THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, August 23, 1851). 
309 
along the middle of the house, secured by a screw to each sasli- 
bar, and one eolunni in the centre of the house to keep it up 
secure. Without that, we would not advise you to have less 
(ban three inches and a half by two inches and a half for rafters. 
Openings in the front wall will be quite sufficient; in very hot 
weather you could also open your doorway. The idea of similar 
openings at the base of the back wall is a good one, and* which 
has as yet been chiefly practised by Mr. Dunoan, of Basing Park. 
It would be as well to have wire netting over these openings to 
keop out all vermin, and yet allowing the air to circulate freely. 
Similar openings near the top of the back wall will only be suffi¬ 
cient if you are careful to keep the two-feet ventilators in the 
shed open in all warm weather. The shelf you show in the shed, 
below the glass ventilator, will do for preserving many things 
during winter< but you will decidedly fail if you expect to get 
Strawberries there much earlier than you would get them out of 
doors, as the dividing-wall will keep all the direct sun from them 
except what comes through tlie open ventilators. It would bo 
different if the dividing-wall were removed above that height, and 
the apex of the roof supported by strong studs. That would also 
have simplified the top air-giving, which would have been con¬ 
fined to the shed-roof. Such an arrangement woidd have made 
the house and the shed of a similar temperature. Without such 
an arrangement, the broad shelf for Strawberries should bo on 
the greenhouse side of the partition-wall, just opposite where it 
now is. We allude to this because direct sun and air when 
needed, are essential to success with forced Strawberries. Sup¬ 
posing that the lofty foiu'teen-inch wall is already there, the 
building of the partition-wall at the back of the greenhouse could 
only be justified on the score of economy,—from the necessity of 
having a shed there for necessary work, and also preserving the 
hardier tender plants in winter. Otherwise the whole space 
might have been enclosed with a hipped-roof at back as now. If 
the partition-wall is not built to the top, and it is intended to 
have the shed and greenhouse quite distinct, and yet make tlie 
most of the former, then we would only make that partit ion-wall 
from six to nine feet in height, and have studs every four feet 
supporting the riclge-board ; and the openings at the top would 
permit the sun to shine directly into the shed, or at least into its 
highest part. With the exception of the Strawberry-shelf how¬ 
ever, we have no direct fault to find with your present arrange¬ 
ments. 
You may grow six Vines in such a house, one two feet from 
each end, and the others four feet from each other, which will 
make the twenty-four feet. With little heat it is best to use the 
hardiest sorts, such as :—Blacks,— Hamlturgh, Esperione , West's 
I St. Peter's. Whites,— Dutch Sweetwater , at the warmest end ; 
Royal Muscadine , Golden Hamburgh.~] 
DOUBLE-BLOSSOMED DATURA. 
“Wo have now six plants of the DaturaJlore-pleno three feet 
high in pots, grown in a three-liglit pit, without heat, very 
healthy, but not showing bloom. Ought they to bo put out of 
doors, and the pots sunk in the ground?”—R. N. P. 
[We would advise turning your plants of Datura out of doors, 
mulching the pots over with rotten dung, and never letting them 
suffer for want of water. The full exposure will make them 
bloom if anything will. That bloom is generally freely produced 
on stout vigorous shoots of this season’s growth, proceeding from 
buds on well-ripened wood of last year. If your plants do not 
bloom, reduce the allowance of water in autumn, house before 
frost, and prune back pretty close in winter or spring, and next 
summer’s shoots will be sure to bloom.] 
BREAKING UP POOR LIGHT SOILS. 
“ I have lately broken up some heath land which, when 
bastard-trenched, presented the appearance of a sandy desert, 
and is of the very poorest description. I have been strongly 
recommended to manure it with salt. Can you tell me the 
quantity it is safe to put on, and the best time of application ? 
If you can also give me some advice as to the best mode of pro¬ 
ceeding in breaking up and cultivating such land ; and also as to 
the kinds of manures likely to be most beneficial, I shall be 
greatly obliged.”—A Constant Eeadek, Surrey. 
