54 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
[JAN. 24, 
is the following passage— By far the best of the 
weather almanaes, and so well done that it is really 
worth being consulted. With Mr. Legh, the author, 
meteorology has long been a serious study. He calcu- 
lates the variations of the pl upon philosophical 
prineiples, and his results are well deserving of atten- 
tive study." From this I was induced to purchase it, 
and hoped to have found the work worthy of the cha- 
racter it had received, i. e. calculated * upon philo- 
sophical principles," but judge of my surprise on read- 
ing the following passage at page 10, “ On the formation 
of Gases, Atmosphere, Clouds, and Rain :’—« Th 
quantity of mist we see rising from the earth and sea 
is inadequate to form all the moisture that descends in 
rain and its congelations ; hence the most probable fact 
is that gases concocted by electricity in the bowels of 
the earth, and expanded into gas by the heat of the sun, 
arise in far greater quantities invisibly than visibly, and 
when out of the reach of the earth and its electric and 
attracting convulsions, arrange themselves above, ac- 
cording to their specific gravities ; the three only gases 
with simple bases would be arranged thus :— oxygen 
and its compound, atmospheric air, lowest, then nitro- 
gen, then hydrogen. It is known that when either 
oxygen or atmospheric air is united to hydrogen, heat 
and electricity (of both of which there is, no doubt, 
abundance in the regions above) is produced, according 
to the: proportion in which it is mixed, either mists, 
clouds, precipitation of drops of water, or detonations. 
Now, this union is brought about by the attraction of 
the heavenly bodies, increased by being in conjunction, 
so that the oxygen is drawn up, and, by reciprocation, 
the hydrogen is brought down, and, according to the 
power at the time, either pale blue sky, which is the 
first symptom of gaseous mixture, or else remote clouds, 
or near and impending clouds, or their collision and 
precipitation in rain, or transmutation into hail or snow, 
or otherwise, or else ignition and detonation in, light- 
ning and thunder, is the consequence. Here is the whole 
foundation of the science.” The above extract isa fair 
specimen of the “ Essay on Anemology and Ombrology,” 
with which the Weather Almanac is prefaced, and if 
these are the “ philosophical principles ” on which Mr. 
Legh has calculated his Almanac, and on which he 
places “the whole foundation of the science," the da; 
is far distant when we may expect accurate results from 
such reasoning, and which the veriest tyro in natural 
philosophy would laugh to scorn. As a specimen of the 
result of the predictions from such data, he gives the 
weather for the day on which we write, January 19, 
* fair, pale suffusion ;^ query, pail suffusion, for it has 
. rained in torrents for the last ten hours, with every 
probability of a continuance, the mercury in the baro- 
meter being 28,20 inches.—A. G. [It is necessary, for 
our own justification, to state. that we have ourselves 
examined this Almanac, and that we find that our re- 
viewer gave an opinion of it which it scarcely deserves.] 
Green Frogs (see p. 37).—I kept many of the beauti- 
ful little green tree frogs, Hyla viridis, through two 
winters, and they remained perfectly healthy. Those I 
turned out at Selborne, in a coppice bordering a large 
pond, about a year and a half since, but have no subse- 
quent knowledge of them. I have now four living in a 
glass jar, and they appear to be in perfect health. My 
plan has been to give them a turf during the summer, 
which was kept damp, but not wet, and a little shallow 
vessel of water was placed on the turf at one corner of 
the glass box in which the animals resided. The turf 
was changed once a week. I fed them profusely with 
flies, and often in the autumn with the larger tipulide, 
which they ate eagerly. In the winter I left them to 
the hybernation, which, however, amounted only to a 
very partial torpor ; and in the spring they were ready 
for the flies as soon as the flies were ready for them, I 
do not doubt that these pretty amphibia might be natu- 
ralised in this country in favourable situations, and I 
only await the arrival of a sufficient number in the en- 
suing ‘spring, to give a full and fair trial, They are 
found in plenty on the Continent in colder situations 
than the south of England.— Thomas Bell.—— "These 
frogs are used on the Continent as barometers. The 
first I ever saw was in a shop at Munich. On inquiring 
of the owner, he informed me he had had it for several 
years. It was kept in a tall confectioner's glass about 
afoot high, and a piece of coarse gauze or muslin tied 
over the top ; at the bottom was some wet Moss, suffi- 
ciently deep for the little creature to hide itself in ; this 
was changed every week or fortnight. It was very fond 
of fiies, but these, the man said, he gave it occasionally 
more as a bonne bouche, than as a matter of food. A 
little wooden ladder reached from the bottom to within 
an inch of the top of the glass. As the weather changed, 
so did froggy ascend or descend, and if it was set fair 
e would sometimes sit for days on the top step ; whilst, 
if bad weather came, he would also for days hide him- 
self in the wet Moss. I afterwards mentioned the cir- 
eumstance to the late Mr. Douce; he expressed a strong 
desire for one, which, with some difficulty, I procured 
on my next visit to the Continent. This lived with me 
for many weeks ; I had a basket made, into which the 
glass dropped, and which I suspended in the carriage. 
