1-1G 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 11, I860. 
mopped the stones right well with the contents of the pail, and 
next morning she washed down the place clean as a dairy floor, 
and so it went on till the next grouse shooting. Since then I 
often had occasion to adopt Mrs. Help’s way of “putting things 
to rights,” and never found it to fail.—D. Beaton. 
NEW FRUIT. 
SCINDAPSUS PERTUSU8. 
This tropical plant is the Potlios pertusa of Roxburgh, and 
the Philodendron pertusum of some other botanists. It is 
c&ulescent-radicant—that is, it emits attaching fibres from its 
stem, as does Ivy. Its leaves are on long toot-stalks, heart- 
shaped, partly perforated and partly pinnatifid. Its flowers 
nearly resemble those of the Arum ; the spadix is on short 
peduncles ; and the spathe greenish-yellow, is gibbous and longer 
than the spadix. It was first made known by Dr. Roxburgh 
in 1824. 
It is thus spoken of by the American Gardener's Monthly .-— 
“ At the late exhibition of the Pomological Society, few things 
attracted more attention than this very remarkable plant, ex¬ 
hibited in fruit by Mr. James Pollock, gardener to James 
Dundas, Esq., of Philadelphia. 
“ Our cut gives no further idea of it than the mere shape and 
form of the leaf and fruit. The actual size of the leaf was 
30 inches long and 26 inches wide, jagged and pertused as the 
cut represents, and with a thick metallic texture of the most 
vivid green imaginable. The fruit is borne in clusters of from 
six to eight. The one we figure is 12 inches long by 3 inches 
thick, and of a green colour, turning when quite ripe to a dirty 
white. The small figure at the base represents the actual size of 
the little carpels that form the fruit, and which are fleshy as in 
the Mulberry. 
“ There is nothing inviting in the appearance of the fruit. One 
would as soon think of taking up a green Pine cone to eat as 
one of them ; but under that rugged and coarse exterior lies the 
most delicious juice we ever tasted—and if the ancient gods and 
goddesses had only been ascertained to have lived in the West 
Indies, we should not hesitate to decide positively that the 
nectar they indulged in was obtained from this fruit. 
“We have often heard West Indian travellers speak of the 
delicious drink prepared from this fruit, but we know of no 
work wherein any allusion is made to it; and Mr. Pollock will 
please accept our best thrnks for this, the first opportunity we 
have had of personallv tasting it. 
* O 
“ It is a plant of easy cultivation where a moist temperature 
of 60° or 70° can be steadily maintained for it; and, whether in 
foliage only or in fruit, constitutes a very striking ornament.” 
IRON PIPES versus EARTHENWARE PIPES 
FOR HEATING GARDEN STRUCTURES. 
I consider the remarks which have recently appeared in The 
Cottage Gardener, respecting the economy of using earthen¬ 
ware drain pipes instead of cast-iron hot-water pipes, are likely to 
impress the unwary with an idea of thereby saving considerable 
expense ; but I think if all points are fairly examined there is little 
in favour of these so-called cheap pipes. The difference in the 
heat-conducting powers of cast-iron and earthenware, I believe, 
is about as three to one: consequently one four-inch cast-iron 
pipe is equal to three four-inch or one twelve-inch earthenware 
pipe. And to get at the comparative cost of each, take, for 
example, 100 feet of four-inch cast-iron pipe, which at 14 d. per 
foot amounts to £5 16s. 8 d .; but a greenhouse which this 
would warm would require 300 feet of four-inch earthenware pipe, 
which at 4 d. per foot comes to £5. These being in short lengths 
(two feet), would have no less than 150 joints ; while in the 
former there would be only twelve joints, and, of course, require 
a boiler three times the power. No wonder Mr. Diamont com¬ 
plains of the cost of boilers! Thus viewing this so-called cheap 
system in its proper light, it is seen to be in reality more expen¬ 
sive, more cumbersome, and more liable to injury, breakages, Ac., 
without taking into account less intrinsic value of material 
compared with that of iron. The non-conducting power of 
earthenware pipes may render them good in that respect for 
conveying hot water underground to houses at a distance—say 
of 200 or 300 feet from the boiler. 
If Mr. Diamont, or some one else who has tried these pipes, 
will give us the £ s. d., quantity and size of pipe, heat which can 
be obtained in a certain sized house, and size and cost of the 
boiler, I doubt not we shall find different results from those 
some may have been led to infer, and prevent many from spoiling 
their ship for a hap’r’th o’ tar.— Vincent Skinner, Horticul¬ 
tural Manufactory , Brideivell Street, Bristol. 
NEW OR RARE PLANTS. 
Eeodium pelaegoniiflorttm (Pelargonium-flowered 
Stork's-bill). 
Recently discovered by Heldreicli growing on shady rocks 
3000 feet above the sea, in Anatolia, between Ivaraman and 
Ermenck. White with purplish marks. It is so far hardy 
that it may remain in the borders in winter if the roots be pro¬ 
tected.— (Botanical Magazine, t. 5206.) 
Cissus VELUTINUS {Velvety-leaved Cissus). 
It is probably a Malay plant. Chiefly ornamental by its 
foliage, the upper surface of which is marked with white lines, 
and beneath is crimson, as are the leaf and flower-stalks.— Ibid., 
t. 5207.) 
Ancectochilus SETACEUS, var. INORNATUS (Plain-leaved 
fringed Ancectochilus ). 
This came to Kew from the Botanic Garden at Java ; “ the 
leaves, though of a rich coppery hue and velvety character, are 
wholly destitute of reticulations.”— (Ibid., t. 5208.) 
Salvia scabios.efolia (Scabious-leaved Sage). 
It has been described also under the various specific names— 
pinifolia, Tauricse, scabrosa, Habliziana, and vulnerarisefolia. 
Native of Tauria. Introduced to Eew in 1798. Elowers creamy 
white.— (Ibid., t. 5209.) 
Aloe albo-cincta (White-margined-leaved Aloe). 
Introduced from Algoa Bay by Wilson Saunders, Esq., through 
his collector, Mr. Cooper. Flowers scarlet tipped with yellow. 
“By far the handsomest of the genus.”— (Ibid., t. 5210.) 
Sonchus badicatus (Long-rooted Sow-thistle). 
We must not judge of this and its many kindred species from 
our English weed. It is a native of the Canary Islands. Flowers 
large and yellow ; leaves deeply lyrate and very hoary.— (Ibid., 
t. 5211.) 
