Rouen. 377 



boxes 4 ft. square, and 200 trees, upwards of a century old, 

 in smaller boxes, besides a great number of young plants, 

 pomegranates, neriums, amomuni Pliniis, brugmansias, and 

 other house ornaments of the last century. M. Vallet's late 

 father invented the most improved machine, commonly called 

 diable^ for moving large orange trees, or other trees in large 

 boxes, from place to place ; and a person was sent from Ver- 

 sailles, in the time of Louis XIV., to take a copy of it for use 

 in the orangery there. The most improved form of this ma- 

 chine is given in Thouin's Cours de Culture^ and it may be 

 useful to exhibit it here. i^fi,g, 81.) There being no axletree 



reaching across from the one hind wheel {a) to the other (5), 

 when the roller (c) and the bar (jT) are removed, the machine 

 can be set back, so as to include a box or tub in the central 

 space between the four wheels ; the roller (c) being replaced, 

 the ropes (dd) are put under the hooks of, or by other means 

 fastened to, the tub or box, which, by four handspikes, worked 

 in the rollers {c c) by four or more men, is raised 6 or 8 in. 

 from the ground, or as high as the axle if necessaty, and 

 then carted to where it is to be set down. The bar behind 

 {f) is movable, and is replaced and fastened by two iron 

 pins after the carriage is charged. Were such a machine 

 executed in England, the wheels might be of cast-iron, or of 

 a better construction in wood and iron, and for ropes chains 

 might be substituted. M. Vallet is ready to sell all these 

 large orange trees ; but, in the mean time, as they are kept in 

 an orangery admitting very little light, and requiring propor- 

 tionably little firing in winter, the price received for the sale 

 of the blossoms pays the expenses incurred and a little more. 



