4-88 Retrospective Criticism. 



things frequently to be met with in gardens, which are not exactly agree- 

 able to my taste. The green-house, outwardly, presents an unsightly 

 aspect, owing to the want of blank wall and ornamental shape ; whilst, 

 within, it is so crowded with plants, that you must walk sideways to pre- 

 vent your arms from brushing down some of the pots to your feet, as you 

 pass through its confined alley ; and, should you wish to see the topmost 

 plants of the stage, it can only be done with eyes painfully strained. Now, 

 in buildings of this kind, economy should not be the first consideration ; 

 and, therefore, though some slight inconvenience might arise from three 

 detached houses, such a number, formed on architectural principles, with 

 intervening blank walls, adorned with evergreens, would amply compensate, 

 by their ornamental appearance, for any disadvantage of separation. Very 

 small green-houses might be conveniently and ornamentally attached to 

 cottages, so that the parlour window might command a view of the gay 

 interior, which, from its smallness of scale not allowing of an alley, might 

 always be viev/ed from without. Then, the long painted sticks, to whose 

 tops the neighbouring plants have yet to climb, have an unsightly appear- 

 ance : this might be remedied by procuring tubular supports, to be inserted 

 in each other, as the growth of the plant required. Last of all, I will men- 

 tion box-edgings, and all other too scrupulously defined border-lines, as 

 not agreeing with my taste ; preferring rather an occasional encroachment 

 on the path by some recumbent * plant, such, for example, as the Esch- 

 scholtziff californica, which would offer its golden goblets to the sun with 

 great effect in such a situation. — B. T. F Cottage, Oct. 31. 1831. 



Larch, Pine, and Fir Timber will resist Fire while green, or full of Sap. — ■ 

 1 find it stated (p. 93.) that " the timber of the larch, though, like other 

 trees of the fir tribe, it abounds with turpentine, is yet, contrary to what 

 we should expect, remarkably slow in igniting, and may almost be said to 

 resist fire." Is not the timber of all the fir tribe equally difficult to ignite 

 before being dried ? In my humble opinion it is. The settlers in America 

 know from experience, that there are no logs so difficult to burn as those 

 of the fir tribe : I have had some experience of this, myself, in Upper Canada, 

 where the hemlock spruce (J'bies canadensis H. K.) and white pine (Pinus 

 iStrobus L.) are not uncommon. 



With regard to the American black larch (Larix pendula Lambert), when 

 dry, it is greatly in demand as fuel for the steam-boats on the St. Lawrence. 

 I recollect enquiring of the engineer of a steam boat why he used tamarac, 

 the Canadian name for larch, in preference to maple, hiccory, or beech. 

 He replied, that it gave out more flame, and burned quicker, and was for 

 these reasons preferred; yet, from what I have experienced, there is no spe- 

 cies of timber in Canada which will give out more heat, or last longer as 

 common fuel, than beech, hiccory, or maple. The two last-mentioned burn 

 as well when green as when dried. I am, Sir, yours, &c. — T. Blair. 

 Stamford Hill, March 7. 1832. 



The wood of the common ash (.FYaxinus excelsior L.) is said to burn 

 freely in a green state ; and there is an adage to this effect in words like 

 these: — " Ash while green, Is fit to burn before the queen." Does it 

 burn so freely ? — J.D. 



The Common and Highland Pines. — Sir, In J. G.'s very useful and inter- 

 esting account of the common and Highland pines, found in Scotland 

 (p. 10.), I regret that he has not pointed out more precisely the botanical 

 characters of each, so as to enable your readers to distinguish the one 

 from the other. After noticing the superiority of the " new sort," as tim- 

 ber, " in size, quality, and durability," the chief points he speaks of, in 

 which it differs from the "old," and less valuable kind, are "its long tufted 

 leaves, and the horizontal direction of its branches ; " and these, he informs 



* The word is here used to signify a posture betwixt standing up and 

 lying down; and not, therefore, in the sense of p?-ocumbent.— B. T. 



