390 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



The roof of the main body of the building is 

 pronounced too high, and would be made subordi- 

 nate, and an " inferior appena'age .'" The whole 

 character of design, composition , and harmonious 

 arrangement , lies in making this feature dominant, 

 rather than subordinate- 



" O, when degree is shaked, 



Which is the ladder of all his^h designs, 

 The enterprise is sick!" 



SjIAltsrEARE'a TuOILlt'S. 



The Umbrage, (misscalled Veranda) is objected 

 to, from its not returning on the ends of the build- 

 ing. It might return with increased effect, al- 

 though it covered the bay window; but, as it 

 serves the good purpose of enabling one walking 

 in its shelter, to command the rear view, and a 

 pleasing fore-ground in the bay, and also spreads 

 the front, and bases the pyramidal form of the 

 whole structure at a minimum expense, how is it 

 shown to be a defect ? 



The critic, like the Irishman in the play, must 

 be able to see, (imperfectly indeed,) as well as 

 shoot round the corner when he pronounces the 



smaller gables to be dormers, — affording imper- 

 fect light to the chambers." These side gables 

 are 10 feet wide, and 8 feet high, according to the 

 scale of the engraving. 



I do not understand what is referred to as a 

 sky light, since there is none. The parapet, (not 

 balustrade, as this last term belongs to Italian 

 architecture) defends those who go out upon the 

 roof to enjoy the magnificent view of the sea and 

 shipping in the harbor and surrounding country, 

 from slipping down the steep sides; hence it is not 

 " useless." 



With respect to the plan, doubtless " family bed 

 rooms," an ample kitchen in a wing, other back 

 stairs, men servant's bed room, a bathing room, 

 wash room, wood room, out buildings, and other 

 accommodation might add to the convenience of a 

 family, if convenient to the proprietor to pay for 

 it. The house is rather compact indeed ! 



" Masters, spread yourselves " 



Shakspear's Drram. 

 Yours, truly, Alex'r J. Davis. New-York, 

 Jan. 1850. 



Origin and Improvement of Culinary Veg- 

 etables. — On taking a view of some of our most 

 valuable trees, fruits and vegetables, in their pri- 

 mitive and natural condition, as they have exist- 

 ed — and as they still exist in their native habitats, 

 we cannot fail to be struck with surprise at the 

 extraordinary change which has been effected up- 

 on them. From being worthless weeds, some are 

 converted into useful vegetables, and from being 

 vagabonds of the way-side, others have become 

 the most valuable garden productions. I am not 

 at present to tread upon the disputed doctrine Con- 

 stitutio Mutare Vegetatio ,wh\ch as far as I know 

 still remains an unsettled subject, but merely to 

 notice a few of the most valuable productions of 

 our gardens as objects of culture and economy, 

 with the view of stimulating gardners to do 



something in the way of effecting similar improve- 

 ments in others. 



Let us begin with some of our common garden 

 vegetables, the majority of which we find to be 

 the offspring of wild plants from the hedge-rows, 

 way-sides, fields and ditches, and some from the 

 seashores. The Brassica tribe for instance — the 

 cabbage, turnip, ike, are found wild in Britain, and 

 in their native state are the most unpromising 

 things imaginable, wood, hard and tough,— as un- 

 likely things to produce fine cabbages and turnips, 

 as that member of the same family the mustard, 

 is to become an eyrie for an eagle's nest. Those 

 fine cabbages brought into our markets, bear no 

 resemblance to the B. oleracea from which they 

 sprung, and yet from this solitary species are all 

 those varieties, — the large white and red cabbage 

 colevvorts, green savoys, Brussel sprouts, cauli- 

 flowers, brocolies, and about twenty other varie- 

 ties. The versatility of this tribe of plants is ex- 

 traordinary indeed; and this will appear the more 

 evident, when we consider that from the white 

 cabbage alone, there are above thirty varieties, dif- 

 fering in their sizes, form, hardiness, and periods of 

 coming to maturity, and though they maintain their 

 general characters throughout, they are in many 

 other respects widely different. 



ThvCucurbitacea have also renderedjtbemselves 

 conspicuous, especially in this country, as a valua- 

 ble family of vegetables, and easily improved. — 

 The most valuable of these are natives of Central 

 Asia; where they are found growing abundantly 

 on the hill sides, and in alluvial deposits. The ef- 

 fects of high culture and hybridization on this fam- 

 ily have been indeed wonderful, both as regards 

 product and quality. Compare some of the cu- 

 cumbers under present cultivation with their origi- 

 nal — the Cucumis sativa, or the present varieties 

 of melon, squash, &c., with those found in their 

 native habitats. 



Again we have the oelery, (Apium graveolens ,) 

 also a British plant, and found growing abundant- 

 ly on the south western sea shores of England, but 

 in a condition so coarse, rank.and even poisonous, 

 as almost to defy the efforts of cultivation to ren- 

 der it eatable ; and requires a long course of cul- 

 tivation to make suitable for human food ! The 

 asparagus, (Asparagus officinalis) is also found 

 growing abundantly on the coast of England, and 

 the islands around it ; but it is tough, and its taste 

 somewhat pungent. It is found growing in poor 

 sandy soil, generally near the sea; it is small in 

 size, and very different from the same plant in a 

 highly cultivated state. 



The parsnip, (Pastinacea sativa,) also a native 

 of Britain, and grows wild in calcareous places by 

 ihe road sides. In its cultivated state, it is one of 

 the most valuable and nutritous roots. The nu- 

 tritious portion of this root is found on analysis to 

 consist of ninety-nine parts in a thousand, of which 

 nine parts are mucilage, the remaining portion be- 

 ing saccharine matter. Unlike some others, the nu- 

 tritive qualities of this root are decreased by high 



