might murder it downright, while gravel, drought, and cold only starve it, or afflict it with gradual and incurable decay. To come to the point. The almond delights in stiff clay and strong loam. I say not that it may not be poisoned by wet stagnating on stiff clay; but give it draining, and give it even a moderately warm climate in Britain, and your almond on clay does well. Many have unfortunately experienced that the peach and nectarine, grafted on the ordinary stocks, and planted on clay, are diseased, unproductive, and of short duration. But on those soils the peach and nectarine, budded on almond stocks, have a decided superiority. The Parisian nurserymen bud their peaches and nectarines principally on almond stocks, and those are found highly productive, and I have heard no complaint derogatory to their pre-eminence, when planted on very strong clay soils in this country; as, for instance, on the London blue clay. A specimen may be enquired for in the gardens of William Agar, Esq. at Elm Grove, on the banks of the Regent's Canal, in the road from London to Highgate, who about six years since, finding the failure on his soil of British Stocks, planted a considerable number budded on almond stocks, which he obtained from that most intelligent, zealous, and active friend to horticultural improvement, M. Vilmorin, St. Andrieux, 32. Quai de Mégisserie, Paris. It is true, that these trees are yet young, but let those who wish to investigate the universality of the application of Mr. Anderson's experiment, keep their eye upon Mr. Agar's trees, and mark the result.

I would subscribe my name, were I not a member of a profession, to excel in which, it is too often supposed that its professors ought to know nothing else, and wish to know nothing else beyond its peculiar studies. I know not whether of the two would be the more injurious to me, to have it believed that I could write a good anacreontic song, or that I was a good gardener. I am, Sir, &c.

Oct. 26. 1826.

CAUSIDICUS.

ART. XVI. Observations on Mr. Anderson's Experiments with Peaches and Apricots budded on Almond Stocks. By HORTULANUS.

Sir,

MR. ANDERSON has expressed a wish that further trials should be made in respect to the almond as a stock for peaches.

I am inclined to think that Mr. Anderson's experiments are quite sufficient to convince every one that the peach budded on the almond will not succeed in this climate. He certainly adopted the best methods for ascertaining the point by sowing the seed and budding the stock where i was to remain, it being one objection, and that not a small one, to its general use, that the almond forms tap roots with scarcely any fibres, and on that account much uncertainty attends its transplantation. Even with this treatment, Mr. Anderson is not successful, as he finds his trees, when just coming into bearing, die off like rotten sheep; and I think Mr. Anderson accounts for it very satisfactorily, when he says, "It should be observed, that the almond tree usually continues growing, even till checked by the frost in December." There can be no doubt, therefore, that there is the same excitement when it is a stock for a peach, and as the superstructure is dormant, there must be a disagreement between the parties, as it may be called an unnatural union.

In regard to the practice abroad, I cannot take upon me to say that it is not done, but I think, if so, only on a limited scale; though it may do better in a warmer country, the almond being a native of Barbary. I am certain this is not the general mode abroad. I have seen some hundreds of peach, nectarine, and apricot trees, brought from France and Holland, not budded on almond but on plum stocks, and so well united with the stock, and appearing so healthy, that many of the trees were purchased for the sake of the stocks, and planted for stools, and the produce of which at this time are held in the greatest estimation for the purpose of budding the more tender kinds on, viz. those generally termed French peaches, &c. I think you are misinformed, Mr. Conductor, on the subject of the stocks used in Germany, as the St. Julien is the Brussels of this country, which is a very exceptionable stock for budding any kind of fruit-tree on. I am sure the Damson must be inapplicable altogether. I am, &c.

Dec. 27. 1826.

HORTULANUS.

Our authority for stating that the Damson plum (Damas Noir) was used as a stock on the Continent, is the Bon Jardinier (1826, p. 258.), but possibly the plants alluded to may be different from the damson of this country. A writer in the Irish Farmer's Journal, in reference to this subject, says, "The late Sir William Newcomen, of Killester, near Dublin, had almost all his peach, nectarine, and moor park apricots

inoculated on stocks raised from the kernels of the green gage plum, and I understand with uncommon success."- Cond.

ART. XVII. Description of the Iron-work and Glazing of the Conservatory at the Grange, the Seat of Alexander Baring, Esq., M.P., F.H.S. Hampshire, erected by Messrs. Jones and Clark, Birmingham. Communicated by Messrs. JONES and CLARK.

