48—1846.] 
THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE, 
791 
botanists who have examined it, are of opinion that it 
is only a variety of that species. Mr. W. M'Ivor, of 
the Kew Gardens, sent specimens of an Orobanche, con- 
sidered by him to be O. lucorum, Braun, gathered on 
Epsom Downs ; also Thorea ramosissima, from Stud- 
ley, Yorkshire, and Hormospora mutabilis, from the 
Thames, near Walton. A series of beautiful photogra- 
phie delineations of various forms of leaves, prepared 
by Mr. J. Lumsdaine, jun., of Lathallan, Fife, was ex- 
hibited, and an account read of the process by which 
they were obtained. There were also exhibited a col- 
lection of Rubi from the Rev. A. Bloxham, Twyeross, 
Leicestershire, containing some new species and varie- 
ties. Framed portraits of the late Professor Graham, 
Sir Wm. Hooker, Robert Brown, Esq., and Dr. Neill, 
were presented to the Society from Mrs. Graham. Mr. 
avies presented excellent dried specimens of 20 
Species of Agarics, collected by himself in the neigh- 
bourhood of Edinburgh. 
SR ebíetos. 
A second volume of the new edition of Beckmann's 
History of. Inventions, 8vo. (Bohn), already noticed at 
P. 535, has been issued. It contains many capital 
articles, of which those on zine, Madder, plant skeletons, 
sowing-machines, Indigo, kitchen vegetables, hops, and 
blacklead are more especially interesting to our readers. 
The commencement of the chapter on soap is in Beck- 
mann’s best style :— 
* That the first express mention of soap oceurs in 
Pliny and Galen, and that the former declares it to be 
an invention of the Gauls, though he prefers the 
German to the Gallic soap, has already been remarked 
by many. Pliny says that soap* was made of tallow and 
ashes ; that the best was made of goats’ tallow and the 
ashes of the Beech-tree, and that there were two kinds 
Ofit, hard and soft. The author of a work on simple 
medicines, which is ascribed to Galen, but which, how- 
ever, does not seem to have been written by that author, 
and of which only a Latin translation has been printed, 
speaks of soap being made by a mixture of oxen, goats’, 
or sheep’s tallow, and à lye of ashes strengthened with 
quicklime. He says the German soap was the purest, 
the fattest, and the best, and that the next in quality 
was the Gallic. This account corresponds more ex- 
actly with the process used in Germany at present ; 
whereas the French use mineral alkali, and instead of 
tallow, employ oil, which appears to be a later in- 
vention. Pliny in his deseription does not speak of 
quicklime ; but as he mentions a mixture of goats’ 
tallow and quicklime a little before it, it is probable 
that the use of the latter was then known at Rome. 
Gallic and German soap are often mentioned by later 
writers, as well as by the Arabians, sometimes on ac- 
count of their external use as a medicine, and some- 
times on account of their use in washing clothes. The 
latter purpose is that for which soap is principally em- 
ployed in modern times ; but it does not seem to have 
been the cause of German soap being introduced at 
Rome. Washing there was the occupation of indigent 
seourers, who did not give themselves much trouble 
ing foreign liti he German soap, 
with which, as Pliny tells us, the Germans coloured their 
air red, was imported to Rome for the use of the 
fashionable Roman ladies and their gallants. " There is 
no doubt that the pile Mattiace, which Martial recom- 
mends as a preventive of gray hair ; the caustica spuma 
with which the Germans died their hair; and the 
Batavian froth or lather which the Romans employed 
for colouring theirs,[ were German soap. It is pro- 
able that the Germans tinged it with those plants 
which were sent to Rome for dyeing the hair ;§ and, 
according to the modern manner of speaking, it was 
more properly a kind of pomade than soap. z 
* It appears that the Romans at first considered hair- 
soap as an ointment made from ashes ; for we read in 
various passages of ancient authors, that the hair was 
dyed by means of ashes, or an ointment made of ashes 
and a certain kind of oil. It is, however, possible that 
they may have had such a kind of ointment, which un- 
doubtedly would be of a saponaceous nature, before 
they were acquainted with the German soap, or that 
* It is beyond all doubt that the " were 
derived from the German sepe, which has been retained in the 
Low German, the oldest and original dialect of our language. 
