AiigUst 30, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
821 
The bulbs were somewhat globular and white, with 
slender green veins ; the leaves are rather narrow and 
by no means bulky. The same may be said of 
Mammoth White Italian, which is dwarf and early, 
with bulbs of medium or large size, white and faintly 
lined with green veins. 
A very popular old kind is "White Spanish, a large 
and rather flattened Onion. It was commencing to 
ripen off when we saw it, and was gTeenish white with 
narrow green veins. Strong reasons for its popularity 
are, that it keeps well and is very mild in flavour. 
Nuneham Parkis an improvement upon White Spanish, 
and has rather deeper, more conical bulbs with dark 
green veins, and does not appear to be quite so early. 
The stems of Strasburg were beginning to break down 
when we saw them, so that it is rather early. The 
bulbs are of a pale red, and the foliage is dwarf. 
The lemon-coloured Giant Roeca is a very vigorous 
kind, with large leaves and pale red or straw-coloured 
bulbs. 
-- 
EFFECTS OF FROST ON TENDER 
PLANTS IN AUSTRALIA. 
It is well known to many who have resided in semi- 
tropical countries, that in certain localities they are 
subject to rather severe frost during their winter 
season. Such has been our experience here during the 
past week, when for several nights our thermometer 
registered 7° below freezing, which to anyone not 
accustomed to seeing such tender plants as are usually 
grown in England in stoves and greenhouses growing 
in a freezing atmosphere is a novel experience. What 
would be the effect on an English gardener if, when 
attending to his duties in the morning, he found his 
stove, or even his greenhouse thermometer down to 
25°, I cannot say, his feelings may perhaps be better 
imagined than described ; yet, 'this is the treatment 
that some of his choice plants are subject to in this 
country. • 
In enumerating a few species which stand this treat¬ 
ment uninjured I will confine myself to those that are 
under my immediate care, and if the reader will give 
his mind an imaginative turn and join my company 
for a short time, we will see what is injured and what 
is not. The first things that attract our attention are 
a number of climbing plants, trained over fences formed 
of strong posts let into the ground, to which is fastened 
stout wire netting about 6 ft. or 7 ft. high. The fences 
cannot be seen, and consequently the plants do not 
appear to have any support whatever. The first to 
claim examination is a section about 6 yards long, 
covered with Aristolochia grandiflora; then comes a 
much longer one draped with Canavalia bonariensis 
with its glossy green, drooping ^leaves and purple pea¬ 
shaped flower. It is only on such a trellis that we see 
the beauty of the rather obscure Canavalia. A little 
further on we come to a section of Bougainvillea specta- 
bilis, quite a dense hedge; then Mandevillea suaveolens, 
Stigmaphyllon ciliatum ; the Bignonias in many species, 
&c. A small summer-house is beautifully draped with 
Bignonia jasminoides, in another place is Thunbergia 
laurifolia, and against a wall are Allamanda Chelsoni 
and Stephanotis floribunda, none of which show the 
slightest injury, with 7° of frost. 
Leaving the climbing section we will turn to those 
plants or trees of which our shrubberies are largely 
composed. In one place we see a beautiful specimen of 
Jacaranda mimossefolia only five years old, yet standing 
25 ft. high, with its beautiful fern-like foliage over¬ 
hanging other things which are equally beautiful, 
among them being a good specimen of Bougainvillea 
glabra, tied into bush form and some 15 ft. high. On 
one side of the Bougainvillea is a Poinsettia pulcherrima 
with its glowing crimson floral bracts, measuring 13 ins. 
across ; on the other side is Tecoma velutina, 20 ft. 
high, and Musa ensete, and near by Strelitzia angusti- 
folia may be seen, with many spikes of bloom somewhat 
discoloured by the cold winds. Interspersed in the 
same bed may also be seen Tecoma capensis, Abutilons, 
Pittosporum eugeneoides variegata, and Lasiandra 
macrantha still showing its showy purple flowers. 
