PATENT HYGROMETER — THE PARSLEY. 
237 
grained piece of wood when absorbing 
moisture on one hand, and its contracting 
on becoming dry on the other ; this moves 
the machinery winch is attached to the piece 
of wood, so as to cause the hand on the dial 
plate to advance towards " wet" or " diy," as 
the case may be. 
Objections have been raised against the 
principle on which this instrument is con- 
structed : these objections may be of some force 
so far as scientific observations are concerned. 
For scientific purposes the hygrometers of 
Saussure, Leslie, L)e Luc, and Daniell are 
held — and, we believe, deservedly — in high 
estimation ; but they require much care in 
making the observations — far more than is 
convenient to gardeners — and nice calcula- 
tions, before the result is obtained. On the 
other hand, this of Siramons's indicates at 
once the amount of moisture in the atmo- 
sphere, with sufficient accurary for all the 
purposes of plant culture. We should like to 
see these instruments brought into common 
use, for we are sure they would greatly facili- 
tate the regulation of artificial climates for 
exotic plants. 
THE PARSLEY. 
The Parsley ( Pet roselinum sativum) occurs 
in an apparently wild state in so many locali- 
ties, especially in the south and south-west of 
England on old walls and rocks, as to have 
established a good claim to be now considered 
a native plant, although supposed to have been 
originally introduced from the south of Europe. 
It is a biennial plant, flowering about June in 
the second season of its growth. The plant 
and its uses are too well known to need further 
description. 
The varieties of the Parsley are few ; the 
common or wild plant is seldom grown except 
for sheep, or in game preserves, for the. hares 
and rabbits to crop. "When cultivated for these 
purposes, if on ground it likes, it attains a size 
and luxuriance far surpassing its appearance in 
a wild state. 
Many names are given to the curled-leaved 
variety ; but as any person may save as many 
sorts as they please from the same packet of 
seed, it is hardly worth while to try to describe 
any. Size, as well as the full and curly pro- 
perty of the leaf, is often looked to here ; so 
that perhaps it may be as well to distinguish 
the Large Curled Parsley, as English, as there 
is a very excellent dwarf variety often imported 
from France (their Pcrsil nain tresfrisr) which 
is well worthy of general cultivation in private 
gardens. It is very dwarf, and very much 
curled, being well fitted for edgings in the 
kitchen-garden, where room is of consequence. 
The Hamburgh Parsley is also called the 
broad-leaved, and large-rooted Parsley. It is 
a larger growing plant than the common, with 
spreading leaves, and a large fusiform root, for 
which it is cultivated. 
The culture of the Parsley is very simple ; 
almost any ground seems to suit it. It is 
often grown as edgings ; but if grown in beds 
by itself, proceed in March to draw drills about 
one foot apart, the ground having been pre- 
viously dug, and scatter the seeds in them, 
covering them not more than half an inch, and 
rake the ground smooth. Keep the crop clean, 
and when the plants are in the rough leaf (the 
seeds lay thirty and more days in the ground, 
especially if two dry or old), thin them out 
from four to six inches apart. Two or three 
other sowings may be made from this time to 
the end of May, and, if necessary, another in 
August, under a wall or paling, to be as much 
out of the way of frost as possible. Plants 
treated as above will progress rapidly ; and 
when the hard weather approaches, any desir- 
able quantity of that sown in beds may be pro- 
tected from ordinary frosts by the ground being 
stuck full of small spray of trees, over which 
mats or litter may be. laid if necessar)'. Of 
course the sowings must be repeated every 
year, as the plants perish after seeding in the 
second year. If it be necessary to force any 
during winter or spring, the roots may be pot- 
ted up and introduced to the coolest part of the 
forcing houses or frames, but this is seldom 
required. 
As the root is the part wanted for use in the 
Hamburgh Parsley, of course a different treat- 
ment is required. To obtain roots of a large 
size, a piece of deep, rather dry, and poor 
ground should be selected, and half- trenched, 
if not already sufficiently and deeply stirred. 
At any favourable time, from February to the 
first week in April, sow the seed in drills one 
foot apart, and about half an inch deep, scat- 
tering the seeds rather thinly, and treading 
them in, if the ground is very light or very 
dry ; in which latter case water them well just 
before the seed is sown. When the plants are 
well up, thin them out to at least six inches 
apart, and keep them clear of weeds, and the 
soil well stirred among them. Some of the 
earliest sown will be ready for use in August, 
and on the approach of frost the later ones may 
be taken up and stored in sand for use as 
wanted. They are much liked by many. 
CONTEMPORARY "WRITINGS, 
AND ORIGINAL NOTES CONNECTED WITH HORTICULTURE 
AND NATURAL HISTORY. 
Layering ov Carnation's. — This operation 
has been often well described, but the majority 
of operators cut the leaves short and square 
at top at the time they layer the shoots. Now 
