286 
CONTEMPORARY WRITINGS. 
Mexican Plnuses. — The following results 
have been observed in the garden of the Horti- 
cultural Society at Chiswick, during the winter 
of 1846-7 ; in reference to the hardiness of 
some of the species of Pinus introduced from 
Mexico, chiefly by the agency of Mr. Hart- 
weg : — Pinus tenuifolia under glass, where 
however the internal and external temperature 
only showed one degree of difference, has 
been to all appearance killed. Planted out 
on the lawn, on the south side of the large 
conservatory, the following species are appa- 
rently killed : — P. apulcensis. P. Jilifolia, 
P. Russelliana, and P. Hartivegii. The 
same effect was produced on Juniper us fiac- 
cida, and J. tetragona. This situation must, 
however, have been a very cold one, as the 
Juniperusflaccida has stood unhurt in another 
part of the garden ; Pinus Russelliana is 
uninjured where it has been growing for some 
years ; P. apulcensis has its leaves turned 
brown at the points ; and P. Hartivegii 
under similar circumstances proves rather more 
tender. Under all circumstances, Pinus jili- 
folia, and P. pseudo-Strobus, are killed. At 
Cork, the leaves of Pmuspatula were slightly 
browned ; and at the same place, Cupressus 
thurifera planted out about two years, is to 
all appearance dead. 
Cooking Jerusalem Artichokes. — The 
fullowing mode of cooking this vegetable, 
which has the general character of being 
watery and insipid, has been strongly recom- 
mended : — Boil the tubers so that the outside 
feels rather crisp when eaten ; then it is not 
watery, but has a delicious flavour : if, how- 
ever, it is boiled till it begins to break, it is 
watery and insipid. To cook them in this way, 
throw a handful of salt into the saucepan so 
as to make a strong brine : when it toils put 
in the artichokes, washed but not pared, and 
in eight or ten minutes they will be done. 
Then peel and serve up as may be preferred. 
TO PROPAGATE SCARCE AmARYLLIDS. 
The following plan may be adopted with suc- 
cess, when any scarce kinds are required to 
be propagated : and also in the case of such 
as do not readily produce offsets : — Cut off 
the bottom of the bulb, and lay it in the sun 
for an hour or two, in order to dry up the 
juices a little ; then select a pot a little larger 
than the bulb, fill it half full of compost 
suitable for the particular species, and the 
other half with damp silver sand, into which 
the cut bulb is to be gently pressed : place 
the pot on a shady shelf in the stove or green- 
house, and give the bulb just water enough 
to prevent its shrinking. A single bulb will 
thus sometimes yield an increase of twenty. 
Other bulbs of the same structure — that is, 
tunicated bulbs, like the onion — may be pro- 
pagated in the same way. 
Germination of Seeds. — The germina- 
tion or development of seeds, is said to be 
accelerated by steeping them in water, acidu- 
lated with oxalic acid in the proportion of 
sixteen drops to the pint, or one drop to the 
ounce by measure of water. This statement 
is made by Mr. Hamilton, in the Gardeners' 
Magazine. It is, however, recommended to 
wash off any adhering acid from the seeds so 
steeped. In the case of seeds having a hard 
bony covering, steeping in hot water greatly 
assists their germination, causing them to 
spring up very much earlier than otherwise 
they would do, and sometimes enables them 
to germinate when otherwise their feeble 
powers would prevent them from bursting 
their prison shell. The seed of many leguminous 
plants are among those which are greatly 
benefited by this practice. Soft coated seeds 
need nothing of the kind. The hard seeds to 
be operated on should be laid, each kind in a 
separate pan or vessel, and on the larger 
ones, boiling hot water enough to cover them 
is to be poured, and allowed to stand till it 
cools, and then the same process is to be re- 
peated. Smaller seeds must not have the 
water quite boiling, and one application will 
suffice. The seeds are afterwards sown in 
the usual way. 
Cropping Fruit Tree Borders. — There 
is a difference of opinion amongst gardeners 
as to the propriety of planting crops of culi- 
nary vegetables on the borders prepared for 
the roots of such of the choicer fruits as are 
planted against the garden walls. On the one 
hand it is contended, and probably rightly so, 
that this cropping is injurious to the trees — 
which, by the way, are reckoned to bring the 
most valuable of garden produce ; at any 
rate, the digging of the border for such crops 
either disturbs the roots of the trees, or com- 
pels them to extend themselves at a greater 
distance from the surface, which is an ad- 
mitted evil. On the other hand, it is mainly 
contended that the crops do not much affect 
the trees, and that the early produce which 
is raised in such situations, is too valuable to 
allow of a relinquishment of the plan. Again, 
on the other side, it is maintained that the 
constant cropping and manuring of the bor- 
ders for culinary crops has the effect, in a 
short time, of rendering the former healthy 
maiden soil much grosser and richer, by 
which means instead of moderate growth well 
matured, rank growth is excited, and this 
growth is not properly matured, and is con- 
sequently unfruitful. To avoid all this, the 
following plan has been suggested : — Pre- 
mising that the best means of inducing fruit- 
fulness, is to check over-luxuriance, and that 
this is best effected by using a healthy com- 
post from which stimulants are to a great 
