A

most of the others in this nursery, are heated by steam, in a very masterly manner, by Messrs. Bailey of Holborn. single pipe (f) is found quite sufficient to keep up the temperature in the most severe weather. Air is admitted by the front and top sashes in the usual way.

On coming to Mr. Mackay's nursery in January 1823, I found this shelf filled with cuttings of half-hardy evergreens, under common hand-glasses. These were potted off in the month of March following, and about the end of July we filled the shelf in the following manner; viz. three inches of potsherds, brickbats, &c. for drainage; seven inches turfy peat mould, mixed with a little white sand; and three quarters of an inch of pure white sand, well washed, on the top, taking care to incorporate the lower part of the sand with the surface of the peat, which, I ought to observe, was made a little finer on the top, that it might the more easily incorporate with the sand. A copious watering was given, and immediately afterwards the surface was beaten smooth with a flat-sided mallet; the glasses, which vary in size from one inch to fifteen inches in diameter, were then fitted on, arranging the highest at the back, and placing them so as to leave as little of the surface as possible unemployed; the cuttings were put in in the usual way, or pretty nearly as directed by Mr. Sweet, in his very excellent "Botanical Cultivator." And here they usually stand till the following April, when by that time we find most of them fit to pot off. The only difference of treatment from that given to cuttings in pots is, that we rarely move the glasses to wipe them, finding no inconvenience from damps, &c.

The glasses in use at Mr. Mackay's nursery are not quite the same as those commonly used about London. They are of various shapes, and agree only in one particular, that of having a small hole at the top, which is generally left open, but can be stopped at pleasure with a bit of cork. (Square glasses, which might either be blown in that shape, or formed of eight panes in lead-lap, would save room in such a bed as the above.-Cond.)

In giving water, we apply it freely over the tops of the glasses. In this manner we have succeeded in striking most of the difficult species of Banksia, particularly B. grandis, and speciosa var. quercifolia, dryandroides, pulchella, nutans, &c. I have also struck in this way nine species of Dryandra out of the fourteen species now at Clapton, and have little doubt but the other five may also be so propagated, when they come into a state fit to afford cuttings. Elichrysum strikes readily in this way; all the natural order Epacrideæ, and Polygala, Enki

anthus, Camellia, Callistemon, Erica, and in fact almost all the hard-wooded green-house plants in the Clapton collection. Should you think this will be of the least use to any of your numerous readers, you are quite at liberty to publish any part of it you may think proper, and, although more accustomed "to the pruning knife than the pen," yet to the best of my abilities I shall be happy to communicate an account of any thing which you may at any time think of sufficient importance to deserve a place in the Magazine. I am, Sir, &c.

HUGH LOWE.

Clapton Nursery, Aug. 15. 1826.

ART. IX. On the Remuneration of Gardeners, including some Remarks on their Education and Emigration. By W. R. G. West Riding, Yorkshire.

Sir,

I HAVE lately seen your Magazine; I shall subscribe to it as a valuable work, and I wish I could give it my unqualified approbation.

Surely the letter upon remuneration to a most respectable class of men holds out cause for discontent, and may create combination, without aiding their craft: high prices must depend upon supply and demand.

Education will avail much to every man, when imparted with discretion. "The march of intellect" has already injured, in many departments, both the hirer and hired, for the latter are not always the best judges of their own craft, and when produce is too highly rated it becomes unmarketable.

There are diversities of estates as well as intellect; when the latter expands beyond its residence a new one is sought; but will not a prudent man consider whether there are as many good places as there are good gardeners; are places always at hand? Increase the value of labour, and you decrease the demand. The merchant knows he can purchase the higher order of garden luxuries cheaper than he can cultivate the meaner sort, and depend upon it Cocker's arithmetic will have its weight.

Some neighbours maintain the higher order of gardener: my situation requires knowledge, not labour; my brother, from different causes, requires labour, not knowledge. Hence

are diversities of places and wages, as well as talent and industry. Various articles are amalgamated in supply and demand, and I would advise young gardeners not to seek the housekeeper's room before a vacancy occurs in the hall; many, to my knowledge, have from this cause retrograded:

"Incidit in Scyllam, qui vult evitare Charybdin.”

They cannot do better than add contentment to the excellent lesson you have given (Vol. I. p. 356.), "Lose no time, and concentrate attention."

