646 General Notices. 



sincerely hope he will be able to effect his object, and, what is still more 

 desirable for himself, recover his health, and enjoy the result of his labours for 

 many years. 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Aet. I. General Notices. 



Parchment Labels. — Some nurserymen use these without any preparation, 

 writing on them with ink ; others slightly moisten the surface of the label 

 and write with a black lead pencil, or with ink ; some, as Sir Thomas Frank- 

 land (see Hort. Trans.), write with Indian ink instead of common ink; others 

 again rub a little white paint on them, as is done in writing names on wooden 

 tallies ; but the mode at present considered most efficient is to rub the 

 surface of the parchment with white lead mixed with a little red ochre, and 

 write with a black lead pencil. The writing thus made, Mr. Rivers informs 

 us, is so durable, that he has seen the labels quite readable at the end of the 

 second season, though exposed to the weather the whole of the time. — Cond. 



Garden Pots. — "I have just made a good improvement on the common 

 flower-pot, which deserves to be universally adopted. The shape, size, and 

 expense are not altered. I have done away with the hole at the bottom 

 altogether; and, instead of the flat bottom, the maker pushes in the centre of 

 it, like the bottom of a common black glass bottle, only not with so sharp a 

 turn inside, and the drainage-holes are round the sides at the bottom. From 

 2 to 6 holes, according to the size of the pot, will do all the business of drain- 

 age. The roots cannot get through the bottom, neither can the worms get 

 in, and water cannot hang under the pot in winter, which, for heaths, is the 

 best part of the change." (Z). Beaton, in Gard. Chron. 1843, p. 372.) 



Application of the Principle of the Balloon to Landscape-Gardening. — It is 

 often desirable to know the effect, and more especially the height, which tall- 

 growing trees will have when full grown. On a level surface this is compa- 

 ratively easily ascertained by means of trigonometry or perspective; but in the 

 case of an irregular surface on hills, or in irregular narrow valleys, it has only 

 been satisfactorily done hitherto by fixing in poles of spruce fir, such as those 

 used by builders in their scaffolding. A moie economical mode would be to 

 have small balloons, say balls of balloon silk of a foot or 18 in. in diameter, 

 which might be filled at the nearest gas-house ; to have a cord attached to each 

 ball of considerable length, say 150 ft., with the opposite end of the cord attached 

 to an iron reel like that of a garden line. This reel would serve as an anchor to 

 the balloon, and the line might be let out to such an extent as the tree intended 

 to be planted was expected to attain in height. In all this there would be 

 very little expense ; but balloons as large as trees might be formed, and thus 

 groups and plantations of various kinds held in suspension in the atmosphere 

 in such a manner as to show with greater accuracy than has hitherto been 

 done, the ultimate effect that would be produced at [)articular parts of parks 

 or pleasure-grounds by planting. Even buildings might be exhibited in this 

 way. Calm weather, of course, must be chosen for such experiments. — Cond. 



A Trap for the Wire-worm. — Edge the beds in which you have florist's 

 flowers growing in fresh soil with daisies. Wire-worms will concentrate their 

 attacks on the roots of the daisies and leave the plants in the beds untouched. 

 From one row of daisies 300 ft. long, 2000 worms were taken in one day 

 during summer. The daisy, being a free-growing plant, is able to exist not- 

 withstanding the attacks of the worm. (-S. Oram, in Gard. Chron., 1843, 

 p. 693.) 



Hoiv a young Gardener should travel by Railroad. — As there is scarcely any 

 thing of more importance to a young man than acquiring habits of economy, 



