132 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
November 14, 
serial. Various plans have been given to suit different 
circumstances, and did we know the circumstances in your 
case, we could better give advice. Without knowing these, 
and taking ultimate economy, cleanliness, and safety into 
consideration, we would decidedly recommend hot-water 
circulating in four-inch pipes. But if we can be of any 
further service, pray command us.] 
HEATING A CUCUMBER-IIOUSE. 
“ About four years ago, I built a small house—thirteen 
feet long, six feet wide, inside measure—for the growth of 
Cucumbers and the forcing of a few early bulbs, &c. The 
angle of the roof is very upright, with a short hipped roof. In 
this house I placed a tank, nine inches deep, covered with 
half-inch slate, with a partition lengthwise for the flow and 
return pipes, and connected by 2-inch lead pipes to a “Bur- 
bidge’s" boiler. I find this act remarkably well as far as re¬ 
gards bottom-heat, but I cannot get enough heat in the house 
itself, as my chimney and boiler are outside. I have grown 
splendid Cucumbers for three years; indeed, my house is 
quite a sight when in full fig ; but I cannot get this to take 
place until the middle of June, although I begin to grow 
directly after Christmas. From the position of the door I 
fear I cannot get a flue through the house. What I want to 
do is, to pull down the outer chimney, and pass a flue 
through the house and out at the other end, as there is now 
a great loss of heat from the chimney, which would bo dis¬ 
seminated through the house from the flue. Admitting 
this, my difficulty in carrying it into effect consists in the 
following, as the furnace is built outside of the house :—Can 
I make the smoke descend a flue from the chimney and 
pass through the house? Now, as smokcoloyy is not exactly 
in my line, will you kindly advise me, 1st, whether the 
smoke will descend at so sharp an angle; and, secondly, 
whether the long flat surface of flue would not be against 
the ascent of the smoke. I fancy the cold column of air at 
first lighting the fire would drive the smoke back out of the 
furnace door. From the way the house is built, I could not 
contrive the flue now in any other way. When I built the 
house, I thought I should get quite enough heat from the 
tank. I should tell you, I have placed the tank about four 
inches from the front wall, so that the heat may escape that 
way. I have a wooden frame on the slate, divided into par¬ 
titions two-and-a-half feet by four (the width of the tank), 
and eighteen inches deep, inclusive of four inches of rubble 
as drainage. Now, I fancy, if you think the flue inadmis¬ 
sible, I might have large pots and set on the slates, taking 
away the wooden frame, and filling up the interslices be¬ 
tween the pots with sand , kept moist. I should get more 
heat in the house, and have space enough for Cucumbers 
to grow in pots, as the heat would pass better through sand 
than these partitions filled with earth. What do you think 
of this plan ? If at all feasible, will you kindly say, in The 
Cottage Gardener, what size the pots should be? I should 
tell you the roof is nine feet for the Cucumbers to run. I 
have rods twenty-two inches apart and nine feet lone*.— 
Cucumis Sativa.” 
[My first impression is, that you ought to procure a 
metallic pipe of four inches bore, joining it at the boiler 
and carry it through, specially to heat the air of your house, 
suffering it to drop into the return division of your tank at 
the extreme end. But all depends on the relation the levels 
beai to each other, and this you have not sufficiently in¬ 
dicated. If I understand you, I do not see any difficulty as 
to the long flat surface of the flue. It would seem to be 
only an extension of the reverberatory portion. We have a 
“Burbidge” here, and the flue descends from the boiler top 
just as you propose. As for the cold column of air, that 
may, in general, be driven up by a whisp of straw blazing 
suddenly. Your covering over the tank must, of course, 
prove a bad conductor; it probably detracts as much as 
five degrees average from the air heat. Cucumbers would 
grow well a whole summer in pots, about fourteen inches 
diameter, by top-dressings, liquid-manure, &c. I should 
much prefer a special pipe to removing the flue: it would 
scarcely be more expensive. In all these things, it is 
best to consult some one in the heating line: failures, 
attended with much expense, are exceedingly unpleasant. 