In the High German this derivation has been rendered a little 
more undistinguishable by the p being changed into the harder 
f. Such changes are common, as schap, schaf; schip, schif, &c. 
ords sapo and ci 
t Caustiea Teutonicos accendit spuma capillos, ——— 
ivis poteris cultior esse comis, —Mart. xiv. 26. 
These lines are generally explained in this manner :—* Dye 
thy hair with soap, and it will become more beautiful than that 
of the Germans.” But in this case all the wit of the advice is 
lost; and the e: ression, *‘eris cultior quam come captive,” 
ery improper. I should rather translate them as 
follows :—“ Let the Germans dye their hair with pomade ; as 
they are now subdued, thou mayest ornament thyself better 
with a peruke made of the hair of these captives.” This was a 
Piece of delicate flattery to Domitian and the Roman pride. 
That prince thought he had conquered the Germans ; and the 
most beautiful German hair, that which was not dyed, could 
be procured, therefore, at Rome, much easier than before. If 
the title of this epigram was written by Martial himself, it 
contains the first mention of the word sapo, 
} Fortior et tortos servat vesica capillos, 
Et mutat Latias spuma Batava comas.—Mart. viii, 23, 19. 
The first line of the above proves that people then covered their | } 
heads, in the night time, with a bladder to keep their hair, 
after it was dressed, from being deranged; and a bladder was 
‘undoubted! fit for that use as the nets and cauls employed 
for the like purpose at present. 
$ Femina canitiem Germanis inficit herbis, 
Ovidius De Arte Amandi, iii. 163, 
they imitated the German pomade with different 
variations.* 
As soap is everywhere used for washing at present, 
a question arises what substitutes were employed before 
it was invented. Those with which I am acquainted 
I shall mention and endeavour to illustrate. They are 
all still used, though not in general ; and they are all 
of a soapy nature, or at least have the same effects as 
soap; so that we may say the ancients used soap with- 
out knowing it.” 
Garden Memoranda. 
Horticultural Society's Garden, Turnham Green.— 
Since Mr. Fortune’s appointment to the Chelsea Botanie 
Gardeh, the hothouse and hardy departments have been 
consolidated, and are now under the superintendence of 
Mr. Gordon. The large mass of Leelia superbiens in 
the stove is throwing up 9 strong flowering spikes, being 
two more than it had on it last year. The singular 
Crinum-like Exostema aquaticum was also in bloom, 
and the very useful Gesnera Herbertiana, whose leaves 
are less handsome than those of G. zebrina, but whose 
flowers equal in brilliancy and beauty those of that 
species.—In the greenhouse was in bloom Mr. Fortune's 
Jasminum nudiflorum, a pretty species, likely to prove 
hardy,—In the'Orchid House, the mass of Phalaenopsis 
amabilis exhibited so often in Regent.street was still 
in bloom, and likely to continue so all the winter, Inthe 
flower-garden, in front of these houses, some neat-looking 
span-roofed pits have been erected, in which it is con- 
templated to plant Mr. Fortune's Preonies and other 
plants, and which would form excellent pits for pro- 
tecting stock in winter. They are set on about 18 inches 
in height of brickwork, the ends forming nearly an 
equilateral triangle, the side being 3 ft. 12 in. in length. 
