•t88 Udrospcctivc Criticism. 



tilings frequently to be met with in gardens, which arc not exactly agree- 

 able to Miy taste. The green-house, outwardly, presents an unsightly 

 aspect, owing to (he want of" blank wall and ornanifutal shape; whilst, 

 within, it is so crowded with plants, tliat you must walk sideways to pre- 

 vent your arms from brushing down some of the pots to your feet, as you 

 pass through its confined alley ; and, should you wish to see the topmost 

 plants of the stage, it can only be done with eyes painfully strained. Now, 

 in buildings of this kind, economy should not be the first consideration ; 

 and, therefore, though some slight inconvenience might arise from three 

 detaclied houses, sucii a number, formed on architectural principles, with 

 intervening blank walls, adorned with evergreens, woidd amply compensate, 

 h\ their ornamental appearance, for any disadvantage of separation. Very 

 small greenhouses might be conveniently and ornamentally attached to 

 cottages, so that the parlour window might command a view of the gay 

 interior, which, from its smallness of scale not allowing of an alley, might 

 always be viewed from without. Then, the long painted sticks, to whose 

 tops the neighbouring plants have yet to climb, have an unsightly <aj)pear- 

 ance : this might be remedied by procuring tubular sup])orts, to be inserted 

 in each other, as the growth of the plant required. Last of all, I will men- 

 tion box-edgings, and all other too scrupulousl}- defined border-lines, as 

 not agreeing with my taste ; preferring rather an occasional encroachment 

 on the path by some recumbent * plant, such, for example, as the Esch- 

 scholtz/V/ califurnica, which would ofler its golden goblets to the sun with 

 great effect in such a situation. — R. T. F Cottage, Oct. 31. 1831. 



Jsnrch, Pine, and Fir Timber will resist Fire while green, or full of Sap. — 

 I find it stated (p. 93.) that " the timber of the larch, though, like other 

 trees of the fir tribe, it abounds w ith turpentine, is yet, contrary to what 

 we should exjK'ct, remarkably slow in igniting, and may almost be said to 

 resist fire." Is not the timbLT of all the fir tribe equally difficult to ignite 

 before being dried ? In my humble opinion it is. The settlers in America 

 know from ex[)erience, that there are no logs so difficult to burn as those 

 of the fir tribe : I have had some experience of this, myself, in Upper Canada, 

 where the hemlock spruce (./"bies canadensis //. A'.) ami white pine (/'inus 

 iS'trobus LJ) iU'c not uncommon. 



With regard to the American black larch (Larix ytdndnX-A Lambert), when 

 dry, it is greatly in demautl as fuel for the steam-boats on the St. Lawrence. 

 I recollect en(juiring of the engineer of a steam boat why he used tanuu'ac, 

 the ('anadian name for larch, in preference to majile, liiccory, or beech. 

 He replied, that it gave out more flame, and burned (juicker, and was for 

 these reasons preferred; yet, li'om what 1 have experienced, there is no spe- 

 cies of timber in (Canada which will give out more heat, or last longer as 

 common fuel, than beech, liiccory, or maple. The two last-mentioncil burn 

 as well when green as when dried. I am, Sir, vours, <!v:c. — 7'. Blair. 

 Stamford Hill, Mureli 7. 1832. 



The wood of the common ash ( /-'raxinus excelsior />.) is said to burn 

 freely in a green state; and there is an adage to this effect in worils like 

 these : — " Ash while green, Is fit to burn before the queen." Does it 

 burn so freely V — /. !)■ 



The Common and Highland Pines. — Sir, In .1. (l.'s very useful ami inter- 

 esting account of the common and Highland [)ines, fouiul in Scotland 

 (p. 10.), 1 regret that he has not pointed out more precisely the botanical 

 characters of each, so as to enable your readers to distinguish the one 

 from the other. After noticing the superiority of the " new sort," as tim- 

 ber, " in size, i|uality, and durability," the chief points he sjieaks of, in 

 which it diHers from the " old," and less valuable kind, are " its long tufted 

 leaves, and the horizontal direction of its branches ; " and these, he informs 



* The word is here used to signify a jiostnre betwixt standing up and 

 lying down; and not, therefore, in the sense of procumbent. — R. T. 



