THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Febkuary 28, 1860. 
332 
fermented. It is impossible to get a large heap all sweet through¬ 
out without very greatly reducing its bulk. Economy says, Use 
even the heat before it gets so very sweet, which otherwise would 
be lost, only prevent it injuring anything by covering it securely. 
All seedlings that are the better from a little heat will like the 
seed-pots to be plunged in such a sweet bed, if those more hardy 
than tropical plants are seldom above 80° bottom heat. When 
fairly up, the pots containing such seedlings should be at least 
half raised out of the plunging medium. The same must be 
done with potted seedlings as soon as they begin to grow. Too 
much heat will cause them to come weak. Such a bed will not 
often be too hot until the hot days of summer. Provided heat is 
obtained, the plunging material is of little consequence. It is by 
no means a matter of so much consequence as our correspondent 
supposes: it is, however, worth alluding to. In a bed covered 
with some of the best undecomposed part cf last year’s bed, I 
would not be against plunging in such a material. If there were 
danger of worms, a little salt or quick lime mixed with the 
upper layer would generally keep them down, and keep slugs at 
a distance too. Eor neatness, I should cover the surface with 
ashes from the furnace ; their roughness is also an annoyance to 
the slimy tribe. There might even be a layer of four or six inches 
of these ashes all over. Sand for plunging in wordd be very 
clean, and chiefly on that account would be better than earth ; 
but for such a place I would give the preference to ashes. 
“M. L. E.” is quite right as to sawdust being a non-conductor 
of heat when it is dry, and moist air cannot get at it; but when it 
becomes dampish, and a good heap of it is thrown together, it 
heats strongly as it decomposes. A foot or eighteen inches of it 
in a bed will give a nice mild heat of itself, if not allowed to get 
too moist, for then sometimes the heat will be rather violent. I 
lately saw it recommended for packing Carrots, &c., in, but I 
should not like it for that purpose, because if resinous, a flavour 
would be imparted, and if the heap or clamp were large, however 
dry the sawdust, when used at first, they would be apt to absorb 
as much moisture as to heat rather violently. At least twice in 
my experience have I known Carrots thoroughly destroyed—a 
mass of rottenness from being packed in sawdust. This, how¬ 
ever, by the way. Eor winter work and spring work, as to 
plunging plants, such objections do not apply. Mr. Lane and 
others use it for plunging their large show plants of Roses, or 
used to do so. The gentle heat thus emitted was sufficient for the 
purpose. I have, however, two objections against its free use as a 
plunging medium, if the bottoms of the pots stand upon it, and 
these pots are to be frequently watered. 
The first is, that the sawdust will get so firmly encrusted in and 
round the hole in the bottom of the pot as to interfere with 
drainage. When the bottom of the pot, therefore, rests on the 
sawdust, a cavity should be left in the centre opposite the 
drainage-hole. The second objection is, that with us, probably 
from the sawdust being a mixture of many kinds of wood, it 
produces great quantities of Confervse-like fungals that spread 
with great rapidity, and which are as unsightly to the eye as they 
are offensive to the organs of smell. Quick lime soon settles 
them; but if once they get on a plant its health is gone beyond 
recall. Even when I mixed sawdust with ashes, or did so long 
ago with tan, I used to be equally annoyed. 1 therefore use it 
sparingly, unless for charring. 
On the whole, where it can be procured I should prefer tan, 
though I have not used it for many years. When obtained 
nice and new, and not over wet, and thrown in a heap, and 
covered with a little litter to cause it to heat nicely, it was soon fit 
for use, either for a surfacing for a hotbed or making a bed by 
itself. In my younger day3 I used to mix the new and the old 
together; but I gave up that for several reasons, the chief being 
the keeping a regular heat, and I found that was best done by 
keeping the new tan either at the bottom or the top of the bed. 
When once well sweated in a heap almost everything likes it 
afterwards ; and I was never annoyed with the insects of which 
our corresjDondent complains. * R. Eish. 
MANURES FOR WINDOW GARDENING* 
We consider carbonate of potass or carbonate of soda pre¬ 
ferable for softening water to caustic lime; because this would 
not soften the water, and the very causticity might injure very 
tender seedlings or young plants. The hardness of water i 3 
* This is in answer to C. L-, West Brampton. 
generally owing to the presence of the sulphate of magnesia, the 
sulphate of lime, or the carbonate of lime; and the addition 
of either of the salts mentioned above in small quantity will 
decompose the sulphates. Even then the water should be exposed 
a day before using it. After all, full exposure to the sun and its 
beams is the best means for making water healthy to plants. 
