General Notices. 341 



forwardest apples, are in flower, though the flowers of the last are pale and 

 weakly. The chilly air of our nights, and bright parching sunshine of our 

 days, 1 imagine, will be far from favourable to the setting of the fruit, espe- 

 cially when the blossoms are exposed to the full sun ; and, hence, I am 

 inclined to expect that the flowers on a north or north-east aspect (if not 

 previously damaged by the severe frost of January) will have the best chance 

 of escaping the parching effects of the dry season to which they are now 

 exposed. These surmises may be right or wrong; but, either way, we must 

 wait for proof; and, when the time arrives at which the proofs may be 

 exhibited, it is hoped this memorandum may not be forgotten. — J. M. 

 Chelsea, May 8. 1838. 



Dry Rot and the Kyanising Process, — In the spring of 1837, fifteen pieces 

 of wood, aw inch and a quarter in diameter, were stuck into the tan-bed of a pine 

 stove, five of oak, five of deal, five of Scotch fir ; of each of these, one had been 

 soaked in Kyan's solution, of the strength, and for the time recommended by 

 him ; one in an imitation of the Pary's mine water ; and one in green vitriol : 

 a fourth of each was made of seasoned and a fifth of unseasoned wood, and 

 these two had not undergone any preparation. The last two showed the 

 first symptoms of decay, but all the others are now decaying, and prove 

 incontestably that none of these preparations, used according to Mr. Kyan's 

 directions, possess the property of preserving wood from dry rot. It is true 

 that boards of Scotch fir, three quarters of an inch thick, soaked in green 

 vitriol, have been taken this winter out of a mushroom bed quite sound, 

 while similar boards, not so prepared, were found to be quite rotten : but 

 boards so thin may be supposed to be easily saturated. Fourteen of these 

 fifteen pieces of wood first named are still to be seen in the hot-house here. — 

 Welheck, April 4. 1838. 



The above is given in the newspapers, on the authority of the Duke of 

 Portland, and it corresponds perfectly with what we have said on the subject 

 of the Kyanising process in our preceding Volume, p. 281. and 365.; and 

 in our review of Dr. Dickson's pamphlet on dry rot in the Architectural 

 Magazine. We have there cautioned our readers against the practice of 

 Kyanising logs or planks before cutting them up, and supposing that they have 

 obtained all the benefits of the process. With equal propriety might they 

 paint a log, and then, after sawing it up for use, consider the articles formed of 

 it as painted. Such a mode of Kyanising or painting is obviously merely throw- 

 ing away money. We know wood is frequently Kyanised in this manner by 

 persons in the neighbourhood of London ; and when, in a few years, the ar- 

 ticles formed of wood so treated begin to rot, this will be attributed to the inef- 

 ficacy of the process. Before any piece of wood is Kyanised, it ought not only 

 to be cut up into the form required, but even to be planed, when that process 

 is considered necessary, before being sent to the Kyanising tank. Is is a great 

 mistake, in our opinion, to suppose that the Kyanising process penetrates far- 

 ther than a few lines below the surface, even of the softest wood. The very 

 circumstance of the corrosive sublimate forming a hard insoluble compound, or 

 surface casing, to the wood, a few hours after its immersion, is sufficient to 

 prevent the fluid from penetrating to any great depth ; and we can easily con- 

 ceive a log of soft wood Kyanised, and rendered hard and durable on the out- 

 side, while in the interior the process of decay was going on. This happens 

 every day with green wood, which has been coated over with paint before it 

 was thoroughly seasoned. It is for the permanent interest of the Kyanising 

 company to make it clearly and distinctly known to the public, that the 

 wood to be Kj'anised ought to be worked, and reduced to the form in which it 

 is finally to remain, before it is put into their tanks. If this be not done, the 

 process of Kyanising may, and probably will, fall into disrepute in the course of 

 a few years. — Cond. 



A permanent Tally for Plants. — The following tally is used in Melbury 

 Gardens, the seat of the Earl of Ilchester, in Dorsetshire. Plates are cut 



z 3 



