April 14, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



■2:-, 



" double walla of glass," and in consequence of my expectations 

 having been realised, I hive just added 300 feet to my former 

 glass walls, all of which have just been planted with fruit trees 

 of various kinds, mostly trained on a trellis. The Cherries, 

 however, are of the pyramidal form. These trees, having been 

 obtained in pots from Mr. Rivers, will bear a good crop this 

 season. Bat as the object of this communication was merely 

 to give " Poplab " the result of my experience in glazing on a 

 plan invented by myself, I must reserve all information respect- 

 ing the mode of growing fruit on this plan until another occasion. 

 The rafters, having been grooved to a width a little more 

 than the thickness of the 21-oz. glass, are placed in a tank con- 

 taining creosote, where they are boiled for twelve hours ; they 

 are removed from the tank while the creosote is in a boiling 

 state, and in a few minute3 they are dry, in consequence of 

 rapid evaporation ; in a few weeks the colour becomes brown, 

 and in the course of a year or so the colour becomes so bleached 

 that the building might be varnished if it were considered 

 necessary, but no paint is ever required. On the rafters being 

 fixed the glas3 is slipped down ; nothing 13 ever used in the 

 grooves for packing, as a copper clip is used to keep the glass 

 tightly in the groove. About two hundred of these clips are cut 

 out of a sheet of very thin copper. They are of a triangular 

 form, the acute angles being bent downwards by means of a 

 mandril made for the purpose. These clips are forced into the 

 grooves immediately above the upper angles of the glass. I 

 am rather proud cf this invention, as it is simple and effects 

 four purposes, the most important of which is to prevent the 

 glass slipping down on one side of the glass below it ; the next 

 is that the clips keep each pane tightly in the grooves ; thirdly, 

 the thin layer of copper prevents the edges of the glass touching, 

 and thus chipping of the edges is prevented; fourthly, the space 

 between each edge allows of gentle and genial ventilation 

 throughout the structure, which is of great service at night, if 

 at any time the air be excluded above. There is no putty and 

 no paint in any of these structures, so that the weather has no 

 effect upon them. If a pane of glass be broken, the gardener 

 slips another in from the top. 



If " Poplae," or any other person, would like to see these 

 structures, my gardener would show them. I patented them to 

 prevent any one interfering with me while making my experi- 

 ments ; but I should be hippy to allow any amateur to use the 

 patent for scientific purposes, or even otherwise. — Obsebveb. 



A FEW MORE THOUGHTS ON READING 



ME. W. PAULS DEXUXCIATION OF FLOWER SHOWS. 



I quite acquiesce in all that Mr. C. Turner says in the last 

 week's number in regard to the extraordinary views that Mr. 

 Paul has recorded in a previous number, on the question of 

 " Flowers and Flower Shows." My experience as an exhibitor 

 only extends over the short period of fifteen years ; my forte 

 has been with the Hyacinth, Tulip, and other Dutch bulbou3 

 plants, and during that period I have maintained the premier 

 position thirteen years, therefore I presume that my opinion 

 on the subject is not unmatured. When I first entered the 

 field it was with a dozen Hyacinths, at a meeting held in the 

 old Horticultural Society's rooms in Regent Street, and the 

 remarks made upon tho.-e flowers by Dr. Lindley fired me with 

 an energy that has resulted in the increased size and beauty of 

 these early harbingers of sunny times, which one usually ex- 

 pects to see at our annual spring shows. I question very 

 much whether I may not attribute my own success with these 

 bulbB solely to the fine effect produced, and having " first 

 prize " placed so often against my name ; all I know is, on 

 referring to some old books, that when the first dozen was 

 shown our importation did not exceed £50 in three years, but 

 it now exceeds ten times the amount, and goes on increasing. 

 Surely this will prove that the public taste does not recede ; 

 and although Mr. Paul may assert that there is a good deal of 

 what he calls " floricultural millinery," it is impossible to 

 apply it to the Hyacinth, for no flower requires Ies3 artificial 

 help to mike it presentable at Flora's court. It i3 possible 

 that he may have observed small pins sticking into the flowers, 

 and the drooping flowers of a loose truss brought to look you 

 in the face by the footstalk being tied to the stem by an almost 

 invisible ligature of fine green silk, and if he has seen this 

 it is to be hoped he fully exposed the individual, I cannot call 

 him florist, who acted so thoroughly in opposition to every 

 true lover of nature. 



