Foreign J^otices. 33 



also for private dwellings, churches, ware-houses, &c. The expense 

 of the erection is cheaper than that of copper pipes and reservoirs, 

 and the small space it occupies renders it exceediiifrly useful where 

 elegance and lightness of structure is considered. We hope it will 

 be more adopted here, where we are confident it will be found much 

 better than the method now in general use. In one of the graperies of 

 Col. Perkins, at Brookline, it has been in operation some time, but we 

 believe at no other place in this country. It is particularly applicable 

 to early forcing-houses, and we have no doubt, could the apparatus be 

 procured here, that it would soon take the place of the present system. 

 — Cond. 



Cause of Mildew. — It has generally been supposed that mildew was 

 caused by a damp atmosphere, owing to dull cloudy weather, or to 

 long and continued rains. We have, however, long believed to the 

 contrary; indeed, we have proved it to be caused by the reverse of this; 

 and we are glad to perceive that we are supported in our opinion by 

 Mr. Towers, the talented author of the Domestic Gardener's Manual. 

 He states what we have always maintained, that it is owing to a "droughty 

 state of the soil, high solar heat during the day," accompanied with 

 cold heavy dews at night: and that the only preventive is, a plentiful 

 supply of water both to the roots and foliage of plants affected. We 

 several years since tried an experiment upon some gooseberry bushes, 

 and ascertained the cause and also the same preventive : copious sup- 

 plies of pure water stopped its increase; while on those which were 

 not watered it continued to spread with great rapiditj\ At a future 

 time we shall extend our remarks on the subject. — Id. 



New Method of sowing Grain, practised in the south of Europe. — 

 During four years past, S. Bocquet of Dammontin, whose husbandry 

 is too limited to permit a large rotation of crops, has sown his winter 

 wheat from the 15th of June to the middle of July. In sowing he 

 makes a mixture of one half wheat and one half barley. The earliest 

 of barley is of course preferred, as coming soonest to maturity. By 

 the end of September or the middle of October, the barley being ripe, 

 and the wheat already large, he cuts the whole within two inches of the 

 ground — obtains an abundant crop of fodder and a half crop of barley. 

 In the mean time the wheat is by no means injured, grows vigorously, 

 and attains a large size the next season. The crop of wheat is very 

 abundant, the heads of large size and well filled. {Extracted from the 

 Reportons di Agricultura, 1835.) — Jl. J. D. 



Art. II. Foreign Notices. 

 ENGLAND. 



Growing Plants in Glass Cases. — At a late meeting of the British 

 Scientific Association, a premium of the value of £25 was awarded to 

 Professor Henslow for experiments and observations on the growth of 

 plants excluded from the air, according to the method of Mr. Ward, an 

 account of which is given in our I, p. '■24. The discovery of this method 

 is likely to prove of great importance in floriculture: plants have al- 

 ready been sent from England to the East Indies, and arrived there in 

 good order, which have repeatedly been shipped in the ordinary modes, 

 and have as repeatedly died on the passage. Might not man)- plants 

 be added to our collections, Avhich it has been found impossible to im- 

 port in the usual way, by having them planted in glass cases.'' We cer- 



VOL. III. — NO. I. 5 



