714< Summary View of the Progress of Gardening, 



The Effects of Kyanising Wood, with reference to living plants, 

 has been noticed in different parts of the present volume. The 

 result seems to be, that the Kyanising liquor is made so strong, 

 that more corrosive sublimate is deposited, not only on the outer 

 surface of the wood, but in its interior pores, than is wanted for 

 entering into combination with the albumen. This superfluous 

 quantity, then, in the case of hot-house rafters or sash-bars, be- 

 ing sublimated by the great heat of the house, escapes even 

 through several coats of paint, contaminates the atmosphere, 

 and injures vegetation for a time, till the source is exhausted. 

 As the wood, when steeped in the Kyanising fluid, absorbs 

 water in a considerable quantity, as well as mercury, it is easy 

 to conceive that the heat of a hot-house will raise the tempera- 

 ture of the rafters and sash-bars, which are always in the hottest 

 parts of the house, to such a degree as to expand the water into 

 vapour, as well as the corrosive sublimate ; and, thus pent up, the 

 elastic fluids produced will readily burst through any layers of 

 paint that could be laid on. A safe mode, when Kyanising for 

 plant structures, would appear to be, to use the Kyanising 

 liquor much weaker than is generally done ; and, after the wood 

 is removed from the tank, to dry it as thoroughly as if it had not 

 been Kyanised, in order to get rid of the water absorbed during 

 that process. Respecting the effect of the process on the 

 durability of wood, some interesting experiments will be found 

 recorded in p. 320. 



Landscape-Gardening. — The observations on this subject, in 

 the present volume, are chiefly contained in the descriptions of 

 select suburban residences. In the account of Redleaf (p. 353.), 

 and in that of Mount Grove (p. 1.), the modes of composing 

 beds of flower-gardens, so as to give them connexion and cha- 

 racter, will be found exemplified ; as is the use of rockwork 

 at Redleaf and St. Clairtown (p. 49.). At Garden Cottage, 

 Cheshunt (p. 633.), is shown the mode of conducting several 

 walks over a limited space, so as never to show more than one 

 walk at a time ; and in the grounds there are examples of 

 almost every kind of garden structure, and also of the gar- 

 denesque style of planting trees and shrubs. 



It is worthy of remark, that, while so many gardeners con- 

 tribute papers to this and other gardening journals on different 

 points of culture, it is rare to find an article by a practical gar- 

 dener on landscape-gardening. The reason is, that, while there 

 are a great many cheap books on gardening as an art of cul- 

 ture, there are comparatively few on gardening as an art of 

 design and taste, and these few are scarce, and extremely dear. 

 To remedy this evil, we have commenced a series of four or 

 five octavo volumes, in which we intend to include a reprint 

 of all the best works on landscape-gardening which have 



