294 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
•January 8, 1887. 
sorts of weather ? For instance, in severe hailstorms, 
which sometimes do great damage, the outside glass 
would, in all probability, he smashed, but the hail, 
I think, would seldom break through the under glass, 
its force being spent in breaking the outer glazing. 
Then again, if entirely dependent on the small piping 
suggested, should we be better or worse off than under 
the prevalent system 1 
Since writing the foregoing, I have read our old 
friend’s, Mr. G. Fry’s communication, arid while rather 
relishing the idea of seeing him experimenting with a 
warming-pan above his head, would remind him that 
if instead of one over his head he had a series of them 
on three sides of him he might possibly find his position 
rather too warm to be comfortable. “Wales” would 
like to hear a little more about the new top-heating 
system, and I would remind him that it has only been 
tried with single glazed houses, and was first practised 
by Mr. Cannell, a few words from whom on the subject 
■would be of service to many of your readers. So far 
as I know, top-heating combined with double glazing, 
as suggested by me, has never been tried. — IV. B. G. 
- -->X<-- 
TOP-HEATING GLASS HOUSES. 
The recent intense frost has put to a severe test 
all forms of house-heating, and no better time for 
subjecting all kinds of methods to real practice could 
have been found. It is at such times and under 
such conditions, that boilers and systems of heating 
need testing, and not under such illusive conditions as 
exist out-doors in the summer. How often has it proved 
the case, that systems assured to be perfect under 
ordinary conditions, have broken down under the test 
applied by 20° of frost some time continued ! It is, 
therefore, obvious, that any novelty in method of 
heating, which can be applied with the prospect of good 
results, needs the fullest and fairest consideration. 
Now I have not said that any system of top-lieating, as 
suggested by me in a previous number, is anywhere in 
operation ; I have only said that great modifications 
of the principle was, and that where so introduced 
answers admirably. What I wished to urge w'as, that 
not only would such a plan, if adopted, probably serve 
to maintain heat in houses more effectually, but by so 
materially elevating the flow pipes, would enable boilers 
to be elevated materially also, and thus appreciably 
solve the difficulties incidental to submerged boilers and 
furnaces. 
Now let us look at the matter philosophically. The 
object of heating houses is, first, to maintain a certain 
high temperature and, secondly, to exclude frost. This 
latter object applies chiefly to those thousand and one 
houses known as cool greenhouses. In each case the 
object aimed at is to accomplish this speedily, cheaply 
and effectively. Now from whence comes the enemy 
to be combatted, viz., cold. Not from the floor of the 
house, for the temperature of that is usually equable ; 
it comes from the glass roof and sides, and my propo¬ 
sition is that it shall be combatted at its points of 
entry, and not at the remotest parts of the house. 
Practically, it amounts to this, heating the air which 
enters the house from the glass, instead of permitting 
it to enter first and materially cooling the temperature 
ere it comes into contact with the heating power, viz., 
the pipes. 
Let us take an illustration—the old-established and 
religiously adhered-to plan of heating a room with an 
open grate and chimney, whilst the door and window 
through which cold enters is on the farther side. The 
fire and open chimney attracts the cold air, and it is 
literally sucked in from the outside in the form of cruel 
draughts. If we could heat that air first, the need for 
the open fire would not exist. Still it is our method 
of dealing with that fierce enemy—cold in our dwelling 
houses. Just the same thing occurs in glass houses, 
except when sheltered by outside clothing, and even 
then more or less, for the cold outer air is sucked in at 
every point, and, of course, rushes to the warmest 
point, because there the air being warmest is lighter. 
But if we place our heating power just where the cold 
air enters we warm it at once, and the suffusion of cold 
air all over the house is checked. The return pipes 
placed along the sides of the house, and on a level with 
the plants within it, not only furnish ample bottom 
warmth, but serve also to check cold intrusion just 
there also. Then look at the immense gain resulting 
from dry glass and wood-work. 
During the recent hoar-frost, roofs and sides have 
been terribly encrusted with ice, alternating to moisture 
perhaps in the day and freezing terribly hard at night. 