I am quite sure at last the little creature knew me; its 
eyes would sparkle when I came up to it; if I gave it 
a fly, it would suffer the insect to buzz about for per- 
haps a minute, then make a sudden dart, and swallow it 
atamouthful. Unfortunately Mr. Douce placed it in 
a glass nearly filled with water, and it died soon after he 
had it. have never since been able to procure 
another. They are extremely interesting, and in an 
elegant-shaped glass would form a most beautiful and 
© 
useful ornament in any drawing-room as a barometer. 
If “ Dodman” could inform me where I could procure 
one, he would much oblige—R., London. 
Cements.—In reply to the inquiries of “ W. G. M.,” 
p. 38, I can only inform him, that a cubic foot of the 
cement will weigh 1 ewt. 2 qrs, 22 Ib ; and as his tank 
will require about 700 bricks to line it, half brick thick, 
each brick will probably require a pound of cement. 
But if his tank is under ground, how much easier and 
cheaper it would be to line the excavation with a, face 
wall built in Aberthaw lime (or any lime burnt from 
the blue lias), grouting behind it with the same, and 
plastering the inside with Roman cement ; this will be 
sure to hold, and will not injure the water. If it be 
above ground, it will require pretty thick walls; for 
* W. C. M." should be aware that the lateral pressure 
of water 5 feet deep, will be from 280 to 300 Ibs. on 
each square foot. If *M. O." p. 40, can procure a 
sufficient quantity of scales from smith’s anvils, and 
make them into a mixture with Aberthaw lime, clean 
out the joints of his arches, and fresh point them, and 
plaster the whole with the same, he may be assured 
no wet will ever percolate through them.—Lusor. 
I beg to inform “ M. O.” that he will find a composi- 
tion of gas tar cinders, from a mill, what is termed 
dross, and gravel mixed together,a most durable and 
excellent composition. I have used it most extensively, 
for roads, garden walks, and floors under sheds and 
stables. I have also made a mixture of tar and lime, 
which is most durable, and a neighbour of mine has 
lined a soft-water tank, and says it answers well. The 
nearer the tar is got from the bottom of the tank the 
better. It requires well rolling after being put on, and 
if you are unable to roll for want of space beat it well 
with a shovel.—Subscriber. 
Preservation of Pelargoniums in Winter.—A year or 
two ago, I observed a mode of preserving Pelargoniums 
during winter, without the aid of glass, highly recom. 
mended in several periodicals ; it was this: The plants 
to be preserved were to be taken out of the ground in 
autumn, before having suffered from frost, the earth 
shaken from their roots, and then they were to be hung 
up, foliage downwards, in a dark dry cellar, or such like 
place, there to remain till the arrival of the period for 
their being planted, viz., the ensuing spring. I then 
thought this a rather novel mode of sustaining for so 
long period as our winters generally are, such plants as 
Pelargoni ; but I d i to test it by experi- 
ment, for in such cases facts are more valuable than 
thoughts. Accordingly in the autumn of 1844, I care- 
fully lifted a number of fine robust healthy Geranium 
plants, from a flower border, in which they had been 
growing during the summer. I cleared the earth from 
their roots, without injuring the latter, and hung them 
up in such a situation as was recommended, where I 
was certain they would be kept dark, dry, and free from 
frost. They kept fresh for a few days; but soon 
symptoms of death made their appearance: the leaves 
lost their lovely green hue, and curled up ; the juice 
escaped from the stems, —and in a very few weeks the 
plants appeared like mere bundles of broken reeds. 
