General Notices. 615 



Filling an Ice-House. — A pond, in the form of a parallelogram, somewhat 

 wider at one end than at the other, is most convenient. A horse and cart, 

 and four men, with two sieves, a mallet with a long handle, two two-pronged 

 forks, and a hook at the end of a long stick, are all that is necessary. The 

 cart is placed at one end; one man draws the ice forward- with the hooked 

 stick; another breaks it in small pieces, with the mallet, and two throw it into 

 the cart, each lifting it with a broad-meshed sieve tied to the end of a two- 

 pronged fork. Four loads in an hour are procured in this way. — Idem. 



Forming artificial Climates. — In the Philosophical Magazine for November, 

 1830, is a paper on this subject by Mr. J. S. Langton. The use of these is in- 

 tended to save the expense of travelling into foreign countries. A dry and airy 

 situation near the metropolis is supposed to be chosen ; a square of buildings, 

 not less than 300 ft. on a side, to be built on it ; and the area within covered with 

 glass, at the same height from the ground as the roofs of the buildings. Hol- 

 low cast-iron columns are to support this roof, and serve, at the same time, as 

 spouts for conveying down from it the rain water; "and their slight variations 

 of length from alternations of temperature, instead of being a disadvantage, 

 might, on the contrary, be used as a self-acting means of regulating the quan- 

 tity of ventilation, by having many of the glazed frames swung on their cen- 

 tres, and firmly connecting the short arms of levers attached to them with the 

 bases of the columns, by long rods of wood, or other material not subject to 

 practical variations of length by moderate changes of temperature ; the differ- 

 ence of length thus obtained in the present case would be about one hun- 

 dredth of an inch for every three degrees by Fahrenheit's thermometer ; a 

 maximum of height is obtained by this material, with a minimum of diameter." 

 Upon the tops of columns 100 ft. high, there would be no more difficulty in 

 placing detached roofs of iron or other material, additional labour and scaf- 

 folding excepted, than there would be in placing such roofs on the ground 

 beneath. If wood were used for the frames of the sashes, the expense of 

 keeping up the required temperature would be about 8 per cent less than if 

 iron were used. Supposing the temperature to be kept up to about 52° 

 during the winter months, and that no more ventilation is allowed in very cold 

 weather than what escapes between the laps of the glass when very well 

 fitted, then each foot of glazed surface would require about one fourth of a 

 bushel of coals per annum. 



There can be no difficulty in the creation of artificial climates, as far as mere 

 temperature is concerned. This is abundantly proved by the success of gar- 

 deners with tropical flowers and fruits ; but the difficulty, it appears to us, 

 with reference to habitations for man, lies in providing dry air within when 

 the exterior air is moist, and also in changing the air, without admitting the 

 exterior air, and whatever of moisture it might be charged with. These diffi- 

 culties may, probably, be overcome by keeping reservoirs of dry air, power- 

 fully condensed, and drawing supplies from them when it might not be deemed 

 advisable to admit the exterior air. Mr. Langton proposes to have " shrub- 

 bery " in the space roofed in, and to have vines under the roof, which vines, 

 he says, may be fairly expected to produce fruit to no inconsiderable amount. 

 We confess we do not believe it possible to combine a proper artificial climate 

 for vines, shrubbery, or any description of plants whatever, which should, at 

 the same time, be suitable for the human species. Every one must be sensi- 

 ble of this whose sitting-room has opened into a conservatory. We submit 

 these remarks for the consideration of Mr. Langton, whose scheme, with such 

 amelioration as it may be found susceptible of, we should be most happy to 

 see carried into execution. Mr. Langton will find from our Treatise on Hot- 

 houses, published so long ago as 1806, and also from different parts of the 

 Encyclopaedia of Gardening, that we have long entertained similar ideas; as 

 did the late Dr. Anderson, author of Recreations in Agriculture and Natural 

 History. — Cond. 



Irregularity of the Organs of Vegetables. — On the 6th of June, M. Dutro- 

 chet communicated some observations on this subject, which he considers as 

 presenting a phenomenon similar to that which he has observed in some 