Now heat placed near the glass would keep the glass 
both dry and warm, and would prevent all this 
congestion of moisture and encrustation of ice, whilst 
the gain in the greater dryness and freer admission of 
light would be considerable. As to danger resulting 
from too much heat amongst the foliage promoting 
thrip, that I regard as chimerical. It is just one of 
the goblins which have alarmed plant cultivators. 
Take vineries for instance. AVhere do we find better 
sets, or more thoroughly ripened bunches than those 
close to the pipes, if such be near. Why, I have often 
seen pipes within 6 ins. of the leaves, and bunches 
almost lying on the pipes, and yet some of the very 
best in the vinery. 
Depend upon it, drought at roots is far more danger¬ 
ous in promoting thrip and spider, than is ample heat. 
Only the other day I was in a large house, where a 2-in. 
pipe ran literally through the thousands of Pelargoniums 
in it. “ Don’t you find the leaves burn 1” said I. “Oh 
dear no, ” replied my conductor, “not a bit, we want 
a dry air for our flowers, and get it.” My advice to 
some tremulous gardeners is, to try the top-heating 
plan for themselves. — A. D. 
-- 
AMASONIA PUNIGEA. 
Notwithstanding that there are some half a dozen 
species of this genus of plants, all offering characters of 
more or less desirability for stove decoration, few of 
them have ever been introduced, and still fewer seem to 
be in cultivation. It is difficult to understand why 
such a showy stove plant as that under consideration 
should make its way so very slowly in gardens, while 
others scarcely more meritorious subjects take the 
public fancy in a few seasons, and get disseminated in 
all parts of the country. These, however, are generally 
soft-wooded plants, offering amongst other qualities 
great facilities for rapid propagation and growth. 
The Amasonias are closely allied to Clerodendron and 
some other members of the Verbena family, but differ 
in their dwarf upright instead of climbing habit. A. 
punicea forms a leafy shrub about 2 ft. in height, but 
will flower freely and finely while not exceeding 1 ft. 
To the scarlet calyx and pale yellow tubular corolla 
must be added the showy crimson bracts. The flowers 
themselves are all directed to one side of the stem and 
assume a drooping position. They are not particularly 
long-lived, but the ornamental character of the plant 
is maintained for a considerable time by the large and 
conspicuous scarlet leafy bracts accompanying the 
flowers ; but, unlike the latter, directed to the upper 
side of the semi-drooping or curved flowering branches. 
Owing to its dwarf habit there is little difficulty in 
keeping it within reasonable limits, and those who give 
it a trial will find it fan attractive subject for stove 
decoration in the dull winter season. 
The same treatment suitable for Clerodendrons will 
answer for A. punicea, while the latter is even more 
amenable to pot culture, and requires much less room 
for its accommodation. It is a native of Brazil, and is 
figured in Vahl’s Ecloyce Americana}, t. 20.— J. F. 
[A good illustration of the plant was given at p. 185. 
—Ed.] 
-~>X<-—-- 
GARDEN PLANTS ILLUSTRATED. 
CATTLEYA TrIAN/H Hooleana. 
This lovely Cattleya was first flowered by Arthur 
Potts, Esq., Hoole Hall, Chester, and is, judging from 
the illustration, a valuable addition to the list of 
varieties belonging to theC. labiata group. The sepals 
are pale rose, the petals a deeper rose tint; but the 
greatest attraction centres in the labellum, which may 
be described as a deep magenta-purple, with two very 
conspicuous, well-defined orange blotches in the throat. 
The flowers are described as attaining a diameter of 
6 ins. The habit of the plant and its cultural require¬ 
ments do not differ from that of the type. The texture 
of the flowers is good under proper treatment, and the 
blooms last a long time in presentable condition.— 
Orchid Album, t. 265. 
Cattleya speciosissima Bhchaxaxiaxa. 
The coloured plate of this Orchid represents a very 
fine form of the old and well-known C. speciosissima. 
It belongs to the numerously-represented C. labiata 
group, and was flowered in the collection of J. Buchanan, 
Esq., Oswald Road, Morningside, Edinburgh. The 
strap-shaped leaves are leathery and of great substance. 
