1843.] 
THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE. 
303 
single ditto, and four Anemones. Mr. J. Gibson, Woodburn— 
For the best three Scotch Lecks. Mr. J. Thomson, St. Andrew’s 
—For the best six Heartsease. Corracrrs’ ComprririoNn: for 
the best four Scotch Leeks, W. Morris, St. Andrew’s. There were 
shown from St. Fort three large specimens of the Nohl Schol, or 
_ Turnip-rooted Cabbage, and one of triple-curled German green, 
the largest and best we have seen. From the Priory—some fine 
Pelargoniums and double Stocks, growing in pots, and a beauti- 
pot of Nemophila insignis, From Grangemuir—some fine 
specimens of the Beurré Rance Pear,—Fi ire Journal. 
Hertford Horticultural Society, 
for this season took place at thi 
crowded and fashionable attendance. The show surpassed most 
spring exhibitions. The collection of miscellaneous greenhouse 
plants exhibited by W. R. Baker, Esq., deser' 
April 20.—The first, exhibition 
e Shire Hall, where there was a 
‘Mr. Baker also exhibited 12 Pelargoniums, which filled more than 
one-half of the centre stand inthe assembly-room. A fi Q 
men of hybrid Rhododendron, and a collection of fine seedling 
‘rancis, nurseryman, of Hert- 
lect collection 
n 
Cinerarias were exhibited by Mr. Franci 
rd. Mr, Paul, of Cheshunt, also exhibited a ¢ 
of plants. The show of fruit was 
land, which occupied a 
was a great point of attraction. The flowel G n 
mended by the judges for a p . The following is & list 
of the prizes awarded :—Pines, Ist prize, Mr. Brown, gr. to Sir 
I. Meux; 2d, Mr. Hamp, er. to E. Chuck, Esq. _Sérawbervies, in 
dishes of 24: 1st prize, J. Hamp; 2d, M 0 
S. Adams, Esq. Cucumbers, brace of: 1st prize, J. B 
Mrs. Hanbury; 3d, Mr. Hamp. Dessert Apples, dishes of 6: 1st 
prize, Mr. Brown; 2d, A. Milne, ‘oC. ‘hauncy, Esq. 
Kitchen. Apples (6): 1st prize, W. Parker, Esq.; 2d, J. Brown. 
Specimen Plant: 1st prize, Mr. J. Slowe, gr. to W. R, Baker, 
sq.; 2d, Mr. Plumbly, gr. to C. J. Dimsdale, Esq. ; Mr. J. Wil- 
liams, gr. to J. Warner, Esq. Greenhouse Plants (24): 1st prize, 
Mr. J. Slowe; 2d, Mr. Plumbly, Miscellaneous Plants (24): Ist 
prize, Mr. Slowe; 2d, Mr. J. Williams. Pelargoniwms(12): 1st prize; 
r, Slowe; 2d, Mr. T. Dawson, gi. to Earl Cowper. Cape 
: Ist prize, Mr. Plumbly ; 2d, Mr. Slowe. Auriculas 
t seedling, ditto: Mr. J. Hudson, 
Ware, Polyanthus (6): J, Williams. Heartsease, 30 varieties : 1! 
prize, Mr. Hurst, gr. to J. Batho, Esq., Cheshunt; 2d, J. Wil- 
liams; 3d, Mrs, Hanbury, Poles. British Plants, 20 species + Ast 
prize, Mr. G. Spriggings, St. Alban’s; 2d, Mr. D. Spriggings 
Hertford. Stove Plants (6): John Slowe, Orchidacea: C. B 
Warner, Esq., Hoddesdon, Cut Flowers: ize, Mr. J. Wi 
liams; 2d, Mr. Slowe: 3d, M 
com= 
wers: 1st pri 
Mr. A, Milne. Bouquet Flower 
Williams; gr. to Mrs. Keeling, Broxbourne. 
Prizes.—Fruit: 1st prize, J. Farrow, Tewin; 2d, S- 
Waterford. Flowers: ist prize, W. Cowler, Wadesmill ; 
‘arrow, Tewin. Vegetables: J. Farrow, Tewin, Extra. prizes 
were awarded to Mr. T. Dawson, for Hydrangeas and Kitchen 
ipples: to Mr. A. Milne, for Rhubarb; Mr. Slowe, for Cine- 
varias; W, Parker, Esq., for Dessert Apples; N 
of Greenhouse Azaleas; Mr. B, Williams, for cut 
Flowers’ and Dessert Apples; C, G. Thornton, Esq., for Filberts, 
‘n excellent preservation ; and to E, Taylor, cottager, for Flowers. 
