526 



General Notices. 



The Dahlia-Holder, fig. 130., is used by Mr. Pratt, head gardener to W. 

 Harrison, Esq., of Gothic Cottage, Cheshunt. It is made of any easily 

 turned wood ; such as poplar, lime, sycamore, &c. ; 

 and the stalk of the flower being thrust down the bore, 

 it is made fast by wedging it at the lower end of the 

 orifice. Dahlias thus supported are inserted in holes 

 made at regular distances in a tin plate, which forms 

 a cover to a shallow box containing water, moistened 

 sand, or moistened moss. So treated, the dahlia will 

 remain fresh a week, and may be sent to any distance. 

 — B. 



The essential Point in the Culture of Fruit Trees is, 

 that the cultivator shall have the roots completely 

 under his control ; for, unless this be the case, he will 

 soon find, to his great mortification, that he has no 

 control over the branches. — J. B. Derbyshire, July, 

 1839. 



Nelumbium speciosum var. riibrum. — I observe 

 (p. 193.) that Signor Manetti is anxious to have seeds 

 of Nelumbium ; and having, a few weeks since, received 

 half a dozen of N. speciosum (red var.) from Dr. Wal- 

 lich, I have much pleasure in dividing them with him. 

 I may here mention that, some years ago, a seed of this 

 species, more than sixty years old, was placed in water, 

 as is usual in raising these plants, and vegetated in 

 less than forty-eight hours. My friend Sir W. J. 

 Hooker considered it an extraordinary instance of the 

 vitality of seeds. There could be no mistake as to its 

 a ge. — N. W. G. August 13. 1839. We have forwarded the seeds to Signor 

 Manetti. — Cond. 



Williams's Boiler for heating Hot-houses is formed of wrought iron, and 

 conveniently contrived for being cleaned. In fig. 131., a a are the flow pipes; 



b, the man-hole ; c c, apertures 3 in. square, and 9 in. long, with the cocks, d d, 

 fixed on to the front with a movable flange, to clear out the dirt, &c, from 

 the inside ; e, the fireplace ; F, the outside of the boiler, forming the side 

 flues, where the fire passes round ; g, the top of the boiler ; and h, the return 

 pipe. A model of this boiler may be seen at the office of the Civil Engineer ; 



