CONVERSATION. &C. 59 



I forgot to mention in my paper when describing the fur- 

 nace door used to my apparatus, that between the door and the 

 fire there is a piece of iron one foot three inches by one foot 

 wide, which acts aa a carbonizing plate, and when the fire be- 

 gins to burn strong, so as to heat the iron hot, nearly the whole 

 of the smoke is consumed. I will thank you to notice this omis- 

 sion and please let the whole of these observations and instructions 

 as well as those sent before, appear in full if possible, as they 

 are all very useful hints to gentlemen and gardeners. 



W. Thomson. 



(To be continued,) 



ARTICLE II. 

 CONVERSATION BETWEEN BLOOMWELL AND YYOULDKNOW. 



BY BIZARRE. 



(Continued from Vol. V. page 270. 

 Wouldknow. I think seed is sometimes very scarce. 



BloomweLL. Some years are unfavorable to the sowing of 

 seed, and I am afraid the present one will be among the num- 

 ber, the flowers being late in bloom. As soon as the petals 

 wither, they should be carefully extracted, and most part of the 

 calyx cut away, so that there may be no place to hold the wet. 

 which soon spoils the seed. You should also be careful to pro- 

 tect the pods from earwigs, which are as destructive to the seed 

 as they are to the flowers. A piece of wool wrapped round the 

 stalk so as to prevent all communication with the pod, is the 

 most effectual method of preventing their depredations, as they 

 do not often get throngh the wool, their horns frequently getting 

 entangled in it, they cannot proceed. When the seed is ripe, the 

 pods should be dried, and then put into paper boxes till spring. 

 Then shake the seeds out of the husks and sow it about the se- 

 cond week in April, in pots or boxes. When the plants are 

 about an inch and a half or two inches high, transplant them 

 into a bed of good light soil about six inches apart all ways ; 

 when planted closer they are often drawn up without layers, 

 and so you have sometimes the mortification of loosing a good 

 seedling as soon as you have obtained it. The next summer 

 when they begin to show bloom, pull up all single and worthless 

 ones, to give more air and room to the others, giving all such as 



