518 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  6,  1900. 
inserted  in  August ;  they  carried  excellent  flowers.  The  varieties 
included  Ensign  and  Winter  Cheer,  both  of  which  are  very  bright. 
Messrs.  Veitch  sent  also  plants  of  the  now  comparatively  rarely  seen 
Luculia  gratissima,  of  which  the  flowers  diffased  a  pleasant  fragrance 
(silver  Elora  medal).  Messrs.  H.  Young  &  Sons,  Cheshunt,  sent  a 
group  of  Pansies  in  various  colours. 
A  small  group  of  Chrysanthemums  was  arranged  by  Messrs. 
W.  Wells  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  Earlswood,  Eedhill.  The  varieties  included 
Mrs.  J.  Bryant,  Mrs.  C.  Bown,  Sir  Kedvers  Buller,  Letrier,  Eobert 
Laird,  and  Mabel  Morgan  (bronze  Flora  medal).  Chrysanthemum 
Luckswood  White  was  shown  by  Mr.  B.  Holmes,  Norwich ;  it  is  a  free- 
flowering  white  variety.  One  or  two  other  Chrysanthemums  were  also 
shown.  Messrs.  H.  Low  &  Co.,  Bush  Hill  Park,  sent  Croton  Mrs. 
Thomas  Young  and  Carnation  Mrs.  T.  W.  Lawson,  the  variety  which 
created  such  a  furore  in  America.  Messrs.  G.  Boyes  &  Co.,  Leicester, 
sent  Carnation  Lady  Carlisle  and  several  other  varieties  (bronze 
Banksian  medal). 
Orchid  Committee. 
Present :  H.  J.  Veitch,  Esci.  (in  the  chair)  j  with  Messrs.  J.  O’Brien, 
de  B.  Crawshay,  H,  Little,  H.  M.  Pollett,  H.  Ballantine,  P.  Sander, 
H.  J.  Chapman,  W.  H.  Young,  W.  H.  White,  W.  Thompson,  E.  Hill, 
J,  Colman,  J.  G.  Fowler,  and  J.  Douglas. 
A  very  attractive  group  of  Orchids  was  arranged  by  Messrs.  H. 
Low  &  Co.,  Bush  Hill  Park.  It  comprised  Cypripedium  insigne  Harefield 
Hall  variety,  C.  i.  Laura  Kimball,  C.  Prospero,  C.  Tityus,  C.  Actaeus, 
C.  Memoria  Moensi,  C.  i.  Sanderae,  a  fine  form  of  Cymbidium 
Traceyanum,  Oncidium  Mantini,  and  Cattleya  Dowiana  (silver  Banksian 
medal).  Mr.  H.  Ballantine,  gardener  to  Baron  Schroder,  The  Dell, 
Egham,  contributed  a  most  interesting  group  of  Cypripediums  (silver 
Floia  medal).  Mr.  Johpson,  gardener  to  T.  Statter,  Esq.,  Stand  Hall, 
Manchester,  sent  Cypripedium  Mandias,  C.  Francesi,  C.  insigne  Luciani, 
and  Dendrobium  bigibbum  r-ibescens. 
The  great  feature  in  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  &  Sons’  group  of  Orchids  was 
the  set  of  plants  of  Cypripedium  insigne  Sanderse;  they  were  very 
beautiful.  Other  plants  were  Cypripedium  Leeanum  superbum, 
C.  vexillarium,  C.  Tityus,  C.  T.  B.  Haywood,  C.  Morganias, 
C.  Arthurianum  pulchellum,  C.  Lathamianum,  C.  Actaeus,  C.  Prospero, 
Laelio-CattleyaB  violetta,  terentia,  Decia,  Lady  Eothsohild,  Semiramis, 
Pallas,  and  the  Hon.  Mrs.  Astor,  with  Cattleyas  Portia,  Mantini,  and 
Dowiana  (silver  Flora  medal). 
Small  exhibits  (  f  Orchids  were  contributed  by  Messrs.  J.  Colman, 
Warpur,  G.  W.  Bird,  C.  J.  Salter,  J.  Davis,  G.  T.  Hood,  F.  Crisp, 
J.  Hamilton,  W.  H.  White,  Otto  &  Froebel,  and  others. 
Certificates  and  Awards  of  Merit, 
Chrysanthemum  Golden  Gem  (G.  W.  Bird). — A  splendid  single 
variety  with  lafge  rich  yellow  flowers  (award  of  merit). 
Cypri/ieiiium  Prospero  majus  (J.  Veitch  &  Sons). — This  is  a  very 
beautiful  flower  with  pale  green  sepals,  petals,  and  pouch  with  sparse 
suffusions  of  brown.  The  base  of  the  dorsal  sepal  is  bright  green  with 
pure  white  above  and  brown  and  maroon  spots  (award  of  merit). 
