Pe 
1843] 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
463 
best adapted for keels, bottom planks, and other parts of ships 
which are constantly in water. British and American Oak, and 
East Indian or Malabar Teak (Tectona grandis), were remarked as 
being of very general applicability to the purposes of the ship- 
wright, as also the African teak, or, as it is often called, African 
Oak—the tree yielding which is still unknown to botanists. Two 
varieties of hard and heavy woods were pointed out as being 
Occasionally imported among African teak, and having similar 
walities, but which are unknown to botanists or wood-merchants. 
f timbers imported from the West Indies, two deserve remark. 
The first is the Mora, or Morra timber, (Mora excelsa, Benth.), 
which is a large and valuable timber, now introduced in consider~ 
able quantity from British Guiana. It has a foetid odour when 
Scraped. The 
in the Clyde. aclagan had sent specimens of the fruit of 
this tree to Dr. Lindley and Sir W. Hooker, both of whom consi- 
dered it as Lauraceous, but had been unable to refer itto any 
known genus. He stated to the Society that this tree was known 
in Demerara by the Indian name of Bebeeru, and also by the 
Dutch name Sipeeri; and that the bark of it had been found, by 
Mr. Rodie, to contain a vegetable alkaline matter, which pos- 
Sessed the power of curing agues. Recent experiments of his 
own had shown that there were two distinct alkalies present in 
4, Previous to the reading of 
luxuriant state, with scarcely an exception. 
NOTICES or NEW PLANTS WHICH ARE EITHER 
USEFUL OR ORNAMENTAL. 
BArwapgE/sIA rosea. Rose-coloured Barnadesia. (Stove 
Shrub.) Composite. Syngenesia Polygamia.—The singular 
80 very similar a fo! 
or seeds, in the usual manne: 
OMAROSTAPHYLIS ARBUTOIDES. rbutus-like Gritberry. 
(Half hardy Shrub.) Ericaceze. Decandria Monogynia.—A native 
Of Quezaltenango, in Guatemala, this plant has been raised in 
the garden of the Horticultural Society from seeds received from 
Mr. Hartweg. i the first time in 
‘ay, 1843) again in blossom. In 
n; the flowers are in 
and are white, not crimson e it is mucl 
Arbutus, but it has adrupaceous fruit, covered with the tubercles 
roves rather tender 
i high; and like the common 
kinds of Arbutus, thrives well in alight sandy loam, mixed with 
& small portion of leaf-mould. It is increased either by seeds or 
by budding. ‘The seedsshould be sown directly they are ripe, in 
Pans filled with light sandy loam, and kept rather dry, until 
Vegetation commences,—Botanical Register. 
ROW/TIA ExcORIATA.  Loose-barked Marcetia. (Stove 
ul ia Monogynia.—This genus 
consists of a group of curious little Melastomaccous plants, 
having almost the habit of Heaths. They are all found in tropi- 
cal America, in mountainous places, or in elevated sandy deserts, 
and give a peculiar feature to the places where they grow. In 
our gardens they are almost unknown; that which is nowrepre- 
sented, from the collection of his Grace the Duke of Northum- 
berland, at Sion, being the first that we have met with in culti- 
vation. It will succeed best in a stove, potted in one-half leaf- 
mould, mixed with loam and sand in equal parts. A good drain- 
Supply of young wood for flowering the following year. 
propagated by cuttings in the usual way.— Botanical Register. 
