102 AMER ICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
ptfriMtegl gfprinteiit 
THE HEW-YORK HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 
This Society met on Monday, October 10, 
1854. for a conversational meeting—Mr. Gro- 
shon in the chair, and Mr. Mead, secretary. 
Subject: u Ths best mode of constructing and 
heating green-houses .” 
Mr. Mead remarked, in substance, that it 
unfortunately happened that the planning and 
erection of green-houses generally fall into 
the hands of architects, who have no practi¬ 
cal, or even theoretical, knowledge of the 
uses to which these structures are to be ap¬ 
plied ; and the result is, that very few good 
growing houses are erected. The architect 
seeks to make a showy house, and, for this 
purpose, plants and every thing else are 
thrown into the shade, by a redundance of 
mere ornament; but a green-house is beau¬ 
tiful just in as far as it will grow plants well; 
in fact, its beauty consists almost entirely in 
its utility. A green-house can not be made 
too light and airy ; but, with us, the angle of 
the roof should not be such as to collect too 
many of the sun’s calorific rays. A pitch 
that would be proper for the dense, humid 
atmosphere of England, would be improper 
for the clear, transparent atmosphere of the 
United States. Natural laws are applicable 
to the structures of this kind—which Mr. M. 
proceeded to explain, and added some re¬ 
marks in regard to the materials of green¬ 
houses. He seemed to think that glass and 
iron, for permanent structures, not only the 
best, but, in the end, the cheapest. He then 
passed to the second branch of the subject— 
the best mode of heating green-houses. He 
thought a hot-water apparatus, on the whole, 
decidedly the best. For promptness, effi¬ 
ciency, and genial heat, steam must be ad¬ 
mitted superior to hot water; but steam 
is dangerous in inexperienced hands, and 
should only be used in large structures, and 
where an engineer can be employed. The 
hot-air flue is fast losing its advocates. It 
is uncertain and inconstant in its operation; 
is liable to burst; emits noxious gases, &c.; 
and, in many other respects, is objectionable, 
and is only fit for a temporary house. A 
good hot-water apparatus, on the contrary, is 
efficient; gives out a uniform, constant, and 
genial heat; is free from gas and dust; eco¬ 
nomical and easily managed, and, in many 
other particulars, most admirably adapted to 
the purpose. Notwithstanding, the whole 
subject of heating is still in its infancy. 
There is a large waste of heat and material, 
which should not be tolerated. 
Allusion was then made to a case, where 
the same boiler was made to heat a conserv¬ 
atory, green-house, and propagating bed, and 
answered the purpose well; but it was 
deemed best, in such cases, to have separate 
boilers, where the houses were of any mag¬ 
nitude. 
Mr. Win. Cranston, and others, concurred 
in the above views. 
Mr. Cranston instanced a case, in Scot¬ 
land, where sufficient hot-water pipe had not 
been laid. To supply the deficient heat, 
the smoke-flue was carried under the back 
shelves, and accomplished the purpose. This 
was deemed a good plan to economise heat, 
provided the smoke-flue was made perfectly 
tight. 
It was then proposed, as the subject was 
not exhausted, to continue it at the meeting 
to be held on the first Monday in November. 
On the tables were some blooms of sev¬ 
eral varieties of new and fine dahlias, pre¬ 
sented by Mr. Mead ; and also the Sheldon 
pear, from the original tree, presented by 
Messrs. A. J. McClave & Co., nurserymen 
of Marion, Wayne Co., N. Y., through Mr. 
Pardee. It is a good- sized green pear, slight¬ 
ly russeted ; and, the committee reported, 
the “flesh juicy, melting, sugary, and highly 
perfumed. Quality — best. - ’ It was in per¬ 
fect condition. 
HOVEY’S MAGAZINE FOR OCTOBER. 
The reputation of this excellent horticul¬ 
tural monthly is sustained by the varied con¬ 
tents for this month. It opens with an arti¬ 
cle on Our neglected American Trees. The 
writer thinks that it is a great mistake, in 
making a plantation, to consider only the 
character of the Summer foliage of the trees. 
