THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 21, 1860. 
317 
INFLUENCE OF ASPECT ON PEACHES IN 
THE NORTH OF IRELAND. 
I stated in my former communication that the experiment 
which I had tried with my Peach trees was considered con¬ 
clusive. Failing, however, with one conclusive experiment to 
convince some objectors, that “ seeing is believing ,” I tried 
another. 
Having another wall with a south-west aspect from which I 
had grubbed up some old Plum trees, I decided, with the con¬ 
currence of my employer, on planting it with Peaches ; and being 
desirous of covering it as quickly as possible, I removed the | 
trees from the other south-west wall to plant against it. 
In taking up those trees I attentively observed their roots. 
They had filled the soil in every direction; so much so as to ’ 
enable me to remove them with very large balls of earth. They 
were observed to be in a ripened state nearly to the points, 
having that peculiar brown appearance so indicative of roots 
which had performed their functions well, and had gone early 
to rest. 
I next removed those from the south-east aspect to supple¬ 
ment those taken from the south-west wall. Their roots were also 
observed with attention. And in what state did I find them ? 
They were perfectly white for a length of six or eight inches 
from the points, as brittle as recently-formed roots always are, 
and in as unripe a state as the few twigs which they had helped 
to form. 
Those trees being planted against the wall having a south¬ 
west aspect, were watched vvdth some little anxiety to see how 
they would comport themselves in their new situation. Their 
constitutions being impaired by the aspect of the wall against 
which they had previously been planted, I expected but small 
success from them. 
In the month of April, and the early part of May, their ap¬ 
pearance was rather unpromising. But as May wore on they 
began to improve, and continued to do so till autumn, by which 
time they assumed the same healthful appearance as their pre- | 
decessors; thereby proving my second experiment still more 
conclusive than my first. The only difference between them and 
their predecessors was, that they had frittered away a season in 
unsuccessful attempts to make headway, dr rather heads, ar.d 
were, m consequence, a season’s growth behind their brethren. 
I need hardly say, that in my case it was neither ungenial soil 
nor inefficient drainage, but an unsuitable aspect that had been 
the cause of failure.—G. C., Armagh. 
FLUE HEATING DEFECTIVELY. 
I erected a small greenhouse some time since. It is heated 
by a small furnace and flue (the flue is at the back of green¬ 
house), by which I cannot get heat enough to keep the irost. 1 
out. I have altered it several times, by raising the flue higher 
above the furnace, and making it smaller, but all to no purpose. 
With the late frost, the thermometer went down to 30° or lower. 
Before the chimney was heightened, the fire would go out al¬ 
together, especially when the wind blew in one direction.— A 
Nine Years’ Subscriber. 
I 
[If your flue merely passes once through the back of youi’ 
house, we consider that it is too small, even if it be all exposed, ' 
which we presume it to be. It would have told more if it had 
been placed in front. The furnace and rise into the flue are all 
right. If your fuel, however, has any smoke at all, we should 
have little faith in your two-inch square wooden chimney keeping 
up the draught. We think that narrowing chimnies as they rise 
to prevent back draught, is a mistake. At least, we know of some 
houses where the chimnies are built on the opposite principle, 
and not one of them smokes. We presume the flue is four inches j 
wide and seven deep. If so, we would increase or double the 
width, as the heat wall radiate chiefly from the top. If the floor 
had been nine-inch tiles, and the furnace had been low enough, 
we should have preferred taking a five-inch flue below the floor, 
in at one end, along the front, and out at the other end. Could 
you not heat it from the kitchen boiler ? Placing a mat against 
the glass in front of the house on extra cold nights might enable 
you to dispense With any alterations. In such a small house wo 
certainly should have preferred a small iron stove inside, with a 
metal pipe to take the fumes and smoke outside. But as the flue 
is there, it would be best to make the most of it. We were called 
to look at a similar house, but the flue was in the wall, and, 
therefore, presented only one heated surface to the atmosphere of 
the house. We should like to know how you arranged the inside 
of such a narrow house. Some amateurs would have many plants 
in such a place, and some could not find the way to move in it.] 
