JANUARY. 11 



artificial propagation, several varieties are met with in those islands, of 

 various degrees of excellence. The credit of being the first to fruit this 

 difficult exotic is a gratifying reward for the liberality with which the 

 late and present Dukes of Northumberland have furnished the neces- 

 sary appliances to effect this desirable result, as the spacioas houses 

 devoted to the growth of tropical fruits at Syon sufficiently attest, and is 

 no less creditable to the skiU and judgment of his Grace's very excellent 

 gardener, Mr. Ivison, who has charge of them. We can only hope that 

 the fruit in question will fully bear out its high character when ripe ; 

 but whether or no, the fact of fruiting it is another triumph of British 

 gardening. 



The Mangosteen now fruiting at Syon was introduced (we under- 

 stand) by Captain White from Calcutta, in 1833, and is growing in a 

 tub three feet square, in turfy loam, and kept in a bottom heat of from 

 80° to 90°, the temperature of the house ranging from 65° to 90°, with 

 a constant supply of fresh air and moisture, even in the coldest weather, 

 the air being introduced through drains which open among the hot- 

 water pipes. The tree is about 15 feet high, and 9 feet in diameter. 

 The first flowers expanded on the 18th of November, and the fruits are 

 now about the size of Greengage Plums, with every appearance of 

 coming to perfection. 



GLASS WALLS versus BRICK WALLS. 



When we consider that fruit has become one of the necessaries of life 

 to all classes of people, the importance of annually securing a good 

 crop is at once evident ; a calm discussion as to the best means of 

 accomplishing this must, therefore, in its results, be for the public good. 

 This of itself would, I hope, be sufficient apology for me again offer- 

 ing a few remarks on the subject ; but as your correspondents "J. M." 

 and " Helminthion," — whose articles have appeared in the Florist 

 since my communication in the June number — have so often referred 

 to mine, I feel it incumbent on me to reply to them, and to offer some 

 additional remarks on the subject. 



I am very glad they have spoken out on the matter, and I wish 

 others would do so also ; because by so doing, if we can only elicit the 

 truth — which is the object we all ought to have in view — we shall not 

 have laboured in vain, 



I will take their communications in the order in which they have 

 appeared. And to begin with " J. M.," I must in the first place beg 

 of him the favour of reading my article again : by so doing, he will find 

 that it was penned in consequence of Mr. Ewing, in a previous number, 

 designating fruit tree protection by canvas-rolls and Fir-branches " the 

 antiquated plan." When I ventured to defend this plan, I did not 

 then, nor do I now, consider it perfection : far from it. But I did then 

 believe, and do now, that this plan will />«//, which glass walls will not. 

 " J. M." must assuredly see that my article was not intended so much 

 to condemn glass walls and orchard-houses (if people choose to spend 

 their money on such hobby-horses), as to defend the plan which the 