MISCE 
The Respiration of Leaves.—At a late meeting of the 
Royal Society, Mr, Haseldine Pepys gave an account of a 
Series of experiments on the products of the respiration of 
plants, and more particularly of the leaves; selecting with 
this view specimens of plants which had been previously 
habituated to respire constantly under an inclosure of 
glass; and employing for that purpose the apparatus 
which he had formerly used in experimenting on the com- 
bustion of the diamond, and consisting of two mercurial 
gasometers, with the addition of two hemispheres of glass 
closely joined together at their bases, so as to form an air- 
tight globular receptacle for the plant subjected to experi- 
ment. The general conclusions he deduced from his 
Numerous experiments, conducted during several years, 
were, first, that in leaves which are in a state of vigorous 
health, vegetation is always operating to restore the sur- 
rounding atmospheric air to its naturel condition, by the 
absorption of carbonic acid and the disengagement of 
oxygen; that this action is promoted by the influence of 
light, but that it continues to be exerted, although more 
slowly, even in the dark. Secondly, that carbonic acid 
is never disengaged during the healthy condition of the 
leaf. Thirdly, that the fluid so abundantly exhaled by 
plants in their vegetation is pure water, and contains no 
trace of carbonic acid. Fourthly, that the first. portions 
of carbonic acid gas contained in an artificial atmosphere, 
are taken up with more avidity by plants than the re- 
Maining portions; as if their appetite for that pabulum 
had diminished by satiety.—F'rom the Atheneum, 
Purifying the Air of Stables.—Having been invited by 
Mr, Evans, of Dean House, Enstone, to make some expe- 
iments on his excellently-conducted farm and stables, I 
trust the results of those upon the absorption of ammonia 
May prove of sufficient interest to entitle them to publica- 
ea. 8 gypsum (crystallised sulphate of lime) had been 
ighly recommended for this purpose in some recent works 
with slaked lime. This result was the more surprising, as | 
acid leaving the ammonia to form the precipitate carbonic | 
Thad previously ascertained that in an atmosphere so | 
highly charged with ammonia as to be destructive to ani- | 
taken up by wetted gypsum. 
appeared conclusive upon the point, that under less favour- 
able circumstances not an atom was absorbed :—200 grs. 
wetted with distilled water were exposed in a close stable 
for three days, precautions having been taken to avoid any 
error from evaporation ; it was again weighed, no increase 
could be perceived, nor was any ammonia evolved on the 
application of the usual tests; while 200 grs. wetted with 
diluted sulphuric acid, and exposed the same time, were 
found to have gained grs. of ammonia. The stables 
were then strewn with the gypsum moistened with sul- 
huric acid, and examined the next morning ; every por- 
evolve its peculiar pungent odour when brought in con- 
tact with slaked lime ; the stables had also lost their close, 
unhealthy smell. To use the words of the grooms, they 
appeared sweetened. As it was evident the gypsum acted 
merely mechanically, affording a convenient absorbent 
surface for the acid, experiments were made, substituting 
sawdust for gypsum with even more favourable results. 
That the proportion of free ammonia in stables is very 
large, may be shown by the simple experiment of placing 
a i d piece of lit: paper reddened with weak 
acid ina stable. In one badly cleaned or ill ventilated, 
the effect is instantaneous ; but even in those of Mr. Evans, 
where the greatest attention was paid to these points, the 
paper was observed ina few minutes to become blue ; even 
the water kept in the stable the over-night as is the habit, 
to take off the chill, becomes sufficiently impregnated with 
ammonia to affect tests. As this alkali is justly ranked 
among the most powerful stimulants, the continual 
breathing of an atmosphere vitiated by it can hardly fail 
to have a prejudicial effect. Grooms are observed to be 
short-lived ; and the rapid course of inflammatory diseases 
in horses, and their distressing predisposition to colds and 
affections of the chest, are no doubt greatly aggravated by 
this cause. The increased salubrity and sweetness of the 
stable, if pointed out to the grooms, would therefore soon 
reconcile them to the slight additional trouble the adoption 
of this remedy would incur. At Dean House the acid 
ypsum was first strewn amidst the straw ; but as this was 
considered likely to injure the feet and clothing of the 
hunters, it was afterwards spread on trays. One part of 
sawdust will be found to absorb readily three times its 
weight of acid solution, which I made with one part, by 
measure, of sulphuric acid to 15 of water. If intended 
to be tried as a manure, it should be mixed with the straw 
when removed from the stable. During the process of 
rotting, the ammonia is evolved so freely that, at the end 
of two or three weeks, the acid powder, which should not 
remain more than three days in the stable without chang-. 
ing, will be found completely neutralized; and as the 
greatest benefit was derived from covering up and salting 
dungheaps, by which I believe an additional absorption of 
ammonia could only have been gained, it may be reason- 
ably hoped that an increased value would result from a 
manure thus surcharged with ammoniacal salts.—Jouwrnal 
of the Roy. Agricul. Soc. of England, vol. iv. p. 278. 
