When the three plants are rooted, and growing, a knife passed cautiously through the ball at the angle formed by the lines 1 and 2, will secure a sufficiency of earth to protect the young plant from a very serious check, and if the pots of cuttings be placed in a shallow propagation frame, having a sliding sash light a few inches only above the tips of the cuttings, there will, generally speaking, be little need of employing bell-glasses. But a few phials with necks at least half an inch clear in the bore, and nearly filled with rain water, will not only furnish a resource for the operator, but afford him an opportunity of watching, day by day, the mode in which nature effects her radical developements. I am persuaded by the evidence of my daily experiments, and the analogy thereby traceable-that, most succulent and semi-succulent plants will, if favourably treated, protrude roots into water.

Nerium Splendens; -indeed, Oleanders in general will strike freely.

Balsamina-the balsam will strike almost directly, and procure a flowering plant of three inches in height.

Gesneria will, I believe, root to a certainty; though not rapidly. I have by me a single leaf of Gloxinea Speciosa, which I took off with its bud, close at the junction with the stem. I plunged the phial in a bed, and in a few days, the base of the footstalk began to swell; the little bud upon it became greener, increased, and threw out two minute leaves. A fortnight has elapsed, and, to-day I observe a round, whitish knob about one-sixth of an inch across, at the base of the stalk, and one single fibre emerging from that above it,but still resting on the leaf, a complete plant in miniature is traceable.

Now, all this is delightful and instructive. I drop a few hints only at this time, because I cannot command leisure to proceed at length; and moreover, these hints may prove a stimulus to the wise and industrious horticulturist. Reader-I beseech you to follow the leadpursue the inquiry, and communicate your discoveries to your brethren.-None will be more grateful than he who believes he now communicates something of novelty; but who, if he have been, (though unknowingly) forestalled, will be one of the first to acknowledge his tardiness.

July 4, 1834.

P. S. I could name several experiments, but these may present matter for a future paper; however, I think that, Dahlias may be raised in water, and that, in great probability pine apple suckers and crowns would emit roots, but require a good heat and cautious immersion.

RURAL AFFAIRS.

ARTICLE XI-A DESIGN FOR FOUR LABOURERS' DWELLINGS UNITED,

With a few Remarks on the State of the British Peasantry.

BY THE BRICKLAYER'S LABOURER.

To contribute my humble mite in any way that may tend to the melioration of my fellow labourers, has always afforded me the greatest gratification; and although the subject of the following remarks has been often advocated before in the most masterly and able manner, so as to leave me nothing new to say, yet, I trust, that the few observations which I am now about to make, together with the accompanying designs, (Figs. 24 & 25) may now prove acceptable to your readers; and that, however insignificant the fountain whence they flow, they may mingle their tributary stream with those from richer and more abundant sources.

It is by continually impressing upon the landowners the necessity of their union and sympathy with their tenantry that we can hope for success; and the present design is humbly submitted to their notice, in the anxious hope that it will be adopted by some benevolent landlord, whose wealth has not led him to forget that his dependants have nearly the same wants-the same feelings that they are susceptible of experiencing the same inconveniences, and indeed, are of the same species as himself.

The design comprises a union of four dwellings, for agricultural labourers. Each house has the accomodation of a porch, (Fig. 24.) [1, a] to shelter the entrance; which is very desirable both in large and small houses; (b) is the lobby in which there is a shelf (c) for holding water pitchers, &c., and over this there may be another wooden shelf for holding a number of necessary small articles, while underneath the first mentioned shelf may be placed the smaller sized garden implements. In the kitchen (d) there is a low cupboard on one side of the fire-place, the top of which is to serve as a shelf for holding plates and tea things; and indeed there may be three shelves over this for holding necessary stone ware and fancy crockery; and to have, as I have occasionally seen in the north of England, a neat curtain tastefully tucked up at the top, to be let down in cases of cleaning or dusting. The boiler for heating water for washing, &c., is shewn in the kitchen, to save the expense of an additional flue and chimney stalk. Under the stairs there is a closet (e) for holding a small supply of fuel from the woodhouse. The back house, or back room, (f) is intended for washing and cleaning in, so that the keeping room may always be orderly and comfortable, when the husband comes home to his meals even on Saturdays and washing days; the good wife must always remember, that much of her domestic comfort will depend on this arrangement. There is a pantry (g) if a labourer can be said to require such a convenience; this place, however, will be found very useful for holding anything by way of store on shelves all round, as it is well aired; and the under part will serve to hold potatoes and other roots. There is a wood and coal house (h) and a privy (i). The piggery and dust-hole adjoining the latter are shewn in the plan of the garden.

