Retrospective Criticism. 333 



" For the satisfaction of those interested in horticultural improvements, 1 

 have much pleasure in stating my opinion of the vinery erected here by you, 

 for the most noble the Marquess of Tweedale. 



" The vinery is of light construction, being of metal ; the rafters of mal- 

 leable iron, ^ in. broad and 3 in. deep ; and the astragals of zinc. The house 

 was finished during the autumn of 1840, and furnished with your heating 

 apparatus. During the early part of the winter, I filled the vinery with a 

 variety of greenhouse plants, both shrubby and herbaceous ; and, notwith- 

 standing the intense cold experienced early in January, I had no difficulty 

 whatever in keeping the house at the temperature best calculated for the 

 plants which it contained. Since then I have sufficiently tested, to my satis- 

 faction, the power of your heating apparatus. In ordinary severe weather, 

 while the thermometer in the open air, during the night, ranged between 20° 

 and 30°, I found no difficulty in keeping the temperature to any point required 

 between 50° and 80°, a range which I consider quite sufficient for any purpose 

 of forcing. The stove was heated with coke; and, during a period while the 

 thermometer ranged between 60° and 76°, the cost did not exceed 2s. 6d. per 

 month. The fuel consumed during the time was 10 bushels. 



" I have no hesitation in saying that your erection, taken as a whole, is a 

 great improvement on the ordinary method practised in the construction of 

 vineries, both as regards elegance and substantiality. Your method of 

 heating is also well adapted for keeping up a regular and steady temperature. 

 The system of regulating the heat is admirably arranged, which, with ventila- 

 tion and supplying of fuel, may be intrusted to the care of any individual. 



" Many noblemen and gentlemen have visited the house since its erection, 

 and have expressed themselves highly pleased with its construction, also 

 with the stove and hot-air flues. It is essential, however, that the fitting 

 up of the stoves, flues, &c., be superintended with great care, in order to 

 insure success. 



" The house was recently planted with a variety of vines, and I am happy 

 to inform you that they are now breaking well." — J.D. May, 1841. 



Sir John Rohisoti's Plant Case. (Vol XVI. p. 117.) — The plant case of 

 which I sent you a description has been successful in a surprising degree, the 

 tropical plants have thriven and increased in size almost in an inconvenient 

 degree, and have outstripped those of the same sorts which are in Mr. Ellis's 

 case (as described in the Gard. Mag. vol. xv. p. 492.), although they are 

 about three years the seniors. I ascribe this chiefly to the free space and 

 more light which my case has afforded them. In the middle of February I 

 put a number of Van Thol tulips in shells, with a little soil and moss, and 

 suspended them over the plants in the case ; they were over blown on the 

 thirty-second day. — J. B. Edinburgh, Ajjril I8tl. 



Art. IV. Retrospective Criticism. 



Mr. Penn^s Mode oflieating at Chatsworth. — In the course of discussion on 

 this subject in the Gardener's Gazette and the Gardener's Chronicle, it appeared 

 that the extract of a letter by Mr. Paxton, given in our April No. p. 234., was 

 not written by that gentleman, though the letter bore his signature. This cir- 

 cumstance seeming to us rather extraordinary, we wrote to Mr. Paxton on 

 the subject, who immediately returned to us the foUowiug letter, with permis- 

 sion to publish it. 



{Copy of a note sent to John Penn, Esq., by Thomas Bailey.) 



" Sir, Chatsworth Gardens, April 6. 1841. 



" Mr. Paxton has again desired me to write for your accounts for heating 

 the two Orchideae pits here, which you will be kind enough to send at your 

 earliest convenience. 



