beauty of the workmanship, the sharpness of the foliage, and the durability. of the material. We are very desirous of seeing classical statues, such as those of Pomona, Flora, Ceres, Apollo, Diana, &c., executed in similar materials, so as to be sold at moderate prices. If any potter in the country can effect this it is Mr. Peake. - Cond.

A grooved-bottomed Flower-pot (fig. 70.) has been invented by Antonio

Piccioli, curator of the bo-. tanic garden at Florence. The object is to allow the free escape of the water from the hole in the bottom of the pot, which, when pots, are set either on smooth, hard surfaces, or soft moist, surfaces, does not take place.

[The improvement may be worth adoption in very large pots, but would be ineffective in all the smaller sizes.] Carnations, and other delicate plants, in Florence, Milan, and other towns in Italy, are set on saucers, on small pedestals (fig. 71.) so as to be surrounded by water. [These saucers

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have been used by Madocks and others in this country, but they are not' common.]-J. A. Llanbeden Hall, July 29. 1829.

Edging-Tiles of Mr. Allardyce. (p. 128.)- Mr. Massie, one of the secretaries of the Aberdeen Horticultural Society, has been so good as to send us one of these tiles or bricks, which is 83 in. long, 43 wide, 1 thick, compact, heavy, of uniform surface, and not in the slightest degree twisted. Price, delivered in Aberdeen, 50s. per 1000; delivered in London, 65s. per thousand. Mr. Massie observes that "they look exceedingly neat when well laid, and have the advantage of not affording a lodgment for snails and earwigs, which the box edging invariably does." We admit the truth of what is said respecting harbouring insects, but still we cannot altogether reconcile ourselves to a brick, stone, or wooden edging. An edging of box is particularly beautiful in winter and spring from its deep green, when every thing else is brown. To feel the full influence of box edgings at these seasons one ought to have visited the kitchen-gardens of Holland and Germany, in which box is little used, and edgings either omitted, or stone, wood, or other material, used. One may know something of the difference between box and the want of it by looking into the garden of the " inestimable Institution," as Dr. Hooker calls it (p. 70.), during winter or spring, which, from the want of box or any green edging in most of the departments, must be allowed to be uncommonly dull. It may be replied that a kitchen-garden is formed for utility, and not for ornament; but every one knows that the kitchen-garden in the early part of spring is the most interesting scene in a country residence, and more frequented by the family, and especially the females and their little children, than any other.

In cases of very small gardens in or near towns, if we were to dispense with box and gravel, we would employ pavement supported by piers 2 or 3 in. above the surface, but so as to be an inch or two under the level of the adjoining borders, as already described Vol. V. p. 593.

Mr. Allardyce's bricks, or bricks somewhat thicker, but of similar material and texture, would answer well for numbering or naming tallies for plants and trees. The number or name might either be painted on them,

or, what would be incomparably preferable, stamped into the unburnt brick with types. Or sunk panels might be formed in the ends of the bricks to contain a slip of wood with a bit of glass glazed over it, in Mr. Stuart Murray's manner, so often recommended. Such bricks are now making for us by Mr. Peake of Tunstall, and we shall take an early opportunity of sending one to Mr. Massie for Mr. Allardyce. In the mean time, we should be glad to know from the latter gentleman, from Mr. Peake, or from any other brick or tile manufacturer, what would be the charge for impressing with types 1000 bricks, four words on the end of each brick (generic and specific name, native country, and year of introduction), the words averaging six letters each, and all bricks on which the words are misspelt to be paid for as common building bricks. The size of the letters of the type to be exactly double that of the letters in the words Gardener's Magazine on our cover; or thus, sending us a brick or two :—

JEFFERSONIA

NOBILIS.

Virginia. 1828.

Brick tallies, named in this way, we should think, would be the cheapest and most durable of all tallies, and, according to our taste, they would look better than any other in a botanic garden or in private collections. Small iron or wooden tallies placed at the roots of large old trees, as at Kew and Syon, certainly do not look so well as brick tallies would. With numbers, these tallies might be used by nurserymen. We should wish therefore to know the price of 1000 bricks, numbered from 1 to 1000.- Cond.

Transmitting-heat Wall. The Rev. J. A. H. Grubbe of Stanton St. Bernard, Wiltshire, has taken out a patent for a wall so named. The intention is to erect thin partitions in gardens as substitutes for walls, against which fruit trees may be trained, and through which the warmth of the sun may, by reason of their thinness, be transmitted, which will greatly promote the ripening of the fruit, and improve its flavour. The material proposed to be employed for constructing these walls or partitions, is slate of the ordinary quality, in slabs of the kind usually applied to the roofing of houses. Iron frames are proposed to be prepared for the reception of the slates, like the frames of windows [with holes in both sides for inserting wires to serve as a trellis], and the slates being cut to proper shapes and dimensions, may be secured in the rebates of the frame, by putty, in the same way as glass. These frames are to be from 6 to 8 ft. wide, and of a suitable height, and may be joined together side by side, by rebates or flenges, and held fast by screws, bolts, pins, or staples, or in any way that may be found desirable to secure them firmly. Temporary blocks of stone may be placed along the ground to support the partitions, with cross pieces

to receive standards or slight buttresses, to keep the wall or partition perpendicular; and against the face of the wall trellis-work of wood, or other fit material, may be placed, for the support of the branches of the trees. Walls or partitions for gardens formed in this way will transmit the heat of the sun through them; and hence fruit, which may be growing against these walls having a northern aspect, will receive the benefit of the sun's warmth, transmitted through the slates. In the construction of these transmitting walls, the patentee does not confine himself to slate, but considers that plates of iron, applied in the same way, might answer the purpose nearly as well, provided that their surfaces were blackened, which would cause them to absorb more of the solar rays. Even frames of glass might answer the purpose, applied in the same manner, and perhaps some other materials might do; but it is desirable that the frames should be light enough to admit of their being removed without difficulty, in order that these partitions may be shifted from place to place [put under cover during winter], and set up in different parts of the garden, as convenience may dictate. (Newton's Journal, vol. iii. p. 257.)