At the west side of the experimental garden is a new 
Conservatory erected by Messrs. Hartley and Co. It 
measures 36 feet in length, and 30 feet in width. The 
roof—a ridge and furrow one—is divided into five 
spans, the outside span rising off a perpendicular 
elevation of about nine feet, and the centre ones 
supported on neat iron columns. The roof, the only 
portion eompleted, is glazed with excellent glass in 
panes upwards of three feet in length, and 134 inches in 
width. The house, which just now contains a nice 
group of Pinuses in pots, is not to be heated for the 
present, In front of Mr. Gordon's pits has also 
lately been erected a long additional range for keeping 
stock in winter. It is built to face the north, this aspect 
being most favourable for preserving vegetation in a 
steady state, the sudden alternations of sunshine and 
frost to whieh our winter days are subject being in a 
reat measure avoided. The Large Conservatory was 
gay with Chrysanthemums, which are, however, 
hardly so fine as usual. Several winter flowering 
Heaths also adorned the shelves, such as hiemalis, 
erubescens, transparens, cruenta, 
Lueulia gratissima promises soon 
beauty, the Camellias will also soon be in blossom, and 
some of the Orange trees are profusely loaded with 
fruit, whose beautiful colour forms a striking contrast 
with the deep green leaves. Trained up the rafters the 
new Tacsonia mollissima, the finest of its class, was put- 
ting forth here and there a vagrant blossom, besides 
various other ‘plants, introduced with the view of re- 
lieving the otherwise monotonous appearance that ge- 
neraliy prevails in such houses at this season. — In 
pits in the kitchen garden department were some 
young Potatoes, raised from tubers of 1846, which had 
pushed and had been planted with a view to ascertain 
how they might succeed with regard to the prevailing 
disease. As yet, however, no satisfactory result could 
be obtained. They were chiefly early sorts. Adjoin- 
ing them were some pits bottomed with slate, rendered 
water tight at the joints by cement, and so contrived that 
both top and bottom heat could be provided by iron tanks, 
with tile covers placed i diately below the } i 
Two slate: slabs, placed perpendicularly, formed, as it 
were, a slate cistern, so placed as to leave an aperture 
6 inches in width, along the front and back for the as 
cent of top heat. These pits have been found to work 
well, and will keep in good repair for a length of time, 
slate being imperishable in such a situation. Much 
of the winter Spinach in the kitchen garden, both 
Flanders and Lettuce-leaved, has rotted off both root 
and top, something after the manner of Potatoes. The 
plants, however, which have escaped appear now to be 
oing well. The Pomeranian Cabbage has proved to 
be an excellent variety—the heads hard and conical, 
and tapering to a long sharp point. We also observed 
a very good variety of dwarf Brussels Sprout, which 
had been obtained from Mr, Lauder, market gardener, 
near Edinburgh. A Lettuce called the Artichoke- 
leaved, although somewhat ragged, has been found to 
be a good tender variety, and to stand the winter better 
than other Cos Lettuces.—In the Orchard the portion of 
the Peach border not renovated two years ago 
* Valer, Max. i. 5, p. 135 : Capillos cinere rutilarunt. 
Ad rutilam speciem nigros flavescere crines, 
Unguento cineris prodixit Plinius auctor. 
Serenus, De Medic. iv. 56. 
Serenus seems to allude to a passage of Pliny. xxiii. 2, p. 306, 
where he speaks of an ointment made from the burnt lees of 
vinegar and oleum. lentiscinum. The same thing is mentioned 
in Dioscorides, v. 132, p. à Servius, JEn. iv. quotes the 
following words from Cato : ** Mulieres nostro cinere capillum 
ungitabant, ut rutilus esset crinis." Alex. Trallianus, 1, 3, 
gives directions how to-make an ointment for gray hair from. 
soap and the ashes of the white flowers of the Verbascum. The 
Cinerarii, however, of Tertullian, lib. ii. ad uxor. 8, p. 641, 
seem to have been only hair dressers, who were so called be- 
cause they warmed their curling-irons among the hot ashes. 
is being done now. This is effected by removiog the 
old soil entirely next the wall, and replacing it, to the 
depth of 2 feet, with fresh North Hyde loam, and good 
soil from another part of the border. 
The Garden Committee, in conneetion with the Coun- 
eil, having determined to provide a reading-room for 
the improvement of the men in the garden, it was 
opened for the first time on Monday evening last. 
