Transactions of the Horticultural Society. 307 



Mr. James Smith, gardener to the Earl of Hopetown, at Hspetown 

 House, in Scotland, forces rhubarb in boxes placed in a mushroom-house, 

 or other dark room, and watered occasionally. Roots taken up in Decem- 

 ber will, with from 55° to 65° of heat, be blanched and fit for cutting in 

 February. A fresh box brought in every three weeks will afford a regular 

 supply, and the plants, when done with, may be taken out of the boxes, 

 and replanted in the open ground, so as to be fit for a similar use the en- 

 suing Winter. 



John Wedgewood, Esq., blanches and forces Buda cale in the manner of 

 sea-cale, and finds the plants so treated become peculiarly delicate. 



Mr. John Reid, the inventor of the new syringe (Encyc. of Gard.,fig. 185., 

 and of Agr.fg. 665.) proposes to glaze sashes by forming grooves on each 

 side of the sash-bar to receive the glass and putty. He thinks that, by 

 exposing a smaller surface of putty to the air, less wet will be admitted 

 into the house. We have great doubts as to this plan being an improvement. 



Mr. John Hunneman sent to the meeting of the Society several roots 

 of the Tel tow turnip, or French turnip, a small and excellent spindle- 

 shaped root, not exceeding the size of a small long-rooted radish, grown 

 principally in the neighbourhood of Teltow, in Brandenburgh. The seed 

 is sown twice a year; in April, to be gathered about July; and in August, 

 in ground from which the rye crops have been cleared, or where early po- 

 tatoes have been previously grown, to be taken up late in the Autumn, 

 " and preserved in cellars, in dry sand, where they will keep good till the 

 Spring. The poor and sandy soil of the Teltow district seems almost ne- 

 cessary for the growth of this turnip, for it degenerates when grown at a 

 distance from it. A total absence of manure is essential to their perfec- 

 tion. As a vegetable it is much used in Germany ; it is of great excel- 

 lence, and is dressed in a variety of ways, but generally stewed." 

 We may observe here, that in Autumn the Teltow, or any other turnip, 

 may be sown on the richest soil, and yet retain its flavour ; but this is 

 not the case in Spring or Summer. 



Sir C. M. L. Monck, Bart., destroys worms in pots by an infusion made 

 with boiling water and fresh walnut-leaves. Lime-water is more effectual. 



Mr. P. Day, Gardener to the Countess of Dysart, Ham-House, near 

 Richmond, sent to the meeting a tree cabbage-plant in seed, the stem of 

 which was twelve feet high, with abundance of branches. 



Mr. James Smith, Gardener to James Hammond, Esq., at Potter's Bar, 

 near Barnet, communicated " directions for forcing onions to produce 

 bulbs in clusters, at an early season. He sows the seed in April, thickly, 

 in a bed, and does not afterwards thin the plants which come up ; this 

 causes them to remain small ; a part of them are used for pickling, and the 

 remainder, being about the size of walnuts, are planted in January or Feb- 

 ruary, pressing each onion into the earth so deep as just to cover it. As 

 soon as the seed-stalks appear, he breaks them off, and instead of making 

 any effort to form new ones, the onions begin to form young bulbs round 

 the old ones. By this process onions may be obtained two or three inches 

 in circumference, fit for the kitchen early in Spring, at a time when Spring- 

 sown onions are not larger than quills. Onions thus thrown into clusters 

 will be full-grown by the end of June, and fit to take up then, but they 

 do not keep well." 



Peter Rainier, Esq., Captain R. N., communicated directions for culti- 

 vating and cooking the brinjall, a variety of the common egg-plant (sola- 

 num melongena), producing dark-coloured elongated fruit, which is much 

 used in the East Indies, especially at Bombay. It is also established as an 

 esculent in the French gardens, under the name of aubergine. Captain 

 Rainier growa the plants in a frame placed upon a dung-bed. The seeds 

 are sown in February ; each plant yields from six to ten fruits. They are 

 very generally used in the East Indies in curries, and made-dishes ; but 

 the usual and best mode of dressing them is, first to parboil them, and then, 



