190 



Foreign Notices : — France. 



years. In the mean- 

 time one found its way 

 into the hands of my 

 cousin, Mr. James Chris- 

 ty, jun., of Broomfielcl, 

 near Chelmsford, a 

 great lover of dahlias, 

 &c.; and he, having a 

 pottery on his farm, 

 made some for his own 

 use. These were seen 

 and approved by gar- 

 deners in the neighbour- 

 hood, who persuaded 

 him to make some for 

 sale. By advice of Mr. 

 Ferguson, gardener at 

 Hylands, he made them 

 considerably larger than 

 the original, which, if I 

 remember right, was not 

 above half the present 

 size [that given in the 

 figure]. Possibly, how- 

 ever, they were intended 

 for other plants. I do 

 not like the look of 

 these large ones so well 

 as that of the small 

 ones ; but, at all events, 

 they form a much better 

 termination to a dahlia- 

 stick, than an inverted 

 garden-pot, stuffed with 

 hay. If painted green 

 (which would add very 

 little to the expense), 

 they would be hardly 

 distinguishable from the foliage. The price my cousin has charged for them is 

 3«. 6d. per cast of 60 (the same as for thumb-pots). — IV. C. Clapham Road, 

 January 16. 1839. [These traps, we believe, may be had of Mr. Christy's 

 potter, Mr. Higgens, Lambeth Road.] 





Art. I'l. Foreign Notices. 



FRANCE. 



RENDERING Vegetable Substances incombustible, — M. Letellier, of Saint-Leu- 

 Taverny, proposes a method of rendering vegetable substances incombustible, 

 or at least uninflammable, which is particularly applicable to the timber used 

 in building, thus preventing fires from spreading. The means consist in a con- 

 centrated solution of four parts of potash, and one part of silex (silice). Cloth, 

 paper, wood, &c, steeped in this solution, and thoroughly dried, will not pro- 

 duce a flame. (L' E'cho du Monde savant.) 



Versailles has been put into order, embellished, and extended by the present 

 king. It may now be considered the National Museum of France. Statues 



