THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 10, 1860. 
225 
earth has accumulated some amount of heat, when it progresses 
into beauty and luxuriance. 
It is an important matter to know whether the seeds we sow 
came from temperate or tropical countries, as in the latter case 
the stimulus of bottom heat is a sine qua non of their perfect 
development. By the unerring laws of Nature, such seeds will 
not develope themselves in soil which has not 70° or 75° of heat; 
and in this case again we rely upon “ bottom heat.” 
Thus we sec in many instances the importance and necessity of 
bottom heat to plants which find this condition in a state of 
Nature; and we sec also how aptly it may be applied to those 
hardier flowers which wo force, and those exotic fruits to raise 
which in all their excellence is the palm of British gardeners. 
Bottom heat is a great essential in the culture of East Indian 
aquatics. The lovely Nymphroas, Nelumbiums, &c., refuse to give 
then’ flowers unless the water in which they grow is of a tempe¬ 
rature equalling that in which the plants flower in their native 
country. It is mentioned that the water in which the red Nelum- 
bium flowers in China is 113°. This affords another instance of 
the vast importance of a geographical and climatic knowledge to 
gardeners, and is a powerful seconder of Mr. Justice Hallybur- 
ton’s proposition—that the occupation of a gardener should be 
added to the professions rather than be accounted as one of the 
pursuits in which the workmen are designated as “ labourers.” 
Having made these few brief remarks on bottom heat, I will 
proceed to say a little upon the subject of atmospheric moisture 
in our houses. 
The conditions which regulate the supply of moisture to the 
atmosphere in which we grow our plants externally are entirely 
without our control. But in glass houses w r epossess the means of 
withholding or applying it perfectly ad libitum. In them we have 
the means of causing them to perspire excessively, so as to cause 
exhaustion or shrivelling; while, by a copious supply of moisture, 
we may enhance their growth (aided by heat) to a great extent. 
It is the business of a gardener to maintain in his houses that 
kind of atmosphere which is most suited to the requirements of 
his plants; and he finds that if he keeps it too dry the foliage does 
not thrive and insects abound; while, if too damp, excessive 
growth and a watery state of the plants result. In dealing with 
these difficulties, it has been advised to use an instrument for 
measuring the amount of moisture in the air—an amount of pre¬ 
cision which the practised cultivator rarely finds necessary. The 
instrument is called an hygrometer ; but if you travel through the 
country such a thing is but rarely seen. 
In the former days of gardening it was a common, but, at the same 
time, most erroneous practice to increase the moisture of forcing- 
houses by throwing on their flues (when heated), a quantity of 
cold water, and allowing it to evaporate in boiling steam. Such a 
proceeding was very unwise, changing at once the climate of the 
house from the dryness of an African desert to a more than 
tropical marsh dampness. We live in better times; and our 
gardeners, instead of doing this, damp all the cool surfaces-of 
walls and floors, and thus fill their houses with an almost imper¬ 
ceptible amount of vapour. This requires constant attention during 
early forcing; for the admission of dry, cool air, and that which is 
constantly entering through the laps of the glass, soon dries the 
air of the house, rendering a further supply of moisture necessary. 
And here let me again remark how important it is to have a 
knowledge of the native climate of plants, so as to regulate the 
supply of moisture in consonance with their habitats. We have 
made, and we are making, rapid strides in cultivat ion : every year 
attests its progress, and we can form no idea of what its climax 
will result in. Our younger brethren are destined, at some future 
day, to wear the laurels we have borne in our generation. But 
let me urge them (if they aspire to do so), to be very diligent in 
collecting facts of natural history and philosophy, and may they 
pay special attention to all the circumstances of geography and 
climate; so that, when they come to manage plants for themselves, 
they may have little difficulty in assigning to each such an amount 
of heat and moisture as may best suit its requirements. 
H. Bailey, Nuneham. 
GARDENING AT THE NORTH POLE. 
Captain M’Clintock, in the deeply-interesting “Narrative” 
of his search after Sir John Franklin, states that on the 17 til of 
May, 1858, his little vessel anchored at Godhaven, the farthest 
north of the Danish settlements in Greenland; and upon visit ing 
the residence of one of the settlers, he adds, “ I found Mrs. 
