DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



They relate that before making its attack upon 

 the serpent, the bird always eats the leaves of 

 the bejneo de guaco. This having beenobserv- 

 ed, it was inferred that the plant possessed anti- 

 dotal powers, which led to the trial and conse- 

 quent discovery of its virtues. — Household 

 Words. • 



How TO GET RID OF COCKROACHES. Mr. 



Tewkesbury, of Nottingham, in a letter to the 

 Manx Sun, says: — " I forward an easy, clean, 

 and certain method of eradicating these insects 

 from dwelling-houses. A few years ago my 

 house was infested witli cockroaches (or 'clocks,' 

 as they are called here,) and I was recommend- 

 ed to try cucumber peelings as a remedy. I 

 accordingly, immediately before bed-time, 

 strewed the floor of those parts of the house 

 most infested with the vermin with the green 

 peal, cut not very thin from the cucumber, and 

 sat up half an hour later than usual to watch the 

 effect. Before the expiration of that time the floor 



where the peel lay was completely covered with 

 cockroaches, so much so, that the vegetable 

 could not be seen, so voraciously were they en- 

 gaged in sucking the poisonous moisture from 

 it. I adopted the same plan the following night, 

 but my visitors were not near so numerous — I 

 should think not more than a fourth of the 

 previous night. On the third night I did not 

 di.scover one; but anxious to ascertain whether 

 the house was quite clear of them, I examined 

 the peel after J had lain it down about half an 

 hour, and perceived that it was covered with 

 myriads of minute cockroaches about the size 

 of a flea. I therefore allowed the peel to lie 

 till morning, and from that moment 1 have not 

 seen a cockroach in tlie house. It is a very old 

 building ; and I am certain that the above re- 

 medy only requires to be persevered in for three 

 or four nights, to completely eradicate the pest. 

 Of course it should be fresh cucumber peel 

 every night." — Builder. 



Dnnirstit JMim. 



The great Palm Hocse atKew. — "We have 

 already alluded to this beautiful, tropical glass 

 house, in which the palms and other trees of 

 the equatorial regions, growing in the ground 

 and in huge tubs, reach the altitude and wear 

 the same aspect as in their native clime. The 

 engraving which forms our frontispiece of this 

 month, will enable our readers to form a more 

 definite idea of its external appearance. 



Tliere is no doubt that this is the most beau- 

 tiful plant house in the world. Though not so 

 huge as the great conservatory at Chatsworth, 

 and but small compared with that miracle of 

 size, the Crystal Palace, it has an airyness and 

 elegance that neither of these latter buildings 

 can boast. This is owing to the exterior of the 

 Kew Palm House, or at least the roof, appear- 

 ing an unbroken sheet of curved glass — while 

 the others, being constructed on what is called 

 the " ridge and furrow'' system, presents a 

 series of ploughed or angular roof lines. 



The Kew Palm House is one of the largest 

 glass houses in the world — being 362 feet long 

 l)y 100 feet wide, (in the center,) and 66 feet 

 high. The main ribs of the roof are wrought 

 iron, as well as all the ties. The columns are 

 cast iron, and being hollow, conduct the rain- 

 from the gutters on the roof to rain-wa- 

 tanks formed underneath and around the 



whole interior of the building. A light gallery- 

 runs round the whole, from which, not only the 

 best view of the trees and plants is obtained, 

 but the tops of the trees are watered, the sup- 

 ply being obtained from a reservoir in an orna- 

 mental tower at some distance. 



" The roof is wholly glazed with sheet glass, 

 slightly tinged with green, the tint being given 

 in niaking the glass, bj*- oxide of copper. This 

 has been done to counteraet the injurious effects 

 on the vegetation, arising from the use of white 

 sheet glass, an arrangement proposed by Mr. 

 Hunt, of the Museum of Economic Geology, 

 and practically carried out in this building for 

 the first time." — (London Builder. 



To heat the house, there are 28 ,000^ superfi- 

 cial feet of hot water pipes, connected with 

 several boilers, laid under the perforated iron 

 flooring, which forms the paths, &c. 



No chimneys being visible, the visitor who 

 examines the building is at a loss to know what 

 becomes of the smoke. He is, in answer, shown 

 in the distance, (550 feet off.) a high Italian 

 tower, to which the flues lead under ground. 

 There is a subterranean passage the whole way 

 from the tower to tlie l)eating apparatus, and 

 tlirou'i;h this passage runs a small railway 

 iron wagons to convey the coal and take 



