634- General Notices. 



the edge, and the bark cuts rough ; indeed, even when the knife is newly 

 sharpened, it will always come out rougher than with the following plan, and, 

 besides, the bark is apt to be hurt by extracting the wood after it is cut off 

 the shoot. All these may be prevented, by cutting the bark all round the 

 bud to the exact shape and size wanted, without cutting the wood at all. 

 After this, if the thumb be apphed to the side of the bud and gently squeezed 

 upwards, the bud will come out as smooth as glass in the cut, if the bark is 

 free ; and, unless it be so, the budding is not like to do well. For cherries, 

 plums, peaches, and fruit trees in general, this is the best of all methods ; the 

 piece of wood is apt to fly out between the bud and bark if the bud is well 

 ripened, but it is apt to fly out at any rate by any of the methods ; the base 

 of the bud is, however, uninjured, and, if this is left, the wood is easily re- 

 generated. It has been long the general opinion among nurser3'men, that the 

 wood is essential ; but we have often marked pieces of work done with buds 

 •where the wood had come out so hollow at the eye that the base of the bud 

 could not be perceived, and they generally succeeded better than the other 

 buds. (7?. Lymburn, in Gard, Chron., vol. i. p. 533.) 



Tobacco-Paper is preferable to tobacco to fumigate with, because it is 

 cheaper, and does not burn so fast. (Gard. Chron., vol. i, p. 213.) 



Tobacco-Water will kill all aphides, but much more effectually when warm 

 than when cold. (Ibid., p. 617.) 



Sjnrit of Tar mixed with sand, at the rate of a gallon of spirit to a barrow- 

 load of sand, and strewed over sixty or seventy square yards, will deter 

 insects from depositing their eggs there by its powerful smell. {Ibid, p. 105.) 



Sulphuretted Hydrogen Gas is recommended for destroying rats, mice, and 

 other noxious animals, in their lurking-places, and it might also be employed 

 to destroy insects in plant structures. (Ibid., p. 199.) 



Stifling Insects by coating them over with Clay Paint, paste, or gum-water, 

 may sometimes be had recourse to ; life being destroyed by preventing respi- 

 ration. (Ibid.) 



Deterring Insects by Hud. — The gooseberry caterpillar may be destro3'ed by 

 sprinkling the bushes with water, and then dusting them with dry soil, which 

 forms mud on the surface of the leaves. A decoction of the root of white 

 hellebore has also been found effectual ; and hellebore in powder still more 

 so. Attention must be had that the powder reaches the caterpillars, whether 

 on the upper or under sides of the leaves. (Ibid., p. 533.) 



To destroy Moss in Lawns. — Moss may be destroyed in lawns by watering 

 with pure gas \^ater, diluted with water in the proportion of one to two ; and 

 also with nitrate of soda, at the rate of 1 cwt. per acre. The latter is more 

 effectual, and more productive of grass afterwards. (Ibid., p. 613.) 



The Construction of Pijjes for circulating hot Water has been lately much 

 improved by Mr. Perkins, who has introduced screw-joints and couplings of 

 peculiar kinds, which render stuffing and cement wholly unnecessary'. The 

 construction is so simple that the pipes may be put up by any gardener, with- 

 out the aid of a mechanic. (See liejjert. of Arts for October, 1841, p. 218.) 



Heat considered relatively to Plant Structures. — In Mr. Ainger's first paper 

 (Gard. Chron., vol. i. p. 211.), he endeavours to show " that heat at all tem- 

 peratures is transferred much more effectually by radiation than by the 

 contact and carrying power of the air. As a proof of this, he mentions the 

 greatly superior radiating power of earthenware, compared with the greater 

 conducting power of metal, as exemplified in an earthenware teapot as com- 

 pared with a silver one. The distinction between what I have called carrying 

 power and conducting power is very important, and requires to be borne 

 in mind. Gases and liquids have no appreciable conducting power; they 

 receive heat by contact, and the part so heated, ascending by reason of its 

 acquired levity, gives place for a fi-esh portion to be heated and ascend in its 

 turn. Again, it must be remembered that, even as carriers, gases and liquids 

 take up heat by contact only, and absorb no sensible portion of that which 

 traverses them in a radiant state. The sun's rays may be brought to a focus 