[The soil you describe is unfertile from an excess of siliceous 
sand, and, consequently, incapable of retaining the moisture 
absolutely necessary for the support of cultivated plants. The 
only remedy is by adding to the soil ingredionts more retentive 
of moisture. These are chalk and clay : and if you could cover 
the soil you describe with a mixture in the proportion of two of 
chalk and one of clay to the depth of six inches, you woidd not 
do more than is required to improve the soil’s staple. When the 
clay and chalk had been thoroughly incorporated with the soil, 
then any manure applied would be retained. Salt at the rate of 
twenty bushels per acre might be sown over the soil just before 
ploughing, or digging, preparatory for a crop. The scouring of 
ditches, the sediment of ponds, marl, crushed bones, and brick¬ 
layer’s limy rubbish are all highly beneficial applications to such 
soils. Never burn the weeds or any other vegetable rubbish on 
such a soil, but mix all such vegetable matters with salt and lime 
to form a compost.] 
BASINED TILES FOR FLUES—VINES AGAINST 
A TERRACE. 
“ Can you tell me the name and address of the manufacturer 
of the hollow tiles for top of greenhouse flues for holding water 
which is intended to pass oil' in steam, and so keep up a whole¬ 
some moist atmosphere ? 
“ I have a terrace sloping towards the south, and tolerably 
sheltered on all sides j this part of my garden having formerly 
been a clialk-pit. Can I grow Grapes over the terrace ? and 
what would be the cheapest and most convenient kind of trellis 
for the purpose—I mean, convenient for getting at the Vines for 
pruning, &c. ? ”—E. G., Reading. 
[We cannot lay our hands on the advertisement, but these 
tiles are generally made to order in most tile-yards. AVe have 
seen good evaporating-pans made by slips of tile, two inches 
deep and two inches wide, and of any length, fastened on the 
top tiles with a little cement. AVe would, if there were any 
difficulty, as soon have earthenware vessels placed on the top of 
the flue ; as, when the tiles for covering are also used for holding 
water, there is a tendency for the flue in time becoming too 
damp. To ensure plenty of evaporation, take a little thin cement 
or mortar, and place on the top tile, before placing on it the 
evaporating basin, and move the latter backwards and forwards 
a little, so as to exclude air from the flue covering, and the 
evaporating vessel. 
If your terrace wall is upright, or slopes at an angle less, rather 
than more, than 45°, we consider you may grow Grapes success¬ 
fully. Strained wire would be your cheapest and best trellis ; and 
the wire should be as near the back as convenient—say two 
inches and a half or three inches from it.] 
COCOA-NUT FIBRE—STRIKING CUTTINGS. 
“ AVill you tell me to whom I must apply about the cocoa-nut 
fibre so much recommended in your paper. I conclude I could, 
with small expense, have it brought to AVindsor by barge from 
Kingston. 
“ I adopt the following plan for taking cuttings, which never 
fails, and does particularly well for Lemon-Bcented A r erbena, 
GEnoihera macrocaipa, &c. I take two pots, one two sizes 
larger than the other. The larger one I fill with any coarse soil 
(I "find soil better than moss), placing tlie smaller pot in the 
centre, with its run about an inch or more above the larger one. 
I fill the smaller with the usual compost, after putting hi t horough 
drainage. I put a little sand on the top, and put hi my cuttings, 
"iving a thorough soaking ; and when the foliage' is quite dry I 
put on a bell-glass, which must fit between the two pots: the 
edge of the glass must be covered with soil, so as to prevent any 
air getting in, I then stand the pots in a saucer, which must be 
always filled with water. In a few days, according to the plant, 
the cuttings root. I have raised potfuls of Pink pipings without 
one failure. The glass wants no shading, and must not be taken 
off till the cuttings show new roots, and then by degrees left off. 
“May I move a largo flowering Myrtle now'? It has just 
done flowering. It has grown too large for the conservatory in 
which it is planted, and I want to remove it to the back wall of 
the same.”— Kate. 
[Your query about the cocoa-nut fibre is answered at page 256 
of the current volume. The cocoa-nut refuse is so cheap, that it 
will bear no trouble or expense in selling. “ It will not pay to 
send it out, or even to load the carts. ’ Wo have said repeatedly 
