31—1846.] 
THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 
height of 6 inches, flowers from March to May, and 
Sometimes a second time during the growiug season. 
lt requires to be planted in rather a shady situation, 
and to be freely supplied with moisture during the 
growing season ; but like all other perennials, it must 
have its season of repose, and should be kept rather dry 
when dormant, otherwise the large bulb-like crowns 
become much injured from damp, and frequently 
Perish during the winter. It is easily increased by the 
small runners, which are produced freely when the | believe, to intersect the park, one of which is already 
Plant is in a growing state, or from seeds. It was raised | made; but this, as well as the other walks that are 
in the garden of the Horticultural Society, from seeds 
from the North of India, presented by Captain William 
Munro, in April, 1845. It was said to have been found 
in company with Cyananthus lobatus, in the neighbour- 
hood of water, at an elevation of 11,500 feet above the 
sea. Captain Munro called it P. spathulata, but it is 
exactly the P. involuerata of Dr. Wallich’s dried plants, 
The former name is one of Dr. Royle’s, and being used 
by that botanist along with P. involucrata, no doubt tion from Mexico was sold by Messrs. Stevens, On 
indicates some other species, which, however, is not yet this occasion prices were much lower than formerly, 
published. Tt is nearly allied to. the purple-flowered P. the larger proportion of them fetching only from 5s. to 
Sibirica, and with it forms a well-marked and important 10s. a lot, of which there were 107, each containing 
Section of the Primroses, to which we would apply the from 2 to 24 plants. The highest sum realised was 
name of Armerina. The distinguishing features of the 51. for a fine mass of what was supposed to be Odonto- 
Armerine Primroses is to have the involucral leaves | glossum grande, but which might possibly prove 
about seven acres somewhere near the gate, and that in | 
this there will be three islands, which will, no doubt, 
form an interesting feature; for the great fault of this 
park is its flatness, being nearly a level: field from. one 
end to the other. The sameness which, however, at 
present prevails, may in some measure be relieved by 
seattering groups o trees judici over 
the interior, some of which we are glad to see have 
already been planted. Various walks are also, we 
finished, appears to be rather narrow in proportion to 
the size of the park, and to the numbers of visitors that 
may be expected to visit it. They are well formed with 
good gravel, of which plenty may be had in the park 
for the digging. 
Miscellaneous. 
Sale of Orchids.—On Tuesday last another importa- 
519 
over every square mile during the 24 hours must have 
been 2,497,440,000 cubic feet per hour, 41,624,000 per 
minute, or 693,733 per second ; and in the case of the 
fall of rain at Perth, 53,278,720 eubie feet per minute, 
or 887,978 per second, for the whole time of the fall. 
The eonsideration of these excessive falls of rain tends to 
prove the theory, as they not only prove that the vacuum 
formed is sufficient to account for violent storms, but 
they also shew that there must be a strong current of 
air and vapour to these places, as it would otherwise be 
difficult to conceive how such a quantity of water could 
be accumulated over any part of the earth. In the 
case of Genoa the fall continued for 24 hours, and the 
tremendous rain of near 10 feet which usually falls in 
the month of July at the Ghauts, can only be accounted 
for by a continuous flow of air and vapour to those 
parts. The reasoning already advanced will account 
for the fall in the barometer during rain ; its falling 
previous to rain I would explain as follows:—As the 
density of air decreases as we recede from the earth, 
the particles of vapour, with their coatings of electricity, 
must occupy different spaces to float at different heights; 
as water is 860 times heavier than air at the level 
the sea, 1,083 times at 1 mile high, 1.363 times at 
2 miles, 1,716 times at 3 miles, 2,160 times at 4 miles, 
and 2,719 times at 5 miles high; therefore vapour float- 
extended downwards into a sheath, as in the genus of | O- Insleayi, and another mass of the same fetched 3/. ; ing at any height must part with a portion of its elec- 
Leadworts, called Armeria, This circumstance greatly | four lots of smaller plants brought rather more than | tricity before it can sink to a lower elevation ; thus if 
confirms the affinity of Primworts and Leadworts, and | two guineas each. 