An introductory lecture was delivered by Professor 
Lindley, who commenced by stating that the object of the 
room was to enable the young men in the garden te 
improve their minds, and to assist them in obtaining 
that amount of knowledge which alone could render 
them superior to the common herd of men. Know- 
ledge, he said, was power, and offered the only means 
of raising gardeners in the scale of society, and of im- 
proving their wages ; and this he went on to illustrate 
at some lengih. The sort of knowledge most essential 
to gardeners was stated to be the art ef gardening, of 
observing, the knowledge of vegetable physiology, 
botany, physical geography, and a certain amount o 
chemistry, with other subjects belonging to usual 
education. Of these, not the least important was 
mentioned to be the art of observing, and this 
was exemplified by a variety of very interesting ex- 
periments, all tending to prove that more than a mere 
superficial examination of subjects is often necessary 
in order to arrive at truth. Besides the intrinsic value 
of these kinds of knowledge, in themselves, they were 
also said to promote the formation of orderly and sys- 
tematic habits, qualities of paramount importance in a 
gardener. The art of reading was also introduced to 
consideration, more especially the necessity of making 
notes of what is read. 
Dr. Lindley, in conclusion, expressed a hope that this 
small beginning would lead to greater results ; that the 
course now taken by the Horticultural Society and 
others would be followed by every large establishment 
all over the country, and that by this and similar means 
a more solid foundation would be laid for that great 
school of British gardening which other countries might 
rival, but could never hope to excel. 
These form a very brief outline of the more import- 
ant heads of the lecture. The walls of the room—at 
present a temporary one—are furnished with maps and 
plans of continental gardens ; and it was mentioned that 
if the objects of the room were likely to be appreciated 
by the men (as they no doubt will be), the Council 
would give them further support, and future lectures 
would be occasionally given. Besides various kinds 
of mathematical instruments, we understand that 
the library now contains about 175 different works, 
the greater part of which are of direct importance to 
the pursuits of gardeners, and all of whieh are suited to 
enlarge and improve the mind. For the Principles of 
Gardening there are many of the works of Darwin, 
Johnson, Knight, Lindley, and others. The Practice of 
Gardening, a distinct matter, although dependent upon 
a correct knowledge of principles, is illustrated by all 
the best writers on general subjects ; as, for example, 
by the dictionaries of Miller, Johnson, Loudon, and 
Paxton, and the special treatises of many of the best 
gardeners of the present day. Repton’s “ Landscape 
Gardening,’ “ Alison on Taste," and Downing's “ Cot- 
tage Residences,” furnish, as far as they go, correct 
views of laying out grounds; and the old work of 
James is then to be studied in connection with these 
writers, when geometrical gardens have to be planned. 
For Vegetable Physiology and Systematic Botany, there 
is the very useful illustrated work of * Baxter on 
British Flowering Plants,” many excellent introductions 
to botany, suited to different capacities, the * Vegetable 
Kingdom,” Smith's * English Flora," Tournefort's old 
but invaluable “ Institutions," Loudon's Eneyelopsedias 
of Plants and of Trees and Shrubs, with the Catalogues 
of Steudel, Sweet, Paxton, Donn, and Loudon. 
For those who wish to study Chemistry, and no man 
ean be a great gardener who does not understand the 
elements of that science, there are the capital and very 
simple introductions of Professor Solly and Mr. Sparkes, 
and the works of Davy, Liebig, and others for those 
who are so far advanced as to be able to understand 
them. Elementary works on Arithmetic, Land-survey- 
ing, and simple Mathematics have been selected with 
eare,and it is expected that Brook Taylor's “Per- 
spective,” Loudon's invaluable “ Self Instruction,” some 
elementary works of the Messrs. Chambers, Ritehie's 
* Arithmetic,” and a few others, will enable everybody 
to make progress in such subjects. Nor has what may 
be called Natural Philosophy, so indispensable to all 
persons, whatever their station in life, been neglected ; 
there are Daniell's “ Meteorological Essays," Hood’s 
and Bernan’s works on “ Heating and Ventilating,” with 
Tredgold's * Principles of Warming and Ve:.tilating,” 
whieh, when they have been properly studied, may be 
succeeded by others. 
In Physical Geography there is provided Traill’s 
* Physical Geography," Bankes's * Geography," and 
some other elementary works, with a good Atlas and 
an excellent Terrestrial Globe, together with Mr. Back- 
house’s instructive “ Travels in Australia and the Cape 
of Good Hope,” with some other valuable books of 
travels. 
Finally, there are various works,which, although they 
a 
f Inventions," Brande's 
cience,” an abridged edition of Shakspeare, Crabb's 
