306 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, February 3,1857. 
in Norfolk, nor can I get it true. I obtained, as I thought, 
a peck of them, but when they came up I soon found out 
they were only the Fluke. I saw a small piece of ground 
planted with the Lapstone, in Worcestershire, in 1853. A 
few very small ones were given to us, and without expecting 
more than a crop for seed. They were planted three feet 
apart from row to row, and one foot between each two sets, 
and then a row of Cauliflower plants between them ; but the 
Potatoes sprang up like giants, and smothered their com¬ 
panions, so that there was not a Cauliflower left, and such a 
crop of tubers had seldom been seen. Perhaps the mode of 
planting had something to do with it. The trenches were 
made about eight inches deep, and then about three inches 
of old tan from a Pine pit were put in, and the Potatoes 
planted in that; then the earth pulled in upon them. There 
were scarcely a dozen but what were a fit size for table. 
As to the disease I am of Mr. Weaver’s opinion, and think 
that if we had taken up our crops before the rains in August 
we might have saved them. For instance, I had a square of 
the Ash-leaved and the same of the Regents in my garden, 
both planted at the same time—the 10th of March. One half 
of each square was taken up the first week in August, and 
never since have I found one diseased tuber amongst them, 
nor, at the time of talcing up, more than a dozen bad tubers 
of each sort. 
The remaining halves were not taken up until the middle 
of September, and quite half of them were then diseased, 
and since then I have looked them over twice, and both 
times found several of them bad. 
I have noticed several times that the outside row was the 
most free from disease, and if it could be thoroughly proved 
I think we should have considerably less of the disease by 
planting single rows. They would then get more light and 
air. 
My mode of planting is to trench the ground in autumn, 
and let it remain until I want to crop it, and I then take a 
fork and throw down the ridges as far as the crop is to go. 
I then make a trench about six inches deep with a strong 
hoe, plant the Potatoes, and cover them in with my feet as I 
go from one end to another, and finally draw a rake lightly 
over the surface to give a neat appearance. The rows are 
two feet apart. I always find the Potatoes come up more 
regular than by the dibbling system, as then some of the 
sets get buried deeper than the others.— S. Taylor, Swaff- 
ham, Norfolk. 
POLMAISE HEATING. 
In the system of heating called “ Polmaise” (where is Pol¬ 
maise?*) there appears to me one great fault, which,though at 
first sight it may appear to effect an economy in fuel consumed, 
is scarcely likely to be productive of food to vegetable growth. 
I have not had much experience in the matter, but have had 
some, so I may be in error, and am quite open to receive 
instruction from those better informed; but it does not 
seem natural to me that the same air should circulate time 
after time throughout the greenhouse, and such un¬ 
wholesome circulation appears to be the foundation of 
“Polmaise.” From the temperature obtained it is very clear 
that, at times, the iron plate forming the furnace top is 
exposed to very great heat, for which my experience would 
not induce me to use a single casting for the whole, as large 
castings are, when exposed to uneven temperatures, very 
liable to crack. As the draught into the chimney will be 
stronger than that into the warm air chamber, there need be 
no fear of sulphurous fumes from the coke, which, however, 
may be entirely “laid” by sprinkling over the coke a 
handful of common salt. 
I would suggest whether it would not be economy, both 
in bricks and heat, to make the chamber longer, and, instead 
of carrying up the chimney at the right hand side of the fur¬ 
nace mouth, to build it against the end wall of the greenhouse, 
whereby that end would be to some extent extra warmed. 
If cast iron is used instead of clay tiles, a coating of sand 
an inch or so deep will be found of advantage. Our own 
greenhouse is warmed with heated air in a very simple yet 
efficacious manner. In the cellar underneath a small fur¬ 
nace is built on Arnott’s principle, the smoke flue from which 
is carried the length of the greenhouse, and built up with 
the gardener’s cottage probably forty feet, the draught of 
which can be further regulated by a damper placed after it ' 
has passed the greenhouse. The top of the smoke flue is 
covered with large flat tiles, forming the bottom of the hot- air i 
chamber, the warm air from which enters the greenhouse 
through ordinary circular ventilators, which can be opened 
or shut at pleasure.— Suburban. 
