repacious r (quite) as the "Chancellor of the Exche- 

 quer," who sweeps all into his coffers, and then — 

 looks out greedily for more silly madmen. 

 No ! nor do we laugh in our sleeves as does the 

 said sly Chancellor, when his insane victims 

 tumble so delightful!}^ into his power. No ! we 

 feel highly delighted by this proof of friendship; 

 and shall feel still more delighted, when the 

 sender supplies us with the names of any friends 

 of hers, to whom we can forward bound volumes 

 of Our Journal — equivalent in value to the 

 sum received. We shall then be proudly and 

 happily independent (commercially speaking); 

 and gratefully thankful (in the language of 

 friendship). As many tokens of regard as you 

 please, fair ladies, — but not in the form of £, s. d. 

 It deprives poetry of its grace, and makes our 

 head droop. We have a small recess, very 



neatly fitted up ; and in it_are put all but it is 



unnecessary to say more. As one of our corre- 

 spondents remarked in a former number, — we 

 ought to be " a happy man." We are so ; and in 

 the present instance, more particularly so. The 

 seal on the letter sent us by " J. J." has im- 

 pressed on it, a motto in Italian — breathing fer- 

 vently of love, and friendship unto death. It is 

 assigned a choice place in " the recess " before 

 alluded to.] 



In-door Flanis.-A. am delighted Mr. Editor, 

 to notice how sedulously you are introducing new 

 and interesting features in Our Journal. 

 Your observations on Window- Gardening, and 

 ladies' popular fancies with regard to flowers, — 

 are topics that will give universal satisfaction. I 

 send you an extract from the American Gardeners' 

 Chronicle, on the subject of "In-door plants." 

 It is worthy of notice. "As the plants," says 

 the writer, " are placed in or near windows, 

 there is no injurious deficiency of light; but as 

 it comes to them most intensely on one side, they 

 should be half turned round every day, that 

 their heads may have a uniform appearance, and 

 the leaves be not turned only in one direction. 

 If the window faces the south, the intense heat 

 and light should be mitigated during the mid- 

 day of the summer months by lowering the 

 blind. Whenever the out-door temperature is 

 not below 34 Q , the plants will be benefited by 

 having the window and the door of the room 

 open. They cannot have too much fresh air at 

 any season of the year, if they are not grown 

 under a Wardian case ; for the exterior air al- 

 ways contains a due proportion of moisture, 

 whilst the air of a room is, as invariably, drier 

 than is beneficial to the plants. A due supply 

 of moisture in the air, as well as in the soil, is 

 absolutely necessary to our room-plants. To 

 obtain this in the best available degree, little 

 porous troughs, constantly filled with water, 

 should be kept on the stand among the plants ; 

 and the saucers of the pots themselves, if made 

 according to Hunt's plan, may always have a 

 little water remaining in them. The application 

 of water to the soil, requires far more attention 

 than it usually receives. Eoom-plants mostly 

 are the proteges of ladies, who administer water 

 with their own hands ; and so long as the novelty 

 and leisure prompt to this attention, all goes well. 

 But no room plant ever existed, perhaps, which 



was not, at some period of its life, left to the ten- 

 der mercies of a housemaid, with the frequent 

 usual consequence of a deluge of water, cold 

 from the pump, after the roots had become 

 heated and parched by days of total abstinence. 

 Plants so treated cannot flourish. The water 

 should be allowed to stand in the kitchen for 

 some hours before it is applied to the plants ; so 

 that it may be as warm, or warmer than the 

 soil to which it is to be added. It may be given 

 in dry, hot weather, every second day ; and in 

 such abundance as to pass slightly through the 

 earth into the saucers." — This hint, about not 

 trusting to the " tender mercies of a servant," is 

 capital. Servants kill both birds and plants, if 

 left in their care. Is it not so ? — Lizzy. 



[Yes, dear Lizzy. All who " love '' their 

 birds and their flowers, must see to them in per- 

 son ; else will they languish and die. It seems 

 a " universal law " among servants, to hate both 

 the animal and vegetable worlds.] 



Wonderful Properties existing in Silk. — I 

 need not tell you, Mr. Editor, — as news, what 

 everybody knows but too well; viz., that ours is 

 a climate peculiar to itself. We rather exist than 

 live in it. However, let us make the best of it. 

 I have just read the following remarks of Dr. 

 Sigmond, in his " Treatise on Mercury." At 

 this season, they will be found invaluable. He 

 says — "To every one in damp, moist conditions 

 of the atmosphere, flannel is a great comfort, but 

 silk is the most useful covering of the body. It 

 is by far the best friend and comforter that can 

 be applied. We know, if a silk handker- 

 chief be perfectly dry, that lightning, the most 

 accumulated, could not pass through it, so de- 

 cided a non-conductor is it. Hence, if worn next 

 to the skin, the air cannot absorb the electricity of 

 the human body, Silk-waistcoats, drawers, and 

 stockings of the same material, are of the 

 greatest service during the humid state of the 

 winter months of this country. The hypochon- 

 driac, and the nervous,will derive from them more 

 benefit than from the most active tonic ; and 

 they will prove a more invigorating and rational 

 cordial than any spirituous dram. Nor are the 

 effects transient ; for a buoyancy of spirits, and 

 an agreeable warmth, are thus diffused over the 

 whole frame." — I am glad Dr. Sigmond has 

 entered his protest against the use of ardent 

 cordials. I agree with him, and with yourself, 

 that spirituous drams are anything but 

 "rational." They cannot cure, but they often 

 kill. — A Family Man. 



Curious Applications of the Bamboo, to Articles 

 of general Use. — I forward you, Mr. Editor, some 

 interesting particulars,' recorded by Mr Eortune, 

 in his "Visit to the Tea Districts of China." 

 They refer to the extensive use of the bamboo; 

 which, he tells us, is one of the most valuable 

 trees in China, and is used for almost every con- 

 ceivable purpose. It is employed in making- 

 soldiers' hats and shields, umbrellas, soles of 

 shoes, scaffolding poles, measures, baskets, ropes, 

 papers, pencil-holders, brooms, sedan-chairs, 

 pipes, flower -stakes and trellis-work in gardens. 

 Pillows are made of the shavings. A kind of 

 rush cloak, for wet weather, is made of the leaves, 