ther prices were as follows: 
the air beeomes in a fit state to conduct the electricity 
Seems to leave no doubt of those two orders both belong- | three lots composed of Lælias, an Oncidium, supposed | from the clouds or invisible vapour over any place, as. 
ing to the same natural alliance. (See “ Vegetable P be Cavendishii, and an Odontoglossum eitrosmum, | the passage of electricity is so rapid, its escape must 
Kingdom," p. 640, &e.).— Bot. Reg. 
43. Bovvarpra rLAYA. Yellow Bouvardia. 
house Shrub. (Cinchonads.*) Mexico. 
This little greenhouse plant was introduced by M. Van 
outte, nurseryman, Ghent. It appears to be ver, 
Y 
distinct from all the species previously described, and 
is, we presume, a native of Mexico. That, however, is 
not stated by the anonymous author of the Hortus Van 
Houtteanus. In that work the leaves are said to be 
speckled with purple, a circumstance that has not come 
under our observation. The flowers, however, are a 
clear pure yellow, and droop gracefully from their slen- 
der purple footstalks. Our drawing was made in March ^ 
last, in the nursery of Mr. Glendinning, of Turnham fluctuations and eae 
Green, to whom we are obliged for the following memo- The following is intended to show that the causes 
randum :—* The increased taste so largely manifested therein assigned are sufficient to account for the variable 
of late years in all the various branches of gardening winds and storms in temperate climates and high lati- 
is a gratifying and remarkable feature of the age. In s : i PE 
no particular of this delightful pursuit has this increased changes previous to and during rains, and the probability 
taste been more conspicuous than in the grouping and 
effective disposition of the various coloured plants in 
geometrical flower gardens, where it is so desirable tó 
produce judiciously contrasted masses of bloom durin, 
the summer and autumn months. Every addition to |. 
our Flora caleulated for this purpose is eagerly sought 
Green- 
rom l4. 2s. to 17. lls. 6d. ; eight lots of Odontoglossum 
citrosmum, from 17. 2s. to 17. 18s. ; six plants of Leelia 
majalis, 15s. ; a large plant of a supposed new species of 
Bougainvillea, 1. 9s.; and a smaller plant of the same 
only lls. Other lots varied from 5s. to 10s. each. 
Some Ferns and seeds of Conifers were also offered 
for sale. 
On the Cause of Storms, Waterspouts, &c., by G. A. 
Rowell. [Read before the Ashmolean Society, Feb. 23 
1846.—In the paper read before this Society in 1839 
explaining the hypothesis by which I endeavoured to 
show the cause of evaporation, the suspension of clouds, 
&c., I attempted to explain the cause of barometrical 
érial currents by the same hypothesis. 
tudes, the storms of tropical regions, and barometrieal 
that these phenomena are caused by the precipitation 
of vapour, and the escape of its electrieity, in a much 
greater degree than by any changes of temperatore in 
occasion a partial vacuum, which would cause a corre. 
sponding sinking in the barometer. In assigning these 
causes for the fluctuations in the barometer, I allude 
only to the changes previous to and during rain, as 
other fluetuations are caused by high winds, change of 
temperature, &e. The increase of wind which some- 
times precedes a storm of rain in windy weather, hardly 
requires an explanation ; as the rain falling, and the 
electricity escaping from the cloud, acts with a degree 
of pressure on the air under the cloud, this pressure 
must inerease the force of the wind preceding the cloud, 
and at the same time check the wind that follows it, 
causing a sort of lull or calm. It is probable that 
water.spouts are owing to the rapid escape of electricity 
and fall of heavy rain from a dense cloud, causing a 
vacuum into which the neighbouring parts of the clouds 
are forced, the electricity from which being instant- 
aneously conducted away by the falling column of water,, 
the supply of water and the vacuum are thus kept up 
for a time ; the air under the clouds rising and rushing 
in from all parts to fill the vacuum, causes a whirlwind, 
and as the falling torrent of water rais spray in the 
the atmosphere. That the action of the sun and changes 
of temperature have great influence on the atmosphere, 
is clearly shown by the trade winds, land and sea 
breezes, &e.; but these changes of temperature come 
sea, the spray being takén up by the whirling air, gives 
the whole the appearance, at a distance, of water rising. 
