THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, March 8, 1859. 
of the bog lie obtains; yet be, in. his directions for compost, 
strangely omits it altogether. The method of propagation, too, 
is somewhat novel—I allude to the use of waterproof pans. 
Surely he does not entirely subvert the acknowledged necessity 
of drainage ? Or am I to imderstand, by waterproof pans, ho 
uses pans internally glazed? Even this is at varianco with 
custom, and requires some explanation.; as thorough drainage 
is with me an absolute law. 
. Again. We are told the Calceolaria does not succeed in smaller 
sized pots than 36’s. Numbers must greatly vary, or most 
gardeners, growing quantities of bedding plants, would find small 
chance ot accommodating them. I have long grown Calceolarias, 
and am this year holding 1,900 in 60-sized pots ; and I think I 
might challenge many to produce so clean, healthy a stock. 
Long may they continue so, as, with 9000 plants potted, I am 
glad to economise space. 
Trusting that “ J. H.” will not deem anything I say un- 
courteous, I should feel obliged by a more explicit statement.; 
and if any detail of my system can be of service to him, or others, 
I shall feel it a duty to my fellow gardeners to give it, greatly 
regretting the possibility of failure in so valuable a plant as the 
Calceolaria.— Calceolus. 
[We shall be obliged by a statement of your mode of culture. 
—Eds.] 
THE SCIENCE OF GARDENING. 
(Continuedfrom, page 343.) 
It may be accepted as a general maxim, that whatever 
causes an excessive development of root prevents the production 
of seed; and vice versa , the production of seed, especially in 
tuberous-rooted plants, reduces the amount of root developed. 
Thus, frequently transplanting the young plants of the Broccoli 
and Cauliflower causes the production of numerous fibrous roots, 
and is found effective in preventing the mature plants advancing 
early to seed. The early varieties of the Potato do not naturally 
produce seed ; but if their tubers are removed as soon as they are 
formed, these early varieties blossom and bear seed as freely as 
the later kinds—a fact suggesting many experiments to the cul¬ 
tivators of sliy-blooming tuberous-rooted flowers. Again, if the 
blossoms of those later varieties of the Potato are plucked off as 
they appear, the weight of tubers produced will be increased. 
It is a common and very ancient opinion, that the roots of 
plants equal in extent that of their stems and branches. An 
opinion which we have already seen is fallacious in the case of 
plants growing in poor soils ; and that it is a fallacy we shall 
have a future occasion to demonstrate. 
That it was an ancient opinion is shown by these lines of 
Yirgil— 
“ Eseulus in primis, qua', quantum rertice, ad auras 
Aetherias, tantum, radice, in Tartara tendit.” *— Georg, ii. 291. • 
“ The Chestnut especially, whose root descends as low towards hell as 
its head extends in the air towards heaven.” 
Virgil may have only intended his description as a poetical 
mode of describing the deep rooting of the Chestnut and the 
Oak ; yet it is a popular error still, that the roots sink down as 
high as the stem rises, and spread laterally as far as its branches. 
In the case of the Oak, we may mention one instance to the con¬ 
trary. The well-known Rev. W. Bree, of Allesley Rectory, took 
up a year-old, self-sown seedling Oak. It was growing in a 
wheat stubble. The plant, thriving and vigorous; was four 
inches high, while the root below measured thirty-four inches and 
a half.— (Gardeners’ Magazine , x. 439.) 
Although there is no equality of extent between the branches 
and roots of plants, it is most important that there is a reci¬ 
procity in their action. If the roots are excited into activity 
before the branches and their leaves—or if these become active 
before the roots are powerfully imbibing food—disease, in some 
form, is the consequence. 
That this should be so, might be anticipated even by the least 
thoughtful; for, if the sap is impelled upwards before the leaves 
are prepared for its reception and digestion, there must be bleed¬ 
ing, or other organic derangement; and if the leaves are de¬ 
veloped before the root can supply them with sap, there must be 
gangrene, or decay, from the want of sustenance. Practice shows 
these events; and the best gardeners always take care, when forcing 
fruit, that by borders well drained and proportionately heated, 
the roots of the trees shall be growing and imbibing from the 
* In .Encid iv., Virgil says exactly the same of the Oak. 
soil quite as soon as the buds begin to swell. It is useless to 
apply heat to the surface of a wet, imdrained border ; because the 
water with which it is charged will not conduct the heat down¬ 
wards. On the other hand, if the border is well freed from 
stagnant moisture, heat applied to the surface will descend with 
sufficient rapidity. On this point we shall have occasion to speak 
more fully, and shall here only add a quotation from a recent 
communication from that scienced practitioner, Mr. Fish. 
“ I have found,” he says, “ that from twelve to fifteen inches 
of fermenting matter, such as tree leaves, will bo 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 a3 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 fer¬ 
menting matter placed over tho border, farther than that com¬ 
municates heat downwards. 
“ As heat rises most naturally, I cordially agree in the pro¬ 
priety 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 bo 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.” * 
( To be continued .) 
GOLDEN CEDO NULLI CHRYSANTHEMUM. 
A misunderstanding- appears to have arisen in consequence 
of some observations which appeared in The Cottage Gabdener, 
page 162, of the December Number. I beg to state, that tho 
Chrysanthemum there noticed as being very like the Golden 
Cedo Nulli was sent to me, and planted in my garden, to 
ascertain its merits. By many persons it was considered to be 
similar to those at St. James’s Hall; but at the latter end of the 
season it proved a different variety, and inferior to the Golden 
Cedo Nulli exhibited by Mr. Bird.— John Salter, Versailles 
Nursery , Hammersmith. 
MEASURING THE HEIGHT OF TREES. 
One of your correspondents asks how to find the height of 
trees, &c. The following plan is the ne plus ultra of simplicity:— 
Cut a triangular board to an angle of 45° ; support tlio base of 
it on a slick at the height of your eye, placing a common level 
along its base, to keep it horizontal. Then walk away from the 
tree, taking the whole apparatus with you, till your eye, looking 
up the sloping side, strikes the topmost twig. The distance from 
your stick to the tree’s base, measured along the ground, plus tho 
height of your eye from the ground, is tho total height of the 
tree.— Crux. 
P.S.—A clever fellow will see how to make a plummet and 
line do instead of a level. 
Mildness ot the Season. —We have just seen a wild Straw¬ 
berry in blossom, and with one fruit perfected, which had been 
picked on the 25th of February, near Ryde, in the Isle of Wight! 
*\Ve recommend, for attentive perusal, tlie entire essay from which 
this is extracted. See Cottage Gakckneb, No. 512, 
