November 28. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
171 
propose; but in the second, in the meantime, for the ac¬ 
commodation of the Mushrooms, we would support the pipes 
oh pillars, instead of on the bed; we would have no solid 
bed, and thus we would gain the two feet six inches in 
height which it occupies. On the floor of the pit, instead of 
on this raised bed, altogether below the bottom-heat pipe, or 
pipes, instead of above it, wo would build our Mushroom 
bed; and we should be enabled to use more material, and : 
to give it a covering with hay, &c., and the protection of a ! 
waterproof wrapper, without covering so high up as the pipe; [ 
and thus all the space above would be saved for the green 
house platform. We know, that with little trouble we could 
get immense Mushrooms by this mode; and then, when 1 
the place was to be used for forcing, if desired, it could be 
filled up with rubble, &e., like the other. 
7. We attach but little importance to the form of a boiler; 
but whether for fire or for gas, we would almost prefer 
a concave round boiler to a square one. The setting is the 
i great thing, and good bricklayers understand that well. We 
presume, that by a square boiler you mean one that sits, ns it 
were, upon the bars, the top and sides being about square to 
each other. We know that such answer well; but, like other 
things which you must get made, they are expensive, as they 
1 are more difficult to cast; and if of wrought-iron, wholly 
| or partially, that, too, will increase the cost. A Burbidge 
I and ITealy’s boiler you would get, as advertised in these 
! columns, lor about £4,, that would heat such a place well; 
j and for a pound less, if you did not have the double pipes 
we recommend. If you had any idea of heating more, you 
would require a sixteen or eighteen-inch boiler, and that 
would cost a pound or thirty shillings more. If yon 
calculate a little under a shilling per foot for the piping, 
you will have something like the prime-cost, and to it 
will be the addition of sockets and slop-cocks; and, as 
| we all like to be paid for our labour, the expense of car- 
| ringe, fittings, and fixing. If you can do the latter yourself, 
! or by your men, the expense may not seem so much at 
first; but if everything is calculated, there will be no great 
saving eventually. We make it a point not to recommend 
| tradesmen; but we think you will be able to come to a near 
; conclusion what the job should cost. If you can place your 
I furnace in the centre, instead of the end, as in your I’ine- 
pit, the whole will be much simplified, and by means of 
stop-cocks, you can heat any division as you like. 
8. What is called the Yellow Rocket is not so uncommon; 
but, then, many consider it to be no Rocket at all. 
The Conifers you mention are all propagated by cuttings, 
grafting, and inarching ; but all these modes are inferior to 
1 obtaining them from seeds, especially the two latter; but 
: the subject will likely receive more attention.—R. F.] 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Work on Fruit-Trees ( J. Wymaak ).—You will find full directions 
for the culture of all kinds oi fruit-trees, as well as of every other kind of 
garden produce, in The Cottage Gardeners’ Dictionary. 
Tail op Shanghae Cock (A Subscriber ).—The “ green feathers ” 
you speak of, we presume are black feathers, with'that green metallic 
lustre upon them which are reckoned a point of beauty in the tail of a 
Buff Shanghae cock. 
Hogg’s Edging Tiles (J. Morris ).—You directed to Mr. Hogg quite 
correctly, and he is living there still. We know he had great difficulty 
in getting the tiles manufactured. 
Names of Plants (S. Y.). —Your Ferns are as follows:—No. 1. 
Polystichum angulare (Aspidium of some), a pretty, hardy, evergreen, 
indigenous Fern. Nos. 7 and 9. Lastrcea dilatatum. Nos. 2, 8, and 11, 
appear to be various forms of the same. Nos. 6, 10, and 12. Lastrcea 
spinulosum. No. 4. Lastrcea fcenisecii of Watson ; L. recurna of New¬ 
man. No. 3 appears to be from a small seedling plant in the way of 
Lastrcea cristatum. No. 18. Unknown to us. No. 19 , 20, 21, and 22, 
are certainly all the same, namely Nephrodium molle. No. 13. Doodia 
cuudata, a pretty little greenhouse species. No. 17. Gymnngramma 
sulphurea, a very elegant species. Nos. 15 and 16 . The same Blechnum 
Australe. No. 23, Adiantumpubescens. No. 5. Unknown to us. 
CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER. 
ORCHID HOUSE. 
Aeride8, Saccolabiums, and similar plants, keep moderately dry. 
Air: excepting on very fine, bright, sunny mornings, when the heat 
of the sun and the fire combined raise the temperature too high, no air 
will be required this month. Blocks, plants in, syringe when the sun 
is likely to shine. Baskets with plants in, that are growing, dip in 
tepid water two or three times; those not growing dip only once. 
Baskets (new), mako to be ready when wanted. Cockroaches, 
search for diligently, and destroy ; lay poison for them ; the best is 
candle ends crushed and mixed with arsenic—this is a sure destructive 
airent. Heat, moderate, to induce rest; day, with sun, 70°; without, 
6'»°; night, .V>° to 6o J . Insects, destroy diligently; one p dr destroyed 
this month will prevent a numerous brood next year. Moisture in 
the Ant, supply to plants growing. Pot growing plants: several 
will start this month ; do this before new roots are formed. Peat, 
procure ; choose the most fibrous ; the best is found in dry woods, where 
the Common Brake (Ptcris aquilina) abounds; the roots of this Fern 
form the best fibrous peat. Stanuopeas, in baskets, beginning to 
grow, pul. into fresh baskets with fresh peat; four inches deep is quite 
sufficient. Water at the roots: apply only to growing plants, and that 
round the edges of the pots. Young Shoots, look to, and keep the 
centre dry, or they will rot. T. Appleby. 
