48 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



waterproofed. 'To waterproof any sort ; 

 of cloth or made garments all that is ne- 

 cessary is to make a very weak solution of j 

 glue or size (when cold it is weak and 

 tremulous, about the consistency of calves' j 

 foot jelly), and while hot stir in a piece of ( 

 aluni till the taste of alum is distinctly i 

 perceived, when the piece is to be taken I 

 out, at the same time to add a little soap j 

 also, or rather soap-suds, to it, and then, 

 while it is hot, to brush over the surface 

 of the clothes with this solution. The 

 preferable mode, however, is to water- 

 proof the cloth while in the web. In this 

 state it can be dipped into the solution, 

 and afterwards wruug out, or, what would 

 be better still, passed through a pair of 

 squeezing rollers, and the pile of cloth 

 afterwards laid smooth with the brush 

 and cold water. The use of the soap is 

 to take away the hard feel that the size 

 when applied alone would impart to the 

 cloth, and which would'also render it 

 more difficult for the tailor to sew. The 

 process on the large scale is, besides, an 

 exceedingly cheap one. There is little la- 

 bour required to pass a web of cloth 

 through squeezing-rollers, and not only 



is the sizing material in itself cheap, but 

 only a very small portion of it is essential 

 to the waterproofing of a surface of cloth, 

 as the greater part of it is expressed by 

 the squeezing-rollers, only as much being 

 left in the cloth as to cause it to feel 

 damp. Exposure to the air in the same 

 way as sized paper is dried, completes the 

 process of waterproofing.' " 



I cannot let this go without telling 

 you how much I value the Floral 

 World, and, though I cannot do much 

 to assist it, I show my willingness by sub- 

 joining herewith a comparison of the cli- 

 mate of the island of Cumbrae and 

 Greenock. 



Cumbrae. Greenock. 

 Deg. Deg. 

 Mean temperature, Dec, 1839 373 



Mean of the highest 4 >" 



Mean of the lowest 3A - 6 



Highest in the month 46 - 



Lowest ,, ,, 2Jr 



Total fall of rain 2 in. 



Cumbrae is about eighteen miles from 

 Greenock, and now (Jan. 20, 1860) there 

 are primroses in bloom in some of the 

 sheltered places ; indeed, they have been 

 since October. 



Greenock. James Miller, Jun. 



35-7 

 39-5 

 32- 

 50- 

 19- 

 7 75 in. 



A LASTING HOT-BED. 



As the season has arrived when gar- 

 deners and amateurs will be busy making 

 preparations for the cultivation of their 

 favourite hot-bed flowers, I have taken this 

 opportunity, as an amateur, to suggest, 

 through the medium of your valuable 

 periodical, a plan for making a hot-bed 

 which will retain a steady heat for months 

 together, without any trouble further 

 than that of making it. 



Although the article of which it is 

 composed is not conveniently procurable 

 by all, still, to those who are fortunate 

 enough to be within its reach, I think it 

 will be of vast service. At any chemical 

 works, where commercial soda-ash is 

 manufactured, there is a waste, techni- 

 cally called soap-waste, and which will be 

 gladly parted with by the proprietors free 

 of any expense. This waste, when thrown 

 into a heap, heats in a day or two, and 

 retainu a good steady temperature for 

 months together, and, in my opinion, 

 would form a superior hot-bed to any yet 

 in usj for the raising of tender and half- 

 hardy annuals, and forwarding other 



plants for the borders for the summer 

 months. No one knows better than I do 

 the annoyance to which many amateurs 

 are often put in being obliged to make 

 up so many hot-beds during the spring 

 months and the early part of summer, a 

 labour which is absolutely necessary to be 

 done by every one who i3 at all ambitious 

 of bringing their plants to the greatest 

 perfection. Now, a hot-bed of this ma- 

 terial will, I confidently believe, save all 

 this trouble, and will serve the purpose 

 infinitely better, so far as the regularity 

 of the heat is concerned. As I have 

 plenty of the article at hand, I intend 

 making the trial next month, and shall be 

 happy to record my success, or otherwise, 

 at some future time. 



I am induced to make these sugges- 

 tions now in hopes that some of your 

 readers will give the " waste" a trial. To 

 those who have small greenhouses I think 

 it will be of great service. 



Robert Russell Smellie, 



Wellington Chemical WorJcs, 

 Musselburgh. 