“WHAT SEEDS AND PLANTS SHOULD I TAKE 
OR SEND TO AUSTRALIA?” 
We are asked this question occasionally by intending 
emigrants and the friends of settlers in Australia, and we 
have generally answered, that all seeds, and plants, and 
trees, fruit trees and all others which do well in British 
soil, will do equally well there, and some kinds may be ex- 
pected to do better there than in our most favourable localities. 
Through the kindness of the Messrs. Low, of the Clapton 
Nursery, we are enabled to-day to give a glimpse of the 
other side of the question, and to show what things have 
been recently sent home for by British gardeners and others 
in the nursery and seed trade at Melbourne. 
A married gardener who went out in 1854 writes thus to 
Clapton :—“ Your testimonials have been of great service 
to me here. We arrived safe in Adelaide on the Gth of 1 
January, 1855, the hottest part of our summers here. For 
the first few weeks I thought we should be roasted alive, the 
thermometer, in the sun, being often above 130°. I soon 
got a gardener’s place with the head of a highly respectable 
firm in Adelaide, with whom I remained till June, that is, 
the winter of 1856, when I thought to better myself by 
coming to Melbourne, where your testimonials soon obtained 
for me a good situation under Mr.-, in the centre of 
the Victoria Gold Fields. He is making a large fruit and 
forest nursery here, which I have no doubt will be a 
profitable undertaking, as gardens are rapidly forming in 
every part of the colony, and timber, such as it is, is 
recklessly cut and burnt in every direction. I am sorry I 
have not been able yet to send you any native seeds; but 
the truth is, my situation at Adelaide was in the midst of a 
cultivated district, and my time was fully occupied in my 
new place, but on these hills I have a better chance. I 
have seen already (14tli September), the following coming i 
into flower:—Acacias, Boronias, Eriostemons, Eucalyptus, 
Hardenbergias, Pimeleas, &c.”—P. D. 
The nurseryman that is to be “ on these hills ” writes as 
follows :—“ In giving you this order I have before me The 
Cottage Gardener, No. 265, of the 27th of October, 1853, 
referring to two shipments to New Zealand, together with i 
the corroborative testimony of my gardener in favour of your 
successful way of packing and arrangements for such con- ! 
signments, and, therefore, I shall leave the selection to your 
better judgment, and only remark, that I should wish you 
to add assortments of Hyacinths, Narcissus, Jonquils, 
Crocuses, Anemones, Ranunculuses, Tulips, Gladioluses, 
Iris Hispanica, a choice collection of fruit trees, of Camellias 
and Roses, of flowering shrubs, the best and more common 
hardy trees in England, and best old English garden plants 
{hear, hear ) to the amount of-, all charges to 
Melbourne included. Should you be further able to 
preserve and pack European forest-tree seeds in such a 
manner that they are not injured by the journey in their 
growing capability, I wish to dedicate a further amount of 
-to a collection of Oak, Ash, Birch, Beech, Lime, 
Horse and Sweet Chestnut, Elm, Alder, Sycamore, Larch, 
Pine, &c., seeds. The best seasons for sending the seeds, 
the bulbs, and the different kinds of plants I shall leave to 
you to decide, but send by the fastest mail clippers or 
steamers to Melbourne. 
“ As to the amount of these shipments you will please to 
draw on me at-on sending invoice and bill of lading. 
“ Mr. D. tells me that he promised to send you a collection 
of Australian seeds, but in his former situation in South 
Australia he had no opportunity to do so ; here this season, 
however, I shall join him, and do our best to oblige you. 
“ P.S. Should the Kent of the Blackball line be ready 
* Near Stirling, in Scotland. 
