General Notices. 529 



Society awarded their gold medal) is its completely obviating the disadvantages 

 usually attending the production of artificial heat j viz., a hot desiccated 

 atmosphere, which, elaborating the juices of plants more ra[)idly than they can 

 be secreted, is always injurious, and frequently destructive. To remedy this 

 evil, which has always been a barrier to the success of exotic horticulture, 

 Mr. Corbett produced his apparatus, the action of which so closely resembles 

 the operations of nature, that an imitation of whatever climate is required 

 may be obtained. The machine consists of two connected vessels, a boiler, 

 and an upright tube, with a continuation of open troughs or gutters. Heat 

 is applied to the boiler, the water rises and traverses the gutter, giving out 

 moisture in direct proportion to its heat. The density of the fluid being 

 increased in its passage, it returns again to the bottom of the boiler, and by 

 this means a constant circulation is effected. The apparatus is as simple as it 

 is complete and economical, and will, without doubt, be very generally adopted 

 in horticultural buildings. Mr. Corbett is foreman at Mr. Pontey's nursery, 

 Plymouth, where the apparatus is in operation. (^Western Times, Sept. 29. 

 1838.) 



Preserving Fruit, mid other Botanical Specimens, in a moist State. — At a 

 meeting of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, held April 12. 1838, "Pro- 

 fessor Christian presented some observations on the preservation of fruits and 

 other botanical specimens in the moist state ; and remarked that, after nume- 

 rous experiments, made for a series of years, with various fluids, he had found 

 none which served so well to preserve both the consistence and colour of 

 fruits, leaves, and flowers, as a concentrated solution of common salt. Nu- 

 merous specimens were exhibited which had been preserved in this way for 

 one, two, three, and five years j among which were sprigs with leaves, and 

 ripe and unripe fruit of Myristica moschata, Xanthochymus pictorius, Gar- 

 cinia Cambdgia, G. Mangostana, Habradendron cambogioides, Alpinia Carda- 

 momum, Mangifera indica, iJicinus communis, Flacourt/a inermis, &c. In the 

 greater part of these, the green tint of the leaves, and the peculiar colour of 

 the fruit, seemed to have undergone little alteration. When the fruit, how- 

 ever, is very pulpy, as in iSolanum Lycopersicum, or lemons and oranges, a 

 solution of salt is comparatively inapplicable, because the fruit shrivels by 

 exosmosis of its fluids, and diluted pyroligneous acetic acid is found to be 

 preferable." (Annals of Katural History, yo\.\i. p. 141.)* At the same meet- 

 ing of this Society, a paper was read on the gardens of the ancient Hebrews, 

 which we should like much to see. 



Protecting Gra2)es from Sparrows^ by Means of black Thread or Worsted. — 

 It has been very satisfactorily proved, this summer, under my own observation, 

 that Mr. Anderson's (of the Botanic Garden, Chelsea) discovery of black thread 

 being a far better protection against the depredations of the house-sparrows 

 in gardens than thread of any other colour, is much more serviceable than it 

 was first found to be by Mr. Anderson himself. That indefatigable guardian 

 of his plants could not secure the flowers of his extensive collection of 

 crocuses from the attack of sparrows by any means he could devise, until he 

 employed black lines, stretched over the flowers ; which proved a complete 

 defence. 



But this coloured thread, or worsted, protects fruit as well as flowers. A 

 next door neighbour of mine has a very fine sweetwatcr grape-vine trained 

 upon the wall of a bakehouse, and which is not only very fruitful, but very 

 early, in consequence of the constant heat from the oven. These early grapes 

 attract the cupidity of the sparrows, and which, in former years, used to 

 devour or disfigure every bunch. Six weeks ago, they had begun their work 

 of spoliation ; when I advised the owner to try Mr. Anderson's black lines, 



* We have tried salt for the preservation of kidneybeans, and other 

 vegetables, but have invariably found them become of a dingy brownish 

 green. 



Vol. XIV. — No. 104. m m 