"Necessitati qui se accommodat, sapit."

You may perhaps suppose me averse to education and remuneration. By no means am I so, sub modo; but I have lived too long, and seen too much of operative classes not to know how much contentment sweetens a bitter potion, and how easily the seeds of discontent vegetate and poison the best feelings, affections, and efforts of man.

From such evils, for the gardener's own sake, I would screen him. I would prepare him for the higher departments of horticulture, but I would fortify his mind to wait in patience until better prospects may offer to his view. I would teach him English composition, but I would head his common-placebook with a valuable line from Scaliger:

"Omnibus scribendi datur libertas, paucis facultas."

There are few feelings so difficult to repress as those which arise from half-matured reading. Superficial men deem it nothing to know any matter, unless others are aware of it,

"Scire tuum nihil est, nisi te scire hoc sciat alter."

The wages of gardeners here seem higher than in London, which is an anomaly I cannot understand. If they are discontented with them, I advise a comparison with the incomes of men in other departments, with the college curate, merchant's clerk, but more particularly with subaltern officers, who have purchased their rank and pay. Their own good. sense would then perhaps guide them to enjoy, without repining, the blessings of Providence. Of one point they may remain certain, that wages and merit will ever go hand in hand; for the servant cannot be more desirous of a good place, than a master is of a good servant.

If I may crave your patience, I would say, emigration should not be lightly canvassed. Experience in this district has given rise to mature enquiry and sober caution; and I am

glad to say, a trip to America has given many of our radicals a better feeling to the natale solum.

One traveller gives one account, and another a different one. But few of our unemployed weavers, with an united handicraft, have eulogized the colonies they sought after; and other settlers send home letters of disappointment and misery. Government has now agitated the question, and where valuable and enterprising young men are willing to expend their manhood in other climes, it is grievous to think they may be stranded, from the want of rudder or compass; more particularly so, since few emigrants have the power of removal from the land of their first destination, be it good or bad.

To the young gardener, I wish the best encouragement; to the old one, peace and competence. I wish the opulent as much amusement from horticulture as I myself have received and to yourself, thorough success through all your useful and valuable publications.

West Riding of York.

W. R. G.

ART. X. Some Account of a remarkable Lemon Tree in the Garden of C. Hoare, Esq. F.R.S. H.S. &c. at Luscombe, Devonshire. By Mr. RICHARD SAUNDERS, Gardener there.

Sir,

I BEG respectfully to present you with these two lemons, the produce of a tree which I raised from a cutting six years ago. Exclusive of these two, there is on the same tree ninety-four others, which have attained full maturity, and a remarkably large size, and also a vast quantity of green fruit of various sizes. This tree, with several others, raised at the same time, and in the same manner, consisting of citrons, shaddocks, and limes, was planted when one year old, against a common wall, (the soil having been previously prepared,) the whole of which have grown in a most vigorous and astonishing manner, some of them making shoots from six to seven feet in length, in one year. The third year after being planted, they produced a number of fine fruit, and have continued very productive ever since: one of them, a citron, produced last year thirty-nine fruit, measuring from fifteen to eighteen inches in circumference; two lime trees produced in the same time above three hundred fruit. The trees are protected from frost during the winter with frames and sashes.

Should you consider this worthy of a place in your excellent an interesting work, the Gardener's Magazine, it is at your disposal, and it will give me great pleasure to have contributed in the least way possible to such a useful and desirable work. I am, Sir, &c.

RICHD. SAUNDERS.

The fruit sent us, of one of which we took a sketch, (fig. 11.), weighed 14 oz. each, and measured 113 inches round, and 6 inches long; the length of the leaves was from 9 to 10

inches, and their breadth from 4 to 5 inches. Had there only been a few fruit on the tree, this size, large as it is, would not have appeared so extraordinary; but when it is considered that there were eight dozen all remarkably large, besides an immense quantity of green fruit, and all this upon a tree of only six years' growth, the whole may be considered as well worthy of record. We have often thought that the orange tribe might be more cultivated than they are as a table fruit. A house 6 feet broad, 15 feet high, and 30 feet long, the trees planted in the soil against the back wall, would supply, we should think, a plate of oranges and a plate of shaddocks every day in the year. These fruits are always in season, generally liked, and, what is not the least object in putting a dessert on the table, produce a splendid effect to - Cond.

the eye.