CAPE PLANTS. 
“ ‘ Rose ’ has had seeds from the Cape of Good Hope given 
to her. Are they worth taking trouble with ? and what are 
they like ? ”—Looking on every plant as beautiful, I can hardly 
be in a position to answer the first, unless I know “Rose’s” 
tastes and means ; and the second question is quite as difficult, 
as I believe “Rose” must well know', if she has opened her 
ears, and heard the varied remarks and similitudes relative to 
the flower’s inherent beauties whose name she bears. With 
respect to the first query, I may merely state, that lately two 
groups of greenhouse plants were given. The first, the hardier 
and rougher, though by no means deficient in beauty ; and the 
second, the more prized plants, because they were more difficult to 
manage ; and, very likely, just on that account, were considered 
to be more beautiful. Thorough-going patterns of married 
ladies will sometimes tell their happy husbands, with just a spice 
of earnestness in their sly bantering, “ that they think they would 
be more thought of if they had stuck themselves up a little 
more, and stood more upon their dignity.” It is no use for any 
man to contend with such artful inuendos ; his true policy is to 
make the amende honorable. But, after all, there is a spice of 
truth in it as respects our sisters of humanity, and our lovely 
pets among the floral creation. How many a pretty plant is 
neglected just because anybody may have it! and we waste our 
pains on some mifly miserable thing just because few, compara¬ 
tively, can manage to keep it alive at all. It stands aloof—keeps 
its dignity, and wise men and fair women must woo, and flatter, 
and coddle to induce it to give them a semblance of a smile of 
recognition. Ear more beautiful plants would present faces 
brimful of smiles all over in gratitude for the smallest attention; 
but because they arc more accessible, their beauty and their 
fragrance are alike neglected. Some of us have reason to be 
glad that all the really best things in this world are rather 
common, and therefore I will glance over the rather strong¬ 
growing list of beauties which “Rose” has received. 
Cytisns lomentosus. — A nice compact shrub, with yellow 
flowers, having the appearance of a go-between of a Broom and a 
Laburnum. Soak the seeds in warm water before sowing them, 
and give the plants peat and loam to grow in, or sandy loam 
and a little leaf mould. Temperature in winter not below 35°. 
I wou’d try some of the seedlings the second season against a 
wall out of doors. 1 should not be surprised if the plants proved 
to be Sophora tomentosa; but if so, similar remarks will apply. 
Chironia grandiflora. — A semi-herbaceous evergreen little 
shrub, or stiff herbaceous plant, growing in peat and loam-to a 
height of from eighteen to twenty-four inches, and producing its 
rose-coloured fiat flowers at the ends of the shoots. Prune it back 
freely when done flowering, and keep it not below 40° in winter. 
Dolichos lignosus. —A pretty greenhouse climber, producing 
in great abundance branchlets of purple flowers much in the 
same way, but not so large in size, as the Scarlet Runner Bean. 
Soak the seeds before sowing. 
Elichrysum speciosissunum. —I do not think this is a common 
plant yet. I have read of it somewhere as a strong-growing 
plant, producing great numbers of Daisy-like white everlasting 
flowers. Will require heath soil and loam, and a temperature in 
winter not much below 40°. 
Gardenia Thunbergii. — The double varieties of Gardenia 
radieans and florida are well known as Cape Jessamines. The 
above is a stronger-growing plant than either of them, but with¬ 
out the double flowers. It should be grown in peat and loam, 
and have a little higher temperature than a cool greenhouse to 
start it into flower, and then again to start it into growth when 
the flowering is over. 
Leucodendron argenteum. —Belongs to the Protead group, and 
is chiefly interesting for its beautiful silvery foliage. Is more of 
a tree than a shrub. Grows in loam and peat, and should not 
be below 38° in winter. 
Leucospermum tottum. —Belongs fo the same hard, leathery¬ 
leaved group as the last. Grows about three feet in height, and 
has yellowish flowers. 
Paly gal a bracteata. —The slender shoots of this plant grow 
from three to six feet in height, and produce small purple flowers 
freely, with scarce the appearance of leaves. Grow ip three-parts 