Plumbly, for a 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
4 On Burning Clay. — Several correspondents having 
nquired about the best method of burning clay, a friend 
has kindly furnished us with the following information 
on the subject, which was printed in the form of a 
Circular, in 1815, The first extract is from a letter of 
Mr. Craig, agent to A. Murray, Esq., of Broughton, 
Galloway, to E. Boyd, Esq., of Merton-hall. Mr. Craig 
observes, that ‘the general method of proceeding to 
work is, to make an oblong inclosure of the dimensions 
of a small house, say 15 feet by 10, of green turf sods 
raised to the height of 34 or 4 feet. In the inside of fia 
inclosure, air-pipes are drawn diagonally, which commu- 
nicate with holes Jeft at each corner of the exterior wall, 
These pipes are formed of sods jut on edge, and the 
Space between them so wide only as another sod can 
easily cover. In each of the four spaces left between the 
air-pipes and the outer wall, a fire is kindled with wood 
and dry turf, and then the whole of the inside of the 
inclosure or kiln filled with dry turf, which is very soon 
on fire; and on the top of that, when well kindled, is 
thrown the clay, in small quantities at a time, and 
Tepeated as often as necessary, which must be regulated 
by the intensity of the burning. The air-pipes are of use 
only at first, because, if the fire burns with tolerable 
keenness, the sods forming the pipe will soon be reduced 
to ashes. The pipe on the weather side of the kiln only 
is left open, the mouths of the other three being stopped 
Up, and not opened, except the wind should veer about. 
8 the inside of the inclosure or kiln begins to be filled 
Up with clay, the outer wall must be raised in height, 
always taking care to have it at least 15 inches higher 
than the top of the clay, for the purpose of keeping the 
Wind from acting on the fire. When the fire burns 
through the outer wall, which it often does, and particu- 
larly when the top is overloaded with clay, the breach 
mast be stopped up immediately, which can only be effec- 
ually done by building another sod wall from ‘the ffoun- 
ation opposite to it; and the sods that formed that part 
of the first wall are soon reduced to ashes. The wall can 
an Taised as high.as may be convenient to throw on the 
for and the kiln may be increased to any size, by 
ees a new wall when the previous one is burnt 
hones Ihave them so wide, as to afford a space fora 
mea and cart to turn upon them; but, when they are so 
t aa it Tequires the workmen to walk on the top of 
Ried mt en feeding with clay, which I would not recom. 
the ecause the more loosely the clay can be laid on, 
Suntan rapidly it will burn. I did not take all the 
tase ae above stated with my kilns ; having the advan- 
which ue quantity of old moss, sticks, and tree-roots, 
eirsnnaen and kindled a large parcel of them, and 
oe ie the fire with a quantity of dry turf; and as 
oie S ui was well kindled, I built round astrong wall of 
chika ae ne on, adding clay to the fire, and sods to the 
Gate 8, when necessary, till the kilns were so large as 
(oa Raina eae of 100 loads of ashes. The principal 
quneice rning consists in having the outer wall made 
cates foe Impervious to the external air, and taking 
© have the top always lightly, but completely, 
4 : 3 because, if the external air should 
ome in contact with the: fire, either on the top of the 
2. Or by means of its bursting through the sides, the 
fire will be very soon extinguished. In short, the kilns 
require to be attended nearly as closely as charcoal-pits. 
Clay is much easier burnt than either moss or loam; it 
does not undergo any alteration in its shape, and, on that 
account, allows the fire and smoke to get up easily 
between the lumps; whereas moss and loam, by crumb- 
ling down, are very apt to smother the fire, unless care- 
fully attended to. No rule can be laid down for regu- 
latingéthe size of the lumps of clay thrown on the kiln, as 
that must depend on the state of the fire ; but T have 
found every lump completely burnt on opening the kiln, 
and some of them were thrown in larger than my head. 
Clay, no doubt, burns more readily if it be dug up and 
ried for a day or two before it be thrown on the kilns 5 
but this operation is not necessary, as it will burn though 
thrown on quite wet. After a kiln is fairly set a-going, 
no coal or wood, or any sort of combustible is necessary ; 
and it can only be extinguished by inattention, or the 
carelessness of the operator, the vicissitudes of the weather 
having hardly any effect on the fires, if properly attended. 
t may perhaps be necessary to mention that when the 
Kiln is burning with great keenness, a stranger to the oper- 
ation may be apt to think that the fire is extinguished. 
