78 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 1. 
eggs under a hen with the idea of removing the bad ones, as 
above described, a proceeding that would he quite certain to 
be followed by this result—there would be many bad ones to 
remove.—W. B. Tegetmeier, Wood Green , Tottenham. 
TREATMENT OF STRAGGLING AZALEAS. 
In a recent number of The Cottage Gardener appeared 
an enquiry as to the best mode of correcting a straggling 
habit of growth in the Azalea indica, to which a response was 
given, to shorten the branches by cutting them in. I have 
been expecting to notice a protest against this barbarous 
practice from the pen of some well-qualified grower of this 
beautiful plant, as it is well known that many varieties rarely 
recover from such amputations. Let the branches of the 
shrub be bent down and inwards by tying them to the 
stem, as is often practised in fruit-trees. Fresh shoots will 
then burst along the bend, which will llower well, especially 
if the compost used for growth be duly mixed with leaf- 
mould and sharp silver-sand.—0. B. 
GAS HEATING. 
There has been a good deal said of late about heating of 
greenhouses by gas, and I believe hut few, if any, have 
succeeded satisfactorily. I have tried different methods 
during the last three years, hut have not succeeded until 
now. 1 get none of the fumes of the gas in the house; I 
can have any degree of heat; and it costs me, on an average, 
2^d. for twenty-four hours. I shall be very happy to shew 
it to Mr. Beaton, or any of the writers for The Cottage 
Gardener. If they will send me a note to say when they 
will call, I will have the heat on ready for them to see; as 
I might not have itin heat in the day, as I am only desirous 
of keeping frost out; and I have two contrivances for 
propagating (ideas of my own). Visitors may be pleased at 
seeing them at the same time. I am a cockney gardener, 
and an amateur, in the midst of London. — J. Cragg, 
8, Northampton-square, Clerkenwell, London. 
STOPPING BLEEDING IN VINES. 
It may be of use to some of the numerous readers of 
The Cottage Gardener to know what will stop the bleed¬ 
ing of Vines. 
Having myself shortened four Vines as late as February 
last, as soon as they began to break the extravasated sap 
began to flow freely from the wounds. I tried a mixture of 
white lead and clay; this did not do at all. I then looked into 
The Cottage Gardener for information. You recommend 
the enquirer to try twisting wire round the Vine so tight as 
to compress freely the bark. Not having any suitable wire 
at hand, I tried strong, small twine. This did not do. 
Thinking that Roman cement might do, 1 tried it, which 
bad the desired effect. 
It is necessary to apply the cement in a dry state, adding 
the powder from time to time, as the exuded sap moistens 
that previously applied, until the cement becomes hard, 
which it will be in the course of a day.—W. Halliby, 
Wakefield. 
MESSRS. WEEKS AND CO’S. MODE OF 
HEATING. 
The statements made by Messrs. Weeks, in The Cottage 
Gardener, seem to me, as it appears they did to W. X W., 
quite astonishing ; hut without attempting to contradict 
them, I must say, it is a very great amount of w r ater 
contained in 5000 feet of four-inch pipes to be heated. In 
the first place say, in round numbers, 2500 gallons, which, 
I believe, is not over the mark, and the extreme end of the 
pipe must necessarily be 5000 feet from the end of the boiler. 
In other words, the water in the pipes would have to circulate 
that distance before returning into the boiler again. How¬ 
ever, admitting these facts, it appears Messrs. Weeks’s 
boilers must be constructed onthevery best principle possible; 
still, there is something I cannot exactly reconcile in their 
statements. 
They say their boiler, although very little larger (which 
is rather an ambiguous term), than the boilers in use for 
heating the large Palm House, at Kew, exposes a surface of 
310 feet superficial to the immediate action of the fire, when 
the boilers at Kew exposes a superficial surface of thirty 
feet only; but they do not say how that is accounted for. 
There must be a great error somewhere; either in the 
construction of the boilers at Kew, or in the setting them; 
and it would appear to be the latter; or how is it possible 
there could be such an amazing difference in the amount ot 
surface exposed to the action of the fire in two boilers 
“ nearly " of the same size? 
I am inclined to think Messrs. Weeks’s must be a tubular 
boiler, though they do not say so. In that case, to expose 
340 superficial feet of surface to the immediate acton of 
the fire, would require about 425 feet of tubes 21 inches in 
diameter, or eight inches in circumference, or nearly so. 
How they are ,to he fixed, so as for all the surface to be 
exposed to the “ immediate ” action of the fire, I do not know. 
The cost of fuel and labour, per day, for Messrs. Weeks’s 
boiler is merely nominal, compared to what it does; but that 
must depend in a great measure on the price of coke, or 
whatever fuel is used in different localities. The quantity 
used per day is given—three sacks of coke, which I suppose 
could not be delivered wider Is. per sack; and as fuel and 
labour cost them 3s. 8d. per day, it would leave 8d. per day 
for a man’s time, which certainly .is not extravagant, even 
supposing it took him only one- third of his time to attend 
to the fires. The only inference to be drawn is, that fuel 
and labour are both very cheap in Chelsea. 
But to sum up the whole:—as Messrs. Weeks endeavour to 
make it appear that their boilers are constructed so much 
superior to any other, how is it that Sir Joseph Paxton, and 
the other directors of the Crystal Palace Company, do not 
unhesitatingly adopt the plan where there were upwards of 
forty miles of pipes to be heated? It could be tested there 
to its fullest extent. I should say, if Messrs. Weeks were 
to fix one of their boilers in the Palace gratis, to show' what 
it could do, it w'ould answer their purpose. 
I am only surprised at Sir Joseph overlooking so efficient 
and economical a mode of heating, when the Crystal Palace 
is yet unfinished, as I happen to know where a boiler w'as 
cast, and sent there only a few days since.—J. P. 
A LIST OF PLANTS IN FLOWER DURING THE 
MONTH OF MARCH, 1855, 
IN THE ROYAL GARDENS AT KEW. 
GREENHOUSES. 
Acacia dealhata; bright deep yellow. 
„ rotundifolia; fine bright yellow ; free bloomer. 
„ urcinata; yellow, broom-like foliage. 
,, suaveolens; yellow. 
„ nrophylla; straw-colour. 
,, celastrifolia; yellow, fine foliage. 
„ floribunda; yellow. 
„ ovata; yellow. 
„ smilacifolia; straw-colour. 
„ undulcefolia; yellow. 
„ bifiora; white. 
„ Drummondi; beautiful light yellow. 
„ spes ; like Drummondi. 
„ asparegoides ; one mass of light yellow ; a straw- 
colour feathery bloom. 
Azalea amcena; pretty pink; semi double. 
Annpteris glandulosa; spike3 of white flowers, with fine 
laurel-like foliage. 
Camellia Colvilli ; Carnation striped. 
„ delicatmima; white, slightly spotted with red. 
„ Due de Brabant; white ground with pink stripes ; 
good-shaped flower. 
„ jubilee delicate; pink with rose stripes ; very fine¬ 
shaped flowers. 
