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ceived in the occultations of stars, and the phenomena of solar eclipses. Hence its climate must be very extraordinary; the alternation being that of unmitigated and burning sunshine, fiercer than an equatorial moon, continued for a whole fortnight, and the keenest severity of frost, far exceeding that of our polar winters, for an equal time. Such a disposition of things must produce a constant transfer of whatever moisture may exist on its surface, from the point beneath the sun to that opposite, by distillation in vacuo, after the manner of the little instrument called a cryophorus. The consequence must be absolute aridity below the vertical sun, constant accretion of hoar frost in the opposite region, and perhaps a narrow zone of running water, at the borders of the enlightened hemisphere. It is possible, then, that evaporation on the one hand, and condensation on the other, may, to a certain extent, preserve an equilibrium of temperature, and mitigate the extreme severity of both climates.--Herschel on Astron. -Lard. Cyclop.

SUN'S RAYS.-The sun's rays are the ultimate source of almost every motion which takes place on the surface of the earth. By its heat are produced all winds, and those disturbances in the electric equilibrium of the atmosphere which give rise to the phenomena of terrestrial magnetism. By their vivifying action, vegetables are elaborated from inorganic matter, and become, in their turn, the support of animals and men, and the sources of those great deposits of dynamical efficiency which are laid up for human use in our coal strata. By them the waters of the sea are made to circulate in vapour through the air, and irrigate the land, producing springs and rivers. By them are produced all disturbances of the chemical equilibrium of the elements of nature, which by a series of compositions and decompositions, give rise to new products, and originate a transfer of materials. Even the slow degradation of the solid constituents of the surface, in which its chief geological changes consist, and their diffusion among the waters of the ocean, are entirely new to the abrasion of the wind and rain, and the alternate action of the seasons; and when we consider the immense transfer of matter so produced, the increase of pressure over large spaces in the bed of the ocean, and diminution over corresponding portions of the land, we are not at a loss to perceive how the elastic power of subterraneous fires, thus repressed on the one hand and relieved on the other, may break forth in points when the resistance is barely adequate to their retention, and thus bring the phenomena of even volcanic activity under the general law of solar influence.-Ibid.

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THE STARLING.-Much confusion appears to have existed respecting the common starling whether such a bird as the solitary thrush exists in this country, I cannot pretend to say; but it is certain, that the common stare does not obtain its black plumage until the end of July or beginning of August, being of a dingy hair-brown colour. This plumage is sometimes very smooth, and gives the bird the appearance of an adult, but it only remains until the first autumn, when the black feathers appear first on the sides, and gradually spread over the whole body. The plumage, however, is not in perfection until the second moult.-Field Nat. Mag.

IV. MONTHLY HORTICULTURAL CALENDAR,

FOR FEBRUARY.

THIS winter has been remarkable for its mildness, and also for the violent winds and amazing quantity of rain. Should February continue open and not be excessively wet, we would recommend that towards the end, advantage be taken of every fine day to get in some of the principal crops.

Peas and Beans.-About the middle or end, sow in drills, also in boxes, Early Frame peas, and the Mazagon and Lisbon beans are the best. See Vol. 2, page 95. To prevent mice from destroying them, use Mr. Howden's trap, Vol. 1, page 796, or place the prickly branches of furze in the drills, with the seed. If slugs infest them as soon as they appear, destroy them with lime, as recommended Vol. 2, page 533.

Broccoli. Sow a little impregnated Early White about the middle, to produce from October to Christmas. Preserve them from slugs and snails as above.

Potatoes.-About the middle plant the Early Manly and Early Kidney close under a south wall, or under the wall of a hothouse, and mix a deal of sand in the soil, to come into eating the end of May.

Celery. In the beginning sow on a slight hotbed or in frames, and scatter a little cauliflower seeds over the bed to succeed those under hand-glasses.

Radishes and Lettuce.-Sow the first and third weeks in light soil, in a warm situation; birds and slugs are very destructive in general, if not netted over, scatter a good coat of quick lime as soon as the plants begin to appear.