Then turning our attention to other parts we see a 
bed of Bouvardias, containing some eighteen species 
and varieties ; in other places may be noted Allamanda 
nerifolia, a nice bush about 4 ft. high ; Justicia splendens, 
Cantua dependens, Arduina bispinosa, Hibiscus grandi¬ 
flora flore pleno, Libonia floribunda, Murraya exotica, 
Rondeletia versicolor, Russellia juncea, Toxicophlaea 
spectabilis, Scutellaria Trianse, Dombeyas, Neriums as 
large as medium-sized Apple trees ; and Gardenias still 
showing occasional blooms. A large foliage plant es¬ 
pecially attracts our attention, standing about 15 ft. 
high, with large, dark glossy green leaves nearly 4 ft. 
long by 1 ft. broad ; it is Meryta latifolia, a most 
telling object wherever it can be grown. We need not 
mention Camellias and Azaleas, which are grown in the 
open in some parts of England. Among those named 
and a large number not mentioned we can find no trace 
of injury. 
I have to mention only two plants of a hard-wooded 
nature which shows the effects of the low temperature 
they have been subjected to—namely, Melastoma 
Malabathrica and the golden-leaved Heliotrope, which 
has a few young growing shoots slightly scorched. 
Among soft-wooded bedding plants we find Coleus and 
Alternantheras with their foliage blackened ; while 
succulent plants, as Echeveria metallica, E. secunda 
glauca, and E. retusa, Cacalia crassulifolia, Sedums 
in variety, dwarf Aloes and Agaves, look as fresh as 
they would in England in the month of July. One of 
our best native Orchids (Dendrobium speciosa) appears 
to stand a few degrees of frost with impunity, as only 
last week, while on a visit to a friend nine miles from 
here, I saw in his garden a nice piece planted in the 
hollow stump of a tree, showing thirty spikes of blooms. 
This was fully exposed alike to the scorching sun in 
summer, and frosty nights in winter. 
After these observations I have almost come to the 
conclusion that some of what are termed tender 
exotics have not been tested enough in England as to 
their hardihood, though, perhaps, generally speaking, 
such is not the case. Yet I believe there are sheltered 
nooks to be found in the south and west of England, 
where such things might be experimented with, and 
which, if made to succeed would add much beauty to 
the gardens containing them.— G. R. K, Strathfield, 
N.S. IF., 16 th July, 1890. 
-- 
PREPARING FOR WINTER. 
No better time than the present can occur this year 
towards a general preparation for the winter for having 
a thorough overhaul of all heating arrangements, 
either in small or large establishments. Everything 
in connection therewith should be brought under close 
inspection, and all deficiencies and dilapidations ascer¬ 
tained, so that they may be at once rectified in the best 
manner, as at this time they can be done with the 
least inconvenience and at less cost than if the same 
be neglected until the cold days are upon us. In cold 
weather everything has to be done in a hurry, and 
consequently is often only half done, for work done out 
of season is always costly and seldom gives any real 
satisfaction. There is a tendency on the part of some 
to let small faults pass unheeded at the time, with the 
idea that they are keeping down expenses ; but nothing 
proves the old adage, “Pennywise and pound foolish,” 
so well as this, for small faults quickly grow into 
larger ones, and instead of a little expense incurred 
yearly in keeping all in working order, things are 
allowed to go on until a general collapse and breakdown 
occurs, and this generally in the depth of winter, when 
the whole system of heating is condemned, and a great 
expenditure is incurred for new apparatus, whereas if 
the necessary repairs had been done in time the old 
apparatus would have worked satisfactorily for years. 
Let all heating arrangements be therefore subjected to 
a thorough overhauling, so that you can rest assured 
that everything can be depended upon when wanted. 
The stokehole is very often in all building arrange¬ 
ments the last to be thought of, and is placed in some 
out-of-the-way corner, or other inaccessible position, 
when it really ought to have the first consideration. It 
ought to be easy to get at with the fuel, so that no 
needless and constant expense is incurred in getting 
same to the fires. See that there is sufficient room so 
that the man who has to perform the duty of stoking 
has space to move without knocking the skin otf his 
hands against the walls, or being nearly smothered 
with smoke and dust and the fumes of sulphur. It 
should never be so inconveniently small that a man is 
in a greater hurry to get out of it than to properly 
attend to the needful wants of the fires. See that the 
stokehole is properly drained and kept free from water, 
for what is more disagreeable, upon going to your fires 
in the early morning, than to find yourself over your 
boot tops in water, and having to bail out the water 
before you can make up your fires. 
Stoking is an important matter in connection with 
heating by hot water. A good stoker will become so 
conversant with the fires under his charge, that he is 
able to regulate the draught so that no heat will be 
wasted, and to get the greatest amount of heat possible 
from the fuel used ; and to become a thorough good 
stoker he must study each boiler put under his charge, 
and the best methods on which the same are worked. 
