360 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, March 13, I860. 
4thly. I will just glance at the modes most in use for pro- 
tecting the trees by covering the shoots with some green branches 
of other trees, .Broom, evergreen Oak, Spruce, and Laurel, are 
thus often used. I'prefer the last as being best for this purpose. 
I have succeeded well with them myself, and could point to 
gardens where they are used constantly, and where a failure has 
been a next-to-unknown thing for twenty years. I dislike 
Spruce, because the little needle-like foliage, as it dries and 
withers, gets fastened among the branches, and becomes a 
harbour for dirt and insects. The young shoots of the Laurel 
are selected, and fastened securely to the tree—not put on too 
thickly, but early. This helps to keep the buds back. By the 
time the buds open, the leaves on the Laurel-shoots will be con¬ 
siderably thinned and browned by parting with their moisture. 
This admits a good portion of light, just mellowed a little in 
bright days, whilst the large leaves break the force of the winds, 
and keep off a good deal of frost. It is hardly safe to remove 
them altogether until the young shoots of the fruit trees consti¬ 
tute a good protection for the young fruit; and even then it is 
best to remove the covering gradually, taking away first a third, 
in a few days the half of what was left, and then the other remain¬ 
ing part. For such trees—Apricots, Pears, &c.—I would prefer 
the Laurel-shoots to any other similar covering. 
As already stated, however, where time and labour can be given, 
and first expense is no object, I consider stout calico sheeting, to 
be moved as desirable, to be best—next to, if not equal to, glass 
at that period. For a covering to be fixed and strained at a 
distance from the trees I prefer woollen netting—not too close 
in the mesh—and Nottingham thread netting. In all cases of 
protection it should not be removed too soon. In the case of 
sheeting, and even in the case of Nottingham netting, I would 
prefer, even after the trees were fully exposed, to keep the pro¬ 
tecting material a few weeks against the wall ready to be let 
down at a short warning. 
Most of us know to our cost that a night’s frost at the end of 
May and the beginning of June has sometimes killed all the fruit 
when we thought all danger was over, and when even a slight 
protection at night, and a modified shade next day, would have 
saved the whole. I trust that according to his means “ A Sub¬ 
scriber” will now be able to select for himself. R. Fish. 
BLOOMING STEPHANOTIS FLOEIBUNDA. 
I have a specimen plant of Stephanotis Jloribunda, shifted 
some time since, and the shoots cut back, they being so veiy 
crowded. It has now made shoots abundantly, and I wish to 
know what treatment I must give it to flower it this summer. 
It is now growing in a pit, the heat of which is from 55° to 65°. 
—G. P., Gloucester. 
[You can do nothing more now than go on as you have gone. 
If the wood were well ripened last season, the shoots will pro¬ 
duce flowers ; if the shoots were not well ripened, they will not 
produce flowers. Give more air, but not less heat, by-and-by.] 
HAEBY MOOEE’S MODE OF GEOWING 
GEEANIUMS. 
I have some of the best sorts of scarlet Geraniums, and wish 
to grow them on the Harry Moore system, so often spoken of; 
but I do not quite know in what that same system consists, and 
should feel obliged if you would enlighten me. The plants are 
only in their second year at present, and I should like to know 
the sized boxes you would recommend for them when full grown. 
I can make the boxes gay this year with two or three young 
plants of Tom Thumb or Punch. —H. B. 
[We recommend every size of box that ever was used for 
Geraniums, to carry on Harry Moore’s system, and you must 
choose the size, out of them all, which will best suit the places 
where you mean to exhibit the bloom or the summer blaze. 
