TIIE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 30. | 
2 Li 
Gay Lad (Kirtland). 
Hector, dark; extra. 
Harry (Turner), dark purple, rich broad lacing; a 
very bold flower. 
Heroine (Looker), dark purple ; extra. 
Julia (Young), light purple ; good. 
Jenny Lind (Read), good. 
Kossuth (Read), fine. 
Lola Montes (Costar), extra fine ; purple; good form. 
Medora (Looker), rather thin, sometimes best in other 
properties; excellent. 
Mrs. Hooper (Hooper), fine. 
Mrs. Herbert (Keynes), dark, and very fine. 
Narborouyh Buck (Maclean), fine; dark. 
Optima (Turner), extra fine. 
Optimus (Fellows). 
Prince of Wales (Bragg), extra fine; light purple 
lacing. 
Queen of England (Hale), good. 
Ruby (Bragg), dark ruby ; fine petal. 
Sarah (Turner), rich dark lacing; clear white; full, 
without being confused. 
Whipper-in (Smith), rosy-purple. 
RED AND ROSE LACED. 
Brilliant (Ellis), very bright; fine form. 
British Queen (Hillyer), rose; fine. 
Constance (Turner), red; medium size; smooth edge. 
Diana (Smith), extra. 
Empress (Turner), dark red ; fine. 
Gem (Hodges), rose; extra. 
Lord Charles Wellesley, rose; smooth petal; extra 
fine. 
Koh-i-Noor (Bragg), rose ; smooth petal ; early 
bloomer; fine. 
Mrs. Maclean (Maclean), lilac-rose. 
Mrs. Edwards (Keynes), rose; extra. 
Mrs. Bragg (Bragg), line rose; smooth edge. 
Othello (Looker), red ; extra. 
Sappho (Colcutt), dark rose; extra fine. 
Sir R. Peel (Hall), fine; rose. 
Winchester Rived (White), rose ; very good. 
T. Appleby. 
MELONS, AND THEIR CULTURE. 
(Continued from page 225.) 
Whatever merit there may be (and there certainly is 
a great deal) in producing Grapes fit for the table, 
nearly, if not quite, all the year round, we can scarcely 
ever expect to do the same with Melons; for, with the 
exception of those kinds which keep some time after 
being cut, we have little hopes of ever seeing them in 
good condition at Christmas, for, unlike the Cucumber, 
and some other things, a large amount of sunshine is 
' wanted to give them that flavour which a connoisseur 
insists on as requisite; while a similar difficulty exists 
in spring; for the plant being an annual, and impatient 
of dull or damp weather, the difficulties of carrying 
them through the “ dark days ” is much more than is 
the case with Cucumbers. Nevertheless, the skilful 
cultivator endeavours to do it; and though he prudently 
leaves the rearing of his plants until these dark days 
have set in, and then germinates the seeds by the force 
of artificial warmth, still, the mishaps they are liable to, 
and the little progress they make for some time, render 
them exceedingly precarious; nevertheless, if they sur¬ 
vive, they come in a few days earlier than those sown 
at the beginning of the new year, and that is of con¬ 
sequence. Omitting, however, the details necessary to 
accomplish this till a more favourable opportunity, we 
shall go on with the routine of an ordinary hotbed, as 
being one of the most common, if not one of the best, 
methods yet in existence. 
Although cultivators differ much in the manner in 
which they construct their hotbeds, yet in some points 
they agree. For instance, few would think of building 
a hotbed in January the same way as they would in 
June, though each might have a different system for 
each of these periods. The reason is obvious : a hotbed 
in January is expected to furnish a certain portion of 
heat for a very long period, and during trying circum¬ 
stances ; whereas, in June the atmosphere itself, as 
well as many other things, conspire to render a less 
amount of artificial warmth necessary—at least, it is so | 
for a shorter period. Now, then, as this is the case, ! 
the materials used are so with a view to give it the : 
heat required for the time, and no longer ; whereas, the \ 
early spring or winter bed must be constructed so as to ] 
be capable of being prolonged to an indefinite period; | 
and the best way to do this is not to make the bed itself 
the source of heat, but the receiver of it from another 
origin, at the same time contriving it so that it may 
receive the heat by the most direct channel and with 
the least possible loss. Various have been the devices 
to accomplish this end by bricks and mortar ; and, since 
the days of McPhail, almost every one having a pit to 
build had some suggestion of his own to work in the 
matter; and some time before liot-water pipes became 
so fashionable, a mode of supplying both bottom and 
top heat separately, from linings, was strongly urged on 
by the advocates—a system of heating structures called 
Mills's Pit. This, however, was attended with too 
much labour to be carried effectually into general use— 
hence their abandonment; and where the more me¬ 
chanical structure could not be put up, the more homely 
way was adopted, which may be explained in a very 
few words. 
We will suppose that a two or three-liglit frame is at 
liberty, and the site chosen open to the morning, mid¬ 
day, and evening sun, and some loose timbers, faggots, 
or brush wood, or it may be all three,—with which to 
build up a sort of square stack, some two or three inches 
larger each way than the .frame to be placed thereon; 
and if large timbers be used it will not sink much, 
and had therefore better be made as hollow as pos¬ 
sible. Faggots and brush wood, being smaller, will 
generally fall in a little, and some allowance must, 
therefore, be made for that. About three feet high will 
be usually sufficient, the top being made somewhat 
smooth by the use of smaller pieces. Observe, that in 
building this bed, the rougher the material used the 
better, and the opener they lie, the more cavities there 
will be for the heated air. Now it is easy to accomplish 
this, and coarse, rugged pieces will do it pretty well, 
taking care to have the sides and ends somewhat uni¬ 
form, and the top level, or with a slight inclination to 
the south, if the make of the box has not already secured 
that. This is easily accomplished, and the frame, being 
placed on some littery straw, or other open matter, may 
be placed over the timber, or faggot wood, and some 
rough leaves over that, and then the compost-for the 
plants. 
Observe, in this plan every source of heat is from the 
linings, which must be sedulously kept up, otherwise 
bad consequences follow, and, as we have said, about 
three feet will be sufficiently high for the centre or 
hollow bed; it will be necessary, at all times, to have 
the lining a little higher than that, by banking them up 
against the sides of the box, or frame, for anything 
suddenly sinking them at any one place below that 
level, as the treading on, or other causes, will make an 
outlet for the heated air to escape out at, and, con¬ 
sequently, defeat the purpose the bed is made for. 
In furnishing a heating material to a bed built on 
this plan, very coarse articles will do, and that without 
any preparation ; for as the heat only reaches the part 
intended to act upon by a circuitous route, its virulence, 