Sir,

WE beg leave to send you an engraved perspective view (from which we have taken fig. 50.) of the interior of a con

servatory, which we had the honour to erect for Alexander Baring, Esq. M. P., at his seat, the Grange, Hampshire, in the autumn of 1824, and which has already been noticed in the Gardener's Magazine (vol. i. p. 108.). This magnificent structure is about 100 feet in length, by 50 in breadth, outside dimensions. The roof is wholly composed of metal and glass, the lights of wrought-iron rims, and copper bars, being supported by cast-iron rafters, communicating with gutters or spouts of the same materials; over the walks is thrown an arched covering, formed of double plates of sheet-iron, resting upon a frame-work of cast-iron, the whole being supported by four ranges of columns, also of cast-iron, extending the whole length of the conservatory. The lights composing the roof are glazed upon an improved circular plan, with perforated leaded laps, which not only prevents all breakage from frost, but at the same time carries off all the condensed steam from within the house. The front and ends of the conservatory

consist of French doors, or casements, with transomes and side-lights, 18 feet 4 inches in height, with deal framing and copper bars; and between the casements are pilasters of brick, faced with Roman cement, and surmounted with an entablature, also of brick and cement. The whole of the conservatory, with the exception of the brick and stone work, was executed, and its different parts put together, at our manufactory in Birmingham, and afterwards erected in its present situation by our own workmen. The architect who furnished the original design, was C. R. Cockerell, Esq.; and we think we may safely venture to affirm that the conservatory at the Grange is not surpassed by any thing of the kind in the United Kingdom.

In the autumn of 1825, we put up a very beautiful conservatory for C. Baring Wall, Esq. M. P., at Norman Court; and have still more recently erected an elegant and highly ornamental octagonal-shaped conservatory at Shavington Hall, Salop, the seat of the Earl of Kilmorey.

We are, Sir, respectfully, &c.

JONES AND CLARK.

Metallic Hot-house Manufactory, 55. Lionel Street,

Birmingham, Jan. 27. 1827.

ART. XVIII. On the Mode of cultivating Early Potatoes in Denbighshire. By a DENBIGHSHIRE GARDENer.

Sir,

IN Vol. I. p. 405. of the Gardener's Magazine, R. W. acquaints your readers how the Lancashire cultivators prepare their early crops of potatoes; permit me to make known the Denbighshire practice.

The sorts we chiefly cultivate for early crops, are the Foxley, the Nelson, and early kidneys, which are pretty nearly equal in times of ripening. I shall confine myself to the early kidneys, which seem to be nearly like R. W.'s "Lady's Fingers," or "early Rufford kidney potato."

We take up all intended for seed next year before they are ripe, just when the outer skin peels off, and before the stalk or stem begins to wither; they are then laid upon a gravel walk, fully exposed to the sun, for a month or six weeks, when they become quite green and soft, as if roasted, and often much shrivelled; they are then put away, and protected as other potatoes are. In February we examine them, when we

generally find every eye full of long sprouts fit to be planted: they are then cut as described by R. W.; but less economically, as we seldom make more than two sets from each tuber,

the eye, or top part, and the root, or bottom part. We plant them as described by him, the eyes upwards in both parts; and we observe, as described by him, that the potatoes from the eye or top sets are earlier by a fortnight; and that from those planted in the common ground. And let me observe, in by no means the warmest or richest part of our country, the writer had a dish of ripe potatoes at dinner last Whitsunday the 14th of May, and the same every day since, from successional crops, until the 20th of July, when the common potatoes came into use.

You will perhaps wish to know how we secure the successional crops of the same varieties. In February 1818, the writer procured the above varieties from town, and they were planted the latter end of March; although treated as the other potatoes, they were three weeks or a month earlier than the general crops. Before they were ripe, as before described, other row was taken up, and the potatoes exposed to every the influence of the scorching sun; the other rows were left until ripe, and were laid up with those taken up unripe, care being taken to keep each sort separate. In December they were examined. Every eye of those taken up unripe had a sprout almost an inch long, the tuber itself quite soft, and all wrinkles had disappeared; while those left to grow ripe, were as hard as when laid up, showing no appearance of vegetation. In February they were again examined. Those taken up unripe were covered with sprouts from six to eight inches long; those taken up ripe began to show sprouts. Each sort was then cut Lancashire fashion, and planted the same day in alternate rows of ripe and unripe; and also the tops and bottoms of both sorts were set separately in alternate rows. In the beginning of April, every plant from the unripe sets was growing freely; the eye, or top sets, nine days or a fortnight earlier than the others; the plants from the ripe set were only beginning to appear; the eye sets of those were evidently earlier than the bottom. When planted on litter and stable dung, they were all covered with earth, about two or three inches deep, and were not earthed up, as is usually the case.

Brevity being essential to render your miscellany interesting, I will not at present enter into further detail, but state to you how they were taken up. The early potatoes not earthed up, grow close round the stalk or stem, like eggs in a nest, and so near the surface, that they may readily be picked off