A Composition for the Shoes of Gardeners.— Sir, Perceiving how assiduous, and I may say public-spirited, you are in recommending any measures calculated to increase the comforts of working gardeners, particularly in providing them with sabots, or wooden shoes, to protect the feet from cold during the pruning season (Vol. V. p. 575.), I venture to send you the following receipt for a composition or ointment for shoes, which I have myself long been in the habit of using, and have found, by experience, to be a very excellent one. However familiar this or similar receipts may be to some of your readers, to others it may be unknown, and therefore acceptable: Take 1 pint of boiled linseed oil; 2 oz. yellow wax; 1 oz. Burgundy pitch; 2 oz. spirit of turpentine. Melt the ingredients well together, over a slow fire, and apply the composition to the shoes with an ordinary brush, repeating the operation as often as the ointment will dry in. Take care to rub it well into the seams, and set the shoes to dry in the sun. This composition not only renders the shoes more impervious to wet, but preserves and gives a tone to the leather, and enables it afterwards to take an exceedingly fine polish from blacking. I would, therefore, recommend its use, not only for strong shoes to gardeners, farmers, sportsmen, &c., who are obliged to be much exposed to the wet, but for shoes and boots in general. The composition may be kept in an earthen cup or gallipot for a length of time, and laid by for use as occasion requires.

"Si quid novisti rectius istis, Candidus imperti; si non, his utere mecum.' I am, Sir, yours, &c. - Dryshod. Jan. 9. 1830.

Packing Fruit Trees for Exportation.- Sir, The following is the plan adopted by Mr. Prince of New York, in packing fruit trees, and which I can recommend, from experience, to your readers: As soon as the tree is taken out of the ground, the roots are dipped in a thick mixture of earth and water. The roots are then tied in bundles, and dipped in all at once, and a mat is lapped over them, to keep the earth round them together. They are afterwards placed in a box, and a piece of wood is fixed across the box, over the top part of the roots, to prevent them from moving, as the branches are not lapped up at all. I have had trees packed in this manner, which have remained in the above condition four months; and, when unpacked, the roots were throwing out new fibres. This occurred last spring; and, although the season was so unfavourable, the trees made exceedingly fine strong shoots. The plan adopted by Messrs. Buel and Wilson, of the Albany nursery, in packing their fruit trees, is as follows:- They dip the roots well in a mixture of earth and water; but instead of lapping the roots in a mat, they lay them in the end of the box, and fill in between them with

wet moss; so that the lid of the box presses against the moss, and thus prevents the roots from being shaken. I, however, consider the plan of lapping the roots in a mat superior to that of filling in with wet moss, because a dampness proceeds from the moss, which produces a mildew on the branches of the trees so packed. This has been the case with trees that I have received packed in this way; but, after they had been unpacked for a short time, the mildew disappeared. The trees which I received this season, from Messrs. Buel and Wilson, are:

-M. Saul. Sulyard Street, Lancaster, Feb. 15. 1830.

Fruit Trees (Pears and Apples) were taken out to Madras, in 1793, by Mr. Main, in a box of damp moss; the moss was damp when the trees were packed, not touched by the way, and, after a voyage of three months, was found dry, but the trees alive. Some gooseberries and currants, which were packed with them, were dead. The vessel sailed from London on Jan. 1., and arrived the beginning of April. The trees came from Messrs. Loddiges. Cond.

Garden Operations fit for Ladies. We have seen some very handsome pruning instruments of the sliding-shears description, manufactured by Steers and Wilkinson of Sheffield. (fig. 72.) The largest size, resembling common hedge-shears (a), cost about 15s. a pair; and with them a man may cut through a branch as thick as his arm with ease. The smaller sizes, at from 4s. upwards, are particularly adapted for gardening ladies, as, with them, the most delicate hand and arm may cut off branches from prickly or thorny plants, or from trees and shrubs of any kind, half an inch in diameter. By using both hands, the most delicate person may cut through a branch of an inch in diameter. The great advantage of these instruments, as we have stated in our Encyc. of Gard., is, that they amputate by a draw-cut like a knife, instead of by a crushing cut like common scissors or hedge shears. This is effected by the spring levers (b and e), and the oblong opening (c), by which a compound motion is produced in the cutting blades (d and f.) Neither these instruments, nor the very excellent grape and flower gatherer (g), manufactured by the same party, are of recent invention, but they have been improved on by Messrs. Wilkinson in various ways; and are so admirably adapted for lady-gardeners, that, considering the views we have as to the suitableness of certain parts of gardening for females, we

General Notices.

cannot sufficiently recommend them. We would wish every lady who lives in the country not only to be fond of botany, to collect specimens, dry

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them between blotting-paper compressed with a bag of hot sand, and then gum them into a ledger indexed according to the natural system; but we