Even rainwater, when collected in tanks underneath the ground, 
and excluded from light and air, will sometimes get very hard 
from absorbing sulphates, &c., from the material with which the 
tanks are lined. Such hard cold water is more pleasant to 
drink ; but w r e question, if indulged in at all carelessly, if it is 
not as prejudicial to the animal as to the vegetable system. 
Neither superphosphate of lime nor soot are such powerful 
manures as Peruvian guano ; but both are much more powerful 
than sheeps’ dung, and of the two superphosphate is rather the 
stronger. However, we value them all; and on the principle 
that no animal likes continually the same food we would use all 
these in rotation, taking care to err on the safe side as to quantity. 
Many of us never see anything but horse and eowdung. All 
thesfe may also bo used for top dressing with propriety, except, 
perhaps, guano, unless that is used in the smallest quantity. We 
have strewed as much superphosphate as could be raised between 
the thumb and two fingers over the surface of a six-inch pot 
previously to watering it, and with advantage; but half the 
quantity of guano caused almost every leaf to fall in less than 
twenty-four hours, and ruined the plants. Giving these as 
waterings, we prefer the water being rather clear before using; 
and to be safe we would not exceed two ounces of guano for four 
gallons,, three ounces of superphosphate, and much the same 
amount of fresh soot. If damp or mixed, use more in proportion. 
Eor all sorts of dung it is best to use the droppings rather recent, 
and allow them to ferment in a tub for a month, and then throw 
in a handful of lime to help to clear the liquor ; and weaken it as 
you use it, if too strong. If the droppings are old, the liquid 
may be used apparently much stronger. For all top dressings 
we prefer manure that has become somewhat old. We have seen 
Cucumbers flourishing for the twelvemonth and more that were 
dressed frequently on the surface with old Mushroom dung and a 
little drift sand, the dung at first being chiefly horse-droppings. 
We have seen a whole house of young bearing Cucumber plants 
next to destroyed by covering the surface with droppings nearly 
fresh : the roots could not stand so much ammonia going to 
them at once in such a rank state. 
We have no faith in mixing superphosphate with tender seeds 
when sown, or that it would have any influence in preventing 
damping. We would sooner use a good proportion of drift sand 
and broken charcoal. With these exceptions, we like composts 
for seedlings in pots to be as simple as possible. The great 
remedy against damping, is plenty of air and sunshine when the 
plants are big enough to stand both. The next preventive is, 
pricking them singly or in patches as soon as they can be 
handled. When fairly growing, a little sprinkling on the surface 
or used as waterings will give them strength, but the quantity 
must depend on the nature of the plant and its condition. 
Young tender things will not feed so gi’ossly as old established 
plants. 
Neither zinc pots nor earthenware pots painted outside will 
be at all injurious to plants growing in them, provided drainage 
is properly attended to, and the compost is of a somewhat open 
character, except, perhaps, for an inch deep on the surface, which 
may well be finer and closer, to prevent the air entering in and 
through it too easily. When potters put a single crock over the 
hole in the bottom of the pot, and then fill in with fine riddled 
soil in which the smallest lump would have been an intruder, it 
is not to be wondered at that they stood aghast at the sight of a 
hard-burned pot, and looked upon zinc vases, or pots painted on 
the outside, as the utmost height of infatuation. 
We do consider the little bits of charcoal very beneficial,—first, 
for keeping the soil open by means of a light next to unchanging 
substance ; aud next, as forming a sort of reservoir for retaining 
and absorbing ammonia, &c. As the plants get larger and need 
larger pots, increase the size of the pieces of charcoal from Peas 
to Leans, and even to larger shifts to Walnuts. Nothing 
answers better for drainage, it is so light. Every bit of refuse of 
a woody nature about a garden ought to be charred, if not used 
for lighting fires, or regulating the porosity of hotbeds, Ac. 
When such bits are used for potting, the dust will be useful for 
mixing with sand, for compost for seedlings aud cuttings. As a 
preventive against mould and damping, it will throw all the kinds 
of phosphates into the shade. 
