240 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, July 17, I860. 
valuable work, “ Greenhouses for the Many.”) By this plan a 
great saving will be made in the consumption of gas, as the hot 
air will help to heat the water. I also propose to have a tank 
(made of galvanised iron), 12 feet long and 4 feet wide, 4 inches 
deep, and filled with water in the propagating-house. To heat 
this, I intend to have a branch carried from the flow-pipe (two- 
inch pipe), all round inside the tank. This, I think, will heat 
the water in the tank and give me a sufficient bottom heat for 
propagating. I have some little doubt upon this last plan. All 
the other pipes are to bo four-inch pipe. I intend to carry the 
flow and two returns off from the boiler, with two-inch pipe 
for about one foot, and connect it to the four-inch pipe. I 
intend the flow and return to pass under the tank, wliich will 
give top heat in the propagating-house. By the several stopcocks 
I shall be able to heat the house up to various temperatures, and 
also propagate only when required. Any improvements or sug¬ 
gestions you could make will be very acceptable. If you think 
the plan a good one, I shall be happy to communicate the results 
when completed; also, the cost of the gas. My reason for 
wishing to adopt gas is, I am engaged in town all day, and by 
its simplicity any person could be left to manage it. Is it best 
to have all the laps puttied up ?—H. M. P. 
[With the main features of your house we see little to amend, 
provided your calculations should turn out to be correct. If 
you carry out your plan we should be very glad indeed to hear 
of the results. Meanwhile wo are doubtful if you will succeed 
in heating such a house sufficiently with one gas-burner, however 
powerful; though we allow that your mode of heating will give 
almost as much from that jet as you can by any possibility attain. 
In the first place we would hint that the coiled pipe, after passing 
through the boiler, might be continued some yards in the house. 
The reason for decidedly having gas does not seem to us very 
strong, as there will be more danger during the day from want 
of attention to air-giving and shading, than to suffering from | 
want of heat. We think, also, your proposed boiler will hold 
more than two gallons, unless it is hollowed in the centre. Have 
you thought how many gallons your piping will hold, and the 
time these will take to heat properly ? If gas is to be used, 
strong block tin would be the best, but it would be wise to have 
an extra boiler in supply in case of accidents, as we have known 
instances of some being burned through in a short time. On 
the whole, were there nothing particular against it, for such a 
large concern we should prefer a small conical boiler, and a small 
furnace to be heated in the usual way. With all the contem¬ 
plated improvements we fear the expense for gas will be great ; 
but we should most gladly bo undeceived in this matter. 
We should also prefer being able to heat the propagating-house 
by itself—at least so as to be able to give bottom heat without 
giving top heat to it, or the other hothouse when not wanted. 
We should, therefore, prefer four-inch piping, or at least three- | 
inch piping, in the tank to two-inch. If the tank were on the 
same level as the piping, or even a little higher, no piping at all 
would be required, but a short flow-pipe and return-pipe from the 
tank to the boiler. If there is any difference in level, the close 
pipes will be the best; and then, unless just for saying you had 
a tank, it would not be absolutely required at all. These pipes, 
surrounded first with a foot of broken bricks, stones, &c., sur¬ 
mounted with gravel, and then sand or ashes, would just answer j 
as well as the tank of galvanised iron. You may either keep | 
your sand dry or damp, as you wish. People generally succeed 
best with their own plans, however; and therefore, if you have 
a galvanised iron tank, there is one thing to be thought about— 
and that is, that the tank should stand as free as possible, and be 
supported on blocks of wood. If it rests on earth or brickwork 
it will be apt to corrode and rust. Wo have seen zinc, tin, and 
galvanised iron thus injured when used as pipes for heating; but 
they remained sound a long time when standing clear and sup¬ 
ported on wooden brackets. You are so far right as to your 
stage; but if you have less air to heat you will have a body of brick 
and earth that will absorb, and also what will be of benefit to you 
will give out that heat slowly afterwards. But the faot of having 
less air to heat, will subject you to the inconvenience of having 
less to cool: hence small houses and pits are more variable in 
their temperature and feel sudden changes more than large ones. 
