premature to speak of the design of these plantations, because it is not yet fully developed; but we cannot withhold our warmest approbation of the liberality and taste displayed by Mr. Hornor in the choice of his plants, and the extraordinary expedients and care employed by Mr. Mackay and his superintendant Mr. Kerr, in taking them up and removing them; then in planting them, securing them, and almost daily watering them.

Kew Gardens, May 22. The new entrance which we noticed in our last (p. 223.) has been planted in a very tasteful manner, under the direction of Mr. Begbie, who has here evinced a just relish for the picturesque disposition of objects. This taste is not common either amongst cultivators or botanists; the studies of both leading to the consideration of objects individually, rather than collectively, or with regard to effect of light and shade, exposure and concealment, &c. A dozen of trees or shrubs, planted on a lawn, show at once whether the planter is a cultivator or a painter. The botanical portion of the pleasure-ground is now in a state of great beauty, and affords a good specimen of what may be effected, on a few acres of level ground, by trees and shrubs, smooth turf, and gravel walks, without either water, architectural objects, or distant view.

The Systematic Garden is, in general, in a thriving state, and in good order. It is to be regretted that these valuable qualities are greatly lessened in effect by the obvious want of plan and arrangement, and the disposition of the hot-houses and walks. The former stand like cattle in a market-place, and the latter are unstudied lines of communication, created by the necessities of the place, entering behind, as in the Horticultural Society's garden, so that the principal object in the first view is the back sheds; which sheds meet the eye in walking through the garden, fully as often as the glass fronts, to which they are subservient. Taking a view of our public gardens, and national works in general, plan or method seems a less conspicuous quality than profusion in the details; a circumstance which probably arises from our wealth; method being most resorted to by those who have least to methodise.

The late frosts had injured several plants here, as at other places; but Araucaria imbricata is untouched, and Photinia glabra promises to be an addition to our hardy evergreens. Nothing struck us as very remarkable among the herbaceous plants; in the green-house the following rare species were pointed out to us: Anthocercis littorea, viscosa, and albicans, Pimelea decussata, Prostanthera violacea, Hibbertia nova sp., Patersonia sp., Beaufortia nova sp., Polygala nova sp., Gompholobium sp.

A plant of Cyclopia genistoidea had been planted out in front of a stove about a year ago, and protected during winter with a mat; it has grown nearly ten feet high, and is now splendidly in flower.

In the palm-house, some of the plants are suffering for want of room, and one cannot help regretting that a suitable situation is not formed for this noble order of plants. There is abundant space in the pleasure-ground here for a few acres of glass roof, which, as we have elsewhere observed, (Encyc. of Gard. §6179.) might be supported by iron columns, at any height from the ground, heated by steam, and watered by perforated pipes in Loddiges' manner; the interior might be laid out in walks, turf, water, and seats, decorated with sculpture, and enlivened by foreign birds. There might be several climates, so as to include the whole of the plants at present kept under glass. In the present day, when such immense sums are laid out on public improvements, enough might be spared to cover ten acres in this way, and surely the effect produced would be worth the expence.

In one of the hot-houses, Menyanthes indica, and Nymphæa cœrulea, are profusely in bloom, and Pontederia crassipes, a rare plant, from Guiana, and Cyperus elegans, a new species, from Trinidad, are growing freely; the former might soon be multiplied to any extent. The plants in this hothouse are in excellent order.

1

On the kitchen garden, we have little to remark; but cannot help approving of the plan adopted here, of not growing any crop whatever on the fruit tree borders. They are not even dug, but every weed cut up as it appears, and a surface dressing of rotten dung occasionally applied to supply nourishment, retain moisture, and prevent the surface from becoming indurated. This practice deserves imitation.

In the culinary hot-houses, things look as well as when we last reported.

ART. IX. Architecture.

Architectural Improvement. We invite artists of leisure and taste to furnish us with sketches, accompanied by a word or two of description, of such novelties in their art as are applicable to the country. Plans and elevations of cottages, entrance-lodges, with the dimensions of the rooms; different descriptions of walls for fences and gardens; gateways, and gates, fences, bridges, and architectural chimney-tops, will be very acceptable. Our grand object is to improve the forms and arrangement of the commonest things, and introduce taste into every day objects. The lodges now erecting in Hyde Park, from the designs of W. D. Burton, are good examples in many respects, and particularly in that of being handsome in every front; and having the kitchen-yard sunk so as not to be in the slightest degree offensive. There is not one of these lodges that might not, at a very short distance, pass for an ornamental building in a pleasure-ground. The prevailing error in almost every description of building erected in the suburbs of London is, that on the side of the building which is considered as front, such expence and taste as can be afforded is exclusively displayed, while the three other sides are completely neglected, both in regard to design, and the material employed. But wherever a house is in any degree detached, what are called the sides and back are seen just as much, and as frequently as the front; at least, the front and one side are always seen together. The master art, in rural architecture, is to make all the sides of a house beautiful, and to avoid as much as possible the appearance of what are called backsides, which are disagreeable seen at a distance, and near at hand display the slovenliness and disorder of kitchen and other domestic appendages. Subjected to judicious design, they would render the back of every house as handsome as the front. In natural objects there is no backside; every part is beautiful after its kind. Few suburban builders, however, are in the habit of considering the effect of objects in perspective, and a large, or small country house, is too often with them merely a slice from a smaller or larger row of houses from a London street.