From this I inferred (and any person of common 
sense would have done the same) that the experiment 
would be unsuccessful, and I wondered not at this being 
the case, for I could not even allow myself to think 
that it was possible for Pelargoniums to be kept in 
life under sue i Determined, how- 
ever, to give it full fair play, I kept my vegetable mum- 
mies in their situation until the spring of the following 
year (1845), when I committed the withered remains 
to the care of mother earth, to the utter disgrace of my 
flower borders. There they stood for several weeks ; 
bnt the genial warmth of spring had no effect upon them 
—they showed not the least indications of growth or of 
returning life—and fully satisfied of the fallaey of that 
mode of preserving such things during winter, I cleared 
them off to their proper place—the mould heap. 
Another experiment, however, somewhat akin to the 
above, succeeded better ; but I believe it is already well 
known to gardeners. This was to keep them during 
winter in a situation in all respects similar to that above 
mentioned, with this exception, that the plants were 
kept in the pots with the earth in whieh they had been 
growing during the previous summer undisturbed. This 
succeeded wonderfully. The plants in the spring, after 
their long confinement, had, of course, a very sickly ap- 
pearance ; but when put out in the open air they soon 
commenced to grow, and grew vigorously too, and very 
soon produced abundance of fine flowers, It may be 
proper, however, to remark that, in this case, the ex- 
periment was tried with Scarlet Pelargoniums alone,— 
Geo. Lawson, Dundee. 
Societies. 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Jan. 20.—C. B. Warner, Esq., in the chair. J. S. 
Schroder, Esq., of Stratford Green, Essex, and M. 
Louis Van Houtte, of Ghent, were elected Fellows. At 
this meeting, considering the season, a large number of 
gay plants were brought together, and foremost among 
them was a charming collection of Orchids, from S. 
Rucker, Esq., of Wandsworth. "These comprised some 
remarkable specimens, especially one of Caclogyne 
cristata, producing four spikes, each containing five 
snow-white blossoms; Lycaste Skinneri, a Guatemala 
Species, remarkable for its beautiful large pink flowers ; 
Brassavola glauca, with greenish-white blossoms; Tri- 
chopilia tortilis,’ remarkable for its twisted petals and 
pink spotted lip ; the Mexican Odontoglossum corda- 
tum, a green-flowered Lelia, and a cut spike of Leelia 
superbiens, which although very fine, was however con 
siderably inferior to a noble eut specimen of the same 
from the Society’s Garden. This large head of bloom 
contained 10 fully expanded rich purple flowers, which 
were elevated on a flower-spike of about 5 ft, in length. 
Some disappoi was experi d on the first flow- 
ering of this plant, from which much was expected ; but 
in this instance we imagine it has fulfilled the highest 
expectations formed of it. Besides the spike exhibited, 
the plant has five others fast coming into beauty, and 
will soon form an object of very great interest. The plant 
was discovered in Guatemala by Mr. Skinner, and Mr. 
Hartweg also met with it in abundance in the neigh- 
bourhood of Chantla, where large masses of it are 
planted by the Indiansin front of their doors. AKnightian 
Medal was awarded Mr. Rucker for his Epiphytes.— 
From Mr. Green, gr. to Sir E. Antrobus, Bart, was a 
beautiful plant of the useful Gesnera zebrina, and a 
large mass of Epiphyllum truncatum covered with bloom 
down to the pot. In propagating the latter it was men- 
tioned that young healthy plants of Cereus speciosissimus 
formed the best stocks for it, inserting the scions in 
March. The plants are then kept in the stove till they 
are sufficiently large for flowering, which is about 18 
months after they have been grafted. In the autumn 
of the second year they are removed from the stove to 
a cool greenhouse, or, if the weather is fine, to a south 
border. As winter approaches the supply of water is 
diminished, till finally they are kept quite dry. In this 
state they remain in the greenhouse till they are re- 
quired for forcing. Those for blooming first are placed 
again in the stove early in spring, and as soon as they 
have matured their first growth they are removed to 
an exposed part of the garden, which causes them to 
set their flower buds; as soon as this is effected, the 
plants are placed in the greenhouse, where they flower 
inOctober, Treated in this way a continued crop of 
flowers may he kept up from October to March. A 
Banksian Medal was awarded.—From Mr. Fraser, of. 