Besides, the plants will not have so much air, or such frequent 
changes of air when the house is shut up, as they would have if 
there were a fair quantity of shelves below the stage as well as 
above it. Were economy iu construction and attendance our 
object, we would carry your idea a step further, and raise your 
brick walls a foot or so more ; and then filling the enclosed space 
with earth, with a deep covering of sand, on that sand platform, 
or table, wo would set the plants, and dispense with a stage 
altogether. The plants standing on the moist sand would suffer 
less from dryness than when standing on shelves, if the cultivator 
must be absent during the day. As already stated, air giving 
then will be more particular than heating, and that can only be 
regulated under such circumstances by giving a little air early , 
and keeping a little on all day even in early spring. By such a 
mode the house will never get scorched, nor will the heat fall in¬ 
juriously low, if the heating power is kept under lock and key 
until the enthusiastic cultivator himself returns. We should 
use small laps and not putty them.] 
HARDY VARIEGATED TREES. 
The human mind delights in variety. If everything were 
green, or, indeed, any other colour, the sameness would be far 
from pleasant: hence the great Creator has given to flowers 
various hues to delight His creatures, at least, His chief creature, 
man, and given him powers of mind to delight in variety of shade 
j and colour. How glorious are the tints which the foliage of 
trees take in the autumn ! and how the artists revel in their rich 
shades at that season of the year! It is this love of variety that has 
brought plants with coloured leaves into so great estimation; and 
to supply that estimation with more numerous objects, nurserymen 
and collectors have striven, and with great success, to discover, 
raise, and increase them, so as to bring them within reach of all 
cultivators desirous of growing them. There are, however, con¬ 
siderable numbers of cultivators who would purchase them, but 
are ignorant of the many varieties that are waiting their orders. 
To give that knowledge is my object in drawing up the following 
lists of variegated trees and shrubs. I shall not only give the 
names of the variegated-leaved varieties, but also such as havo 
leaves of different colours to green—such for instance, as the well- 
known purple-leaved Beech. I would premise, however, that 
trees with variegated and coloured leaves are not as yet very 
numerous, neither is it, in my opinion, so desirable; because tho 
foliage of a tree is so elevated from the sight, that the variegation 
does not appear to so great an advantage as on the more humble 
class of shrubs. This does not, it is true, apply to self entire- 
coloured leaves on trees—such, indeed, show to advantage how¬ 
ever lofty they may grow. A group of the dark-leaved Beech, for 
instance, contrasts beautifully, even at a considerable distance, 
with the green foliage of other trees. A woodland-walk or 
carriage-drive might be agreeably diversified by a group of 
variegated trees. The mass would have an effect, whereas an 
isolated striped Elm or Oak would be hardly observable. Many 
an open glade in forest land might be occupied with three or five 
beautiful-foliaged trees, which, in such a situation, would be seen 
to advantage, and, no doubt, greatly admired. Where the 
pleasure-ground is extensive, a single fine specimen of the purple¬ 
leaved Beech, Elm, or Sycamore, would have a good effect. 
With these few premising remarks, I now proceed to give the 
names of trees with various-coloured and striped leaves. To 
increase them they must be grafted, inarched or budded. 
Acer campestre varieyatum (The striped-leaved Maple). 
Britain. 
A. platanoid.es varieyatum (The Plane-like Maple). Europe. 
A. pseudo-platanus varieyatum (The false Plane tree or Syca¬ 
more). Britain. 
A. rubrurn varieyatum aureum (Tho red-flowered golden- 
variegated Maple). N. America. 
A. rulrum varieyatum. aryenlenm (The red-flowered silver- 
striped Maple). N. America. 
Msculus Mppocastamm foliis aryenteis (Tho silver-leaved 
Horse Chestnut). British Gardens. 
A. Mppocastanum varieyatum (The common striped-leaved 
Horse Chestnut). British Gardens. 
Betula alba foliis varieyatis (Tho striped-leaved White Birch). 
A truly elegant tree. Native of Britain. 
Castanea vesca foliis aureis (The golden-leaved Chestnut). 
British Gardens. 
C. vesca varieyata (Silver-striped Chestnut). Gardens. 
C. vesca chrysophylla (The Golden Chestnut of California). 
Foliage dark green on the upper surface, and a rich golden colour 
underneath. This beautiful tree is of recent introduction; and 
to add to its value as an ornament to our plantations, it is ever¬ 
green and perfectly hardy. It will, most likely, come true from 
seeds. It is at present high in' price. 
