting it out, ho 
prefers stem-culture, the old roots perfectly undistinbed, 
■ to repotting. He says—“ I then commence earthing-up 
I with the prepared compost, jircssing it a little round the 
: trunk of the jdant, and allowing it to slope down to the 
edge of the jiot. 1 am quite convinced of the supe¬ 
riority of earthing-up over that of transplanting into 
larger ])ots after the fruit has been cut. 1 have in¬ 
variably found the plants to bo from two to four months 
longer in fruiting, and the fruit also to be much inferior 
in size.” We have here, as in a few other places, 
1 slightly parajdirased our author, but feel assured of 
j pardon, the principles not being perverted, and, iiiore- 
j over, time gained. To conclude this heading, we may 
repeat Mr. H.’s answer to our query, No. I'd. Question. 
—How long after planting before they require culture, 
and what kind? Answer. —“All kinds would be better 
by a little soil on the top once a-year.” By this our 
readers may see that a little np-stem culture, if not ab¬ 
solutely necessary, is particularly desirable; MS soon as 
our beginners perceive, by observation, the natural 
habits of the Bine, they will bo able to modify their 
practice to meet, not oppose, its own native bent. ^ 
Recipes. —Mr. H., at page 58, very properly remarks, - 
on insects— “ f have known many persons, and have 
frequently heard of others, who, after having tried every i 
method tliey have known, have at last been obliged to I 
destroy their whole stock of plants in order to get rid of 
them ; ” that is to say, the insects which infest the Pine. 
Happily for beginners in these days, the rule has be- I 
come the exception, and foul plants arc so little known ' 
or expected, that even the wary may occasionally be | 
caught napping in making purchases. No man in his 
senses woiihl think of buying a stock infested with 
insects of any kind. If, however, such a case should 
occur, Mr. 11. oilers a well-tested roeijie, which may be 
found at page 5'.) of his interesting work. This is for 
the cotton bug and white scale, two of the Pines’ greatest 
enemies, and Mr. H. atlirms, that “with one appli¬ 
cation every insect was destroyed without doing the 
slightest injury to the plants.” Many recipes are to be 
heard of for destroying such jiests, but wc would fain 
for the present have the Hamiltonian system fairly re¬ 
presented; and, moreover, we have not space, and 
perhaps our readers have not patience, for digression. 
Ritening. —Little to bo observed here. .Mr. IL, like 
all other good cultivators, jirefers a somewhat drier air, 
and a previous abstraction of root-moisture, in order to 
obtain a high degree of Havour. 
Soil. —Lot the reader refer to “ Conqiosts ” in the 
present papers ; this will save repetition. 
Structures. —More will be urged another day as to 
what modilicatious of hlr. H.’s plan might be adopted; 
for the present, wc will just observe, that Mr. 11. has so 
far fallen in with views we have pointed out to him as 
to the S 2 )an-roof system, as to admit the following;—“ 1 
am of yonr opinion, that span-roofed houses would be 
better north and south.” Now, this has long been with 
us a favourite opinion; but as misleading an anxious 
public is not a light matter, wc have, during the last 
three or four years, sought out opportunities of ob¬ 
taining the ojiinions of those wo deem first-rate ]u actical 
men on this subject, believing that wo were all held in 
a sort of thrall in the matter. Wo may here just [loint 
to our old and esteemed friend, Mr. Appleby, who has 
more than once (during iiractical chat) expressed himself 
as decidedly of this opinion; and, verily, the ridge and 
furrow houses all over the country would seem to bear 
testimony to a desire to sock some relief from the Ican-to 
method; and not only that, but a sort of desire lor a 
morning and evening slope to houses, in ’ireference to a 
burning mid-day sun, with all the extras of shading, &c. 
Suckers. — Wo have before given a detail of the 
culture of these, with the technical names by which 
they are known through subsequent culture. It may 
here be observed, that Mr. H., in strong terms, points to 
the immense progress they make attached to the old 
stool, as compared with those deprived of the assistance 
of tlio (larent jilarit, by being entirely detached. 
Syringing.— Gn this Mr. H. lays much stress. He 
says, page 42 —“ 3ily motive for siqijdying the plant 
with a sulficieucy of water, by syringing over the leaves, 
is twofold. Eirst. I believe the leaves of the Pine to bo 
very porous, and, therefore, capable of absorbing a great 
quantity of its food by that process. Thus, 1 syringe 
with tepid water. Secondly. Ry frequently syringing 
the jdants, the surrounding atmosphere is kcjd in a 
humid slate, the soil is constantly moist on the surface 