If, therefore, any person, either through impatience or 
too great a curiosity, should insist on looking into the 
interior of the kiln, he will certainly retard, and may 
possibly extinguish the fire ; for, as I mentioned before, 
the chief secret consists in keeping out the external air 
from the fire.” From perusing these remarks, Mr. 
Ormiston, of Bodyllton, observes, in a letter addressed 
to Sir W. W. Wynn, Bart., in the same circular, which 
was issued about two years after the date of 
the previous communication, that he ‘ was induced 
to make a trial of ashes produced from burnt clay and 
vegetable stibstances as a manure. Accordingly, about 
the beginning of April, 1816, I set about the formation 
of the kilns for that purpose, close to a pit containing a 
quantity of peat moss, nearly in the centre of a field of 
about 100 acres, then under the operation of a turnip 
fallow. Having caused some hundred loads of the peat 
earth, together with a subsoil of strong adhesive blue clay, 
to be wheeled out of the pit around the kilns, I collected 
@ quantity of old wood and roots of trees for the purpose 
of kindling the fires, and having done so according to the 
method described by Mr. Craig, and got them to burn 
well, I found one man equal to keep four kilus going. 
The kilns constructed by me were of larger dimensions 
than those described by Mr. Craig, being 30 feet long by 
12 wide, inside the walls, and 2 feet. high in the first 
instance, and increasing in height to 4 feet, as the work 
proceeded. Some hundred cart-loads of root-weeds, and 
rubbish of various descriptions, collected from the field 
before mentioned, were thrown on these kilns, and evi- 
dently produced superior ashes to those procured from 
the peat-earth and clay. The operation of burning not 
being finished till the end of July prevented my giving 
the ashes a fair trial that year, as I was, in consequence, 
unable to sow the Tutnip-sced before the 10th of August, 
and the crop produced was very indifferent, which -I 
impute entirely to the lateness of the season and the 
unfavourable state of the ground, from wet'weather. ‘The 
expense of burning, as nearly as I can calculate, was 
about one shilling per cart-load, making no allowance for 
cartage of weeds and rubbish from the field, as it would 
otherwise have been necessary to have removed them 
to some convenient place to be consumed in the usual 
manner. In the month of March, 1817, the fire in ‘the 
remaining kilns was little more than extinguished. if 
then had the ashes carted out to an adjoining meadow, 
and laid them on at the rate of 50 cart-loads to anvacre, 
where they have shown, both on the crop of hay and 
after-grass, a decided superiority over preparations of 
earth and lime compost, laid on at the rate of nearly 26 cubic 
yards to the acre, as an active manure for top-dressing. 
In April I put down a quantity of the ashes in the corner 
of a field intended for Swedish Turnips, and as soon as 
the ground was prepared for sowing, I manured a 
small portion of the field with them, at the rate of 
50 cart-loads to the acre. The Turnips growing upon 
that part of the field are more luxuriant, and, seem~ 
ingly, & heavier crop than those sown, with an ample 
quantity of good farm-yard dung; and even the place 
where the ashes were put down until they could be 
carted on the field, is most conspicuous for the luxuriance 
of the Turnips, although they were taken up as close as 
possible without removing part of the soil. I am de- 
cidedly of opinion that ashes thus produced are a most 
valuable manure as a top-dressing for pasture and meadow 
round, particularly as they would not be subject to any 
am from evaporation ; and in that case all vegetable 
manure generally used as a top-dressing for meadows 
might be applied to the raising of green crops, where it 
ould suffer no loss from evaporation, which, in general, 
Ms reat. In the’ application of clay-ashes as a 
manure for Turnips, I would not advise that, they be put 
ills and covered, as is practised with farm-yard 
that after the ground is prepared for drilling, 
», they should be spread upon the surface ; 
he treading of the horses and car's . laying 
ashes on, consolidate the ground too much for drilling, 
fie reer might be run through it before the drills were 
formed; by so doing the young plants would come sooner 
in contact with the ashes than by putting them into es 
drills and covering them with the plough, as is usua ~ 
the application of common dung. From my practice o} 
clay-burning, I am of opinion that it can be done without 
the aid of kilns, which must be a very considerable 
saving; besides, it often happens that earths of various 
kinds might be collected for burning, where it would be 
very jnconyenient to obtain turf, or sods, to form the 
kilns ; and earths so collected, such as the scrapings of 
roads, mud of pits, and hog-earth of any kind, will 
undoubtedly produce superior ashes to clay, of Re eee 
denomination. In burning clay or soil without the aid 
of kilns, it is only necessary to kindle a fire, and after it 
becomes sufficiently strong, lay the clay or earth upon it, 
and continue that operation directed in kiln-burning pa 
long as.a man is able to throw it upon the fire; by this 
mode, I conceive, a hundred or more cart-loads of ashes 
may be easily obtained in one heap. I would recommend 
in this mode of burning, a screen, similar to those used in 
burning charcoal, which could be shifted round, to prevent 
a high wind blowing the fire too much from any side of 
the heap. Having made the experiment, the result was 
as follows :—160 square yards, manured at the rate of 50 
cart-loads per acre of clay-ashes, produced 1,834 Ibs. of 
Turnips, without tops and tails ; 160 ditto, ditto at the 
rate of 25 cart-loads per acre of farm-yard dung, pro- 
duced 1,680 lbs. of ditto without ditto, 154 lbs. difference, 
being equal to 2 tons 1 ewt. 2 qrs. 6 Ibs. per acre in favour 
of crop sown with clay-ashes; an advantage which may 
not appear great in this instance, yet it would be very 
considerable if obtained from every acre of Turnips grown 
upon this farm.’ 