Yery often you will find that the flues are not cleaned 
out regularly ; this you may detect in some establish¬ 
ments by looking for the soot doors, and you will find 
that they are seldom or never removed, an accumu¬ 
lation of soot being allowed to remain in the flues, thus 
preventing the heat generated by the fire from acting 
upon the sides of the boiler, and causing extra con¬ 
sumption of fuel to get up the required heat, and 
therefore extra expense. See that the fire bars are 
kept clean, that no accumulation of dust and dead fuel 
is allowed at the back end of the fires, and that the 
whole length of fire bars be kept a bright and clear fire. 
See that the ashpit is emptied daily, and all flues and 
tubes kept free from soot, so that no heat is lost and 
fuel wasted. 
See that all fire bars are in good repair, and do not 
allow the fuel to pass through into the ashpit, and 
there become wasted. Where it is possible to apply 
them, we should advise the use of hollow water bars a3 
being more durable than the ordinary cast-iron ones, 
and adding, as they do, considerable additional power 
to the boiler. The fire bars can be greatly preserved, 
if it is possible to construct the ashpit so that it will be 
watertight, and have water kept constantly in it. The 
reason for this is that the vapour arising from the 
water in the ashpit is composed mostly of oxygen, 
which on coming in contact with the red-hot fire bars 
is decomposed, and combustion is facilitated by the 
steam given off. 
It is needless to dilate here upon the different form3 
of boilers now in use, or upon the merits of any 
particular make, as every maker claims to have some 
peculiar advantage in his make over any others in the 
market. Circumstances will very often have to guide 
you in making a selection—the depth of stoke-hole 
required, the price, the cost of setting, the amount of 
work they are required to perform, and the fuel at your 
disposal; these we will therefore pass over, as our 
present intention is more to point out the importance 
of thoroughly examining and putting in order what you 
already have, than to recommend any new arrangement. 
Boilers are mostly provided with a tap for the purpose 
of drawing off the water when required. See that these 
are occasionally allowed to run for a few moments, to 
draw off some of the sediment, and let the boilers be 
thoroughly emptied and washed out at least once in 
every year, so that no sediment is allowed to become 
deposited in the boilers, and thus cause a wasteful 
expenditure of fuel before the water can be heated. 
All the mains which connect the different ranges of 
houses with the boilers, should be so arranged, if 
possible, where they are easy to get at, so that in case 
of a breakdown or leakage, they can be got at without 
entailing a considerable amount of labour and expense 
in having to pull down part of the brickwork, &c., 
which has to be built up again, thus incurring 
further expense. 
All pipes in houses should be laid upon pillars or 
other supports, with firm foundations, and if one of 
these supports has sunk or given way ever so little, 
and allowed the pipes to fall, at this point air is almost 
certain to find a lodgment, and prevent the circulation 
of the water, and generally hard firing is resorted to, 
to try and force the circulation, and the result is 
bursting of pipes or, may be, of the boiler itself. 
Therefore all awkward dips and bends must be avoided, 
as very often the water will flow freely enough up to 
the dip, but will not go beyond. Air is deposited in 
the dip, and with great difficulty is it forced out, and 
circulation cannot be depended upon. See that no soil 
or other rubbish be allowed to accumulate against 
any of the pipes, as this prevents the free circulation of 
air all the way round them, thereby reducing their 
heating power and causing a loss of heat and fuel. 
Considerable labour is caused in many establishments 
by the short-sightedness shown, when fixing supply 
cisterns, in not placing them in some accessible 
position, the greatest difficulty often being experienced 
in getting at them even with a water-pot. Every 
cistern ought to be fitted with a ball-tap (if water is 
laid on to the houses), so that the pipes will be always 
full of water. This especially applies where provision 
is made in any of the houses for drawing warm or tepid 
water when required for watering and syringing. 
Another great evil lies in placing the supply cistern 
out of doors, which is a source of great danger, as the 
water is very often frozen in the cistern, and also in 
the supply pipe proceeding from it to the boiler. 
Therefore place them all inside, and where they will be 
higher than the highest point in the range of pipes. 
Every range of piping should be provided with an 
air-tap at the highest point of the flow, and these 
should be regularly looked at, and all the air allowed 
to escape. Where more than one house is heated from 
the same boiler, valves are a primary necessity, in order 
to regulate the flow of water as required, and these 
should be looked to every season to see that they are 
not stuck fast ; they will thus be available for use 
whenever necessary.— F. Gee. 