Harry’s boxes were exhibited on some pedestals and balconies 
connected with the “London Lodge,” at Shrubland Park, and 
he wisely adopted the sizes of the boxes to the capacity of the 
balconies and the widths of the said pedestals; and having there 
proved the fact, that Jack was as good as his master in blooming 
scarlet Geraniums, in invisible green boxes of various shapes and 
sizes. The “ fact ” accomplished, drew the attention of the au¬ 
thorities to the necessity of mending their own ways. The upshot 
of it was, and tho secret of the plan is, to grow the same plants 
in the same soil and in the same boxes from one year’s end to 
another, and for as many years as the boxes will hold together; 
and that is just Harry Moore’s system, and a most capital system 
it is for those who can comprehend it in detail. Harry’s free 
trade in blooming scarlet Geraniums “ down at tho Lodge,” com¬ 
pelled our contributor, Mr. D. Beaton, to alter his protection 
plans “up” at the gardens, and The Cottage Gardener has 
made known the result of the competition to the ends of the earth, 
to the sure and certain benefit of all those who are, or shall ever 
be, engaged on box-growing Geraniums ; and we arc pleased to 
hear that Harry Moore and Donald Beaton keep up the same 
style of growing scarlet Geraniums to this very day.] 
HEATING A PIT FEOM A GEEENHOUSE 
FIEE. 
I have a small greenhouse 11 feet by 10 feet, heated by a 
flue running round three sides of the house. The house is 10 
feet high at the ridge, 5 feet at the eaves, 2£ feet brick, the rest 
glass. It has a short back roof about 4 feet in height, and 
what I want is to erect a small pit for striking cuttings, &c. 
Would a small elbowed-pipe passing through tire greenhouse 
furnace be sufficient to heat a small tank at the outside built 
against the same wall as the greenhouse where the neck of 
the flue enters the house?—A Constant Reader from the 
First. 
[A coil of pipes over, or in the furnace will answer what you 
propose, but if not used to such a thing it may give you a little 
trouble, and then you may want heat in your pipe when you do 
not want it in your greenhouse; but you must put a fire on to 
heat the pipe when you want no heat in the flue. But for this 
we would have proposed taking the flue through the pit first. 
What would you say to having a small flue from the same fur¬ 
nace passing to the end of the pit and back again, and by 
means of dampers heating that and the greenhouse flue just as 
you liked, together or separately ? You will see lately how 
any sort of heat, dry or damp, can be obtained from such a flue 
if sunk deep enough. Can you not make a little bed in the 
house, by enclosing a part round the flue as suggested the other 
week ?] 
CLIMBEES FOE COVEBING A FENCE- 
HEATING A PIT. 
I HAVE at one side of my house a high fence which I wish to 
cover as much as possible with ornamental creepers. Can you 
recommend me some that will suit my purpose ? I am inclined 
to think that some of the Gourd tribe would do well; but I do 
not know which are the best varieties, and shall be glad if you 
will name one or two of the handsomest. A writer in your 
number of December 20th (No. 586), speaks highly in favour of 
a hard-fleshed Water Melon which he has grown. Can you tell 
me whether it is the same as the “ Citron Gourd ” which I see 
advertised in your columns by Messrs. Henderson ? and if not, 
where can seed be procured, as I should like to give it a trial? 
If I am not trespassing on you too much, I should like your 
advice on another point. I have a pit in my garden, containing 
in all nine lights, divided into three compartments, with the 
ordinary trench around it. I have started the last of these, 
measuring about 11 feet by 5 with manure; but find it impossible 
to keep up any degree of bottom heat without continual fresh 
supplies, and not keeping horses, this makes it a very expensive 
business. Can you suggest any economical method of warming 
to give sufficient heat for my purpose—viz., to start Cucumbers 
and raise seeds ? I have lately put a couple of hot-water bottles 
in the frame every night to help it on. A hot-water apparatus 
for the whole range would, no doubt, be the most effectual; but 
this would cost, I imagine, not less than £15.; and the frames, 
brickwork, &c., being rather old are hardly worth it. As the sun 
gets more power there will be plenty of heat in the day ; so it is 
more the morning and evening that I have to provide for.— 
D. B. B. 
[We rather think that the Water Melon and the Citron Gourd 
are not identical. We have no doubt, that if you expressed your 
desires to the gentleman you name he would send you some of 
the best to suit your purpose. A few weeks back you will find 
a chapter on Gourds, Ac., for such a similar purpose as you con¬ 
template. But the ornamenting was chiefly to be temporary. 
If you wished to cover your fence with permanent climbers we 