Lea Bridge-road, was a seedling Epacris, being one of 
the endless variety of i Ivery; 
. impressa. — Mr. 
of Peckham, received a certificate for a blue seedling 
Cineraria, named the Conqueror. — Messrs. Veitch 
and Son, of Exeter, sent two plants (named Collanias), 
nearly related to Alstroemeria, producing. terminal 
clusters of red and green flowers of little beauty. They 
were sent by Mr. W. Lobb from Peru, and were said to. 
be hardy or verynearly so. Asingular circumstance con- 
nected with them is that the leaves, being closely covered 
with short white hairs on the upper sides are thereby una- 
ble to perform their functions properlyin regard to light ;. 
but in order to remedy this, by a twist, at the base of 
the leaf, the under sides, which are smooth, are turned 
uppermost, thus exhibiting one of the many curious 
yet simple means by which Nature effects the ends best 
adapted to her purpose.—Mr. Dawson, of Brixton 
Hill, sent Erica mutabilis and E. Banksiæ ; the latter » 
fine specimen of its kind, to which a Certificate was. 
awarded.—From Mr. Floy, nurseryman, Haarlem, near 
New York, were three ears of wild Indian Corn, exhi- 
biting some of the changes which occur in its passing 
from the wild to the cultivated state. In the wild state 
it consists almost entirely of husks, but in course of 
cultivation these husks gradually disappear, and the 
grain becomes larger and firmer, and in this manner it 
goes on improving till it finally arrives at perfection ; 
thus showing how difficult it is to recognise cultivated 
rain in its wild form, and in some measure explaining 
why so little is known regarding the origin of most 
kinds of our cultivated corn, Seeds of the above were 
found byan American exploring expedition to the south 
of the Rocky Mountains, and a few grains having been 
given to Mr. Floy, he succeeded in raising them in his 
Nursery, and these were samples of the produce.— 
Of Fnurr, Sir C. Monck, Bart., sent from Wales good . 
dennet ai bl 
samples. 
y 
season we have 
had, of Lemons and Forbidden Fruit, for which a cer- ` 
tificate was awarded. Mr. Toy, gr. to Col. Challoner, 
receiveda certificate for fine-looking speci of West’s 
St. Peter's Grapes; and G. Crawshay, Esq., of Colney 
Hatch, again sent samples of Black Hamburghs that 
had been cut 10 days previous to the day of exhibition; 
they were beginning to shrivel, and were fast passing 
into the condition of raisins. Mr. Foster, gr. at Ben- 
ningborough Hall, near York, exhibited a seedling black 
Grape, which was said to have been a cross between 
the Blue Morocco and the Royal Museadine. It was 
mentioned that the same berry which produced the 
buneh sent, also produced a white Grape something 
like a Tokay. Seedling Apples eame from Dr. Mac- 
lean, of Colchester, and a collection of Pears in excel- 
lent preservation from J. Moorman, Esq., of Portland- 
place, Clapham-road ; among these were fine specimens 
of Glout Morceau, Passe Colmar, Napoleon, Ne plus 
Meuris, and Winter Nelis. Mr. Moorman having every 
year about this time sent these and other sorts in fine 
condition, it has been a matter of inquiry as to how 
they have been managed; we understand the only 
secret consists in gathering the fruit free from 
bruises, and in carefully excluding all light from the 
fruit-room, a cireumstance which is not attended to 
so much as it should be; although it is well-known 
that the influence of light on the green surface of the 
fruit has the effect of exciting evaporation, which ex- 
hausts and causes it to shrivel. A certificate was 
awarded. Of miscellaneous articles, Mr. Toy produced 
a hot-water apparatus, in the shape of a small wooden 
tank covered with slates. This was sent to show that 
hot water might he made to flow and return in the same 
tank, without a division, and on trial this proved to be: 
