Being one of the readers of your valuable magazine, I hasten to pick up the gauntlet as thrown down by your correspondent J. S., respecting low or extreme high temperatures in early forcing-houses.

Amongst the various systems of heating forcing-houses, Lot water may be considered the best for general purposes when properly arranged, although I am aware that some of our best practicals still believe in the old flues for setting Muscats; but as there is no rule without exception, circumstances generally alter cases, and it is well known that excellent fruit has been grown with either system; and as to the evils which afflict the inmates, these cannot always be laid to the system adopted, but more particularly to the practice or inattention of the cultivator, in supplying circumstances which favour the different pests which haunt our hothouses, instead of keeping a sweet and healthy atmosphere capable of bedewing the leaves with moisture as your correspondent J. S. ably observes. I quite agree with him in his "new proposition " of a lower scale of night temperatures. At the same time, I will be very much pleased to hear the opinions of your numerous and able correspondents on this very interesting topic, as J. S. has not said all yet on this subject, and means to return to it again - which I trust he will, as it is a long way off being threadbare, and, like the hothouses themselves, will stand any amount of ventilation.

And as to the nut which your correspondent has given us to crack, I beg to inform him that I have cracked it long ago, when the present race of gardeners were beardless "laddies;" and as "facts are chiels that winna ding," I may state that I have had the honour to stand at the head of the poll several years in succession with Peaches and Nectarines at the Metropolitan Exhibitions, where I consider a certificate of merit is no mean prize, owing to the quantity of dishes exhibited. Well, the nut, I must admit, was cracked with a very low night temperature. The house being large and the Hue very small, prevented me from keeping a higher night temperature, and was the means, I suppose, of ornamenting the chimney-piece of my sitting-room with first-class medals. I simply mention the above facts in the hope that it may help to stay any little wavering that may be in the mind of your correspondent respecting cool night temperatures in severe weather. Upon entering the house the first thing in the morning, it was no uncommon thing to see hoar-frost with stars and stripes on the under side of the glass previous to starting our first fire to get up our day temperature; and if the weather was sunless, our day temperature seldom exceeded 55°; but upon a change of bright weather, we generally husbanded and made the most of the sun-heat, with an adequate amount of moisture.

The sorts of Peaches were Royal George, Gros Mignonne, and Late Admiral; Nectarines were Pitmaston Orange and Violet Hative. The heaviest Peach grown in the above house was Late Admiral, 12 oz., weighed in Worcester by Atkinson and Barr, fruiterers and seedsmen.

The above are facts for safe sailing and steady forcing. At the same place I had two smaller Peach-houses, which were ripe considerably in advance of the large house, and being kept at a higher temperature, the fruit never came to the same size.

Some of your correspondents of late years have been recommending what I considered high temperatures for Peach-forcing, and I have done it myself when fruit was required at a given time. With care and attention it can be done, but I always considered it sailing too close to the wind for general success) unless the cultivator is fully master of his position in all its bearings. J. M.