Iu the chamber floor (Fig. 2.,) each house has a bed-room for the man and wife (k); and in this room there is a press beside the fireplace for holding cloths, by way of linen closet; on the top of this press may be placed the books that form the small family library, and should they be fortunate enough to possess many books, two or three shelves may be placed over this. There is a large light closet for male children (1) and a bed closet for the female children (m); both of which have windows, and may, therefore, be well aired. A trap door may be made in the ceiling of the boy's bed-room to get up to the garret, where apples, onions and other roots for winter use may be

dried.

(Fig. 3.) is a plan of one of the four gardens, each of which contains one rood and eighteen poles. In this plan there is the dwellinghouse (a) offices, (b); piggery and yard, (c); dust-hole, (d); border for early potatoes, (e); dwarf apple trees and currant bushes, (f, f); mint, thyme, savoys, sage, rhubarb, parsley, &c., &c., (gg); border for flowers, (h); compartment for the second early crop of potatoes, (i); spinage, turnips, cabbages, lettuces, Granges, and Cape broccoli for Summer and Autumn use, Portsmouth for Winter, and Knight's self-protecting, and Sulphur for Spring &c., (k); onions, carrots peas, beans, scarlet runners, and leeks for winter use (1), large compartment for potatoes (m). The Ash-leaved kidney, Fox's Seedling, and Early Manly potatoes are the best for the first early crop. Plant them any time from the middle of March, to the beginning of April, never before that time. Dig the dung into the soil in preference to laying on the sets after they are planted in the drills, make the soil light, by mixing a good portion of sand with it. Make the drills from north to south, two feet apart, and plant the sets 4 inches from each other in the rows. The early kidneys should always be planted whole, the others may be cut, but a sufficient body must be allowed to support the eyes during wet and drought, until they

become established. For the second early crops forty-folds Champions, and Bread-fruits are the best. Plaut these about the same time as the others in rows, the distance apart, but the sets require to be six inches from each other in the row. When these crops of potatoes are all gathered, the ground may be occupied with spinach or Coleworts.

A small portion only of the border (g) would be required for growing herbs, which should be confined to half of the southern part, and the remainder of the southern might be occupied with Wilmot's and Watson's Rhubarb, the western border might be planted with Keen's seedling Roseberry, and Grove End Strawberries; the northern part should be occupied with the Red and Yellow Antwerp Raspberries. The dwarf apple trees at (f), and also on the opposite side of the walk, should be planted about four feet from the walk, and fifteen feet apart, from tree to tree; the sorts most to be recommended are the Keswick Codlin, Hawthorndean, Mank's Codlin, Norfolk Beaufin, Bess Pool, Northern Greening, Blenheim Pippin, and Gravenstein. It would also be advisable to plant about four standard plum trees; these should stand two at the top and two at the bottom of the Garden; the sorts most suitable are 1 Catherine, 1 Early Orleans, 1 late Orleans, and 1 Shropshire Damson for preserving and wine. On the borders, round the quarters, gooseberry and currant trees, should be planted about eight feet apart, from tree to tree, and four feet from the walk. The late potatoes need not be planted till May, "if it be even as late as the middle, there will be no fear of a crop, if properly managed." After they are taken up, as nothing more can be planted upon the same ground that will be off in time for the next year's planting of potatoes, the best way will be to dig the soil in ridges and allow it to remain so through the winter.

(Fig. 4). is a geometrical elevation of one side of the building, which will be found of great use to the builder. I name this upon the supposition, that a skilful workman will be able to complete the erection without the assistance of any other drawings than the accompanying ones.

(Fig. 25) is an isometrical view of the building, and part of the garden, &c., showing the effect of the whole. It will be readily agreed, on reference to this view, that a number of such buildings would present very interesting objects upon a nobleman's or gentleman's demesne.

The material to be employed in the external walls of the building, will depend much upon local circumstances. If brick is the material used, there will be a very great saving by making the walls hollow, as I