166 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, June 12, 1860. 
thousand cuttings of it next autumn from the said gardens 
to meet the demand for it which he anticipates from what 
he sent out this spring. How strange the world goes 
round! Hoes it not P D. Beaton. 
KEEPING PERILLA NANKINENSIS THROUGH 
THE WINTER. 
I hate a greater quantity of Perilla Nankiner.sis than I want 
for my beds this spring. Can I pot them three in a pot, and keep 
them with the bedding plants through the winter for next year ? 
—Hanley. 
[We are not aware that any reliable experiment has yet been 
made to prove if it would pay to keep this Perilla over a summer 
and winter to come earlier next season. Can you depend upon 
it that your present plants shall receive the necessary care to 
decide the point? If so, pray goon, and let us hear from you on 
the point. We are just in for the very same experiment ourselves, 
and should be glad of many helps to decide the fact at once. It 
is well worth the little trouble it will cost any one.] 
CEPHALOTUS EOLLICULARIS. 
Having previously noticed the Nepenthes, I will now en¬ 
deavour to make some remarks on theNew Holland Pitcher-plant, 
which is found growing in the marshes of King George’s Sound.. 
And hero I may remark, the two are perfectly distinct; for while 
in some cases the Nepenthes reaches the height of twenty or 
thirty feet, the Ceplialotus rarely exceeds two inches. 
Eor its successful cultivation a warm greenhouse, or inter¬ 
mediate-house, is necessary. Thumb-pots will be found most 
convenient for ordinary-sized specimens ; and equal parts of peat, 
sphagnum moss and silver sand the most suitable compost. 
After potting, the small pot should be placed inside a 48-sized 
or 32-sized pot, the space between the two to be filled with small 
potsherds to within about one inch of the rim. This should be 
filled with the mixture named above, and neatly clipped over. 
The whole must then be covered with a clean bell-glass. 
The plant requires to be carefully watered at all times, especially 
during the winter months, when only a small quantity of water 
will be required. 
By May or June the small white flowers will appear, from 
which seeds may be saved ; but the most ready way of propagat¬ 
ing is by slips or side-shoots, which will root freely if treated the 
same as recommended for growing the plant.—J. Shutee, 
Gunnerslury Park. 
BUILDING A SMALL GREENHOUSE. 
I have decided upon making a greenhouse similar to that 
called by you a “five-pound” greenhouse, which stands first in 
your Manual, “ Greenhouses for the Many,” but reducing the 
dimensions somewhat. As, however, it is very likely I may have 
to remove it at some future time, I have decided to make the four 
sides and top complete in themselves, and unite them with screws. 
The back will be composed of wood and glass similar to the front 
and sides. I presume this will make no difference in the pre¬ 
servation of the plants. As the house is intended to be a port¬ 
able one, I do not wish the floor to be made of bricks. Do you 
think a mixture of lime and ashes, or ashes, soot, and salt, would 
answer if made hard ? I name the two latter ingredients to keep 
out the slugs, which are very troublesome. I do not propose to 
build any foundation for the walls to rest upon, but to make the 
earth solid, and fasten by stakes at the four corners, at each of 
which I should have a small pier of bricks. The dimensions 
being rather small, and the height being built to correspond— 
viz., five feet high at back, and three feet iu front, I propose to 
sink a path in the inside, say eighteen inches, and to line the sides of 
the path with slates cemented. My chief difficulty, however, rests 
with the stove or heating apparatus. I propose to have one 
made lined with fire-bricks, the piping to carry off the gaseous 
vapours. I think of fixing it under the shelf on which the pots 
are placed, and making it emerge at the opposite corner. Do 
you think this would increase the heat without any unpleasant 
effect, or would the piping be likely to leak and affect the plants ? 
Should there not be sufficient draught for the stove, I am think¬ 
ing of having a tube made which shall communicate at one end 
with the open air, at the other with the register of the stove, and 
by means of a stop-cock be thus enabled to regulate the current of 
air at pleasure. Do you think that such a stove would prove 
equal to warming the house properly (an ironmonger in the 
town agrees to make one by my model, and include the requisite 
piping, for £1 5s.), or would a hot-water apparatus be more ad- 
| visable ? If so, can you recommend me a plan, or give me the 
number of The Cottage Gabdenee where I shall find one de- 
! scribed?—A Lincolnshiee Aiiateue. 
