THE COTTAGE OAIIDENER, 
NoYEMliER 20. 
102 
Those who sow it as usually directed have been dis¬ 
appointed in the end, as it has come in at the time when 
there has been j)lenty of other sorts, and at that season of 
the year that it could not l>e eaten as Sea-kale, ns having 
a llavour too strong of the cabbage.—S. Taylor, OxboroiKjh, 
NoTj'olk. 
TO THE VENT INSECTS CLIMBING UP 
FRUIT-TREES. 
Let a piece of India-rubber be burnt over a gallipot, into 
j which it will gradually drop, in the condition of a thick 
I viscid juice, which state it will retain for any length of 
' time. Having melted the India-rubber, let a piece of cord, 
I or worsted, be smeared with it, and then tied several times 
round the trunk of the tree. Tlie melted substance is so 
vei’y sticky, that the insects will be prevented, and generally 
ca 2 )tured in their attempts to jDass over it. About three- 
pennyworth of India-rubber is sutRcient for the protection 
of twenty ordinary-sized fruit-trees.—C. P. C. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
GARDENING. 
IIOT-WATEP. NOT CIRCULATING. 
“ I am sorry to see your correspondent, “ T. D.,” in trouble 
about his hot-water apiiaratus (Cottage Gardener, p. 94). 
Having been in the same dilemma myself, possibly what hap¬ 
pened to me may have haj) 2 )ened also to him. In taking 
to pieces the pipes, to find the obstruction, I discovered that 
in caulking the joint the putty had been actually driven in 
until it had met, so as to prevent the water going by it. The 
pipe had to be cut to make it the pro^jer length, consequently, 
the bead that would have stopped the putty was cut olf.— 
I. S. E., St rood,” 
GROWING CUCUMBERS AND MELONS TOGETHER. 
“ I have, for some years, been a not unsuccessful grower 
of Cucumbers and Melons in dung-jiits, but 1 have always 
understood that the two jjlants require a somewhat different 
management, namely, that the moist atmosphere the Cu¬ 
cumber tlu’ives and delights in, would be injurious to the 
Melon ; and it has been considerations of tins kind that have 
mainly deterred me from putting up a span-roofed house, of 
moderate dimensions, for the growtii of both under one roof, 
and under the same conditions as to heat, atmospheric 
moisture, and so forth. 
“ Now, in your this week’s number, you say, in speaking of 
the span-roofed house described by your correspondent, ‘ A 
Beginner,’ ‘ such a house would be the very jdace for 
Cucumbers and Melons.’ 
“ Am I, then, wrong ? and will IMelons and Cucumbers do 
well loyetk'ir ?—that is (supposing a walk down the middle), 
occuijying the opposite sides of the same structure.—A n 
OLD yURSCRIBER.” 
[You are right in supposing that Cucumbers and Melons 
reciuire a little dift'erence in treatment; but that, as respects 
tlie Melon, is chiefly at two periods—first, when the INIelon 
is in bloom and setting ; and secondly, when it is swelling 
j and ripening its fruit. In the article referred to, one end is 
spoken of as being devoted to Cucumbers ; and this is what 
we would recommend you to do ; and to secure unity of ex- 
I pression and variety, as well as relative fitness, we should 
I keei) one end to (lucumbers, and one to Melons; and it 
would be all the better if there was a glass division between 
thcin. Both jfiants can then easily be managed upon a 
trellis, and be seen from below. Both will require very 
similar treatment, as respects temperature and atmospheric 
moisture—excejit at the times specified, when it is easy to 
keep the atmos 2 )here of the Melons dry, by emjitying tlie 
evaporating pans, Ac. For getting perfect, good-flavoured 
Melons, we lay great stress on having even the surfaces of 
j the soil dry as the fruit approaches maturity; but if, with 
I pipes beneath, you allowed all the soil to become dry, that 
■ would hurt the plants. In such a case as yours, we recom¬ 
mend small pipes, reaching to the bottom of the soil, or 
rather to the drainage below it, and the other end standing 
above the toji of the soil; and in these pipes, we recommend 
pouring in the requisite quantity of water to keep the roots 
moist enough while the surface soil is diy. A bit of sponge 
fastened on a stick, and that set in one of these pipes, with 
the sponge resting on the bottom, would always let you 
know the state of moisture at the bottom. Small earthen¬ 
ware pipes would do.] 
