30 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION.— October 21, 1850. 
however, to be considerably reduced, and more space 
given to Vines, as the supply of Grapes is uot equal to 
the demand for them. In the mean time, a considerable 
number of Vines were fruiting in pots and doing well, 
while a great number of young plants were growing 
vigorously in every conceivable open position in the 
houses, upwards in front, and downwards from the shelves 
at the back, where there was not sufficient space to grow 
upwards, and all looking as if, after another shift or two, 
they would make good fruiting plants for the next season, 
or be strong plants for furnishing fresh Vineries. With 
the exception of the roots getting too deep, there seems 
to be comparatively little trouble in making Vine borders, 
draining being next to entirely dispensed with, owing 
to the openness of the subsoil. 
Pruning and Transplanting Vines in Summer. —With¬ 
out entering into details respecting these many houses, 
I will mention the treatment of one Vinery last season, 
not only for its peculiar singularity and the success 
attending it, but also as showing that there are gardeners 
among us who cau and will think for themselves, and 
thus see their way clearly, when necessary, to break 
| through established custom and routine. Writing from 
I memory, 1 do not pretend to give the exact dates, but, 
if far wrong, I am sure that Mr. Thompson will put me 
right. Dissatisfied with the appearance of this Vinery, 
about the 25th of May, 1855, he cut the main shoots 
back for the greater part of their length, leaving only 
a few side-shoots with fruit on them near the base. In 
the first week of May, and again in the second week, as 
operations were stayed on account of rainy weather, the 
roots of the Vines were examined, were found to be 
deep, long, and straggling, and bare of healthy fibres, 
were lifted, pruned back rather freely, and planted afresh 
in new soil in a ridge about the third of the width of 
the border; an additional width was to be given 
during this summer. Whilst the raising and replanting 
were going on not a leaf, to say nothing of a bunch on 
the Vines, was allowed to flag or shrivel, They were 
treated, in fact, something like cuttings under a bell- 
glass. The house was thickly shaded in sunshine, a 
moist heat maintained inside, and a frequent use of the 
syringe put in requisition, in order that the whole powers 
of the plants should be directed to additions upwards 
and downwards, instead of their juices being wasted by 
evaporation. Under such treatment the leaves were 
more of an auxiliary than otherwise, just as doubtful 
allies may be forced to do good service when the enemy 
is before them and a double row of bayonets behind 
them. The least carelessness in shading, the least re 
missness in securing a moist atmosphere, would have 
changed each of these leaves into an aclive, exhausting, 
destructive enemy. Even amateur propagators know 
that the number and size of leaves upon a cutting are 
an advantage or the reverse, just in proportion to the 
means at command for keeping these leaves healthy, 
and forcing them to absorb rather more than perspire. 
1 forget what, but, most likely, some simple means were 
used for preventing the heat given to the soil from the 
sun radiating away again at night; but, ere long, fresh 
wood began to push, and fresh fibres to work freely in 
the new soil ; and, of course, as soon as the plants 
j would bear it, the shading was altogether, but by degrees, 
] discontinued. So well did this unusual course answer, 
that Grapes ripened on the side-bearing shoots uot cut 
away were placed before Her Majesty in Edinburgh last 
year ; and so good and thoroughly ripened was the wood 
thus formed after the stems were lopped back in the 
end of May, and the roots taken up, pruned, and re¬ 
planted in June, that, when I saw this house in the 
middle of May this year, there was a beautiful crop of 
Grapes all over it from top to bottom, ready to com¬ 
mence their last swelling, with fine healthy wood for 
another year. I was privileged to see another Vinery 
at Dalkeith, that did not at all please the gardener, 
undergoing a similar process just then, and I shall be 
glud to know how the plan lias answered. I lately 
recommended lifting Vines, where the roots were too 
deep, as early as possible in autumn, and that will 
generally be the safest time. There can, however, be 
no question that, if not involving a present sacrifice in 
other respects, May or June would be a good time as 
respects the following year, as then the fine weather 
would bo all before us, and the plants full of vital 
energy. There can be no question of the result under 
Mr. Thompson’s management, though I understand 
many of the wise ones shrugged their shoulders, and 
prophesied downright failure and ruin. Our readers 
will comprehend the main principles on which such 
operations were based. The whole rationale must have 
been clear as demonstration to the operator before he 
commenced such a work in a new situation, and in, at 
least, what used to be, the premier gardens of Scotland, 
well aware that curiosity would watch, and rumour with 
her many tongues report, his doings; and I am sure I 
only express the sentiments of many in hoping we may 
have an account of the whole affair, reasons and 
operations, from his own pen. 
Thompson's Corrugated Boiler. —The engrossing sub¬ 
ject of heating formed matter for gossip and discussion. 
1 still would give the same modified approval to Weeks’ 
system 1 expressed in these pages. Mr. Thompson, who 
has had great practical experience in these matters, does 
not consider Weeks’ boiler equal in power and efficiency 
to one of his own designing. With this boiler he heats 
easily from 1100 to 1200 feet of four-inch pipe in a long 
range, consisting of tropical aquarium, plant-stove, green¬ 
houses, &c., the farther end being the small Geranium- 
house referred to ; and this, the foreman assured me, 
could be heated in fifteen minutes from the lighting of 
the fire. To do this work formerly six boilers and 
furnaces were required. The saving in attendance and 
fuel is great. The boiler may be described as a conical 
saddle-backed one. It is four feet and a half long, and 
three feet in height. I forget the width, but wide enough 
to permit a flue or open space of some eight inches in 
diameter to pass through the upper part of it for the 
whole length of the boiler, thus dividing the boiler, as it 
were, into two. By means of the corrugated sidos ex¬ 
posed to the direct action of the fire, the passage of heat 
through this pipe, as well as all round the outsides and 
over the top, a large surface is exposed to the action of 
the heat, and no great depth or width of water can be 
lodged in any one place. Some time ago a simple plan 
for carrying out a similar principle was exemplified in 
these pages, by joining two boilers together by means 
of a pipe between them, which made all the space be¬ 
tween, with the exception of the pipe, a flue. Mr. 
Thompson’s boiler is all of a piece. Some readers may 
wonder what corrugating is, and how it increases the 
surface exposed to the fire. The word is borrowed from 
a Latin verb signifying to wrinkle. The muscle that 
draws fair brows at times into deep wrinkled seams and 
ridges is called a corrugator. It would be Vandalism to 
compare a lady’s brow at any time to the sides of a cast 
metal boiler; but if she would take a pretty collar, with its 
outside circumference rather deeply indented with narrow 
rounded Vandykes, she will at once see something of 
the outline of the lower side of Mr. Thompson's boiler. 
Mr. Thompson showed me other designs of boilers, with 
two or three pipes passing through them, and furnished i 
with caps to clean them in a moment when necessary. 
1 laid just written thus far when, casting my eye on a 
file of advertisements, I find that Thompson's Retort 
Boilers are manufactured by a tradesman at Dalkeith, 
and that all directions about them and general remarks 
on boilers may be obtained from himself by a letter con¬ 
taining two postage stamps. 