I should quite agree with Mr. Piil'-' remarks .':' 



believe that the nurserymen alone reap benefit from flower 

 shows, and at once say, Down with them, even to the dust ; 

 neither can I say that visitors are disappointed when they jot 

 down the names of the best flowers they see, and procure 

 them, nor does my short experience determine me in saying 

 nurseries are less vieited than formerly. When I look round 

 London and see the enormous increase in the numbers of the 

 profession, it certainly does appear that the taste for gardening 

 has most marvellously increased, and this must be attributed, 

 to some extent, to the effects of flower shows. Why are there 

 so many local shows from one end of the country to the other ? 

 Certainly not solely for the pecuniary advantage of the nur- 

 seryman. No ; out upon a florist who, solely for the love of gain, 

 takes to that highest branch of Nature's decorative art. Those 

 whose names we see so frequently in the Journal as associ- 

 ated with certain of Flora's gems are not pecuniary gainers 

 by worshipping at her shine, which anyone may readily prove 

 on reading their names. If, then, by flower shows we can 

 further tho taste for flowers, it is our bounden duty to do 

 so, for, depend upen it, the cultivation of plants has an in- 

 fluence upon a people, most conducive to their welfare. If 

 I never enter the arena again as a competitor my energy will 

 never slacken in inducing others to do so, and I advise them 

 to avoid laying themselves open to unjust criticisms, such 

 as are so liberally bestowed, as far as I have experienced, in 

 the denunciations of exhibitors and exhibitions, and I protest 

 against such a charge of dishonesty being associated with our 

 noble profession. — James Cutbcsh, Highgate. 



GARDENERS' ASSISTANTS.— No. 2. 



THE ARC 2I1IEDEAN LAWN MOWER. 



Is this we have one of the most original inventions that has 

 come under our notice for several years. Mowing machines 

 have driven the old-fashioned scythe almost out oi sight, leav- 

 ing it no work to do but round corners and amongst rough 

 stuff. The very fineness of the construction of our patent 

 English lawn mowers has, however, proved somewhat of a 

 weakness. The grass for their proper operation has to be of a 

 certain quality, without bents, &c\, and of a certain height, 

 otherwise they will not cut it. 



In the Archimedean lawn mower, which comes to us from 

 America, we have something quite original, and differing ma- 

 terially from all others. It is a very simple machine to look at, 

 and a very little affair altogether, yet it is so constructed that 

 it will cut grass in almost any condition, and of any height. 

 The knife, or cutter, is in the shape of the simple Archimedean 

 screw, which, being set in motion in the usual manner, revolves 

 with great rapidity, and, as it were, overlaps the grass in front, 

 beating it down on the cutter-bar fixed at the bottom. In 

 this way not a single leaf which the screw is enabled to over- 

 lap escapes uncut. There is no roller in front to lay down 

 the grass ; the Archimedean takes it just a3 it stands. Instead 

 of the rollers, there is a flat skid or sole on each side, on 

 which the machine slides easily along ; and by raising or lower- 

 ing this sole by mean3 of a small screw-nut the height of the 

 cutter is regulated. In this way it can be set to cut the grass 

 close to the ground, or an inch or more above it, as may be 

 desired, which is an important feature, as by going over the 

 ground two or three times a very heavy sward of grass may be 

 inch by inch reduced. The height of the cutter may also be 

 regulated somewhat at will by the operator's raising or lower- 

 ing the handle of the machine, and thus it is enabled to cut 

 realily up hill and down hill, and over uneven ground. 



Another peculiar feature i3, that the grass when cut is not 

 gathered up, but scattered on the ground the machine passes 

 over. If the lawn is cut regularly, as it should be once a-wetk 

 or so, it i3 not necessary that the grass should be gathered 

 up, but, on the contrary, it may be allowed to lie. This may 

 seem a little untidy, but it is not so. In America in this way 

 only can freshly-cut lawn3 be kept from scorching, and in this 

 country we often suffer from the same cause. The grass, as 

 cut by this machine, serves a3 a mulch and protection from the 

 sun's scorching rays, likewise as a fertiliser of the sad ; and 

 this I can positively affirm to be the case from experience 

 during last year. Our lawn3 operated upon by this machine 

 never looked so well. When the grass is very abundant it is 

 easy to have it swept up. 



Having used thi3 Archimedean lawn mower for several 

 months during the past year, I am enabled to speak decisively 

 re»p=.cting it. It will cut grass quite as well in a wet state as 



