May 9, igeS. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
3*5 
of culture, while for hanging baskets, 
window boxes, etc., C. fragilis, C. 
isophylla, and C. isophylla alba are the 
varieties generally grown. 
Campanulas are all easily raised from 
seed sown in well-drained-pots or pans, 
in a compost of equal parts of loam, leaf 
mould, and sand. Cover lightly with 
finely-sifted soil, and place in a cold 
frame or greenhouse, giving air when the 
young plants appear and shading from 
strong sun. 
The biennials may be sown in the open 
ground in May, and should be liberally 
treated in the matter of thinning, and 
transplanting in order to secure strong 
plants for the following year. C. pyra- 
midalis for pot culture should be sown in 
March or April, in a temperature of about 
60 degrees, pricking off the seedlings when 
large enough into two and three-inch pots 
and shifting on until the six-inch size is 
reached, in which they will safely winter 
in a cold greenhouse or pit until March, 
when they may be put into eight or nine- 
inch pots to flower. The compost for the 
final shift should consist of three parts 
loam and one part each of thoroughly- 
decayed manure and sharp sand. The 
taller species in the borders will require 
staking to prevent injury from strong 
wind, while if a partially shaded position 
can be found the blooming season will be 
considerably prolonged. 
F. A. 
-f+4- 
THE POOR MAN'S . . 
- Furnace. - 
Four Years’ Trial. 
I built two 9 in. walls about 3 ft. in¬ 
side the greenhouse and also built in the 
bottom of the furnace on these walls, 
putting four pieces of iron under the bot¬ 
tom of the grating from wall to wall and 
having 4 in. of a hold on the walls. I 
find this keeps the bottom strong and 
rigid when drawing out the ashes. I then 
built in a furnace door 8 in. back from 
the front. This keeps the fire well in¬ 
side the greenhouse, and there is no 
danger from contact of the bricks with 
the woodwork of door post or sides, as 
the outside bricks are cool. I then built 
up the walls four bricks higher than the 
grating. I find this distance from the 
bottom of the furnace to the top allows 
for good draught and plenty of room for 
fire. 
As the furnace was now complete, ex¬ 
cept a dome, I then put some strong bits 
of iron across from wall to wall, and 
built the top over it two bricks thick and 
well mortared the top. The back of the 
furnace was built in the same way as 
the sides. I then fixed up a 6 ft. iron 
stack pipe at the end of the furnace rest¬ 
ing on the edge of the bricks. I also 
put 6 in. of mortar round the stack pipe. 
As the temperature is 70 degs. at the top 
of the furnace I find this a good place 
to raise seedlings. At the other end of 
the_ house (which is 15 ft. long) I can 
maintain a good 45 degs. This latter is 
«rL tabl< l for Cinerari as and allied plants. 
”hen the tem P eratur e outside is 35 degs. 
e fire burns for twelve hours, keeping 
farm for twenty-four hours. I-burn coke 
mixing it with coal dust. 
J. Robinson. 
Cactas Dahlia l^uby Grinsted. 
Those who have Dahlias and the con¬ 
venience for propagating them have been 
busy with this class of favourites for some 
time past. The time will also soon be 
here for planting them out. Indeed, 
after the bedding plants have been got 
out cultivators begin to think of planting 
their Dahlias. The second week of June 
is a much safer period than any week of 
May, seeing that Dahlias are so suscep¬ 
tible to frost, especially wihen put out of 
doors in spring. 
Of late years much attention has been 
centre. The florets are of great length 
and often whorled or twisted sideways, 
which gives the variety a very handsome 
appearance. We photographed the 
variety at Regent’s Park in September 
last on the occasion of a Dahlia exhibi¬ 
tion. The exhibitors were Messrs. T. S. 
Ware, Ltd., Ware’s Nurseries, Feltham, 
Middlesex. The National Dahlia Society 
in their most recent revision of a selection 
of twentv-four best varieties for exhibi¬ 
tion have included this one amongst the 
number. 
Cactus Dahlia Ruby Grinsted. Maclaren and Sons. 
given to the growing of Cactus Dahlias, 
and indeed they are the most popular at 
the present day, judging from the number 
of them grown and to be seen at exhibi¬ 
tions. No doubt the old florists will con¬ 
tinue to grow the big show types, and in 
most gardens a place will be kept for a 
few, although the Cactus varieties are 
more showy and decorative on account of 
their lightness and more graceful appear¬ 
ance. 
The flowers of Ruby Grinsted are of 
large size with salmon-pink florets, giving 
place to primrose or soft yellow in the 
Royal Horticultural Society. 
The usual bi-monthly meeting and ex¬ 
hibition of flowers, plants, etc., will be 
held at the Royal Horticultural Hall, Vin¬ 
cent Square, on Tuesday, May 12th. On 
this occasion a paper on “ Gardening in 
the West Highlands ” will be read by Mr. 
Osgood H. Mackenzie, who has been in¬ 
strumental in establishing so many half- 
hardy' subjects on the north-west of Scot¬ 
land, and which in many cases require a 
greenhouse, even in the latitude of Lon¬ 
don. 
