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A CAST-IRON ORNAMENTAL FLOWER VASE. 
natives of torrid or frigid climates, as nothing can tend more to the injury of 
plants and to the generating of insects than an arid atmosphere highly charged 
with unwholesome and extraneous gases ; and as strong fires applied for heating 
hothouses with common flues dry up all humidity, and decompose those nutri- 
tious gases with which the atmosphere is charged, and which are so beneficial to 
the health, growth, and cleanliness of every description of plant, it is only just to 
infer that a flue, — which is continually destroying, by its intensity of dry heat, the 
very vitals of all plants, namely, the humidity of the air in which they are grow- 
ing, besides evolving the disagreeable smell so common to flues when hot, which 
arises from the decomposition of the animal and vegetable particles continually 
floating in the air, — cannot be so congenial to the vegetable kingdom as a mild, 
gentle, and regular heat, such as is produced by hot water, which fluid is free from 
all the noxious gases given out from the smoke, soot, lime, and bricks, of a 
common flue. 
J. W. THOMPSON. 
A CAST-IRON ORNAMENTAL FLOWER VASE. 
The present design was communicated some time since by Mr. Saul, of Lan- 
caster, who recommends it as suitable for planting Dahlias and other plants in, that 
have been raised in pots. The vase should be placed in the flower garden or on the 
lawn, and the plants when they come into flower should be moved to the inside 
of the vase, where, if properly adjusted, they would no doubt produce a very 
ornamental effect. To increase the interest of such an object, three tall free- 
flowering plants of different species with different coloured flowers should be 
brought together in the vase, which would render it still more interesting. This 
vase, Mr. S. informs us, is made at a trifling cost, and not being very heavy, 
might be sent to any gentleman's establishment with little expense. 
