504 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



April 28th, 1857. 



Present — Messrs. Daniel C. Robinson, Judge Scoville, Prof. 

 Youmans, Dr. Wellington, Wm. Lawton, of New Rochelle; Adrian 

 Bergen, of Gowanus; the venerable Benjamin Pike, of Jersey; 

 Stacey, Wm. B. Leonard, Dr. Waterbury, Mr. Chambers, Solon 

 Robinson, of the Times; Mr. Barney, Mr. Birdseye, Dr. Poole, of 

 Jersey; Mr. Waring, Jr., Mr. Olcott, Rev. Dr. White, of Staten 

 Island; Dr. Church, Mr. Houghton, of Pater son, Jersey; Judge 

 Livingston, Dr. Waterbury, and others — about 40 in all. 



Hon. Robert Swift Livingston in the chair. 



Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



Mr. Meigs read the following papers translated by him from 

 the last articles received by the steamers : 



[Journal De La Societe Iraperiale et Centrale D'Horticulture, Napoleon 3d, Pro- 

 tecteur. Paris, February 1857.] 



HEATING CONSERVATORIES BY GAS. 



;^r. James William Holt, of England, has constructed one which 

 he has used for the last four or five years, and has found it to act 

 perfectly. It is a thermosifphon (heat pipe,) in which flows water 

 heated in a cauldron by gas burning under its bottom. The 

 cauldron is of copper, nearly semi circular in form, while the bot- 

 tom is concave to a perceptible degree. The smoke is taken off by a 

 vertical tube, the lower end of which covers the cauldron so as to 

 take off the escaped heat and smoke. 



The other details, such as introduction of water to the caul- 

 dron, cleaning it, distributing heat, &c. 



Mr. Holt likes it, because it is so readily lighted or extin- 

 guished, and amount of flame regulated, far more conveniently 

 managed than common fires. 



THE BOTANICAL GARDEN OF ST. PETERSBURGH. 



[By the present director, Mr. Ed. Kegel.] 



This garden is as remarkable for its open air culture as well as 

 its glass conservatories. The open garden contains about thirty 

 acres, and those who first enter it are astonished to find such 

 prosperous vegetation in this latitude, many growing as well as 

 in Germany; but the glasses are incontestably the most remarka- 

 ble part of this garden. The space they occupy is, from north to 



