THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Skpxembeii 13, 1859. 
355 
propagating-house and another, they all communicate at one end 
with another house constructed at right angles to them, and by 
this arrangement they may be all inspected without going into 
the open air. 
In the store I found among other good things a fine collection 
of Begonias. Several of these are quite new, and one or two 
have not yet been named. In my notes of the horticultural ex¬ 
hibition of May last I mentioned one of these new varieties which 
is called Imperator, and which has been raised, as I am now 
informed, from seed. It is a large, robust plant, in the way of 
Begonia rex. The leaves are about a foot in diameter, the veins 
dull green, the spaces between them light grey ; near the margin 
they are green, tinted and spotted with white and red. The 
backs of the leaves, as well as the long thick stalks, are covered 
with deep red hairs. Another robust kind, called Leopoldii, 
is of this year’s introduction. It was received from M. Ver- 
schaffelt, of Ghent. The next is called argentea. It was received 
from M. Linden, of Brussels; and, as its name denotes, its leaves 
are a good deal spotted and marked with white, or light grey, on 
the surface, but they are smaller than in the preceeding species. 
Begonia Victoria is a pretty variety, with leaves about ten inches 
across, green above and red below. Begonia amabilis has leaves 
about six inches long, and the colour is somewhat like that of 
B. Victoria. 
In the same house was a pretty Achimenes called Georgiana , 
of a rich carmine colour, with a mixture of scarlet and yellow in 
the throat. It is of a tall, robust habit, and must make a fine 
showy plant when well llowered. There is a variety of it called 
Georgiana discolor , which is distinguished by its leaves being of 
a deep-red colour underneath. 
In this house there were a great many fine plants, ■which I 
shall notice more particularly at some future time. 
Messrs. Thibaut and Keteleer have a Lycopodium, the most 
singular of all the exotic species I have seen anywhere. It is 
called L. dichotomum, and, as I learn, was received from Java, 
last year. Their plant, for they have but one, is about ten inches 
high, and at first sight it might be taken for some young 
Araucaria. It is of a clear light-green colour. As there have 
been English collectors in Java, this remarkable species may, 
perhaps, be known among the nurserymen of London. 
The finest, or I might say the only collection of Orchids shown 
at the Paris Exhibition, in the month of May, was from this 
establishment, in which these choice plants are well grown, and 
on a larger scale than in any other nursery I have yet seen here. 
At the present season, however, there is, of course, but little 
display. But the following were in flower at the time of my 
visit:— Saccolabium Bluinei major; Vanda Boxburgldi, Vanda 
tricolor , Vanda suavis, two large spikes on a magnificent plant 
about four feet in height; Aerides suavissimum; a beautifully - 
grown Bendrobium densfiorum, four feet in diameter, had ten 
large spikes ; Phcenopsis grandiftora, two spikes well flowered; 
Burlingtonia Candida, Miltonia bicolor , Cattlega Harrisonii, 
Bchites bicolor, and several plants of Cypripedium were all more 
or less in bloom. Among the latter was a new species called 
C. Fairieanum, said to have been received from the Messrs. 
Veitch. To these I may add Streptocarpus polyanthus, remark¬ 
able for its singular habit of growth, as the flower-stalk rises 
directly from a broad flat leaf. 
What is called the Palm-house is well filled with miscellaneous 
plants, such as— Strelitzia regina, Cycas revoluta, Musa Caven- 
dishii, Strelitzia angusta, Ean Palms, tree Ferns, Bandanus 
odoratissimus, P. graminifolms, Anthurium pinnatifidum, and 
many similar kinds. In this house was a large plant of Cissus 
discolor , remarkable for its exquisitely coloured foliage. It is a 
climbing plant that should be in every collection. Some of the 
tree Perns were large and handsome; and a fine Pan Palm, 
■bout eight feet high, was hi flower. Pandanus odoratissimus is 
-->ry collection here ; but when allowed to get large it is very 
„„_*o manage, as its long spreading leaves are thickly 
studded with strong prickles. The smaller species, graminifolms, 
is less objectionable in this respect, and when well grown is 
graceful enough. Messrs. Thibaut and Keteleer have the best 
example of it I have yet seen. Anthurium pinnatifidum has 
immense pinnatifid leaves, and long, strong stalks, fully an inch 
thick. It is a singular plant, but wants a great deal of room. 
