1822] 
the Rhine, the countries from which 
the great march of emigration proceeds. 
‘All Eurove does not afford a finer and 
more lovely land: the highest eultiva- 
tion, the finest forests, the richest pro- 
ducts, the best roads, every thing which 
would seem to belong to a happy coun- 
try; all those advantages which we 
suppose M. de Fiirstenwarther means 
by his ‘material existence,’ and in 
which we really wish we were as well 
off as he describes us. Yet, it is from 
these delightful regions that every one, 
who can ride or walk away, from chil- 
dren at the breast to women eighty 
years old, is flyingas from a pestilence, 
not tempted to stay by that fine freedom 
of the soul, of which our anthor will 
have it there is so much in Germany. 
Now we apprehend that it is precisely 
those fine moral comforts which are 
Proceedings of Puglic Societies. 
2346 
wanting ‘ in Europe, nay we say it bold- 
ly, in Germany most ofall.’ In some 
parts of Europe there is more wealth, 
in most there is more artificial refine- 
ment, and more learning, than in Ame- 
rica; but in none is there much free- 
dom either of soul or body; most ia 
England, but not enough there. The 
tyranny is of a different kind in differ- 
ent places. In one it is the dispropor- 
tionate wealth of the aristocracy, as in 
England; and in one it is the unba- 
lanced despotism of the government, 
as in Germany: but in all it is freedom, 
liberty, confidence, equality of rights, 
when there is equality of merit, which 
are wanted: a want which is poorly 
supplied by pictures and statues, by 
fleets and armies, nay by fine poetry 
and prose ;—though these are all ex- 
cellent in their way. 
PROCEEDINGS OF PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 
—=—>—— 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF 
LONDON. 
On the Cultivation of Figs on the back 
Walls of Vineries; by JOSEPH 
SABINE, Esq. FLR.S. Sc. Secretary. 
N the common method of cultivating 
grapes under glass, it may always 
be observed, says Mr. Sabine, that the 
vines trained to the back wall of the 
house seldom yield either an abundant 
or well-flavoured crop: this is caused 
by the plants being too far removed from 
the glass, and too much shaded by the 
vines trained wnder the rafters. I 
have always considered fig-trees as bet- 
ter suited to the back wall in a grape- 
house than vines, and have lately seen 
them succeed so well in the garden ofa 
friend in Norfolk, that I cannot better 
describe the plan I recommend, than 
by detailing the practice I there ob- 
served. 
The house I allude io is forty-four 
feet long, by twelve and a half wide, 
in the clear; the back wall is fourteen, 
and the front wall rather more than 
four feet high; there is no upright 
glass in front: the vines are planted on 
the outside, on a border raised against 
the front wall, and are brought into 
the house under the wall plate; the 
flue is in front only, returning upon 
itself, the chimney Beli over the fire- 
place, which is at one end of the house, 
the door being at the other end, so that 
there is no dip in the flue; a paved 
walk goes along the house, near the 
flue, leaving a border between the pave- 
ment and the back wall. Two fig-trees 
are planted against the back wall; one 
is a brown, the other a white fig, kinds 
which are common in Italy, and the 
South of France, and both bearing 
fruit of a short and flattened form. 
These trees have been planted fifteen 
years, and entirely cover the wall: 
the border in which they were planted 
was originally made very rich, and they 
have grown well in it; the branches 
are trained to a trellis against the wall, 
but they are also suffered to project 
from the wall. The trees are pruned 
in the antumn, after their wood is well 
hardened, where it is necessary to pre- 
vent them from incumbering the house ; 
but as the object is to get the trees to the 
largest possible size, in whieh state they 
will produce more of the short fruit- 
bearing shoots, they are cut but little, 
except it be occasionally necessary tu 
thin them, by taking out a strong 
limh. Itis the practice to begin forcing 
when the grapes break in the middle 
of April; the first crop of figs ripens in 
June, and the second crop in August. 
The grapes begin to ripen in Septera- 
ber, and continue fresh until near 
Christmas. 
Account of a Method of conveying Wa- 
ter to Plantsin Houses ; by the same. 
The plan IT am about to describe, 
says Mr. 8. is most simple in its opera- 
tion, and not only supplies water to the 
plants, 