Saucepans silvered by the Electrotype Process.—Mr. 
Warrington, of Apothecaries’ Hall, in a recent Number of 
the Chemical Gaxette, directs attention to the fact which 
has come under his notice, that copper vessels, such as 
saucepans, extract pans, &c. silvered by the electrotype 
process, are acted upon by weak acids, as lemon-juice or 
vinegar, if allowed to remain in them for a short time. 
This, he says, must arise from the deposited silver being 
so porous as to allow the acids to permeate its substance, 
and the action is most likely assisted by the formation of 
a galvanic circuit.—F'rom the Pharmaceutical Journal. 
og 
GARDEN MEMORANDA. 
Messrs. Lane and Son, Berkhampstead.—The nursery of these 
gentlemen is situated just on the outskirts of the town, a few 
minutes ‘om the Birmingham Railway Station, The 
principal part of it lies in a valley, through which a canal anda 
small Stream run; and apparently on this account, chiefly, the 
majority of the plants are later than those about London. For 
example, some Ghent Azaleas, and one or two hybrid Rhodo- 
dendrons, are still in bloom. There are several greenhouses and 
frames scattered about the place, in which are a quantity of 
i fR tti 
Roses in pots, an number 01 
double crimson flowers, streaked with white; a variety of 
Petunia, named Moore’s splendens, with exceedingly large deep 
purplish crimson flowers ; and, in the open ground, a very splendid 
double Senecio elegans, the size and closeness of the flowers of 
e unusual, with a remarkably fine drooping purple 
by an open gutter of hot-water, which is connected with an appa- 
ratus that heats a long house and several pits, and was put uw 
many years ago. It is worth noticing, too, that Rhododendrons 
sown here in pure loam, flourish quite as well as they generally 
i=} 
grooms, I could not, after two days’ exposure, detect the | 5 
P 
tion was found to have absorbed sufficient ammonia | 
| 
i 
on agriculture, the HeAbIRe ere in the first instance freely { collection of Roses is very extensive and good, comprising nearly 
all the best sorts in every class; and there is another portion of 
the nursery, rather more than two miles from this, containing 
four acres of standard Roses, and two acres of stools. The 
whole of these, except some of the Bourbons, Chinas, and the 
wering varieties, are now finely in bloom, and give 
idea of how a place may be enriched by this 
“queen. of flowers.’” Indeed, it is a matter of question whether 
any tribe can be so suitable for a small place; while no one will 
doubt that they are essential to the enrichment and decoration of 
a large one. g over the various groups, we marked 
few varieties of the principal classes, which are of a decidedly 
fine description, and which we here specify, referring the reader 
MossEs ‘ante, French Crimson, 
Luxembourg, I SS ut, Perpetual White, 
Splendens, Single Crimson, White Bath, some of which are rather 
teuil, Cr 
de Trévise, Duc 
of Buccleugh, Duchessed’Arembourg, Duchesse d’ 
Parissot, Francklin, Général Foy, Guillaume Tell, Grandissima, 
Horace Vernet, Heureuse Surprise, Kean, La Calaisienne, Louis 
Philippe, Létitie, Mathieu Mole, Nelly, Pomone, Reboul, Sobieski, 
Ténébreuse, Tricolore, Triomphe de Beauté, Triomphe de Rennes, 
Triomphe du Brabant, New Village Maid, Violet Crémer. Aupa : 
Achille, Blanchfleur, Félicité Parmentier, Madame Campan, Prin- 
cesse de Lamballe (excellent), Queen of Denmark, Sophie de 
Marsilly. Hysrip PrRovENCE AND FRENCH : — Aspasie, 
Duchess of Kent, Duchesse d’Angouléme, Emeraud, Hip, White 
Globe, L’Admiration, o 
Londres, Melanie er, Micacla, New Globe Hip. 
