31 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, August 21, 1860. 
account to the Gardeners' Chronicle, where it was especially 
noticed by Dr. Lindley, to whom I sent the first of them, a full 
double. It was this plant, doubtless, that that gentleman .pro¬ 
duced at the Society’s rooms the other day. It is a beautiful 
plant, requiring, however, renewal annually by cuttings, or it 
•soon dwindles and is lost. A plant exactly resembling it was 
raised many years ago by Mr. Atkins, “ Cyclamen Atkins.” Mr. 
Henderson has both of them at Pine Apple Place. The colour, 
especially of the singles, was so bright that on approaching the 
eye close to the plant an effect was felt like that of being 
dazzled by a strong light. I fear the singles are lost [No: ours 
are single.— Eds.], but might be easily reproduced. 
The Carnation seeds shyly from want of anthers alone, and 
produces seed freely when fertilised by its own or other Dianthus 
pollen. Pinks and Carnations are in flower together this strange 
season, and breeders should cross the two.—R. Trevor Clark. 
Why do not you bed out the new Begonias P They grow out 
of doors like Cabbages. [We dobed them'out, but ours grow 
more like Broccoli!— Eds.] 
GROWING PINES WITH VINES, AND OTHER 
ERUIT TREES. 
Ik the first place (in answer to “ Ak Old Subscriber,” 
East Cowes), we unhesitatingly state, that where there are 
various compartments of a hothouse, the greatest success will 
be realised where only one thing is made the main object in each 
compartment. The next greatest success will be when two things 
are made pretty well chief objects, and the one at times must give 
place to the benefit of the other—as when Grapes and Peaches 
are grown in one house, or where Grapes and Pines are grown, 
in another. With a little thought and managing, in either case, 
good crops of both and well flavoured can be secured. In either 
of these cases the crops of a more temporary character need not 
be confined to one or two. For instance : in either case Straw¬ 
berries and French Beans may be grown in abundance until the 
shade becomes too dense; and in the Pine department Cucum¬ 
bers and Melons may be produced, the first in winter and spring, 
and the second in early summer. With these several compart¬ 
ments of our correspondent, our advice would be to sacrifice the 
Peaches on the back wall where he contemplates having Pines, 
ar.d either to place Vines there, or, what would be better, reserve 
it for early Cucumbers and Melons grown in boxes. This advice 
is founded upon the facts, that under ordinary circumstances it 
would be impossible to rest the Peach trees sufficiently without 
exciting them into bloom; and then when ripening, the close, 
moist atmosphere that would just suit a swelling Pine Apple in 
May and June, would also, no doubt, swell a Peach admirably, 
but give you when at its best the flavour not so nice as a half- 
grown sweet Turnip. 
The success of Peach culture under glass depends on a 
thorough ripening of the wood, a period of repose after the leaves 
are fallen, a comparatively low temperature to start the buds into 
bloom, plenty of air until the bloom is set, a closer atmosphere, 
and warmer when swelling, but abundance of air as the fruit 
approaches the ripening process. If this free air is presented 
with abundance of sunlight, forced Peaches are as fine as, or even 
finer than, those procured from the open wall. Without this 
they will neither have good colour nor flavour. 
The matter would be different, where, as in the present case, 
there are different compartments, if the Peach trees for the Pine- 
house were planted in moveable pots or boxes. I will suppose 
that the first vinery with Peaches on the back wall -was started 
in December or January. The plants in boxes and pots would 
stand on the floor of such a house. From using heated water— 
say from 60° to 75° in watering, those in pots would come into 
bloom sooner than those planted out in the border of the house. 
The abundance of air given when the Peaches were in bloom, the 
temperature ranging from 50° to 55° at night, and a rise of from 
10° to 15° in sunshine, would cause the Vine-buds to break 
evenly and strongly. 
As soon as these Peaches in pots were fairly set and beginning 
to swell, they could be moved into the house with Pines, and 
receive a little more air for a few days than the Pines and Vines 
had received. Here the Peaches would swell freely, and, duly 
attended to in watering, would ripen something like a month 
earlier than their neighbours in the house in which they were 
at first started. If mere Peaches were au object, they might be 
ripened there ; but in mo3t cases it would be desirable to return 
them to the house from whence they came, or even to a later one 
in order to have the fruit good as well as early. In either case, 
unless some provision is made on purpose, the plants should be 
removed in order to ripen and rest their wood. 
