MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE, ■ 283 



The larger your squares the better they will look ; but it is not safe to employ 

 squares wider than a foot if your sashes are to be lifted about, for they will be 

 apt to wring and break the panes. — " T. H." The statement which you have 

 investigated was not ours, but that of a correspondent. You see that the state- 

 ment is true, although we were mistaken in the inference we drew from it. You 

 also see what the glass trade is. If the manufacturers are so ill-advised as to 

 persevere in playing into the hands of glass cutters and dealers, who are their 

 worst enemies, it is of no consequence to anybody but themselves. We can pro- 

 cure foreign glass of as good quality as theirs without any trouble, and they may 

 say farewell, along farewell, to their trade, which is already moving rapidly to 

 the Elbe and the Scheldt. 



Glazing. — " F. P." We feel your difficulty. Buy and cut your glass, and 

 give your glazier ]^d. a foot for putting it in, he rinding putty, and leaving it in 

 a workmanlike state : and if he will not, buy putty and do it yourself. Do not 

 be imposed upon by the country glaziers. The allowance is ample. 



Properties of the Carnation and Picoteb, as now universally recognised 

 among the first cultivators of the day, and at the principal floral societies : — 



Carnation. — General Form and Size. — Round outline as Been in front, formed 

 by the guard petals, and those having perfectly smooth edges; half round as 

 looked at in profile, formed by a regularly rising face and crown. The perfec- 

 tion of size two and a-half to three inches. 



Texture. — Thickness of petals and richness of surface are absolutely necessary 

 to secure the advantage of whichever colour may be present. 



Colour and Character. — Ground pure white ; every spot, or shade, or stain is 

 a blemish. Stripes to be broad, whole, and well defined at the edges, and, 

 whatever shade they may be, dense and perfect throughout. In bizarres, the 

 whole 'of the light and dark to be equal in width and quantity. In flakes, twice 

 as much colour as white, and in complete stripes. 



Symmetry.— The petals should be slightly cupped, as it gives great strength 

 and reflects the colour, and lay in well-arranged circular tiers, one row above 

 another, and each petal covering the place where the lower petals meet. Each 

 row should be sufficiently shorter than the under one to expose a good portion 

 of the surface, and form the half ball. Not less than nineteen petals will do 

 this properly, supposing them even wide enough to make five form each row or 

 circle. 



Picotee. — Form, Texture, Size, and Symmetry. — The same as the Carnation. 



Colour and Character. — The colour should be whole at the outer e Iges, and 

 whether heavy or light — that is, broad or narrow — form a delicate feather on the 

 inner edge. The ground pure white, any spot, or bar, or stain, or shade, except 

 the edging, being a decided blemish. 



Hyacinths in Glasses. — When water is to he renewed always have it about 

 new milk warm when put in the glass. The application of cold water damages 

 the tender roots, and causes the tips to rot. Flora. 



Scale. — The following is a sure, simple, and easy method of cleaning plants 

 infected with scale : Take a handful of gum arabic, and dissolve it in as much 

 water as will thicken it to the consistency of oil ; then take a small painter's 

 brush (if a new one so much the better) and commence at the top of the plant, 

 and paint both leaves and stem, with the dissolved gum, down to the soil. The 

 plant may then be removed to its proper place for a week or two, ut the expira- 

 tion of that time it must be taken and washed with soft water, using a sponge, 

 or, what is still better, an old tooth-brush, to remove the gum that may adhere 

 to the plant ; after the washing is finished, if carefully done, the plant will be 

 completely cleansed from scale. I have done plants so infected, that I never 

 had any hopes of ever cleaning them, and now there is not a scale to be found 

 upon them, and the plants have a fine bright glossy appearance. 



Leeds. F. G. A. 



