310 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 15, 1859. 
twelve to fifteen inches of fermenting matter, such as 
tree leaves, will be sufficient to give a heat on the border 
in moderate weather of about 70°, three inches below the 
surface; 68° at the depth of six to eight inches; 66° at 
the depth of a foot; and about 57° at the depth of two 
feet—a heat quite as great as the roots would have in 
general seasons in summer from natural causes; and 
therefore, when forced, placing the roots as respects heat 
in something like a natural position. These temperatures 
will vary according to the weather and the state of the 
border, especially as respects freedom from stagnant 
moisture ; but they will be found pretty near the mark on 
an average. The thermometers, if possible, should be 
placed in open tubes or drains, communicating with the 
end or front of the border, the end of the drains being 
shut; and then the thermometers will not be influenced 
by the fermenting matter placed over the border, farther 
than that communicates heat downwards. 
So much as to littering and placing fermenting material 
on a border containing the roots for forced Vines. As 
heat rises most naturally, I would cordially agree in the 
propriety of a heating medium in a chamber, or other 
contrivance, below the border—such as hot-water pipes— 
so that there would be no possibility of the roots coming 
in direct contact with the heating medium. But even 
then, for early forcing, there would be a necessity for 
littering the border, or covering it with glass, or some 
non-conducting medium as wood, or asphalt shutters ; or, 
in severe weather, there might be a very great difference 
between the heat at the bottom and the surface of the 
border. In unison with such border-protection, one of 
the finest vineries I ever saw, had most of the heating 
surface in a chamber below the border,—the necessary 
heat for the atmosphere of the house being admitted by 
slides. In such a mode of heating, the border should not 
be too deep, as the heat will attract the roots down. On 
the other hand, throwing in a little heat from the surface 
will help to entice the roots upwards. I have not had 
much experience in heating from below with pipes ;. but 
that, little as it is, would make me anxious to introduce it, 
if possible, into all new vineries, for early forcing, that 
might come under my management. 
To resume, then, I think we may conclude : — 
1st. That in deep, undrained borders, and where the 
roots are also deep, littering the surface to keep out frost 
will be useful; but a huge heap of fermenting material 
on the surface, will be of no avail. Drainage would be 
the first thing they wanted; and, perhaps, raising the 
roots the second. 
2nd. Where no covering of borders is practised, and 
there are no means of heating them from below, and jmt 
forcing be commenced in January, or earlier, those Vines 
will oe safest that have the roots from eighteen to thirty 
inches below the surface, as the average temperature at 
the greater depth will be much higher than at a shallower 
one. 
3rd. When the bulk of the Vine roots is from nine 
to twenty-four inches from the surface, not only will a 
moderate covering of fermenting matter increase the 
temperature at the roots, but, the greatest heat being at 
the surface, the roots will bo induced to rise. 
4th. On the other hand, without such fermenting 
matter, or covering of any kind, the roots will be tempted 
to descend in search alike of moisture and increased 
warmth. 
5th. When the roots are from six to eighteen inches 
from the surface, not only may they easily be excited into 
growth, but also easily injured by too great an amount, 
and too much power in the fermenting material. What 
is a good servant, we may find will prove a bad master. 
We should not, in such circumstances, like the soil, 
a few inches below the surface, to be much above 70°. 
6th. Finding that in spring, summer, and autumn, 
when in favourable positions, the Vine buds, grows, and 
ripens fruit out of door3; that the heat of the soil at the 
roots, though more regular, is but little below the average 
temperature of the atmosphere ; and taking natural phe¬ 
nomena for our guide ; we would incline, when forcing 
the Vine out of its natural season, to try and stimulate 
the roots into action, as well as the buds and branches, 
by throwing in heat for this purpose from below when we 
could, and by coverings on the surface when we could 
not. I would also incline, if possible, to gwe the starting 
point, instead of the laggard following after one, to the 
roots. No one, however, will more carefully ponder and 
weigh opposite conclusions. R. Fish. 
CALCEOLARIA CULTURE. 
Our Calceolarias have done exceedingly well this year under 
the following simple treatment:—We strike them in cold frames, 
and keep them there till spring. About the latter end of April 
we turn them out of the frames—if the weather is at all favour¬ 
able—and plant them on a south border six inches between the 
lines, and four inches from plant to plant. There they remain 
till the fourth week in May, and become good plants. If there 
is some leaf mould, or old tan, to the roots, it makes them lift 
with much better balls. 
In the fourth week of May they are taken to the flower-beds, 
the soil in these being a stiff loam. The plants give no further 
trouble after planting, beyond merely giving them a little water 
to settle the soil about the roots. To have better plants and 
more flowers upon them than we have is needless. The sorts w r e 
plant are— Kayii, latifolia , and amplexicaulis .—Ax Under- 
Gardener, Derbyshire. 
NEW VINES—TRANSPLANTING OLD VINES. 
It is not uncommon to see notices of seedling Vines, that 
hare either had p>rizes awarded to them, or been “ highly com¬ 
mended” by the Judges of Horticultural Societies, some of which 
differ but little from the pnarent stocks, while others arc certainly 
Avorthy of notice. In general, they are offered to the public, as 
strong plants, at from ten shillings to a poound each. This may 
seem high ; but those who sell them may have paid a good price 
for the stock, or kinds, and sp>ent something for advertising; 
besides, their pirofit depiends mucli on the sale of the young Vines 
the first season. However it may be, as regards price there can be 
no deception ; but, of course, he Avho gives it expiects to have a 
strong plant for his money. Unfortunately, however, in this, as 
in other matters, expectation is not always realised, and he re¬ 
ceives a spindling, delicate pitot, requiring another season’s 
growth before it is worth planting. Hence, not only arises much 
disappointment, but sometimes the new kind, however good, is 
rejected, and little thought of afterwards. Perhaps I need hardly 
observe, that this disappointment often arises from Vine plants 
being reared from eyes, or buds, of weak shoots, and being hurried 
on to meet the demand. 
These remarks, with some modifications, may be also apiplied 
to pn-ivate piarties avIio canvass subscribers for their new Vines. 
However, I would rather prefer eyes, or buds, from strong and 
Avell-ripened shoots, from which better plants may be raised than 
those I have named, even supposing them to bo two years old. 
To a novice, such plants, in pretty large plots, may apjpear more 
showy; but a practised hand knows that they have nearly finished 
their season’s growth, especially if the tiny Blioots are brown, and 
have begun to ripien in May ; whereas plants raised in spring, 
from the strong buds I have named, have the whole summer to 
mature their growth. After this, it would be idle to say which 
will be the strongest plants the next season. 
I wish it to be understood, that these observations do not refer 
to respectable nurserymen, to Avhom the public are much in¬ 
debted for bringing new and rare kiuds of fruit into notice, but 
rather in defence of gardeners whose employers happen to pur¬ 
chase new kinds of Vines, expecting to find them fruitful the 
second season, and are impatient under the disappointment. This 
date may appear too long to those who possess strong young 
Vines, and more so to some that pirofess to have a crop of Grapes 
from Vines only one year old—I mean pilants that are reared one 
season and bear a crop the next. I certainly once knew an in¬ 
stance of that myself, but it was under very peculiar circum¬ 
stances, The Vines were Black Hamburyhs, raised from spur* 
