General Notices. 469 



three quarters of an inch deep, with teeth similar to those in the key. By 

 observing the figures, the construction may perhaps be made out more 

 easily than by any bungling description of mine. Yours, &c. — E. W. 

 jun. Near Tweeds, March 15. 1832. 



The different Modes of heating Hot-houses, by hot water, steam, and 

 common smoke flues, are frequently adverted to in your Magazine, and as 

 often remind me of a steam apparatus for forcing, or rather for assisting 

 the growth of peaches, which I had to attend to as far back as the year 

 1790-91. At that time there was "a rage" for steam-kitchens; and 

 Mr. W. Slack, ironmonger, of Cheapside, was extensively employed in 

 erecting them. Among others, he was employed by the late Gilbert 

 Slater, Esq., of Low Layton, in Essex, a gentleman as remarkable for his 

 hospitality as eminent for his love of every branch of gardening, who 

 conceived the idea of having steam generated from pure water, instead of 

 the then common mode of raising it from the flues of hot-houses. Mr. 

 Slack was engaged to furnish the apparatus ; which he executed, by placing 

 a shallow cast-iron boiler over the common furnace of the peach-house, 

 whence he led a main tin steam-pipe along behind the trellis at the bottom 

 of the back wall. This main pipe had branch pipes of a smaller diameter, 

 inserted at about 4 ft. distances along its whole length, which, by having 

 additional and movable joints to fit on, brought the steam to any part of 

 the middle of the house. By these means the trees could be copiously 

 steamed at pleasure; and great vigour of growth, with perfect cleanness 

 and freedom from insects, was the consequence, together with fine crops of 

 fruit. I know not how long this apparatus was used, but probably not 

 after the lamented death of the proprietor, about the beginning of 1794, 



It will readily occur to your horticultural readers, that this contrivance 

 could only be useful during the first three months of forcing ; and, as the 

 house was not entirely heated, but only moistened, by steam, it was, in 

 fact, an unnecessary refinement of cultivation, which might have been 

 dispensed with. This very attempt, however, may have led to the great 

 improvements, since accomplished, in the management of steam for garden- 

 ing purposes. — Senex. 



In the Gentleman's Magazine for 1740 is a scheme, by Mr, Cook, for 

 heating the whole of a house from top to bottom, by small steam-pipes 

 from one boiler. The scheme must have been thought of some importance 

 at the time, as it is illustrated by a woodcut. — Cond. 



Charms of the Peacock Iris (Vris pavbnia Lin.), Vieusseitxia glaucopis of 

 De Candolle). — Do tell all your flower-loving friends to layout \s.&d.at 

 Noble's shop, in Fleet-street, or elsewhere, in the purchase of a bulb of 

 7 v ris pavonia L* (See Curtis's Botanical Magazine, vol. v. pi. 168.) I 

 bought a bulb at the above shop, last autumn, and it is now in blossom,, 

 and the most lovely thing in the shape of a flower I almost ever saw. 

 The three large petals are streaked with blue underneath, and above are 

 pure white, with a most vivid eye-like spot at the base of each : one 

 might almost fancy that Nature had at first intended to make the petals 

 blue (as in so many others of the same tribe), but afterwards changed her 

 plan, and reserved all the colouring matter to be concentrated, as it were, 

 in one glowing spot of small dimensions, but intense brilliancy. — W. T. 

 Bree. Allesley Rectory, June 6. 1832. 



The Peach and Nectarine Trees distinguishable when in Blossom, by a Dif- 

 ference in their two Germens. — Sir, I have frequently found it useful to be 

 able to distinguish peach and nectarine trees from each other,' at an early 

 stage of their growth, when both first produced their blossoms, before 

 fruiting. To effect this, I dissect a few of the flowers of the trees about 

 which I feel a doubt ; and a tree which produces villose germens always 

 proves a peach tree, and a tree producing germens smooth and shining 



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