376 General Notices. 



created. As the usual shade and moisture applied to orchidaceous plants is 

 well calculated to maintain such a growth, without much effort on the part of 

 any plant so unnaturally situated, I may mention that this is not the case to 

 any extent where the plant in question is growing ; it is suspended from the 

 roof of a house containing a miscellaneous collection of stove plants, where 

 no shade, save that afforded by creepers, is ever applied, and the growth of.the 

 fig being used as part of such shade, it is within a few inches of the glass, and 

 is exposed to every ray. In making, or rather filling, other baskets, I depo- 

 sited amongst the materials an eye or two of the fig tree ; not only to pro- 

 duce the appearance and shade mentioned, but because I fancied that epiphytes 

 naturally growing upon living objects might succeed better in a living mass, 

 than iu materials inert and decaying. These eyes soon vegetated, and pro- 

 truded through the crevices, and are now bearing fruit; thus proving that 

 very little support is necessary to keep in perfect health a plant generally de- 

 nominated a gross feeder. — N. M. T. Folkestone, May 28. 1841. 



Striking from Leaves. — In the spring of 1838, previously to his leaving 

 Downton, unfortunately never to return, it occurred to Mr. Knight's inventive 

 mind, that plants might be propagated from single buds and leaves only. 

 Accordingly, he had several pots filled with a fine sandy loam ; the pots were 

 about 12 in. in diameter, to receive the cuttings, which he prepared himself. 

 The buds and leaves were cut out, as is usually done when intended for in- 

 sertion in stocks, with but a very small portion of the alburnum to each. The 

 kinds that he operated upon were, double camellias, magnolias, metrosicle- 

 ros, acacias, neriums, rhododendrons, and many others. The soil in the 

 pots having been previously pressed firmly down, and the surface made per- 

 fectly smooth, the cuttings were inserted with a dibber, so as just to cover 

 the bud, when the soil was pressed firmly against it. The back of the leaf, 

 lying on the surface of the mould, was fed by absorbing moisture from it. 

 The surface of the pots was quite covered with leaves, but so disposed that 

 they did not overlap each other; they were then gently sprinkled with water, 

 covered with bell-glasses, and placed on the flue of a forcing-house. The 

 sprinkling was afterwards frequently repeated, and the glasses shaded from 

 the sun, by hanging paper over them. In a short time, the buds were seen 

 breaking through the surface of the mould, and by the end of summer some 

 of them had made shoots 6 and 8 inches long, especially the camellias, 

 which were then potted off. The others, that had not made equal progress, 

 remained as they were until the following spring, when they likewise were 

 potted, and found to be firmly rooted. Since that time I have tried other 

 sorts with equal success ; but, perhaps, plants that have large leaves are best 

 adapted for this mode of culture. {S. Lauder, Downton Castle, Jan. 14. 1841 ; 

 in Gard. Cliron., Jan. 23. p. 53.) 



Sawdust as Manure. — There are many sawpits round this town ; and it has 

 been invariably found, that, when the dust is from deciduous trees, it can be 

 rotted into a soluble mass ; but, when from fir trees, it will lie for years, and 

 reduces with difficulty, after a long period, into an earthy-looking substance ; 

 it is the resin that prevents fermentation. The best way to ferment it would 

 be, to mix it with acid and mucilaginous substances, which contain nitrogen, 

 an indispensable article in all fermentations ; yeast, where it can be got, is the 

 very best. Hot fermenting manure, as before recommended, is also of great 

 avail ; but, from our experience of it in swine-dung, we should think hardly 

 sufficient for sawdust of resinous trees ; for other sawdust, or for peat, it is 

 quite sufficient. We think, all things being taken into consideration, unless 

 acid and mucilaginous substances and yeast are easily procurable, and not ex- 

 pensive, the best way would be to burn the mass of sawdust, as it is likely 

 to be from deal, that being most used. We shall then have the potash and 

 other salts or metalhc bases of the wood, and some charcoal; while the resin 

 will be dissipated by the burning. There is not so much potash in the fir wood 

 as in some other woods, but what there is is valuable. (7?. Lymhurn ; in 

 Gard. Chron.,Veh. 6. p. 85.) 