The following valuable receipts have been procured for us by Mr. John Anderson, F.H.S., Gardener to the Earl of Essex at Cassiobury, from an eminent French cook, lately in the Earl's service.

Tomata Sauce for Cold Meat. Boil tomatas when ripe, rub them through a tammy cloth, to every quart of pulp add ounce of garlic and 1 ounce of shallots, salt to taste, boil & hour, strain out the garlic; add to every quart, half a pint of common vinegar, and a wine glass full of Chili do.; let it stand a day or two before corking.

Potted Tomatas. Reduce your tomatas over the fire, till they are quite thick, stirring all the time to keep them from burning; rub them through a tammy, put them again into your stew-pan, with an equal quantity of glaze,

and reduce again over a sharp fire, till you think the whole will be quite firm when cold (or like glaze); put them into a white earthen pot; when cold, cover them with writing-paper dipped in brandy; pour over some warm hog's lard, and cover all over with a bladder tied quite tight; a small piece added to a little gravy or melted butter will make an excellent sauce for cutlets or chops.

Tomatas quite plain. Reduce as before, only be more careful in evaporating the water from them, rub them through a tammy, put them when cold into fruit bottles; they must be corked very tight, and tied down; put the bottles nearly up to the cork into cold water, over a gentle fire, till they boil, then set them on one side till cold, take them out and dip the cork in good cement of bees-wax, rosin, &c.

This may be used in making sauce for cold meat, or as above, by adding strong gravy. It is intended, of course, to save the glaze.

Tomatas with Gravy. This is simply stewing your tomatas in a little good gravy, till quite tender, keeping them whole, drain them on a sieve, dish them up, and pour a little half glaze, and a tea-spoonful of vinegar mixed with it, quite hot, over them

Tomatas may likewise be put into vinegar as a pickle.

Towit of Tomatas. Take a pint of the tomatas, add a pound of fine sugar, reduce it in the same way as a jam, add the juice of a lemon; this makes a very good towit.

Tomatas as dried Fruit.

The pulp may be reduced; say a pint with a pound of fine sugar, till quite stiff; pour it on your tin; it must be dried in a stove; when nearly dry, cut it into what shape you pleasc, it does for ornament in the dessert.

ART. XI. Cottage Economy.

UNDER this head we mean to include such notices as we consider will be useful to the lowest classes of housekeepers, and to the cultivators of cottage gardens. We invite the gardeners of country gentlemen to send us hints for this department, and to contribute, as far as opportunity and the consent of their employers permits, to the increase of the comforts and ornaments of their cottage gardens in the neighbourhood, by distributing such seeds and plants as they know are suitable. We also invite our female readers to contribute hints for the in-door economy of cottagers. We particularly wish to be able to furnish some improved plans and elevations of cottages, for which, especially in Scotland and Ireland, there is the greatest necessity. We invite young architects to turn their attention to the subject, and send us something at once commodious and handsome; something better than those square two-celled boxes, which are often set down as lodges; or the miserable sheds that are sometimes fitted up as gardeners' dwellings. In the present exhibition of architectural drawings in Somerset-house there are abundance of palaces and villas, but not a single labourer's cottage; plenty of impracticable and extravagant ideas, but a great want of "common objects, improved by genius, art, and taste."

It has been suggested to us, that pastors of congregations might materially assist us in this part of our labours; we earnestly invite clergymen of every denomination to do so, both among their flocks, and by sending us such hints as may suggest themselves; and not the least useful will be "hints for the moral conduct of cottagers." Want of room prevents us from saying more at present.

ART. XII. Hints for Experiments.