Carrots. In the beginning sow Early Horn and Early Short Red Horn, on a slight hotbed; and about the end, a few of the same on a warm border to succeed them.

Spinach. Towards the middle sow Flanders and Round-seeded, and preserve them from the depredations of sparrows.

Onions. About the end, sow the main crop, in beds four feet and a half wide, and trample them well down, if the land be light.

Pot-herbs--Sow about the end.

Rhubarb. Plant two years old roots in heat, for forcing.

Kidney Beans.-Sow the cream coloured and early But in small pots for forcing, as recommended in Vol. 2, page 96.

Asparagus may still be taken up and planted on a slight hotbed for forcing.

Parsnips--At the end, sow Guernsey and Hollow Crowned.

Shallots and Garlic.-Plant towards the end. See Vol. 2, page 96.

Cabbages.-Plant autumn sown ones, for use in July, and sow seed to produce greens in

August.

FLOWER DEPARTMENT.

Annuals (tender.) Sow in small pots, and plunge in a good heat. See Vol. 2, page 112. Auriculas-About the middle, top-dress with a mixture of one half well rotted turfy loam, one fourth vegetable mould, and one fourth well rotted dung, either of cows or horses, a portion of river sand, and a little fine bonedust. Also water once or twice a week with liquid manure. Dahlia Seed.--Sow in pots about the middle, and place them in a hotbed frame; also about the end, plunge the old roots in a little tan, to forward their growth.

Polyanthuses.-Top-dress as recommended for Auriculas. The soil however need not be so

rich.

Ranunculuses.-Plant in beds about the end.

Roses in Pots.-Now placed in the forcing-houses, produce flowers, the middle of April. If they are infested with aphis, fumigate with tobacco, or sprinkle with tobacco water.

FRUIT DEPARTMENT.

fruit in June. Those set last month See Vol. 2, page 96.

Vines in Pots, now introduced into the Vinery, ripen will require thinning, and the young branches tying in. Cherry Houses must have air night and day, and keep suficient fire to give a temperature of forty degrees Fahr. See Vol. 2, page 96.

Strawberries in Pots.--Bring into the forcing house once a fortnight; give them a plentiful supply of water.

Peach and Nectarine Trees.---On the open wall should not be pruned till the buds have a little advanced. Those in forcing houses, if in flower, or setting their fruit, should have plenty of air early every morning, and be shut up close early in the afternoon, and be occasionally moistened by steaming.

Pruning and Nailing must be forwarded with all speed.

Paspberries.Make new plantations, as recommended in Vol. 2, page 90.

Graft Fruit Trees early in the month.

THOMAS HARDCASTLE, PRINTER, CHURCH-STREET, SHEFFIELD

THE

HORTICULTURAL REGISTER,

MARCH 1ST, 1834.

PART I.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

HORTICULTURE.

ARTICLE I.-ON THE CULTIVATION OF VINES IN POTS.

By the Author of the Domestic Gardeners' Manual.

THEY who possess the connected series of the Horticultural Register, and have attentively perused its pages, must be fully aware of the several instructive articles that have been written upon the subject to which I again solicit the attention of your readers. Mr. Stafford led the way in your first number, and he was ably seconded. He added fact to fact; but still, some doubted. Mr. Mearns, of Welbeck, however, in his excellent and illustrative paper, Article III, of the 23rd number, performed the crowning act, and proved at least one of two things; either that vines can be grown, and grapes of the highest quality produced,-abundantly so-by pot culture, or that there is no faith, no confidence to be placed in man.

I have, upon a former occasion, endeavoured to show cause for a steady perseverance in a course of experiments. I am, myself pursuing that which I recommended to others; but as I have not as yet attained sufficient experience to qualify me for stating decisive results, I shall not swell this paper by entering upon any further details of practice. My present object in fact is not so much to write upon the culture of the grape, as to solicit your readers' attention to a curious circumstance, which has surprised and interested me not a little. Every one must be aware of the queries of your correspon

VOL. III. NO. 33.

