THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, July 17, 1860. 
239 
flushes, tints, and tinges the same. I could then judge of 
the relative merits of each in its own class. The third 
season I was able to classify the colours and keep the 
best as easily as counting my fingers. If I had the 
whole of this new strain of improved fancy Pansies, I 
could plant them in that way, and force them to the 
farthest-off garden in the island. D. Beaton. 
TRAINING MUSCAT VINES DOWN A WALL. 
Will you inform mo whether Muscat of Alexandria Vines 
would be likely to bear well if trained down the back wall of the 
house in which they are grown? Or would it be better to plant 
more Vines at the back, and let them grow up to the top ? The 
house is a lean-to, 50 feet long by 9 feet wide, about 11 feet high 
at the back, and 2 feet high in the front. The Vines are planted 
inside the house, one to each rafter ; and as they have reached 
the top of the house, I thought of either training them down the 
back wall, or planting some young ones to grow up. I have 
some wire put up, projecting from the wall about 3 inches, to 
train them to. The house is heated by hot water—two rows ot 
four-inch piping along the front How and return, but none at the j 
back; so that either plan will suit me which you think best. 
The wire is put up opposite the middle of each light between 
the rafters, so the Vines would have plenty of light. In the 
same house there are two of the Grizzly Frontignan Vines, and 
the berries always crack very much when they begin to ripen : 
can I do anything to prevent it ?—A Two Yeaks’ Subsckibee. \ 
[You will not succeed so well with Muscats on the back wall 
as you would do with Muscadines and Hamburghs. If the main 
stems up the rafters are nearer to each other than 4 feet or 5 feet I 
you will not do great things with either. Considering the width 
of your house, we do not think it matters a bit whether you 
make your present Vines go down the back wall, or plant fresh 
ones there. We would prefer planting, however, merely because 
the roots would be so much the more under control, that you 
might have something like a succession crop in the same house. \ 
By-and-by you might try a plan we have frequently suggested, , 
and take your present Vines to fill the back wall, and the back I 
wall ones to come down the rafters. In either case you would 
give each Vine a long bare stem, which would always stand in 
good stead as a reservoir of nourishment. We prosume you have 
kept the atmosphere and the soil of your Frontignans too damp, 
and with not enough heat.] 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY’S FRUIT 
COMMITTEE. 
A meeting of the Fruit Committee was held at the Rooms, 
8, St. Martin’s Place, on the 18th inst. F. J. Graham, Esq., j 
in tho chair. 
At this Meeting prizes were offered for collections of Straw- ! 
berries, and for the best Seedling Strawberry. In the first class, 
which included the new or little-known varieties, the first prize 
of one pound was awarded to Mr. Charles Turner, of Slough, for 
Oscar, Adair, Jeye's Wonderful, Wizard of the Forth, and May 
Queen. In the second class, for the best collection of older 
varieties, the first prize was also awarded to Mr. Turner, for 
Flton Fine, Filbert Fine, Sir Charles Napier, Fivers' Fliza, 
Myatt's Fliza, Admiral Dundas, Black Prince, Sir Harry, 
Carolina Superba, Ingram's Prince of Wales, and Trollope's 
Victoria. 
For the prize of one pound, tor the best Seedling Strawberry, 
there were seven competitions. 1st, Black Dwarf, from Mr. 
Hally, of Blackheath, of which a plant in a pot was exhibited. 
It is of a close, dwarf habit of growth, and dark green foliage. 
The fruit is the size and shape of British Qtieen, but darker and 
more uniform in colour than that variety. The fruit exhibited 
was considered too acid. 2nd, Blackbird : this was raised and 
exhibited by Mr. Thomas Ingram, of Frogmore. The fruit is 
large, conical, or wedge-shaped, even and handsome in shape; of 
a bright shining-red colour; the flesh solid throughout, and pale 
scarlet, juicy, and richly flavoured. This received the First 
Fnze. 3rd, Prince Arthur : this, also, is a Seedling raised by 
Mr. Ingram, of Frogmore, and was exhibited both by Messrs. 
Small, of Colnbrook, and by Mr. Bragg, of Slough. We described 
this variety in our report of the former Meeting of the Committee. 