[We approve of your plan. The more glass you have the better 
will the plants thrive; but the more care will they require, and 
the greater necessity of guarding against cold, inasmuch as the 
\ heat inside will radiate so much quicker through glass than 
through wood. On this account your wooden walls, as you may 
term them, will be warmer than brick walls, if your wood is 
fully two inches in thickness. You are right to think nothing of 
foundations. For a house of such a size, we do not think that 
even posts would be necessary ; its own weight would keep it 
steady, unless in some extraordinary weather. For this purpose 
we do not even see the necessity of piers, if the house is to stand 
above the ground level on them. We would as soon set the 
house at once on ground concreted, such as you propose making 
the floor of. In that case the wood next the ground will decay 
soonest; but a fresh piece at the bottom in some half dozen 
years will cost little more than the brick piers. If anxious to 
avoid that, one row of bricks might be laid on the hard ground, 
and the house set on them, which would so far secure the boards 
from damp and decay. Now for your floor. You are right in 
discarding bricks, tiles, &c., under the circumstances, but have 
nothing to do with salt, as it will keep your place damp for ever 
so long. The lime and cinders will keep worms and slugs from 
rising, and, of course, you must prevent the outside ones getting 
in. Proceed thus—level the ground, and beat it firm for a length 
and width, two feet more than the length and width of your 
house. Make the space quite as high as the surrounding ground 
after being well rammed. Then sift the very finest part out of 
your ashes, and to every three barrowloads add a barrow¬ 
load of lime. Work with sufficient water to make mortar, not 
thin, and lay it down and spread it four inches thick. Smooth 
it with the back of a spade, and when still wet throw an inch or 
two of fine drift sand or gravel over the top, and when a little 
dry on the surface, beat or roll it firm. This will give you a very 
nice, firm, clean pavement inside; and it should be so made that 
the space of it outside should slope from your house all round, so 
as to take the wet away. We have said the space outside should 
be two feet or so ; but if three or four it would be better. But 
the width must be regulated according to your circumstances. 
The object is to send off the water that falls from the building. 
For the outside a little coal tar spread on the ground, and enough 
cinders thrown over it to roll in firmly, would suit the purpose; 
but have no tar nor salt inside, or your plants may suffer for 
ever so long. We hardly understand your mode of heating, as 
you speak of making one with fire-bricks, and also of having 
one from an ironmonger. If the stove were of brick,—any brick 
would do,—and it would be as well to have the furnace-doors 
outside. The position of the pipe is all right, and there will 
be draught enough if the pipe is wide enough—say, not less 
than four or six inches in diameter. If much smaller it will clog 
with soot; of course, draught will be regulated by register or 
damper. There will be no danger from the joints if they are 
luted when put up. We think the stove from the ironmonger 
will suit well enough. If the place is your own, you will feel 
more interest in it than if it were anybody’s else. Otherwise, any 
small, cast-metal stove would give you heat enough, and suit for 
keeping the cold out from common things. Having one made 
as you represent will be a great improvement as respects the 
evaporating-dish, &c. You might also have evaporating-pans 
over the pipe. We do not think, however, your evaporating-pan 
Qver the furnace will suit that purpose, and striking cuttings too ; 
it will be apt to be too hot at times, and to get too dry at other 
times. Better have another one to go over it or in it, but 
separated from the bottom with little knobs of anything. The 
heat may thus be kept somewhat uniform. We have no great 
faith in your evaporating-vessel in front of the stove. We would 
trust as much to moistening the ground round it. But the 
double basin would act well. We perceive, from the account of 
the air-pipe with stop-cock for regulating draught, that your 
stove is to be entirely inside the house. No doubt it will answer if 
always attended to by yourself; but the house will be close 
indeed if the stove do not draw without the air-pipe. Now, as 
