THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, November 25, 1850. 155 
temperature of 125° to 130°. Stir it all well about, and 
continue stirring, and then take the Pine-plants, and swinge 
them through the liquid, root and top, seeing that every 
part and every axil is thoroughly washed and wetted. Let 
them drain into the tub, and set them aside, tops down¬ 
wards, to drip and dry. In a day or two, swinge again in 
clear water at 120°, and drain again, and, when dry, pot 
and plunge in a sweet bottom-heat, after having thoroughly 
renewed the beds, white-washed, and painted, and thoroughly 
cleaned the house. Still, if not extra valuable, I would 
advise turning the whole adrift before more mischief is 
done. 
LEAVES FOR LEAF-MOULD. 
Nothing can answer better than Elm and Sycamore. 
Beech is more valuable for giving heat, and keeps longer, 
and, therefore, it requires more time to rot into mould. 
Oak-leaves are the most lasting ; but they require two years, 
at least, to make good leaf-mould, just because they are so 
lasting for hotbeds, and also because containing so much 
gallic acid. We find nothing comes amiss for this purpose 
except the Fir or Piue tribe, and even they are useful 
for some purposes if kept long enough. The softest leaves 
that you gather now, even though you ferment them by 
throwing them into a heap, and turn that heap frequently, 
will require the greater part of a twelvemonth to be in nice 
order for potting, though I have used them, after being well 
fermented, and then dried in cakes, in less than six months. 
If you want a stock early, keep your Maple, Sycamore, Ash, 
and Elm together by themselves. As stated, Oak are the 
most lasting for beds and giving bottom-heat. 
TOTTED FRUIT-TREES AND STRAWBERRY- 
TOTS. 
Make use of your wall by all means. Every tree and 
plant in a pot that you intend to force in pots should have 
its roots protected alike from severe frosts and heavy rains. 
Whatever mode you can do this best by, and most 
economically, adopt it at once. Many a failure in these 
matters is owing to sodden, and broken, and killed roots. 
Everything in a pot is in a more artificial state than if grow¬ 
ing in the ground, and must be guarded from accidents and 
extremes accordingly. Plunge your pots at once, and keep 
them dry. 
FORCING STRAWBERRIES AND PUTTING THEM 
IN A PINE-PIT, Ac. 
Unless your shelf is near the ventilators, and you can 
give plenty of air, it is best to stack your Strawberries 
in a mild hotbed, but plunging them only a little. To 
gather on the 1st of January, you would require so to com¬ 
mence on the 1st of November, and with plants with buds 
svell ripened and prepared. As the days lengthen, less time 
will be necessary. If you commence on Christmas Day, 
you may expect to gather about the end of February or the 
beginning of March. Much depends on the fitness of the 
plants, and giving them heat gradually, and not over-watering 
until the fruit is set and swelling. The Black Prince is the 
earliest, and a good, most prolific Strawberry, if properly 
managed, that properly greatly consisting in not having it in 
a higher temperature than from 55° to 65° at night, with a 
rise of 10° from sunshine, commencing with about 50°. 
CINDERS AS DRAINAGE, AND PLACING LIME 
OVER THE TOTS TO KEEP OUT WORMS. 
I see no objection to this in the case of fruit-trees in 
pots; but I should not liko to adopt it with plants in general. 
I should much prefer charcoal, or a few crocks, and then 
charcoal. The lime will only keep out worms while fresh 
and acrid; when it becomes mild it will be of no more 
service in this respect than chalk or other earth. In fresh- 
potted fruit-trees it will be mild enough before the roots get 
into it. The Black Raisin Grape is what is called the 
Black Corinth , &c., a hardy kind, with small bunches, small 
berries, and rather pleasant juice. The Parsley-leaved Vine 
is the sort of which you have sent a specimen. It is more 
pretty than profitable. The leaves are rather the best of 
it, as it is inferior to many other white Grapes. The 
bunches are generally fair-sized ; but the berries are rather 
small. Unless in very favourable situations it requires a 
Vinery. I have no doubt you will fruit it either in your 
Pine-stove or Vinery. Send fewer questions at a time.— 
R. Fish. 
HOUSE SEWAGE AS A MANURE. 
“I have a small garden, which I have hitherto kept in 
tolerable order by expending a deal of manure on it. A 
short time since I had a tank made, which is the recipient 
of all the house sewage. May this be used with beneficial 
effect on ground before cropping with a garden-engine and 
carriage? I could, at various times, water my whole garden 
properly, and, if this would answer, it would be the means 
of saving me much expense.— Pump.” 
[You have at your command one of the most valuable of 
fertilizers. Whenever the tank requires emptying, pour its 
contents over vacant ground, or apply it to growing crops 
of Cabbages, Lettuces, Onions, Asparagus, and Rhubarb. 
We make a trench by the side of these crops, and fill it with 
the sewage whenever we think they require such powerful 
nourishment. House sewage is not ouly a very rich ma¬ 
nure, but it is in the best state for application—that of a 
liquid.] 
HEATING A PIT FROM A STEAMING APPARATUS. 
“ I am about putting up in a building now erecting a 
boiler for steaming food for my cattle. This is to stand 
against the gable of the building in the interior, and I 
fancy that I might manage, on the exterior of the same 
gable, which is due south, to contrive some manner of place 
to heat a small building for the striking of cuttings and 
preservation of tender plants through the winter. A pipe 
from the boiler might easily be carried through the gable 
to the exterior side; but how to make the best use of it 1 do 
not know. A small, inexpensive place is what I wish for.— 
Rev. C. T.” 
[You might heat either by steam or hot water ; but, under 
the circumstances, we would greatly prefer the latter. To 
do this effectually you must have two pipes from your boiler 
through the gable end; one near the bottom for a return- 
pipe, and one as high up in the boiler as the water is likely 
to stand at for a flow-pipe. These things secured, you may 
have a greenhouse, a plant-stove, a propagating-house, or 
merely a pit for keeping and propagating just as you like, 
and in proportion to the quantity of piping used. Thus, 
supposing your house was twenty feet long, and twelve feet 
high at back, and as much wide, a three or four-inch pipe all 
round, or half round and returning, would be sufficient to 
keep out frost. A similar house for tender plants, to keep 
up a medium heat of 00° in winter, would require double that 
piping. Do you mean a structure in the shape of a pit for 
keeping out frost ? then a flow-pipe of three inches would 
be amply sufficient. Did you want bottom-heat, then two 
others beneath a bed of rubble, covered with sand or tan, 
would supply that. For amateurs it is always desirable to 
get inside, even though a pathway should be considerably 
sunk beneath the ground-level. Thus, suppose your back- 
wall is four feet and a half, your front oue loot and a half, 
width nine feet, a pathway in the middle sunk two feet, and 
three feet wide, you would have a three-feet bed on each 
side, which you could supply with bottom-heat, and top-heat 
as well. Or, suppose you had a simple pit, three feet at back, 
and fifteen inches in front, and six feet wide, a flow and re¬ 
turn four-inch pipe beneath a bed of rubble would give you 
enough of bottom-heat, after March, for propagating, and 
top-heat enough besides, by having a four-inch drain-tile 
standing upright from near the pipe through the rubble, and 
into the atmosphere of the pit, the ends to be plugged or 
opened as top-heat was wanted, or the reverse. In winter, 
when you merely wanted to preserve, the pipes being open, 
a little heat would do. If you tell us what you decide on, 
and we can be of use further, we shall be glad.] 
