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VOL. XXXI. No. 19. 
WHOLE No. 1319. 
NEW YORK, AND ROCHESTER, N. Y„ MAY 8, 1875. 
PRICE SIX CENTS. 
*2.63 PER. YEAR. 
[En tered according *0 Act ot Con-res*. In the year 1875, by the Rural Publishing Company, in the office Of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.! 
Jtoral gu'dti^ctuie. 
GARDENS ON THE HOUSETOP. 
The Rural New-Yorker, with other 
American journals, has advocated the util¬ 
izing and ornamenting of our city housetops 
by converting them into conservatories and 
gardens. The urea that might thus be ren¬ 
dered both useful and beautiful on business 
buildings, as well ns on private dwellings, is 
enormous In every city. Indeed, our florists 
might find the renting such space, in case 
the building were constructed originally 
with a view to such use, more economical 
than paying high rents for land outside the 
city ; besides, with our modern elevators for 
ascending to the roofs of buildings, the sales 
of flowers might be made in the midst of 
growing plants, and the housetop conserva¬ 
tories be made the most attractive of sales¬ 
rooms. 
In the case of private dwellings on city 
lots where there Is no room for ground con¬ 
servatories, the entire roof could be trans¬ 
formed into a most attractive and healthful 
place of resort during our long, cold winters. 
With our water system, hot-air furnaces, 
&c., added to the full exposure to sunlight, 
there is no question, we think, as to the 
comparative economy of such an arrange¬ 
ment. At any rate, these suggestions are 
worthy the attention of architects and of all 
city denizens who love and must have flow¬ 
ers and plants, and have the means where¬ 
with to secure them. Our illustration is of 
an experiment in this direction in London, 
which we copy from the Garden—a building 
erected by a seed and plant firm of that city. 
The Garden says : 
“For the requirement of tlu-ir trade in 
plants, it was necessary to have upon the 
premises glass erections of considerable size ; 
and, as will be sten by a reference to ouv en¬ 
graving, the roof area has been w holly de¬ 
voted to this purpose. To conform to the 
requirements of the Duke of Bedford’s lease, 
the roof proper of the premises terminates 
with a strongly-constructed lead flat, above 
the third story of arch-headed windows; 
and above this the conservatory is construct¬ 
ed, a strong trellised floor being laid over the 
flat roof, and the walls taken up to support 
the roof of the conservatory. The structure 
comprises a central palm or tropical house, 
30 feet long and 18 feet wide, with a lofty, 
arched roof and two side wings, each 10 feet 
wide—one for the reception of ferns and 
similar plants, and the other a cool house for 
bulbs. The hot-water pipes in the fem de¬ 
partment have been furnished with Taylor’s 
patent ventilating zinc boxes, by means of 
which a continuous supply of fresh air is in¬ 
troduced from the outside, warmed, and 
then allowed to escape into the house at the 
required temperature, which, by means of 
this appliance, is comparatively cool and en¬ 
joyable, although the thermometer register's 
69‘. A temperature in the tropical depart¬ 
ment only 2* higher than this seemed much 
more oppressive. Considering die exigen¬ 
cies of a London atmosphere and the re¬ 
quirements of the Building Act, it was de¬ 
termined by the architects, Messrs. Spalding 
& Knight of Queen Victoria street, to apply 
Howitt's patent to the construction of the 
roof, which is a combination of wood and 
iron, and which has been skillfully carried 
out. 
“Both house and conservatory are heated 
by means of hot-water pipes attached to a 4 
ft. G in. saddle boiler, set in the basement 
some 50 feet below the conservatory, each 
floor having independent flow and return 
pipes, which are of two dilferent diameters, 
i. e.. the pipes which convey the water to 
each floor, and also the returns, are both 1 
inch in diameter, while on the floors them¬ 
selves 3-Inch pipes are employed, and in the 
conservatory 4-inch pipes. Although the 
central portion is curved, straight glass has 
been used, and the color of the wood-work is 
of a light tint, relieved with blue. ” 
NEW HOUSE-TOP CONSERVATORY. 
^cieniipi! and Useful 
CAMPHOR AND PLANTS. 
Professor Vogel of Munich has lately 
published, says Oaliynani, some curious 
experiments on camphor and its physiologi¬ 
cal action on plants. In 1798, Benj. Smith 
Barton first announced the stimulating 
acticni of camphor on vegetable organisms. 
Ho stated that a Tulip with its stalk dipping- 
in a solution of that substance withered 
much later than others kept in common 
water; and that a yellow Iris that was 
about lo fade was reinvigorated for a lew 
hours by means of camphor. Barton there¬ 
fore came to tho conclusion that, this drug 
acts upon plants as a stimulant, much as 
spirits do on the animal frame. These all- 
but-forgotten experiments have lately been 
resumed by Professor Vogel, who lias lately 
communicated his results to the Academy 
of Munich. He first prepare a homogeneous 
solution of camphor by triturating it with 
distilled water, and then shaking it up witli 
a larger quantity of the same ; and into this 
he puts his plants. Two branches of 
Syringa (common Lilac) in blossom, of equal 
size and vigor, were selected one of them 
was put into common water, the other into 
the camphorated solution. A remarkable 
dilfcreuce was soon noticed. After the 
lapse of twelve hours the former was already 
drooping and nearly faded, while the latter 
was still erect and apperently as fresh 
as ever, some of its buds having even opened 
in the Intcrvul; ami this healthy condition 
lasted three days. In another experiment a 
branch of Lilac which was nearly dead was 
put iuto camphorated water and revived 
for a short time The action of cam¬ 
phor is less powerful on the vine, and 
scarcely of any effect on Black Elder. The 
idea now presented itself that this drug 
might also have some action on seeds, tuid 
accordingly some of Lepidiuul sativum, or 
gurden cress, were subjected to this treat¬ 
ment. They were chosen very old, because 
in that state their gariuinuting power is 
much weaker than when they are new. The 
seeds were placed on blotting paper in 
porcelain plates, one portion being wetted 
with the camphor solution and another with 
common water, another piece of blotting 
paper was laid over each. The germinating 
power is considered not to extend beyond 
three years, and yet, under the influence of 
camphor, some of 1889 germinated in the 
course of twenty four hours, and others of 
1871 in seven hours, while those exposed to 
pure water either did not give signs of life, 
or, at least, very imperfectly. From these 
and similiar experiments it may be con¬ 
cluded that camphor is a valuable agent in 
horticulture. 
♦ • ♦- 
SCIENTIFIC AND USEFUL NOTES. 
Absorption of Water by Leaves of Plants. 
—It has recently been shown by M. Baillon 
that the leaves ot plants are capable of 
absorbing water. He lias been experiment¬ 
ing by sowing peas in a box of such a con¬ 
struction that the plants can be immersed in 
water without the roots or the soil in which 
they are growing becoming damp. He has 
kept peas aiive for two months without 
giving the roots any water whatever, the 
soil being virtually quite dry. 
A Cotnbined Plow and Seeder has recently 
been patented in England. It sows the 
grains, and also peas or beans. 
pa 
