324 General Notices. 



For a visit of superintendence, or to examine and report upon the £ s. d. 



site for a building, requiring but one day's time, travelling, and all 



expenses - - - - - - -440 



For a visit to any place, requiring two days' time, and travelling 



expenses - - - - - - -880 



And so on, in proportion, adding 4 guineas for every additional 



day, which includes the charges for travelling and all expenses. 



Mr. Ricauti's address, whether he be in town or country, can always be 

 obtained of his publisher, Mr. James Carpenter, Old Bond Street." 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Art. I. General Notices. 



Theory can never be of the slightest use, unless based upon experimental 

 enquiry and authenticated facts. Nor can extensive practice be deemed of 

 real advantage, if it has been suffered to degenerate into empty empiricism, 

 and the gardener simply adopts a routine he has before found satisfactory, 

 without ever examining the principles on which its success depends. In the 

 latter instance, certain circumstances, unseen by all but those who search for 

 them, may impart a temporary excellence to the plants cultivated ; whereas, 

 should these be accidentally wanting, failure would be experienced. With 

 the assistance of theoretical acquirements, this might probably have been 

 artificially obviated. It will herein be seen that experience, unsupported by 

 aught besides, is liable to mislead, and to prove ineffective in its application. 

 At this point theory steps in, and gives certainty to every process that is not 

 rendered nugatory by remarkable and unexpected adverse agents. (Gard. 

 Chron., 1841.) 



Effect of Light on Cuttmgs. — Take Alonsoa incisifolia, and make cuttings 

 from it, and insert them in three pots of equal dimensions ; then place them 

 in a close pit or frame, in the following order : the first at 2 ft. from the 

 glass, the second at 2 ft. 3 in., and the third at 2 ft. 6 in. The result of this 

 will be just what might have been naturally expected, namely, the first in the 

 order placed will be rooted, and the cuttings very little grown ; while the 

 second will be more elongated in the tops, and only callused at the roots, and 

 the third grown to the height of the other two, but neither rooted nor cal- 

 lused. (John Caie, in Gard. Chron. for 1841, p. 782.) 



The radiating Power of Hot-ivater Pipes. — Amongst all that has been said 

 yet on the heating of houses, we have seen no notice taken of the radiating 

 power of the substances employed as pipes. When the radiating power of 

 lampblack is 100, polished iron is estimated at 15 ; and though rough cast- 

 iron, and oxidated on the surface, will be much more, still it would add 

 greatly to the effect to have them coated with lampblack. One of the greatest 

 benefits to be derived from Mr. Corbett's open gutter system will be the 

 radiating power of water, which is equal to lampblack. The new improve- 

 ment lately suggested in steam-boilers, to connect the fire and water by 

 pins of iron passing from the fire through the bottom of the boiler into^the 

 water, thus conducting the heat at once to the water, should be useful, 

 especially when speedy effect is wanted. (R. Liymburn, in Gard. Chron. for 

 1842, p. 22.) 



On the Effects of Lime on Soil. — [The following is a copy of a letter which 

 was sent to the Farmei^s Journal newspaper in 1822, but never published. 

 It will be found to contain the germs of some of the new doctrines on this 

 subject]. Amongst the various treatises on lime which I have perused I 

 have not seen one that explains its nature sufficiently to account, in my 

 opinion, for the grand effects produced by that mineral when applied to a soil 