The season of its budding out, the autumnal 
tints of the foliage, and the character of the 
branches and spray in winter, are all matters 
of importance, in making our selection. He 
then indicates six trees of admirable orna¬ 
mental qualities, that are too much over¬ 
looked. The first of these is the Tupelo 
tree, ( Nyssa multiflora,) commonly known in 
Connecticut as the Peperedge tree. It is a 
very common tree on the upper part of our 
island; and fine specimens of it may be seen 
along the line of the Harlem Railroad, in the 
vicinity of Wilhamsbridge. The foliage is 
broadly oval, alternate on the growing shoots, 
but in tufts of four or more, on the end of 
the lateral branchlels, of a brilliant glossy 
green above, reflecting the light like those 
of a camellia. It turns from its deep green 
to a rich scarlet and crimson in the Autumn, 
at which season the trees are usually cov¬ 
ered with bright blue fruit, rendering them 
the most conspicuous objects. We passed 
one of these trees in a ride yesterday, in the 
full glow of its dying foliage. Its colors ri¬ 
valled any of the maples, while its leaves are 
more tenacious of their hold upon the spray, 
and prolong their glory as the maples do not. 
It forms a beautiful feature in the landscape, 
both in Summer and in Autumn. The other 
five are the Nettle tree, Sweet Gum, Decidu¬ 
ous Cypress, Floivering Dogwood, and Judas 
Tree. 
Wilson Flagg has an interesting article 
on Clouds, marked by his characteristic ex¬ 
cellencies. It is exceedingly artistic, philo¬ 
sophical, and beautiful. Mr. Flagg is one of 
our best writers upon topics usually treated 
in horticultural journals ; and his articles 
alone are worth the subscription-price of this 
magazine. 
The third article is a description of thirty- 
three new foreign pears, by the Editor. The 
Adams, Tea, Muskingum, Harvard, Wilkin¬ 
son, and Abbott, are each figured and briefly 
described. 
In the Pomological Gossip, the Editor goes 
in for the Concord grape with his usuaT en¬ 
thusiasm. Not at all disturbed by the ad¬ 
verse opinions of his horticultural brethren, 
he pronounces this grape the most attractive 
feature of the late exhibition of the Massa¬ 
chusetts Horticultural Society. All who 
were present at that show, would hardly co¬ 
incide in that opinion. We saw the grape 
there, and at our own State Fair in this city, 
and, at. the last place, had the opportunity to 
taste it. It is unquestionably a great im¬ 
provement upon the wild grape, ripens early, 
and has large handsome bunches. We have 
no doubt it is an acquisition for people who 
can not raise the Dianas and Isabellas. On 
these grounds, we think its merits should 
rest, rather than on a comparison with the 
Isabella. We think almost every one, who 
has eaten Underhill’s Isabellas, and Bull’s 
Concords, would say that the Concords were 
inferior. But see our article at length on 
this subject, in another column. 
The next article is a notice of a large Isa¬ 
bella vine, in the garden of G. B. Cutter. 
Weston, Mass., by W. W. Wheildon; and 
seems to have been written for the purpose 
of puffing the Concord, at the expense of the 
Isabella. It seems they were compared at 
the late exhibition in Boston. Mr. Cutter's 
grapes were splendid samples of the Isabella, 
and yet the Concords were superior! We 
think the statement made in this article, that 
the Concord grape “ is universally admitted 
to be equal to the best Isabellas ever raised,” 
is somewhat too strongly expressed. We 
certainly heal’d other opinions expressed at 
the Pomological Convention, by gentlemen 
not ruled by cliques, and not to be suspected 
of any sinister motives in uttering this judg¬ 
ment. 
There is a favorable notice of J. F. Al- * 
len’s new hybrid grape—a seedling of the 
Isabella impregnated with the foreign grape. 
It is a white grape, similar in appearance to 
the Sweetwater, and nearly or quite as good 
as that old sort. It is thought that it will 
prove hardy, and be an acquisition. 
In the directions for horticultural opera¬ 
tions for this month, the opinion is expressed 
that Fall is the best time to set out fruit 
trees. The ground should be trenched or sub¬ 
soiled as soon possible, while in a dry and fri¬ 
able condition. As soon as the leaves will 
shake from the trees, transplanting may be 
commenced. 
Treatment of Scarlet Fever. —Dr. Here- 
pard, of Washington, in a communication 
which appears in the Alexandria Gazette, ex¬ 
presses the opinion that too much physic has 
been an error in the management of scar¬ 
latina. He says that, during thirty years’ 
practice, he has found that the less active 
medicine he used, the greater was his suc¬ 
cess in the treatment of this disease. He 
recommends opening the bowels regularly 
every day, with some mild aperient medicine, 
such as castor oil, senna, &e., a*nd keeping 
the patient at rest and comfortably warm. 
Sponge the surface with tepid water two or 
three times a day; while it. is hotter.than 
natural, admit fresh air. Live on bland diet, 
such as a cupfull of arrowroot, two or three 
times a day, and toast-water for common 
drink; borax may be used from the com¬ 
mencement, if the throat, is affected. 