The best of the tree Perns were — Cgathea australis, C. dealbata, 
and C. medidlaris, about six feet high, and their fronds spreading 
out nicely all round. 
I cannot at present do justice to some beautiful Puchsias, and 
other sorts of merit, nor to the collections of Conifer® and orna¬ 
mental shrubs in the open ground, for I could only glance at 
them in passing; but I hope to have an opportunity of noticing 
them fully before long.—K. 
THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD SUPPLY OF 
ICE IN LARGE ESTABLISHMENTS. 
The value of a good supply of ice during the heat of such a 
summer as that we have just passed can hardly be overrated. 
Since the introduction of the Wenham Lake ice to this country, 
many hundreds of persons who never dreamed of ice before have 
become familiar with its use, and, by force of habit, it has become 
necessary to their comfort. In all towns it seems to be a matter 
of little import (where they have a railway-station at hand) to 
collect our home ice, with all the dirt and debris which are its 
usual concomitants, seeing with what ease, rapidity, and certainty 
the transmissions of this substance can be made, and how clear 
and beautiful it is when we get it. 
But we think it worth while in cases of great consumption 
(and in these cases only) to collect ice, and venture a few sug¬ 
gestions upon doing so ; whilst, for all small consumptions, we 
think the use of the Lake ice decidedly superior in quality and 
economy. 
During the hottest period of the season we have at Nuneham a 
series of distinguished parties, to whose enjoyment the ice-house 
contributes very largely, not only in supplying ice for butter, 
iced wine, water, and ices, but it is of the first importance to the 
cook in enabling him to preserve venison and other meats, fish, 
&c. Last year we were unfortunate enough to clean out our lake, 
and it did not fill again sufficiently to afford us ice as usual. We 
have, therefore, had to purchase our ice in London; and Mr. 
Harcourt has just informed me that it has cost him a guinea per 
diem. 
Whatever may be the situation of the lake from which it is 
proposed to get ice, it is important that it be not much over¬ 
shadowed by trees; the branches of which arrest radiation and 
prevent the surface from freezing, and the leaves, which, falling in 
the water, become decayed and of a black colour—very nasty 
among the ice, which they assist in decomposing. The banks 
should be level and sloped easily, the more readily to admit of 
getting out the ice. All weeds should be cut in the autumn 
before the approach of frost; because all extraneous matters are 
detrimental to the keeping of the ice. 
The subject of the ice-house has been so often comprehensively 
treated of in gardening books, that we fear it can be of little 
interest to our readers. Suffice it to say, therefore, that the 
thorough drainage is most important; and without this being 
perfect no house can be expected, or will be found, to keep ice 
well. 
The breaking up of the ice is one of the most important points 
of the whole process of storing ice. It should be pounded almost 
to a powder, and thoroughly rammed into its place, so as to leave 
it in the best possible state for becoming a solid mass; into 
which, with such precautions, it will soon form. The less broken 
and rough it is, the more crevices will be in it; each of them full 
of air, which, from its temperature being higher, must assist in 
wasting the mass of ice. Let me here advise all parties to have 
plenty of breakers and rammers, and not to have too many carts 
and horses, that, as the work progresses, it may be well and 
thoroughly done. 
After the house is filled it is usually closed up with straw in 
its passages, so as to exclude the air as much as possible. It is 
then left till wanted for use. 
The Americans do not close their houses, but have a small lid 
in the door, and one on the opposite side, which they open at 
night and close in the morning. They say that it prevents that 
accumulation of damp which materially assists in wasting the ice. 
Lord Jersey, when I lived with him, gave me a plan of one of 
their houses made by a friend of his, which he said answered 
admirably. 
I will now offer a few remarks upon the subject of filling an 
ice-house. 
It is usual for persons to have small bundles of straw made to 
pack round the outsides of the wall, between it and the ice. 
This I have seen answer very well; but I have done much better 
by leaving them out, and filling the whole space with well-con¬ 
solidated ice. My theory being that we cannot put in too much 
ice if the house is built with hollow walls, as good ice-houses are. 
If the house had no space between the walls, the introduction of 