--R. E.] r 
POULTRY. 
DURATION OF A MALE BIRD'S INFLUENCE. 
“I should feel greatly obliged by the opinion of some one 
practically experienced in such matters, when the influence 
of the male bird ceases in eggs produced by hens after ! 
separation from him. I have at present some Gold-pen¬ 
cilled Hamburghs along with a Game cock, and it being my 
intention to breed from these Hamburghs in spring, and 
previous to doing so, remove them to a cock of the same 
species, I wish to know how soon it would be desirable to 
remove them, so as to ensure a pure unadullerated breed ! 
when the season arrives for gathering eggs for that pur¬ 
pose.—A Subscriber.” 
[A period of six weeks, or, at the most, two months, 
would be amply sufficient for your purpose. We should, 
indeed, greatly question the probability of any egg being j 
hatched that might be laid at the expiration of a month 
from the period of the hen having been separated from the 
male bird.—W.] 
HEN WITHOUT APPETITE.—CROSSING 
DORKINGS. 
“T have a Shanghae hen which has suffered much from 
moulting, and though the process of moulting seems to 
have passed, she remains moping about by herself, having 
little or no appetite; and within the last day or two, I have 
discovered she brings off her food (barley) whole and 
undigested. Could you kindly give me a hint what kind of 
treatment she requires ? 
“ Would you also say what the probable result would be 
of mixing White and Grey Dorkings ?— Alpha.” 
[The hen is evidently suffering from disease of the 
glandular digestive stomach, the proventriculus of com¬ 
parative anatomists. The complaint usually occurs in over¬ 
fed birds kept in confined situations, and is rather difficult 
to remedy. One grain of calomel, twice a week, and a diet 
consisting entirely of soft cooked food, with fresh vegetables, 
and a free range, offer the best hopes of success. 
The result of crossing Grey and White Dorkings would 
be to spoil both,—the size of the former and the colour of 
the latter being sacrificed without any corresponding 
advantage.—W. B. T.] 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Rouen Ducks (Quack). —Apply to C. Punchard Esq., Manor House, 
Haverill, Suffolk. 
Hartley’s Rouen Plate Glass (J. S. Turner).—We never use 
shading with it; but it would not exclude frost. 
Hardy Ferns (Fanny Fern). —Mr. Appleby’s papers on these will i 
embrace Trichomancs and Woodsia. 
Chinese Fruit (T. E. E.). —The skin and stone you sent are those 
of the Litchi, pronounced Leechee, which is the fruit of a tree known 
botanically as Nephelium litchi. 
Fowls Trespassing (S. T. Morris). —Tou must not shoot them. | 
Sue the owner in the County Court for the trespass and damage. 
Mites in Cheese ( C.F. ). —Can any of our readers say how these I 
may be prevented or destroyed ? 
Loudon on Plants (M. J . H.). —Loudon’s “ Encyclopedia of 
Plants " is the work you mean. 
Three-acre Plot (W. J). Corstophin). —We know of no book that 
will tell you how to construct tanks, and erect buildings on such a plot. 
Indeed, if you go to much expense on such a plot, you will not get that 
expense back out of the soil during a life-time. 
London : Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, of Church Hill, Walthamstow, in the County of 
Essex, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ¬ 
church, City of London.—November 14, 1854. 
SI iUm-ttSf mrntg. 
In December will be Published, 
THE 
POULTRY - KEEPER’S POCKET ALMANACK 
AND 
DIARY OF PROCEEDINGS IN THE POULTRY-YARD. 
Besides the usual contents of an Almanack, it will contain 
a ruled Diary for recording all that goes on in the Poultry- 
yard, and much useful information concerning Fowls, by 
well-known contributors to The Cottage Gardener. 