HINA :—Belle de St. Cyr, Brennus, Blairii (very fine), Beauty of 
Billard, Belle Marie, Belle Parabere, Coronation, Chenedolle, 
Coup d’Amour, Charles Duval, Comtesse de Lacepéde, Coup 
d'Habé, i, Duke of i hesse de Monte- 
bello, Eynard, Emperor, Probus, fulgens, fimbriata, Général 
Kleber, Great Western, Hortensia, Hortense Leroy, La Graudeur, 
‘asas, Lord John Russell, Magna 
Ultra, Prince 
Aubernon, 
Sutherland, Earl Talbot, General Allard, Lady Sefton, Madame 
Laffay, Miss Elliott, Prudence, Roeser, Reine de la Guillotiere, 
shaded, compact, and very double; Donni 
large, and double; Monthyon, lilac blush, globular, large and 
double. Hysriv Provencs :—Néron, rose, tinged with peach, 
cupped, large, and double. HyBrip Cuina: Marjolin, black 
crimson, cupped, large, and double; Madame Rameau, Velvety 
lake, cupped, and double ; Eliza Mercceur, pink, gl 
double. YBRID PgRPETUAL :—Docteur Marjolin, pale lilac 
crimson, cupped, large, and double; Lady Alice Peel, rosy 
crimson, cupped, large, and double; Prince of Wales, rosy crim- 
son, globular, large, and double. 
THE NATURALIST’S CORNER.—No. XIV. 
(Continued from page 415.) 
52. Caoutchoue, now in such common use in various 
branches of our manufactures, was first brought to Europe 
about the beginning of the last century; but nothing was 
known concerning its history till 1736, when, in a memoir 
presented to the French Academy, it was stated that there 
is found in Brazil a tree, from the bark of which, when 
wounded, a milky juice flows, which hardens in the air, 
and is then called by the natives Cahuchu ; whence our 
word Caoutchouc. The natives use this liquid to render 
cloth impervious to rain ; and, when hardened, flambeaux 
are made of it. The same tree has been found in Cayenne, 
Guiana, and other parts of South America, where it is 
called Hhevé. The latest name given to it by botanists 
is that of Siphonia elastica, and it is placed in the natural 
order Euphorbiacee. Besides the American Caoutchouc, 
a substance has been discovered in the East Indian 
Islands, and more particularly in Pulo Penang. It is pro- 
cured from the juice of a climbing plant, called in Java 
Bendud, and by our botanists Urceola elastica. The 
East Indian Caoutchouc is dark-coloured on the outside, 
but light within; that from America, having been more 
completely dried by the air, is of a dusky grey throughout. 
Besides these plants, the species of Indian Fig trees fur~ 
nish Indian rubber of the best quality, especially Ficus 
elastica. 
53. The genus Kydia.—Dr. Roxburgh, in establishing 
the genus of trees called Kydia, found in the hilly parts 
both of Peninsular and Central India, as well as all along 
the foot of the Himalayan Mountains, says—* I have 
ventured to give it this name in memory of the late Colonel 
Robert Kyd, of Bengal, whose attachment to botany and 
horticulture induced him to retire from the high rank he 
held in the Army, to have more leisure to attend to his 
favourite study, to the advancement of every object which 
had the good of his fellow-creatures in view, and to the 
blish t of H ible East India Company’s 
Botanic Garden at Calcutta, where he was particularly 
attentive to the introduction of useful plants, and to their 
being dispersed over every part of the world for the benefit 
of mankind.” 
54, The Baobab Tree.—Cape de Verd is said to owe 
its name in part to the foliage of the Adansonia digitata 
of Linuzus, which adorns the whole of Senegambia and 
Guinea with its green elliptic arches, a full-grown tree 
presenting almost at a distance, the appearance of a forest. 
According to Adanson, trunks are met with having a 
diameter of 30 feet, although the height of the tree is 
moderate, varying from 50 to 60 feet. The lower branches, 
however, shoot oat to an incredible length, at first in a 
horizontal direction. These are covered with a dense 
foliage, which, from its weight, causes them to bend 
towards the ground; and thus there is presented an 
doin moor-soil; andhaye even amore luxuriant appearance, The | immense hemispherical mass of verdure, 120, 140, or even 