Walls of Compressed Earth. In Mr. Gibbs's nursery, Brompton, the walls of a small house or cottage are built of blocks of compressed loam, about three times the size of common bricks, and laid in thin clayey mud, as mortar. This building was erected under the direction of Monsieur Cointereaux, a French architect, and the patentee in that country of the invention. M. C. was brought over, and the building erected, at the expence of the Board of Agriculture. For particular purposes, such as cottages, sheds, cottage-garden walls, &c., this mode of building will be found to succeed perfectly; but unless a considerable extent was to be erected, the trouble and expence of teaching labourers to execute it, would, probably, be greater than the profit. Walls of this sort, however, placed upon brick or stone foundations, and well protected by projecting roofs or copings, will, doubtless, endure a great length of time; and as cottage walls, being greater non-conductors than brick or stone, Were a they will be found warmer in winter, and cooler in summer. great extent of this sort of walling to be done, instead of the clumsy mode of forming the blocks, by raising and lowering a weight, in the way piles are driven, a machine might be easily contrived, by an arrangement of levers, like Ruthven's printing-press; or with Bramah's press, as recently improved, so as to compress the earth-bricks to any extent, and much faster, and with much less trouble, than by the French method. We noticed this mode of building in our Encyclopedia of Agriculture (§. 2849.), but were not then so impressed with the perfection to which it may attain, or the uses to which it may be applied, as we have been since examining the specimen at Brompton, and conversing with Mr. Gibbs. By the use of Bramah's press, which will squeeze a deal board to the thickness of drawing-paper in half a minute, the loam blocks may be rendered as hard as ordinary free-stone, and, probably, coping-stones might be formed of the same material, and rendered water-proof by dipping in gas liquor, or washing over with sand and pitch, thin Roman cement, or by some other simple process. We recommend the subject to proprietors about to build any extent of walls or cottages, and to emigrants.

Heating Hothouses by Gas. We should be glad if such of our readers as have an opportunity, would make some experiments, with a view to ascertaining how far the temperature of a greenhouse might be kept up by the consumption of a jet or jets of gas, under a cover of earthenware or iron, placed within the house; we know of no objection to it but the expence, and, probably, that might not be an objection, when the first cost of furnaces and flues, their repair, fuel, attendance, &c., are taken into consideration.

ART. XIII. Education of Gardeners.

Our last notice on this subject hinted at the absolute necessity of every young man, who wished to rank above a common country labourer, "working out" his own intellectual education; and at present we shall only add, that every new occurrence among the operative classes of society, every new Mechanic's Institution, and there is hardly a week passes that there is not one established in some part of London, or of the country (See The Atlas Sunday Newspaper for June 11.), renders this necessity the more imperious. While all other orders of the laborious class of society are raising themselves, let it not be said, as a valued correspondent observes, that gardeners alone remain stationary. But our present purpose is to hint at the modes

by which gardeners who are too old, or disinclined to, or incapable of much intellectual improvement, may benefit themselves; and these modes are two-by emigration, or by change of profession.

A healthy sober man can hardly fail of ultimately rendering himself independent, by emigrating to America, or Australasia, and engaging himself as a country labourer of all work; or better as a gardener. Van Dieman's island we consider the very best country to emigrate to in point of climate, it being as nearly as possible that of England. The country is already almost entirely occupied by Britons cultivating their own property. The price of labour will be high there for a long period, and a frugal day-labourer there might soon save as much as would enable him to make a small purchase. This he might improve and sell, and purchase again, and improve, &c. In North America the price of labour is equally high, but the Winters are long and severe, and the climate of some parts, as Carolina, unhealthy New York is the most desirable city to emigrate, to in the first instance, (See Kingdom on Emigration.) Whoever intends to emigrate would find it greatly to his advantage to acquire some knowledge of carpentry, and common country masonry, and, in short, as many of the architectural arts as he could. Building with compressed earth in Cointereaux's manner, or en pisé, particularly merits attention. (E. of G. § 28. 49. and G. Mag. p. 557.) The wages of a journeyman gardener will always be comparatively low for various reasons; but any gardener may become a tolerable bricklayer, field mason, hedge carpenter, or painter and glazier, in a month. He may not, perhaps, be able to undertake gauged arches, carved work, or graining; but he may become a sufficiently good workman to obtain nearly treble the wages of a journeyman gardener. Nothing can be more readily acquired than bricklaying, painting, and glazing; and while gardeners in the nurseries about London are getting 2s. and 2s. 6d. per day, journeymen in these trades are paid 5s. 6d. and 68. Other occupations which a gardener may acquire will readily occur; but we do not recommend this mode; we would rather see emigration adopted; but should greatly prefer continuing in the original profession, and improving in it to the utmost. For this purpose, we conclude with three hints to young gardeners, have no pleasures,-lose no time, -and concentrate your attention to whatever you take in hand.

ART. XIV. Queries and Answers.

Maclura aurantiaca of Nuttall, (fig. 64.) Diocia Tetrandria, Lin.; and Urticeæ, Juss.

This interesting tree, of which there are several species, was first introduced to the gardens at St. Louis, on the Mississippi, from a village of the Osage Indians. From thence it was carried to the nursery of Mr. M'Mahon of Philadelphia, and afterwards, about 1818, seeds were sent to Lord Bagot in England by M. Correa de Serra. The trees at Philadelphia have reached their full size and bear the Winters there without injury. The tree in Lord Bagot's conservatory is upwards of six feet high; but it has not yet flowered. Lord Bagot presented one to A. B. Lambert, Esq., which is now growing at Boyton in the open air. There is little doubt of its being as hardy as the common mulberry.