Notes and Gleanings. 45 



displacing the heated air.* The temperature of the cylinder vinery at Sawbridge- 

 vvorth has been accurately tested, and found to be, in shade, in sunny weather, 

 ten degrees above the shade temperature of the open air. This was ascertained 

 in September : it is quite probable, that, in sultry weather in summer, it would 

 exceed that. 



The open roof, by admitting rain and dew, seems to be the grand discovery, 

 the arcamim magniun, of the cylinder-vinery ; and much credit is due to the 

 inventor for the clever thought, thus saving amateurs the trouble of syringing 

 and watering. The great charm of this unique invention is, that every garden 

 ten or twelve feet square, with a southern aspect, may have a viner}-, with five or 

 more vines growing and bearing in it, for a trifling sum, — say forty or forty-five 

 shillings. I may add, that the patentee intends to supply the posts kyanized, 

 so as to last for half a century : the supporting wires and slight connecting iron- 

 work will also be supplied, and, I hope, shortly advertised. It is proposed by 

 the inventor to throw over the top of the cylinder in May, if spring-frosts are 

 rife, a piece of frigi-domo, or canvas ; allowing it to remain night and day till 

 the end of the month, but the cylinder to be open at top all the summer and 

 autumn. — Frontignan, in English Journal of Horticulture. 



A LARGE Vine. — On the seacoast, midway between Tyre and Sidon, is a 

 very ancient mulberry-garden, surrounded by some enormous olive-trees, whose 

 hollow trunks attest their great antiquity. By the garden-side stands a cool 

 fountain, fed by one of the mountain-streams, so welcome to the traveller for his 

 noontide rest when travelling through that thirsty land. After resting a while at 

 this pleasant spot, we rambled through the garden of mulberry-trees, partly for 

 the sake of taking the fruit, but more with the intent of learning something 

 about the rearing of silk-worms, which was there in full operation. Whilst ad- 

 miring the great size of the fine old mulberry-trees, I happened to notice the 

 bark of a tree which appeared so vine-like in its character, that I stopped to 

 examine it, and, to my surprise, found that it was really a vine of most enormous 

 dimensions : it rose by two main stems, and fairly rested upon six or eight of 

 the large mulberry-trees around. I measured the two stems a few inches above 

 the ground : the larger one was fifty and three-quarters inches in circumfer- 

 ence ; the smaller, forty inches. I endeavored to trace out the area covered by its 

 branches, but could not obtain an exact measurement ; for the branches had 

 rambled most irregularly. It had a splendid crop of very large bunches of 

 grapes then, but in an early stage of growth ; and I was told that it is a black va- 

 riety. My impression is that it is one of the largest vines in the world ; and it 

 would well repay a visit to " Ein-el-Kanterah," for that is the name of the spot, 

 if it be sought for by any of your readers whose rambling propensities may 

 carry them along that seashore. — W. Wanklyn, in English Journal of Horti- 

 culture. 



♦ The experiment to determine the upward and downward currents of air was carried out by Mr. T. F. 

 Rivers with thistle-down. The descending current of air was found to occupy the centre of the cylinder; 

 the upward currents of warm air, tlie sides. 