Odontoglossvm  Rolfce  ineleagris  (W.  Stevens). — This  is  a  superb 
Odontoglot.  The  ground  colour  of  the  sepals  and  petals  is  milk  white 
with  occasional  rose,  and  a  profusion  of  mauve  markings.  The  lip  is 
white  on  the  front  portion  with  maroon  spots  and  blotches  at  the 
base  (first-class  certificate). 
Pear  Nouvelle  Fulvie  (G.  Woodward). — This  excellently  flavoured 
Pear  is  too  well  known  to  call  for  any  descriptive  remeirks  (first-class 
oartificate). 
Pear  Charles  Ernest  (J.  Veitch  &  Sons). — Fruit  rather  over  medium 
size,  handsome  and  even  in  shape.  The  smooth  skin  is  rich  yellow,  with 
a  bright  flush  of  red  on  the  sun  side  ;  the  flavour  is  excellent  (award  of 
merit). 
B(r.  A.  Doiiald  fflackeiizie  on  the  Heating  and  Yeijtilating 
of  Glass  Houses. 
The  subjects  of  the  heating  and  ventilating  of  glass  houses  are  so 
broad  that  it  becomes  an  impossibility  to  deal  exhaustively  with  them 
in  the  limit  of  time  allowed  at  the  afternoon  meetings  in  the  Drill  Hall. 
It  may,  however,  be  said  that  Mr.  Mackenzie  (who  is  a  member  of 
the  well  known  and  highly  esteemed  firm  of  Mackenzie  &  Moncur  of 
Edinburgh)  crowded  just  as  much  information  into  his  half  hour  as 
could  reasonably  be  expected  from  any  man.  His  grasp  of  the  subject 
was  evident  from  the  first  word  until  the  last,  and  he  launched  himself 
into  it  without  a  supeifluous  word  of  introduction. 
With  the  vastly  increased  wealth  and  prosperity  that  had  come  to 
England  during  the  past  fifty  years  there  had  been  a  commensurate 
increase  in  the  number  of  glass  houses.  To  maintain  an  equable 
temperature  in  these  was  a  matter  of  some  difficulty,  greater  or  lesser, 
according  to  circumstances.  The  days  of  the  old  brick  flue  had,  said 
Mr.  Mackenzie,  gone,  and  we  now  practically  placed  entire  reliance 
upon  hot  water  circulating  through  pipes  of  varying  diameters.  In 
this  practice  we  were  confronted  at  the  outset  with  the  apparent 
anomaly  of  water  circulating  upwards,  and  this  was  explained  by  the 
expansion  of  water  owing  to  the  heat,  which  finding  less  resistance  in  an 
upward  direction  it  passed  to  the  top  of  the  boiler  in  which  the  flow 
pipe  was  always  situated,  making  its  journey  and  returning  by  the 
return  pipe,  which  was  always  attached  to  the  boiler  at  the  lowest 
possible  point.  To  assist  this  circulation  there  was  always  a  rise  in 
the  pipes  from  the  sunken  stokehole  containing  the  boiler  to  the 
extreme  end  of  the  pipes.  Attempts  had  been  made  to  avoid  sinking 
stokeholes,  but  they  had  invariably  been  followed  by  failure.  All 
things  considered,  4-inch  pipes  were  the  best  and  most  commonly  used, 
though  both  smaller  and  larger  sizes  were  met  with  occasionally. 
In  fitting  any  structure  with  hot-water  heating  apparatus  it  was 
absolutely  necessary,  proceeded  the  essayist,  to  provide  for  the  coldest 
day  or  night.  It  did  not  follow  that  the  minimum  would  be  reached 
every  year,  but  when  it  did  come  there  was  little  or  nothing  to  fear, 
provided  the  apparatus  was  efficient.  It  was  the  falsest  of  false 
economy  to  be  niggardly  of  piping  and  boiler  power  when  fitting 
houses,  and  the  suggestions  he  was  about  to  make  were  based  on  the 
safest  lines.  For  a  conservatory  necessitating  a  minimum  temperature 
in  winter  of  45°  1  foot  of  4-inoh  piping  was  recommended  for  every 
35  cubic  feet  of  air ;  for  a  warmer  plant  house,  1  foot  for  every  20  or 
25  cubic  feet ;  for  stoves  and  Orchid  houses,  1  foot  for  every  12  or 
13  cubic  feet;  for  early  vineries,  1  foot  to  every  12  or  15  cubic  feet; 
for  span-roofed  intermediate  vineries,  1  foot  to  every  17  cubic  feet ;  for 
early  Peach  houses,  1  foot  for  every  17  or  20  cubic  feet ;  and  for  late 
Peach  houses,  1  foot  for  every  25  or  28  cubic  feet  of  air.  These  figures 
were  given  as  approximate,  and  would  provide  the  necessary  temperatures 
with  ease.  In  a  forcing  house,  continued  Mr.  Mackenzie,  in  addition 
to  the  four  rows  of  4-inch  piping  in  the  side  chambers,  there  should  be 
one  above  the  bed  on  each  side,  and  also  pipes  beneath  gratings  in  the 
path. 
