334 Qiieries and Answers. 



" Mr. P. has just shown me a letter in Glenny's newspaper (sent him from 

 the office), with his signature attached, which he complains of as conveying 

 more than his opinion of it at any time would have warranted him to express. 

 If the language published is precisely that made use of by me, which, to the 

 best of my recollection, I doubt, Mr. Paxton had no more to do with it than 

 desiring me to write you a civil note for him, expressing his satisfaction at the 

 working of the apparatus at that time, and to request your accounts, 



" As a gentleman who has no desire to mislead, you will, perhaps, do Mr. 

 Paxton the justice to publish this also. 



" I am. Sir, your humble servant, 

 " John Penn, Esq. Thomas Bailey." 



Plants adapted for a Co7iservatwe Wall. — I turned with avidity to Mr. Scott's 

 list of plants adapted for a conservative wall, as published in your last Number ; 

 but it was only to find that such a list as your correspondent Mr. Kent (p. 45.) 

 I'equires has still to be written. If a multiplicity of names be a merit, it 

 is asuredly one that may be claimed for this list ; but when I mention that 

 a wall seven miles in length would be required to crowd the whole upon, 

 you will agree, I think, that selection would be a far greater merit. The 

 great number of species naturally precludes any approach to accuracy 'in 

 classing them according to their comparative hardihood. We find Illicium 

 floridanura (thoroughly hardy, and now in blossom here, after standing unpro- 

 tected through the winter), Berberis empetrifolia, and Mahonza Jquifolium 

 (both quite hardy), Kern« japonica fl. pi., Cotoneaster microphylla and 

 rotundifolia, ^rica australis, iS'alvia aurea (now in blossom here, out unpro- 

 tected through the last winter), &c., all of which will stand in the open border 

 or lawn without any protection, and Bignonk capreolata, &c., which do not 

 suffer in the least against an ordinary wall, classed with plants to which slight 

 frost is certain destruction. I wish I had the Chatsworth wall at my command 

 for a few years, you should have a list then deduced solely from experience. — 

 T. B. Surrey, May 5. 1841. 



Mr. Niven's Stove for various Purposes (see p. 2.34. and 49.). — Mr. Niven 

 informs us that he feels reluctant to answer the objections of Catius, unless 

 that writer will give his real name. This we hope Catius will do, because dis- 

 cussion on the subject of Mr. Niven's article cannot fail to be useful. — Cond. 



Shnveling of Grapes. — The paragraph in p. 262. is the only one on this sub- 

 ject that I think points out the real cause, except my own article in Vol. XII., 

 p. 494. I believe the cause to be too much moisture, with too little heat, as I 

 never found early forced grapes subject to it. — J. D. Parks. Dartford Nursery, 

 Bartford, May\2. 1841. 



Art. V. Queries and Anstvers. 



MUSA Cavendishii. — My present employer is anxious to know what weight 

 of fruit of this plant he may expect from a house 30 ft. long, 15 ft. wide, 12'ft. 

 high at the back, and 6 ft. high at the front, heated both by flues and hot 

 water. He also wishes to be informed whether the fruit is produced princi- 

 pally at one season, or whether, like that of the pine-apple, it may be had all 

 the year. In a word, he wishes to be able to determine whether to devote 

 this house to pine-apples or bananas. — J. S. Durham, May, 1841. 



"We shall be greatly obliged to any reader who will send us an early answer, 

 founded on his own experience and observation, to the above query, which is' 

 from a young friend of ours who has just gone to his first situation as head 

 gardener. — Co7id. 



