General Notices. 377 



Smoke-Flues, closed Hot-water Pipes, and Water in open Gutters, as Modes 

 of Heating. — The old system of heating by smoke-flues appears a most im- 

 proper one, from its tendency to rob the air of the moisture suspended in it. 

 The system of heating by the circulation of water in closed pipes is an im- 

 provement, but is also exceptionable for the same reason, or some other acting 

 very like it, Corbett's mode of circulating hot water in open gutters appears 

 to me to be the best yet adopted, from its throwing off moisture in proportion 

 to the volume of heat. I consider that a moist stagnant atmosphere is more 

 injurious than a dry one. {S. H., Crmnpsall, near Manchester; in Gard. 

 Chron., March 20. p. 181.) 



Objections to tttrning-in Snow lohen Digging or Ploughing. — The evil of dig- 

 ging-in snow, results from the " great quantity of heat required to reduce ice 

 or snow from the solid to the fluid state. A pound of snow (newly fallen) 

 requires an equal weight of water heated to 172° to melt it, and then the 

 dissolved mixture is only of the temperature of 32°. Ice requires the water 

 to be a few degrees warmer to produce the same result. When ice or snow 

 is allowed to remain on the surface, the quantity of heat necessary to reduce 

 it to a fluid state is obtained chiefly from the atmosphere ; but, when buried 

 so that the atmospheric heat cannot act directly upon it, the thawing must be 

 very slowly effected by the abstraction of heat from the soil by which the 

 frozen mass is surrounded. Instances have occurred of frozen soil not being 

 completely thawed at midsummer, when so buried. But this is not the whole 

 of the evil ; the moisture of the air which fills the interstices of the soil will 

 be continually undergoing condensation as it comes in contact with the cold 

 portions ;" and accordingly these portions will be found in a very saturated 

 condition, even after they have become thawed. (Robert Thompson; in Gard. 

 Chron., Feb. 6, p. 89.) 



Canker in Fruit Trees, Mr. Beaton is of opinion, may be prevented by 

 grafting on stocks which it has been previously ascertained will suit the par- 

 ticular soils on which the trees are to be planted. " We all know," he says, 

 " that certain plants prefer particular soils, and dislike others, but no one can 

 tell the reason. When a young fruit tree shows symptoms of premature decay 

 or canker, the fault, or rather the misfortune, is ascribed in nine cases out of 

 ten to the subsoil ; but this is a hasty conclusion. The worst garden or 

 orchard soil in the kingdom produces some healthy tree ; and if only one, 

 why not more of the same species or variety ? Simply, because there is only 

 one of the stocks used in this instance which prefers that particular soil. 

 Now, if we take pieces of the roots of this particular stock, and graft on them, 

 we may reasonably expect that, other circumstances being favourable, they 

 will produce trees as vigorous and healthy as their parent stock on that par- 

 ticular soil, though they might refuse to do so on soil which we would think 

 more propitious for them." (Z). Beaton, Gardener to Sir W. Middleton, Bart. 

 Shrubland Park; in Gard. Chron., March 20. p. 179.) 



Root-Grafting. — The practice of increasing rare plants by root-grafting is 

 now so well understood among gardeners, that whenever any difficulty occurs 

 in propagating a new or scarce plant by the ordinary modes, the gardener first 

 ascertains the natural order to which the new comer belongs, and then takes 

 the roots of the nearest allied plants he can find, on which he grafts the shoots 

 of his new plant with as much confidence as he would the apple or the crab, 

 and generally with as much success ; hence, one good reason out of many why 

 gardeners and all horticulturists should study the affinities of the vegetable 

 kingdom ; and hence, too, one practical illustration of the advantages of the 

 natural over the Linnaean or any other artificial system. (Idem ; in Gard. 

 Chron., March 20. p. 179.) 



TJie Wickerwork Dahlia Protector is made of wickerwork, and consists of 

 an inverted shallow basket, to which is attached a tube made of the same ma- 

 terial, through which the dahlia stick is passed, and a peg being inserted 

 between the stick and the tube, it is firmly secured at any height required. 

 It measures 12 in. in diameter in the widest part, and is Sg in. in depth. From 