from the sea. Water-spouts being attributed to whirl- 
winds, is probably mistaking the effect for the cause. 
after by the possessors of such gardens. Bouvardias 
are all beautiful, but the present subject, being a novel 
one, is a new and desirable feature of the genus, ren- 
on steadily, and the heated air near the earth’s surface | The calculations above made seem to advance the pro- 
is, in most cases, driven gradually away by the colder | pability of the hypothesis brought forward by the 
dering it very appropriate for small beds in the flower- and heavier air, but the vacuum or rarefaction caused | author*, for explaining the causes of terrestrial magnet- 
ardens. 
therefore be inereased to any extent; and with me it tricity,is often very sudden and of greatextent. Ae 
blooms profusely in the eutting-pot, and grows freely in cording to the hypothesis,* each particle of vapour is 
any good garden soil.” 
for its cultivation are these :-- If t 
be grown in all the perfection of which it is susceptible. 
it should be taken out of the greenhouse early in sprin 
species is to 
x MEE SET surrounded and buoyed up by its coating of electricity, 
M. Van Houtte's directions y Pp’) B Y 
and each particle, together with its coating of electricity, 
must oceupy the space of an equal weight of air; 
therefore, as water is about 860 times heavier than air 
] 
and placed in a shady well-aired situation. It M at the level of the sea, every particle of water that falls 
be better still to turn it out into the open ground. Great to the earth must have occupied 860 times the IR 
care must be taken not to force it at that time; for i 
that is done its flowers become small, and half of them 
are abortive. In order to make it bloom abundantly. 
£ when suspended in the air; and if,in a given time, 
Liach of rain falls to the earth, it must, during that 
time, have eaused a vaeuum or rarefaction in the space 
> 
it should be cut back when it is re-potted or re- above to the extent of 860 inches: the vacuum would, 
planted." He adds, that it will grow 3 feet high.— in fact, be greater than this, for as the density of the 
Bot. Reg. 
Garden Memoranda. 
Victoria Park.—This great desideratum to the eas! 
end of the metropolis, although hardly more than a 
quarter formed, has for some time been open to the 
publie, It contains about 280 acres, which are inclosed 
by a temporary wooden fence. The side next Bethnal- 
green is farthest advanced towards completion. The 
Principal entrance for the present is by a bridge thrown 
Over the Regent’s Canal, close to Bethnal green Church 
Where a handsome gate and porter’s-lodge have been 
erected. After passing along the bridge, a carriage 
atmosphere decreases as we recede from the earth, the 
vapour and its coating must occupy a greater space to 
be buoyant ata distance from the earth: but as the 
t elasticity of the air depends on its density, the effects 
must be the same, that is, equal to a vacuum or gradual 
abstraction at the level of the sea, of 860 inches of air 
for every inch of rain that falls, or above every square 
mile over which such rain extends, a vacuum or rare- 
faction amounting to 1,997,952,000 cubic feet. This 
vacuum must be filled up during the time the rain is 
falling, by a rush of air from other parts, causing a wind 
around the district, although such winds may not 
always be felt where the rain is actually falling, but 
> 
drive, of about 22 feet in width, branches off right and Spb showing a depression in the barometer, owing to 
left in à straight line nearly as far as Grove-road in one 
he upheaving of the air into the vacuum. England is 
direction, and in the other to the eastern boundary. It very free from excessive rains, yet it is by no means 
48 planted on either side, as far as the straight line eon- 
uncommon to have a fall of 1, 4, or 2 of an inch of rain 
tinues, with Limes and Elms, which are about 20 feet | I2. a day, which, according to the above calculation, 
Apart and 10'feet from the road. A strip © y 
feet in width, divides the carriage road from a 10-fee 