Olrik without a fire in her sitting-room—it was unnecessary; 
the windows looked to the south, and the sun shone brightly 
in upon a profusion of Geraniums , and European flowers re¬ 
minding one of home, and refreshing the senses by their perfume 
and beauty.” A few days after, when speaking of an interchange 
of presents, he says, “ I have been given an eider-down coverlet 
by the Governor, Mr. Andersen, and by Mrs. Olrik some delicious 
preserve of Greenland Cranberries, a tin of preserved ptarmigan, 
and a jar of pickled whale-skin; my table is decked with European 
flowers, including Roses, Mignonette, and Violets.” 
But they could, not linger at this place of hospitality ; and on 
the 29th of July they had reached Pond’s Bay, and the intrepid 
navigator again turns aside to notice the flowers that reminded 
him of home. “ The lands enjoying a southern aspect, even to 
the summits of hills 700 feet or 800 feet in height, were tinged 
with green ; but these hills were protected by a still loftier range 
to the north. Upon many well-sheltered slopes we found much 
rich grass. All the little plants were in full flower; some of them 
familiar to us at home—such as the Buttercup, Sorrel, and Dande¬ 
lion. I have never found the latter to the north of 69° before.” 
Such vegetable exiles had but a brief existence; but we have 
no mission to dwell upon the severer seasons which they and the 
other nor-thern adventurers had to endure, and it must content 
us to extract this last note upon Arctic gardening, which we find 
was written in Prince Regent’s Inlet under the date of August 
29tli, 1859. “ We eat all the birds and seals we can shoot, as 
well as Mustard and Cress as fast as we can grow it, but the 
quantity is very small. We sometimes refresh ourselves with 
a salad of Sorrel-leaves, or roots of the little plant with lilac° 
flower of snapdragon shape, named Pedicularis hirsuta.” 
MUSA CAVENDISHII CULTURE. 
I Shall be much obliged if some of your correspondents who 
have been successful in the culture of the Musa Cavendishii 
would give a few remarks on its management. I am aware of 
what is stated in the Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary relative to 
the mode adopted by Sir Joseph Paxton at Chatsworth; but 
very few details are given there. For instance : When it is said 
that the old plant after the fruit is cut is taken out of the 
tub or pot, many of the roots taken off, and put into a smaller 
pot, and then plunged in a brisk bottom heat, in order to induce 
it to throw up some good suckers ; but it is not stated whether 
the old plant is cut down, or whether the leaves are cut off. I 
should very much like to know exactly how the plant is then 
treated with regard to the stem and leaves. I also wish to 
know why the plant is to bo taken out of its fruiting-pot, and 
put into a smaller one to induce it to send up suckers. 
According to my own idea, I should allow the plant to remain 
in the pot or tub in which it had fruited, without disturbing it 
in the bed (provided there was a good amount of bottom heat) ; 
I should cut down the stem just above the part from which the 
principal leaves spring. I should cut off the leaves about two- 
thirds of their length, top dress, and let the suckers come up 
round about. In this way they would have more room to grow 
than if the plant were forced into a smaller pot; and the stem and 
leaves being cut off - , as above stated, the suckers would not be 
much shaded. 
It is also stated that suckers will fruit the first year ; this, so 
far, I have not found to be the case, though.they have been kept 
in a good bottom heat all the year, from January, with an atmo¬ 
sphere sufficient to ripen* Muscat Grapes. From about the 
middle of November up to February I am obliged this year to 
keep the Musas in a stove without bottom heat, and I am in 
hopes that this comparative rest through the winter will cause 
them to send up their fruit when plunged again in bottom heat 
early in the spring. Though my plants are not in such very 
large pots, in taking them out of the leaf-bed last month I did 
not find any roots had made their way through the bottom of the 
pots into the leaf-bed. I shall, therefore, be glad of your advice 
how to manage this plant, so as to secure fruit the first year, if 
that can be accomplished by one who has conveniences for 
plunging them in bottom heat from February to November, but 
is obliged to keep them without bottom heat the remainder of 
the year. The heat during the winter being about 60°.— 
Clericus. 
[The Plantain—that is, the fruit of the Musa Cavendishii, is 
produced in greater excellence at Chatsworth than at any 
other place we know of in England. So excellent is it, and so 
abundant as to bean available addition to the desserts there. The 