Our correspondent, however, is only one of many who attempt 
so many things in one house, that, after giving the above advice, 
I feel bound to draw on previous practice, and tell him and 
others how best they can accomplish their purpose, provided 
they do not mind some extra trouble and expense in the con¬ 
struction of the house. I would have liked to have known the 
construction of these hothouses, their height, width, means of 
ventilation, &c.; but in the absence of that knowledge I shall 
suppose that the houses are from fifteen feet and upwards in 
width, are some ten feet or more in height at back, and some 
five or six feet in front, and have short sashes at the back for 
giving air—say, three or four feet in length ; and with this sup¬ 
position I will add a few words on the management of Vines and 
Peaches established in one house, of Vines and Pines established 
in one house, and then of Vines, Pines, and Peaches established 
in one house. 
First, then, as to Vines and Peaches—the latter up the back 
wall, and even in tubs in the centre of the house. Here both 
may be planted and managed in the usual way. The gradual 
swelling of the Peach-buds when started with a temperature of 
45°, and gradually increased to 55°, will also cause the Vine-buds 
to start when the Peaches are in bloom. The free air at that 
time will rather assist the Vines in breaking strongly and regu¬ 
larly than otherwise, and all will go on well; similar temperature 
suiting both, until the Peaches approach maturity, when the 
extra air they require will be apt to arrest the Grapes now swelling 
freely and colouring for ripening. Fine crops of both we have 
often seen and had; but if the Peaches are extra well flavoured, 
the berries of the Grapes, though rich and well-coloured, are apt 
to be smaller than they would have been if the extra air to the 
Peaches had not been given. When justice is at all intended for 
Peach trees in such circumstances the Vines should be pruned on 
the spur system; and the main stems should, at the least, be 
from four to six feet apart. The Peaches will soon suffer if sub¬ 
jected to more shade. If a brick or wooden pit should exist in 
such a house it will be exceedingly useful. If filled with fer¬ 
menting matter, dung, mixture of dung and leaves, tan, &e., 
when the house i3 shut up, it will cause the buds to swell and 
burst better than any combination of heating by flues or hot 
water. Care must be taken, whatever the material, that it be 
sweet before the buds burst. 
Such a bed acts for a long time as a reservoir of moist heat, 
and may be used in growing many things before the Vines shade 
much. In a very large wide house I once had under my charge 
I used to have a huge mound of dung in the centre, but had the 
outsides at least sweet before the Vines broke. With such assist¬ 
ance I obtained Grapes in May, though the heating power was 
calculated for September. The turning such a huge pile at an 
early hour in a cold morning would give 95 per cent, of our 
clever young gardeners a fit of shivery ague. They could not do 
it, and there’s an end of it, and an end of early Grapes too in 
such circumstances. Contemporary gardening literature just 
now is full about educating young gardeners in all the “ ologies.” 
All well enough if it does not puff them up with conceitology, 
and force those who employ them to be content with their learn¬ 
ing, and get all the “ ologies ” of digging, forking, planting, 
potting, done by sensible labourers, who, having heads and hands,, 
are not ashamed to use them. In such a bed in such a house we 
have grown young Pines from April to September, until there 
was room for them in the Pine-bed after the fruit was cut. The 
house then became a store-house in winter after the Vines and 
Peaches were hardened and pruned. Frost was merely excluded 
until starting-time came. In such a bed in such a house, too, I 
have merely followed some of our best old gardeners in obtaining 
fine early Cucumbers by the assistance of a glass frame. A 
supply was thus obtained very comfortably before they came in 
frames and pits out of doors. In moderately early-houses no 
peculiar care is required; but in late-houses, where the Grapes 
are wanted to hang till Christmas or later, it is advisable that the 
floor of the house be rendered dry early in autumn. Too much 
dryness, however, would injure the Peaches. They ought, there¬ 
fore, to receive a good soaking early in September or the end of 
August; and then shortly afterwards, by keeping the surface 
roughish with the rake, that surface will become dry and prevent 
the damp rising. In extreme cases we have covered with dry 
sand, or even sawdust, so as to keep the atmosphere as dry as 