ip of Grass, 20 must be sufficient to cause moderate winds; but the 
t 
It strikes rapidly by cuttings, and may by'the precipitation of rain, and the eseape of its elec- | ism and the aurora, as they show the great quantity of 
- | electricity which must be given off by every particle of 
vapour that falls to the earth. The hypothesis is, that 
part of the vapour which rises at the equator, is, to- 
gether with its electricity, carried off by the superior 
trade winds towards the poles, where the electricity, 
escaping through the damp air to the earth, rushes 
along its surface towards the equator, where it is again 
taken up by the rising vapour, and thus a circulation 
of electricity is kept up; that the aurora is owing to 
this circulation being interrupted by the intense frosts 
of the frigid regions rendering the air between the 
clouds and the earth so dry as to make it a perfect non- 
d when the electricity, lating over these 
parts, flashes back towards the equator through the 
rarer air; and that terrestrial magnetism is owing to- 
these currents of electricity rushing along the earth and: 
damp air from the poles to the equator. 
Mode of Fixing Pencil Drawings.—We have re- 
ceived the following instructions on this subject from 
Mr. Christie, of Westmoreland-place, City-road —“Dis- 
solve pale resin in spirit of wine ; lay the pencil 
drawing on its face upon a sheet of clean paper, and 
brush the back of the drawing with the solution. This 
penetrates through the paper in a few minutes, and as 
the spirit evaporates the resin is deposited as a varnish 
on the drawing. This has the advantage of not cockling 
the paper, which aqueous solutions will do, and as the 
brush only passes over the back of the drawing, none of 
the pencil marks are in any degree removed. This 
process will not answer with drawings on card, or an; 
other substance too thiek to be penetrated by the solu- 
tion. In this ease, a weak solution of isinglass may be 
placed in a shallow dish, the drawing being passed 
through it so as to wet every part without touching it 
Walk, which, together with the road, is intended to be 
Continued all round the Park; but as yet they are 
ardly formed half the way, the one running into the 
other on the eastern side. Another strip of lawn, 10 feet 
Wide, divides the walk from the shrubbery border, as far 
as the latter extends, which is only along the side of the 
Canal on either side of the gate. The shrubs, we were 
formed, have been all planted since Christmas. The 
Orders were trenched two spits deep, and the surface 
Spit from the walks and drives being dug in the bottom, 
ormed a capital soil for the plants, which, notwithstanding 
5 © very unfavourable season have all thriven well, 
Carcelya single death having occurred among them. 
— © understand it is proposed to form a lake to cover 
Ix : 
puis indieyis ** Vegetable Kingdom." for an explanation. of 
3. , Geneve 
37 minutes Naples, Nov. 
30 Perth, Aug. 
* See the “ Edin. New Philosophical Journal,” vol, 1xxv. p.50. 
with a brush.” [We can recommend the above pro- 
cesses in the cases alluded to, and agree with our corre- 
spondent in thinking that the use of a brush is 
objectionable. For delicate drawings no method is 
better than the one we have already mentioned, of pre- 
paring the paper previously with a coating of size and 
inverting it over steam when the drawing is finished, as 
well as during the process when requisite. — ED. ]— 
» . 8, 1829. 
These rains are all in temperate climates, and there | Pharmaceutical Journal. 
is little doubt that the extraordinary rains within the — = 
tropies far exceed them, as the annual average fall of 
rain at the Ghauts is 25 feet 2 inches, nearly 10 feet of 
which fall in the month of July. Taking the first case t 
(the fall of rain at Genoa), the average vacuum formed | very general stopping of late growths and laterals should 
Calendar of Operations. 
(For the ensuing Week.) 
Stopping Fruit-trees in General.—At this period a 
* See the Report of tl 9 Uritish Association for 1840, 