HEATING AND GLAZING A GREENHOUSE. 
“ Being about to erect a greenhouse on the ridge and 
furrow system, I propose to ask a few questions, knowing, 
at the same time,you are always ready to give all the inform¬ 
ation you possibly can. In the first place, I must describe 
to you the situation. 
“ The proposed place to erect the greenhouse is an open 
space, bounded on tlie west side by a greenhouse, now 
standing, with a back shed behind. On the east side is a 
billiard-room, occupying the same length of space ; the north 
end looks into the farm-yard, where, at present, is a high 
wall; and the south end fronts into the flower-garden, parallel 
with the front of the greenhouse now standing. The length, 
from north to south, is twenty-seven feet in width; from east 
to west, eighteen feet; the height to the top of the ridge is 
twelve feet, and the height under the furrow about nine 
feet. The end looking into the farm-yard is to be glazed 
with Hartley’s Patent rough plate glass, paying attention to 
ventilation. It is pi'oposed to have a shelf two feet wide at 
tlie north end, and a jiathway all round, three feet wide with 
a stage in the centre. It is to bo heated on the hot-water 
system, by running the pipes round at the foot of the stage ; 
the flue from the boiler will run across the north end, under 
the pathway. Whether would you advise, two rows of 3-inch 
pities, or one row of 4-inch, to command a heat of from 
to 00“ in severe weather ? Likewise, whether would you 
advise glazing the roof with Hartley’s Patent rough jilate, or 
clear sheet ?—T. S.” 
[We would rather have the double row of 3-inch pipes, or 
even of 4 inch. The first expense will often save a deal of 
trouble afterwards. We would prefer Hartley’s Patent for 
the roof, though rough plate, and also sheet will do ; but the 
first is the best of the kind; that needs no shading, and 
admits enough of light. Any shaded or rough glass would 
do for the north end. We presume the object is to keep out 
the view of the farm-yard. We wish you much joy of the 
house, and you seem to have thought of everything right. 
We presume, that the south side will be crown glass in front, 
to enable you to see and be seen from the flower-garden. 
We paid a hasty visit to the Cambridge Botanic Garden this 
summer. The present new houses are built in the form of 
a square, or nearly so—enclosing an open court in the 
centre—where stock-holes, pits, and frames, and reserve 
ground are situated. As the glass on the sides of the 
houses next this square is all rough plate, a stranger might 
take the round of these houses, and never know of this use¬ 
ful interior court, so completely is it concealed.] 
WINTERING GERANIUMS.—SIDES OF AN ICE¬ 
HOUSE. 
“ I have an offer of 2000 Tom Tluimls, and having seen 
Mr. Beaton’s account of saving them, in last week’s paper, 
I am anxious to try the plan; biit he does not say what 
heat the cellar should be, and if they should be keyit in the 
dark, or if a warm shed would do. I can do either. I also 
‘ want your advice on the following:—I have a small place, 
with jilenty of light, facing the south, boarded, and well 
covered. I thought of putting the bedding-out plants which 
I have taken nji into it. I can keep it wann by two means, 
' gas, or hot-water; that is to say, I have a large boiler out- 
I side, with a tap coming into the jilace; I could unscrew the 
tap, and put on any required length of inch piping, or even 
three-inch. 'The gas is laid on. Which would you prefer ? 
and do you think the place would do for the purpose ? It 
is a washing-up place for glass and china in the summer. 
; “ ’The next query is ns follows :—I erected, dining the 
frost of this year, an Ice-house; it is eighteen feet long, and 
