Pruning of forced Boses. 371 



kindling for a coal fire ; arid of this latter quality you shall 

 presently have an opportunity of satisfying yourself." 



My friend now rang his bell, and desired a fire to be instantly 

 kindled. His housekeeper entered the parlour with a few dozens 

 of fir cones in her apron, which was of clean cotton, and the 

 cones were as clean and beautiful, I may add, as the apron 

 itself. She tumbled them into the grate, and immediately over 

 them she laid pieces of cold coal, until the grate was full. She 

 next lighted a piece of coarse brown paper with a candle, and 

 thrust it into the centre of the fir cones. They instantaneously 

 took fire, burning with great violence in consequence of the 

 quantity of resinous matter which they contained. In a short 

 time, they gave out such intensity of red heat, from the burning 

 of the turpentine they contained, as completely to set fire to the 

 covering of coals ; and that without the assistance of bellows, but 

 merely with the common air of the apartment, so that in a short 

 time we had a warm and blazing fire. 



Every individual knows the trouble of collecting sticks, or the 

 branches of the fir tree, for fuel ; the difficulty of breaking them 

 down into billets or pieces, and the uncertainty after all of their 

 setting fire to coals ; though but few are aware of the easy 

 gathering up, the cleanliness, success, and comfort attending 

 the use of fir cones, as more desirable for the above purpose. 

 To diffuse this information amongst all ranks of the com- 

 munity, but particularly amongst the lower orders, and to make 

 public a valuable use to which the cones of the fir tree may be 

 put, which have hitherto been allowed to rot in the woods, by the 

 starved and hard-wrought peasantry of this over-peopled country, 

 are the inducement and intention of committing these remarks to 

 paper. 



In Excursions in Italy, by Fenniman Cooper, Esq., I find 

 the following passage. " We drove into the gate of Lucca, 

 just as night had set in, shivering with cold, for this little 

 capital is in the heart of the mountains. We made our way 

 into a house, and only began to recover the natural hue of 

 our skins, when a dozen cones of the pine well filled with 

 resin went in a bright blaze. These and a plentiful supply 

 of faggots brought back the congealed vitality, whose current 

 had almost frozen. A good supper and good beds reconciled 

 us to life." 



Edinburgh, 9. Nicolson Square, May, 1838. 



Art. V. Of the Pruning of forced Roses, and Planting out of forced 

 Plants in Summer. By James Cuthill. 



The Forcing of Roses had occupied much of my time for some 

 years past to but little advantage, until November last; when, 



BB 2 