The species is generally considered a shy bloomer, and 
flowers are produced in pairs, in this instance measuring 
about 8 ins. in diameter when fully expanded. The 
sepals are lance-shaped and of a delicate rosy hue, 
while the petals are much darker, beautifully streaked 
with a darker tint, and measure about 3^ ins. long by 
3 ins. broad. The lamina of the deeply-bilobed lip is 
rich magenta, with a broad white’band shaded with 
pale yellow around the orifice, and forms a conspicuous 
feature of the v’hole flower. The tubular base of the 
lip is a warm rose. The plant may be grown equally 
well either in pots or baskets, with the same potting 
material and temperature required by C. Mossise.— 
Orchid Album, t. 261. 
Cycnoches Chlorochtlox. 
In habit, mode of growth, and outline of the pseudo- 
hulbs, this Orchid resembles that of Mormodes luxatum 
considerably. Leaves are produced all over the upper 
part of the pseudo-bulb, are longest towards the apex 
of the latter, and described as deciduous. The flowers 
are exceedingly curious—even more so than ornamental, 
and the genus to which this belongs derives the name 
of Swan Orchid from the long curved column resem¬ 
bling the neck of that bird. The flowers are produced 
in few-flowered racemes in the axils of the upper leaves, 
and are resupinate—that is, lying on their back with 
the lip upside down. The latter organ is creamy 
white, with a blackish green hollow blotch at the 
base. The sepals and petals are yellowish green, sin¬ 
gularly curious, but not particularly attractive. The 
column is also green, and the whole flower is flesh}’ in 
texture. The species was introduced some fifty years 
ago, and flowered recently in the Victoria and Paradise 
Nurseries—a circumstance of not very common occur¬ 
rence .—Orchid Album, t. 263. 
Lycaste Deppei puxctatissima. 
The form here described is an extremely fine variety 
of a well-known species, and its rarity is to be regretted, 
as the plant from which the original description was 
drawn up was imported amongst a consignment of the 
typical species, and is, in all probability, the sole repre¬ 
sentative in the country. It was imported by Mr. 
B. S. Williams, and is now in the fine collection of 
Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P. Brown and green 
constitute the most conspicuous colours of the sepals in 
the type, but in the variety under notice those organs 
are densely covered with small rosy purple spots on a 
greenish white ground. The petals are much smaller, 
erect, creamy white, spotted with rosy purple. The 
small three-lobed lip is yellow, closely spotted with 
purple all over the exposed part. Several one-flowered 
scapes are developed from the base of the preceding 
year’s pseudo-bulbs, which are, of course, generally 
leafless during the flowering period. This defect is 
remedied by the young growths being well developed 
by the time the plant is in flower. The plant requires 
good, rough, fibrous peat, and a liberal supply of 
moisture when making its growth in summer.— Orchid 
Album, t. 262. 
Galeandra Baheri. 
The subject of this note is not new, but has recently 
been imported in considerable quantity, and, let us 
hope, will become more common in collections. The 
pseudo-bulbs are short, ovate, and very unlike those of 
the better-known G. Devoniana, which may be com¬ 
pared to those of some of the stronger-growing Den- 
drobiums. The flowers are produced in short pendent 
racemes terminating the current growth of the season, 
so that they have the additional recommendation of 
being attended by a healthy set of numerous, arching, 
light green leaves. The sepals and petals are linear 
oblong, reflexed, and of a pale yellowish olive colour 
varying to brownish green. The lamina of the la¬ 
bellum is large, purple-crimson and veiny, while the 
tubular lower portion is orange-yellow, shaded rose. 
The plant, although epiphytal, is best adapted for 
pot culture in a compost of peat and sphagnum, and 
should be placed in a sunny position of the East Indian 
house .—Orchid Album, t. 267. 
Phalzenopsis rosea. 
This elegant and attractive Moth Orchid is by no 
means new to our collections, being originally intro¬ 
duced in ISIS from Manilla, but does not receive that 
attention which it deserves from cultivators. The 
sepals are oblong, spreading and white, flushed 