Messrs. Rollisson’s, Tooting.—The gree 
are now exceedingly gay with Azaleas, hybrid Rhododendrons, 
a new seedling, with white flowers, which are much larger than 
those of A. indica alba; and the Rhododendrons comprise R. 
hyacinthiflora, which is a dwarf, compact-growing shrub, with 
shining narrow foliage, and rather small; semi-double pink- 
flowers ; with R. Rollissonii, the new Himalayan variety, having 
wrinkled leaves, which are deep-brown on the under-side, and 
dark scarlet blossoms, a little undulated, and having distinct 
pits or cells in the bottom, round the centre; and erti, & 
hardy hybrid, with pale and delicate fiesh-coloured blooms, 
which are large, and a little spotted. The blossoms of the last 
are deep pink when first opened, and as an early and later cluster 
have both been developed on one plant, from the same bud; the 
effect is rather novel. In the stove, the noble Franciscea latifolia 
is blooming freely; Gesnera reflexa, ecies remarkable for 
having both. its stem and the individual flowers turned down- 
wards; Begonia hydrocotylifolia, which adds to a neat and 
elegant habit a very agreeable odour; and Centradenia rosea, 
which is studded all over with its pretty rose-coloured blossoms, 
Stephanotis floribunda is developing, numerous. flower-buds on 
plants not more than six inches in height. Another greenhouse 
which is livel, 
B. crenulata, having rat! mp p 
showy, With bright pink flowers; and Zieria levigata, a rare 
species, Which ij 
an unusually grand spectacle. Den- 
drobium Pierardi latifolinum is a variety with particularly large 
flowers, that retains its foliage whi i 
much later than th 
tochilum stellatum 
i icing: a fine race! 
though principally of a whitish tint, are specially conspicuous. 
Ceelogyne testacea, new, and having drooping racemes of small, 
are both blossoming abundantly, and are well adapted for grow- 
a cristata, with its singu- 
is at the end, and when 
viewed from beveath, resembles an ox’s head, has many flowers 
now open, Qut-of-doors, Aquilegia Skinneri is in bloom, but the 
m to have so weakened it that it has a compara- 
Viola palmensis, a valuable 
arly always blooming, is now gay 
e back of one of the 
Bouley 
THE NATURALIST’S CORNER.—No. XI. 
(Continued from page 142.) 
40. Anatomy of Animals.— Galen, when studying 
human anatomy, was so struck with the perfection with 
which all the parts of the human arm and hand are 
adapted to one another, that he composed a hymn to the 
Deity, expressing his admiration of a piece of so much 
excellence. The more we extend our researches into the 
animal kingdom, the more shall we be struck with this 
extraordinary adaptation of the parts of living bodies to 
their respective uses; the more shall we be convinced, by 
our own imperfect knowledge, of the perfection of that 
Wisdom and Power, whose works are as marvellous as they 
are unbounded. 
Al. Architecture of Birds. —There is nearly as much 
difference between the comparative beauty of the nests of 
a wood-pigeon and of a bottle-tit, as between the hut of a 
North American Savage and a Grecian temple. But 
although the savage, in the course of ages, may attain as 
much civilization as would lead him to the construction 
of anew Parthenon, the wood-pigeon will continue only 
to make a platform of sticks to the end of time. It is 
evident from a contemplation of all nature, that the facul- 
ties of quadrupeds, birds, insects, and all the inferior ani- 