In  making  brief  reference  to  boilers  Mr.  Mackenzie  alluded  to  the 
controversies  that  had  been  conducted  on  the  subject.  The  old  saddle 
boiler  with  water  bars  he  considered  very  good  and  economical,  but  he 
would  not  recommend  it  for  heating  more  than  700  feet  of  4-inch 
piping.  The  terminal  end  saddle  was  advocated  for  from  500  to 
2000  feet  of  4-inch  piping,  and  for  upwards  of  this  he  recommended 
the  Cornish  steel  boiler  as  most  admirable ;  with  reasona'oly  good 
draught  it  was  very  efficient,  and  could  be  improved  by  the  use  of 
water  bars,  as  also  could  the  terminal  saddle  type.  The  essayist  touched 
upon  the  American  sectional  cast-iron  boiler,  but  was  not  greatly  in 
favour  of  them,  nreferring  those  of  malleable  iron  or  steel,  as  with 
these  there  was  less  liability  to  accident. 
To  maintain  a  constant  and  satisfactory  circulation  when  the 
amount  of  glass  was  limited  and  confined  to  a  small  area  was  easy,  the 
difficulties  becoming  greater  and  greater  as  the  distance  increased. 
Efficient  working  was  then  largely  a  matter  of  valve  manipulation,  and 
the  most  careful  consideration  of  local  conditions  were  regarded  as 
absolutely  essential  to  success.  Mr.  Mackenzie  dismissed  ventilation  in 
a  very  few  words,  observing  that  top  and  bottom  ventilators  were 
necessary,  and  that  cold  di alights  directly  upon  the  plants  must  be 
avoided.  For  warm  houses,  he  said,  the  lower  ventilators  must  be  in 
such  a  position  that  the  incoming  air  would  be  warmed  by  contact  with 
the  pipes  before  reaching  the  plants  themselves. 
The  lecture  was  much  enhanced  in  value  and  interest  by  the 
exhibition  of  a  series  of  large  illustrations  of  various  types  of  boilers, 
structures,  and  heating  apparatus.  Unfortunately,  however,  the  space 
was  so  limited  that  a  number  of  drawings  provided  by  Mr.  Mackenzie 
could  not  be  exhibited  at  all,  while  those  that  were  shown  were  somewhat 
too  much  packed  to  allow  of  their  proper  elucidation.  Probably  the 
hest  of  those  exposed  were  in  relation  to  boilers,  of  which  several 
examples  were  shown.  It  may  be  presumed  that  the  whole  of  the 
drawings  will  be  reproduced  in  the  Journal  of  the  Eoyal  Horticultural 
Society,  where  they  will  be  studied  with  appreciation  and  advantage 
together  with  the  complete  text  of  the  paper. 
When  Mr.  Mackenzie  had  finished,  Mr.  H.  J.  Pearson  of  Beeston, 
who  occupied  the  chair,  made  a  few  pointed  remarks  on  both  heating 
and  ventilating  glass  bouses,  and  subsequently  strongly  deprecated  the 
practice  of  some  people  of  getting  estimates  for  structures  from  several 
builders,  and  then  accepting  the  lowest  tender  irrespective  of  whether 
the  firm  would  be  likely  to  supply  the  best  materials  or  not.  At  the 
conclusion  Mr.  Mackenzie  was  accorded  a  most  hearty  vote  of  thanks 
for  what  must  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  valuable  papers  that  has 
been  read  iu  the  Drill  Hall  for  some  considerable  time. 
- - 
A  Century  Record. — In  the  century  now  closing,  according  to 
Prof.  S.  H.  Vines,  F.E.S.,  the  number  of  recognised  living  species  of 
plants  has  increased  from  10,000  of  Linnaeus  to  175,596,  made  up  of 
105,231  flowering  plants,  3352  Ferns  and  Fern  allies,  7650  Mosses  and 
Moss-like  plants,  and  39,263  Fungi,  Lichens,  and  Algae.  Prof.  Saocardo 
estimates  that  the  number  ot  species  existing  is  more  than  twice  those 
yet  known,  or  about  400,000.  The  growth  in  number  of  species  has  not 
been  due  to  the  discovery  of  any  essentially  new  type  of  plants,  and  the 
only  extension  of  the  bounds  of  the  vegetable  kingdom  has  been  through 
the  annexation  of  groups  formerly  assigned  to  zoology.  The  bacteria, 
discovered  200  years  ago,  form  the  most  notable  of  such  groups,  having 
been  regarded  as  infusorian  animals  until  their  affinity  with  the  fungi 
was  recognised  by  Cohn  in  1853. 