PLANT STOVE. 
Air, give on all favourable occasions. Achimenes, pot a batch to 
flower early. Amaryllis, pot a portion, and plunge in a moderate 
tan-pit to flower early. Begonias, to Idoom early, repot. Clero- 
dendrums beginning to grow, repot towards the end of the month; 
place in heat, and water moderately. Eranthemums, winter-flowering, 
water freely, and occasionally with liquid-manure. Ferns, repot small 
plants ; reduce the water to old ones; cut down decaying fronds. 
Fkanciscka, pot a few, and place in heat, to flower early. Gardenias, 
pot a batch, wash every leaf, and place in dung heat, to start them to 
grow, and kill insects on them, especially the red spider, the great enemy 
of Gardenias. Gesneras showing signs of growth, shake out of old 
soil, and pot in fresh compost; give little water and moderate heat till 
next month. Gloxinias, treat a few similarly. Hoya Bella, anew 
ana beautiful species, put in baskets, and train downwards. Ixoras, 
keep cool and moderately dry through the month. Luculia Gra- 
tissima, in flower, remove into a greenhouse, to prolong the bloom. 
Lv copods, divide and repot. Passiflora, and other climbers, prune, 
and tie neatly in. Plants to Force, such as Azaleas, Persian Lilacs, 
Rhododendrons, Roses , §c., place in a forcing-house, to bring them 
on to flower early. Uogieuas, a genus of winter-blooming plants, 
should be now showing flowers. Sericograpiiis Gii bjsbregiitiana, 
another addition to our wintcr-flowerers, repot, and water freely after the 
blooms are visible. Tan-beds, renew, to keep up a good heat through 
the winter. In every department of the stove let cleanliness prevail ; 
clear the surface of the pots of mot-s and lichen ; stir up the soil care¬ 
fully, viithout injuring the roots ; search diligently for insects; keep the 
walla and floors as dry and clean as possible ; remove decaying leaves as 
soon as they occur; wash pots with plants in that have become green ; 
and let neatness be the general Older of the day throughout the month. 
T. Appleby. 
GREENHOUSE. 
Air, admit freely when the external temperature is above 3.'>°, espe¬ 
cially among hard-wooded plants not desired to have early in bloom. 
Those giowing freely, or in bloom, should have an average temperature 
at night of 45°. A warm greenhouse should be seldom lower. Azaleas 
for late blooming, keep cool ; those swelling their buds not below 45°. 
Bulbs, well-rooted in pots, place in gentle heat for early blooming; put 
funnels of paper over the Hyacinths, to cause the stems of the early ones 
to rise freely; keep mice from the successions; few things are better 
for this than chopped furze. Calceolarias, Cinerarias, Camel¬ 
lias, &c., attend to with heat and moisture, according to the time you 
desire them to be in bloom; the two first will require frequent fumi¬ 
gating. Chrysanthemums, water freely with manure water. Climbers, 
prune generally, to give light to the plants beneath them. Passion¬ 
flowers may be pruned back to within a bud of the main shoots. Tecoma 
jusminoides will bloom best on longish, strongish shoots; the smaller, 
therefore, should be cut out; after the strength is thus moderated, by 
these flowering profusely, it may be spurred back, like Passion-flowers. 
Train and clean winter-flowering climbers, such as Kennedy a Maryattce, 
and various Tropceolums, such as tuberosum and pentaphyllum ; the 
latter, started in summer, will bloom all the winter, but the best for this 
urpose, in a warm greenhouse, is Lobbianum. Earth in pots and 
orders keep fresh by stirring. Geraniums, encourage the forwardest, 
when early blooming is desirable, with plenty of air, and a medium tem¬ 
perature of 45°, giving them plenty of air, and tying them out. Scarlets, 
taken up from flo-wer-beds, and kept in boxes and sheds, keep dry. 
Keep old Calceolarias, so raised, moister. Heaths, keep cool, and give 
abundance of air in mild, clear weather. Heat, by fires, apply when 
necessary ; use a little covering in severe weather in preference to making 
the fires strong. Txias, Gladioli, and the hardier Lilies, pot ana 
set in a cold pit, to be protected from frost. Insects, keep under, by 
fumigating and scrubbing. Leaves, dirty, wash ; decayed, remove. 
Mignonette, take in a few pots now and then. Oxalis, give winter¬ 
blooming ones, such as lobata, plenty of light and water. Poinsettia 
pulcherrima will make a warm greenhouse now gay for several weeks. 
Primula (Chinese), introduce : water with liquid-manure when it shows 
the flower-bud; the double-white give a favourable and warm position ; 
as the flower stands well, when cut it is valuable for nosegays. Roses, 
and other Shrubs, introduce for forcing ; commence at first with a top 
temperature of from 45° to 50°; if the bottom-heat is from 5° to 10° 
higher, all the better. Salvia splendens, supply liberally with water, 
and give it a warm corner. Gesnera zebrina will still be a good accom¬ 
paniment where the average night temperature is 45°. Salvia gesnerce- 
flora will succeed splendens in the spring. Succulents, keep dry, and 
Cactus especially, except the truncatus, which will now be in bloom; 
give it a warm position, or the blooms will not open freely. The same 
may be said, as respects position, in the case of Oranges opening their 
bloom. Water seldom; be regulated by temperature, evaporation, and 
the wants of the plants ; when the flower-buds are swelling and opened, 
