THE COTTAGE GARDENER And COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 19, 1858. 251 
and volume in such cases, as we hardly think we could have 
recommended a tank for hot water, with a mere lining of 
Portland cement. We have had very little experience with 
Portland cement for such a purpose. We have seen a great 
deal of Roman cement so used, both for cold-water, and hot- 
water tanks ; and with no complaints of leakage, when well 
done. Portland cement may be worked more carelessly than 
the Roman cement. The first, is light stone colour ; the 
second, is dark brown in its appearance. Much of the sound¬ 
ness of the work depends on the bricklayer. The bricks 
should be thoroughly soaked; and the course forming the 
inside of the tank, must be laid in the cement; and no more 
cement should be wetted than can be used at once. If very 
good, it may have nearly a half of clean washed dry sand 
mixed with it, before mixing up with water; but, if not strong, 
it must have but little added. It sets quickly, and is of no 
use, if you have to touch it afterwards. Suppose the bottom 
and the sides of the tank to be so formed, the bricks must be 
damped again as you proceed, and a layer of the cement, nearly 
half an inch thick, placed all over, and made smooth as you 
proceed. In a day or two, water may be admitted ; and if 
the foundation is all right, there will hardly be a crack or 
leakage. It will stand water very hot; but it will not stand 
fire-heat: and therefore, pipes, a couple of yards m length at 
least, should go from the boiler to the tank, so that the direct 
fire-heat from the furnace should not act on the cement. As 
! a proof that it will stand a high temperature from mere water 
I and steam, a friend of ours had a brewing copper, which he 
did not find large enough; and, therefore, had round the top of 
the copper, some seven or eight courses of bricks in height, 
placed in cement, and they held boiling water just the same as 
the copper. I fear your bricks have not been bedded, but 
merely lined with cement; and we should like information, 
whether the Portland is equally good with the Roman. It 
woidd be worth while inquiring whether a fresh lining would 
not make all right. If you had to pull the walls down, and 
I do all afresh, perhaps a zinc lining, if the tank were not large, 
would be as cheap. Lead, of course, would be more lasting, 
i Neither must come too near the furnace. We have had small 
zinc tanks in use for some half-dozen years, and they are show¬ 
ing no signs of decay as yet, except rusting a little inside. We 
would, however, as mentioned above, see, in the first place, if 
the brick tank could not be made all right; and, perhaps some 
little thing referred to, lias been overlooked. Galvanized iron 
would be cheaper than either zinc or lead, and more durable.] 
APRICOT FAILURES—CUPRESSUS MACROCARPA 
AND EUNEBRIS. 
“ Against one end of my house, having a south-west-by¬ 
south aspect, are two Apricot trees—a Breda and an Orange. 
Ever since I have been here (four years), nine-tenths of the 
I fruit has fallen off, or decayed on the trees, just as they ripen. 
they begin to fall when about three-parts grown. Can you 
' suggest a remedy? The trees are about twenty-three years 
old ; but they make plenty of wood, and entirely cover the 
space allotted to them—thirty feet by nineteen feet. There are 
two cliimnies in the wall, with fires constantly in them ; and 
the roof projects full eighteen inches. The pruning, owing to 
ill-health, has been neglected during the last two seasons ; so 
that they are now full of breast-wood. 
“ In the autumn of 1855,1 planted a Cedrus macrocarpa , 
then three feet high ; it is now just seven feet high. Is this 
usual? A C. funebris, planted at the same time, and same 
height, is only forty-seven inches high; but it has suffered 
from frost.”— Abel Nott. 
[The Apricot trees are too dry at the roots in summer, or 
else too wet all the year round. All the feeding roots are 
beyond six or eight feet from the stems; and any renewal or 
improvement of the soil would need to be done beyond that 
point. The main branches may have increased in diameter 
so as to touch the wall, or be too near it just behind the 
cliimnies, and that of itself might cause the fruit to fall off; 
although it is more probable the fault is at the roots. In the 
absence of all the points from which we could form a judg¬ 
ment— even not knowing what part of the world these 
Apricots are in—we would merely say, if they are in a good 
climate, and four times more fruit sets than the energy of 
the roots can maintain, what may be the matter with the 
roots we have no means of judging. 
There is no such Cedar as macrocarpa; therefore, we can¬ 
not say whether the growth is usual or not. But if your 
plant is Cupressus macrocarpa , and has made only four 
feet in three growths, it is nothing extraordinary; we have 
known it do nearly as much in one year at that age. The 
Cupressus funebris requires some shelter in winter, in the 
climate of London, according to the experience of Mr. Cut- 
bush, of Highgate Nurseries ; the most favourable to hardi¬ 
ness of growth in the neighbourhood of London. It grows 
fast and majestic in the inside borders in the Crystal Palace. 
You say your plant had “ suffered from frostbut from not 
knowing how near to the north or south pole this happened, 
the information is of no practical value.] 
PROPAGATING ROSES ON THEIR OWN ROOTS; 
“ You will oblige me, by telling me the best way to propagate 
Roses on their own roots. I ordered three dozen, and am 
surprised to be forced to have them standards, as I could not 
get one tenth of them on their own roots.”—A Seven Years’ 
Subscriber. 
[The “ best way ” to propagate Roses on them own roots, is 
most certainly to make layers of the last year’s shoots, in 
March or April, or earlier, iftlie soil and season are favourable. 
The mode is, to tongue the layers—the tongue to be on the 
upper side of the shoot; and by giving the shoot a gentle turn, 
just at the tongue, the tongue will hang on one side. Then, if 
there be a little sand and leaf mould put round the tongue, it 
will surely root and make a nice plant by the next winter. But, 
how could you have been reading The Cottage Gardener, 
for seven years, without learning every move in Rose culture, 
and propagation ? Just look at the index of any of these 
volumes, for “ Roses,” and you will find that you may learn 
how to grow “ Roses on their own roots,” ten times. How 
can you be “ forced” to take standard Roses for dwarf ones, 
unless they took you for a man, who reads without learning 
any thing worth remembering?] 
POTTING GLADIOLUSES. 
“ W. M. Wardrop wishes to know, what tune in February 
is best for potting Gladioluses ? ” 
[The beginning of February is the best time ; but the time 
to begin watering a bulb is of far more consequence, than the 
week or month in which to pot it. Hyacinths may be potted 
from the first week in August, to the last in October, with 
equal advantage, according to the after-management; and so 
with Tulips, Crocuses, Narcissuses, and Gladioluses of the 
Cardinalis and Blandus strains; and those newer crosses from 
the break of Gladiolus natalensis , may be potted any day 
from November to April, with equal success, if the after- 
management be right, and judicious. But, as the most of them 
begin to make roots, naturally about February, whether in or 
out of pots, we say, “ February is the best time to pot them 
but the week or day in February does not matter the value of 
a straw. Let the roots appear through the ball, and the leaves 
be in sight, before any bulb receives more water than the 
natural moisture of the soil, from September to May. Hya¬ 
cinths, Narcissuses, and Gladioluses, should have very little 
water till their leaves are two inches long, particularly the 
Narcissuses, and Gladioluses ; if that rule be strictly adhered 
to, the time for potting may vary months for convenience’ 
sake.] 
GRASSES FOR SAND ON THE SEA-SHORE. 
tc What grasses will be most likely to grow on a sand-bank, 
formed by the action of the tides, of very fine pure sea-sand of 
great depth; at present above the reach of the tide ? The 
common bent grass grows very freely on it; but I wish to cul¬ 
tivate a more profitable description of grass there, if possible.” 
.—J. E. Y. Y., Dtiblin. 
[There is no chance of your ever being able to have pasture 