On this occasion it was much superior in flavour to what it was 
at last Meeting, and was decidedly rich and piquant. It was 
awarded a First-class Certificate. 4th, Highland Mary, and 
5th, Richard the Second, both from Mr. Cuthiil, of Camberwell, 
were not thought to possess any novelty in their character, and 
were, besides, very acid in flavour. 6th, Myatt’s No. 14, and 
7th, Myatt's No. 15, both raised by Mr. Myatt, of Deptford, 
are of the British Queen race, and in appearance bear considerable 
resemblance to that variety ; but they were deficient in richness 
of flavour, there being a predominance of acid. 
It is to be observed that, in consequence of the extreme lateness 
of the season and the great want of sun, all the varieties exhibited 
in collections were very deficient in flavour to what they are in 
good seasons, being all decidedly more acid than was desirable. 
It is, therefore, fair to conclude that the seedlings exhibited havo 
also suffered from these disadvantages, and that in a warmer 
season their merits may be of a higher order than they presented 
on this occasion. 
Mr. Daniel Robertson, of Linside, near Paisley, sent three 
plants of Wizard of the Forth, in pots, one of which was of a 
very large size, and bearing large clusters of immature fruit. 
Mr. Robertson stated in a communication to the Secretary that 
in consequence of the lateness of the season he had not yet been 
able to obtain ripe fruit of this seedling, and tho plants had been 
sent merely to show their productive properties. 
Mr. Standish, of Bagshot, sent a bunch of a new Seedling 
Black Grape, having a Muscat flavour, raised by Mr. Ingram, of 
Frogmore. It was stated that it would prove a hardy Grape, 
and an abundant bearer. The bunch exhibited was nine inches 
long, and tapering similar in shape to that of Black Prince, well 
set, and with black oval berries. The fruit, although not suf¬ 
ficiently ripened, was rich and sprightly, with a decided trace of 
the Muscat flavour. Mr. Standish intimated his intention of 
sending another and larger bunch to the Meeting on the 30th, 
when it would be in a better state of ripeness. It is proposed to 
call it Ingram’s Hardy Prolific Muscat. 
Mr. W. P. Ayres, of Orchardligh Park, sent a Seedling Melon, 
called Hybrid Cashmere, eleven inches long, oval, and of a green 
colour. It was of very good flavour, but was not thought to 
differ materially from the Beechwood, than which it was some¬ 
what longer in shape. 
Mr. J. Mitchell, of Escrick Park Gardens, near York, sent a 
dish of what was supposed to be a Seedling Peach, raised some 
years ago at that place. They were large and handsome ; but, 
in the opinion of the Meeting, it was too much like Bellegarde 
to be considered distinct. 
Mr. Newton, of Enfield Chase, exhibited an excellent bunch of 
Black Hamburgh Grapes, which had been grown at that place 
under the name of Black St. Peter's. 
Messrs. James Carter & Co., of Holborn, sent specimens of tho 
Black-seeded Alphange Lettuce, very large, but not a desirable 
variety to grow. 
HEATING BY HOT WATER WITH GAS 
FOR FUEL. 
I wish to have a warm greenhouse, cool greenhouse, aud pro- 
pagating-house, all combined and heated from one boiler. The 
house will be 34 feet long, 15 feet wide, 11 feet high in the centre, 
and 6 feet at the sides (2 feet brick and 4 feet wood and glass), one 
side all brick, which is the N.E. side. The propagating-house 
12 feet long, 6 feet wide, 7 feet high, and 3 feet at the lowest end. 
The stage will stand upon brickwork 2 feet high, and filled up 
with earth even to the top of brickwork. This I think will save 
a large space which will not have to be heated. I propose to 
heat the boiler with gas, upon a plan, I think, has not yet been 
adopted. The person who does the gas-fitting I require, lias a 
burner which is very extensively used tor heating purposes. The 
burner has ten holes and will spread a flame five to six inches in 
diameter. By a certain contrivance the air mixes with the gas 
before it is consumed, and the great charm is, it produces no 
smoke. The gas will be lighted from the outside of the house, 
and enclosed with an iron door with a ventilator, to give air to 
the flame. I intend to have the boiler made ot block tin 
(enclosed in brickwork), to hold about two gallons, about 12 
inches in diameter, 18 or 20 inches high. The burner will be 
placed at the bottom of the boiler; the hot air will pass oft 
through a coil of pipes in the centre of the boiler and out into 
tho open air. (This plan I havo taken from your little and 