H

dent "Vigorniensis," and of the doubts of a successful result which that writer very recently expressed. By referring to page 532, of the closing number of the second Volume, the reader will find the following sentences," He (Vigorniensis) much fears, notwithstanding the undoubted success of Mr. Stafford and others, that the system will not prosper to the extent anticipated. Mr. Grey informs us that he has tried it for years, and, as it should seem, with care and judgment, but he has failed." He then proceeds to state three causes of doubt.

Mr. Grey, it should seem, is the authority to whom Vigorniensis is most ready to refer: he had met with indifferent success himself, as expressed in No. 19, of " Queries and Answers," Vol. 2, page 377, and therefore, he leans to the suggestion of the one who doubts, in preference to the assurances of a host of others who have confidently declared their full, their entire success. This however, is natural, and I am not in the least surprised at it; but I confess that I am not only surprised, but astonished, at the circumstance which I now proceed to relate.

Having, within the last few days, been favoured with a sight of Mr. Harrison's Gardeners' and Foresters' Record; upon turning over a few of the pages of that work, in the first instance, I caught a glimpse of your correspondent's assumed title. My attention was arrested to the subject, which is ever one of great interest to me. It bore date September 4th, 1833, and was the leading article of No. 5, "On the Culture of Vines in Pots, by Vigorniensis." Expecting to find a detail of facts agreeing in character with those stated by that writer in the Horticultural Register, judge of my surprise, when I perused the paper which, for the real benefit and indeed pleasure of those who do not see the work referred to, I must copy verbatim. I hope that the evidence thus afforded, the additional proof therein given, of the feasibility of the method of pot-culture, will plead my excuse for thus trespassing upon your pages, and upon the attention of their readers.

"The cultivation of vines in pots is a department in the art of gardening with which I am very highly pleased, and in the treatment I have practised, the success has not only been ample, but most abundant; and I find it of very great advantage in serving the table with grapes for the dessert, for a very great length of time, by taking n a few pots at once. The following remarks include my method of culture."

"The vines I possess were raised by myself from single eyes. I selected plump buds from short jointed, well ripened shoots; these I

struck in the heat of a cucuinber hotbed, in February, 1828. When they had pushed a joint each, I had them potted off singly into pots of about six inches diameter. The soil I used was a fresh turfy loam that had been paired off two years before, about three inches in thickness, and had been laid in a heap. With the loam, I mixed about one-third of well rotted dung. In these pots, the vines grew amazingly; in two months they had reached eight or ten feet high, and the shoots were more than half an inch in diameter. At the end of this time I repotted the plants, using the same kind of soil, and pots about ten inches in diameter. I put an inch deep of broken pieces of pot into each, and potted the vines with balls entire. I then shortened the shoots by cutting them back to about three feet, at which place I had suffered a lateral to remain; this I did in order to strengthen the vines. A leading shoot pushed from each very vigorously, but I kept stopping them every time they had reached one foot from the last stopping. At all times I freely supplied them with water and liquid manure occasionally. The plants were kept in the vinery all the season. I placed them on the front flue upon a trellis, and under the centre of each sash, so that all possible light was afforded them."

"At the end of October, I turned the plants into the open air, placing them under a south wall. At the same time I pruned the vines, cutting them down to just below the place where the lowest lateral had been allowed to grow for a leading shoot, at the first stopping in summer. When the vines were a little hardened, which was the case by the beginning of December, I took them into a vinery in which no fire was kept during winter, here they were protected from wet and very severe frosts; thus none of the buds suffered from the alternates of wet and dry, which sometimes is the case with vines wholly exposed."

When I determined to force some of the vines, I then repotted them with entire balls, into pots thirteen or fourteen inches in diameter, using the same kind of compost as before. The roots being coiled round the ball and matted, I shook it forcibly against the ground which loosened the ends of the fibrous roots without damaging them. This attention to the roots enables them, when the plants are repotted, immediately to strike into the soil. I do not introduce the vines I am about forcing into a brisk heat at once, but do it gradually."

"From vines treated as above, I do not fail to have, the second season, less than ten bunches of fruit. When the bunches are shewn, I stop the lead, and never allow it to push long afterwards before it

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