of an apple tree or two out of my own nursery, performed wonders; and I, as soon as I safely could, conferred a right of claim for certain progress made within limited times; in order to meet the demands of which, I now order additional quantities of the seeds of useful vegetables to be sown, and fresh plantations of gooseberry and currant trees, &c. &c. to be made.

I must not omit to mention, that I have for many years cultivated, on a considerable scale, the rheum palmatum, discarding the other sorts, my experience being precisely conformable to the statements of Dr. Thomson, in your last number, to whom the public ought to feel grateful for his judicious and benevolent attempt to introduce the same to general notice and benefit. Two years ago I gave offsets or divisions of the roots of the rheum palmatum to the wives of four cottagers, and the result promises to leave no garden without some of the plants, as soon as the demand can be satisfied. With one only exception, (arising, perhaps, from peculiar circumstances,) all the villagers' gardens are now well cultivated, some of them highly,-producing peas, beans, potatoes, cabbages, cauliflowers, in the vegetable, and, more sparingly, currants, gooseberries, raspberries, some strawberries, and apples, in the fruit line. One poor fellow brought me, with great pride, his crop of apples from a French graft. But of the decisive change of taste in this respect I need give you no other proof than the gratifying fact, that within the last month I have let to various applicants, in different lots, nearly two acres for additional garden-ground! on three years' terms; engaging to let the cultivator have the first offer thereof, on the usual building terms, if wanted for that purpose within the prescribed time; and promising remission of the first year's rent, if the same be brought into good cultivation, and cropped within that period. Many a man that used to waste his spare time and money in public-houses is now to be seen at work in his garden, after the day's labour is over. Several of the women, too, are conspicuously industrious in this way; so that I mean to fix a day annually for bestowing prizes and rewards publicly, which, as a general and regular inspection must then take place, will, I am sure, prove a powerful stimulus. One other fact, and I have done on this head, I shall leave it to speak for itself, and for the experiment: Nearly all who originally built one house, have now built, or are preparing to build, another adjoining; and, what I hope will be thought decisive, both

of the reputation of the experiment, and the characters of these individuals is, that not one of them finds any difficulty in borrowing whatever money he may himself be deficient in of the amount necessary to carry his intention into execution.

The site now cleared, (excepting of the timber trees,) for the uses of the village, exceeds thirty acres in extent, in which are included, besides the sites of the houses and appropriate gardens, many considerable detached gardens; a meadow of five acres, reserved to the last for building-ground, if wanted; various small places for the run of a single cow; and a village green of two acres nearly covered with flourishing oak trees. As far as practicable, straight lines, or rows, and attempts at uniformity have been avoided, and hitherto I have been able to prevent more than four dwellings being grouped together. The village is situated in a valley, on ground gently rising from the bank of a romantic mountain river at its southernmost end; towards the north, stretching towards and unto my Bedwelty woods, which cover the steeply rising hills on the west, as the woods and plantations of this place do for the most part, the more humble but finely broken eastern bank of the valley. I have the pleasure to add, that, on the whole, notwithstanding severe drawbacks occasioned by the increasing difficulties of the times, there is still a tolerable prospect of additions and improvements next year; and perhaps you will not wonder when I say, that hours spent in the consideration how these may be best effected, form some of the most interesting of my life. I am, Sir, faithfully yours,

JOHN H. MOggridge.

Woodfield, neur Newport, Monmouthshire,

October 11. 1826.

We recommend the above most interesting communication to all our readers, and more especially to such as have it in their power to make similar experiments. Were it once to become the fashion for country gentlemen to be as much occupied in improving the condition of the labouring classes on their estates, as they formerly were in improving the breeds of cattle all over the country, how great and how beneficial would be the change! And why should not this kind of improvement come into fashion as well as any other? Is it more expensive, troublesome, or tedious, or less profitable, rational, elevated, or entertaining? Were such a taste to become general, the first thing would be an exterior appearance of comfort in the cottages and cottage-gardens on every gentleman's

estate, and the next, the establishment of Madras schools in every hamlet and village. The only way to improve the conduct and manners of grown up persons, is to increase their bodily comforts; and the way to perpetuate this improvement in society, is to educate the growing generation so highly, that they will not rest satisfied without the enjoyments which such a state of society affords. The agricultural labourers, in many parts of the country, are in such a wretched state of ignorance and degradation, that to look at their cottages, habiliments, and weekly wages, one would think them incapable of any degree of refinement; but the experiment made by our correspondent shows the contrary, and that in a short time not only the habits of necessity, but even the tastes of a degraded people may be changed. We sincerely hope his principle of improvement will be adopted, and his excellent example imitated; believing that there are few ways in which a landed proprietor could do more good to society, or lay a more solid foundation for self-satisfaction.- -Cond.

ART. VIII. Description of a Propagation Shelf in the Clapton Nursery, with the Mode of using it, &c. By Mr. HUGH Lowe, Foreman and Propagator there.

Sir,

In compliance with your request, I send you a short account of the propagation shelf, mentioned in the Gardener's Magazine (Vol. I. p. 221.)

The green-house, where it is placed, a cross section of which accompanies this, (fig. 10.), faces the north, like most of the propagation houses in the principal nurseries, and is forty feet long. The situation of the shelf (a) is in the highest part of the house, close under the roof glass, for the advantage of perpendicular light, so essential to young growths. The stage is of flag-stones, and also supported upon brick piers (c). On the upper shelf of the stage, a space about a foot wide is reserved as a pathway to the propagating shelf (d). There is a front shelf in the usual way for young plants fit for sale, or for such as are bringing forwards, to yield cuttings (e). This house, and

most of the others in this nursery, are heated by steam, in a very masterly manner, by Messrs. Bailey of Holborn. A single pipe (ƒ) 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.

Clapton Nursery, Aug. 15. 1826.

HUGH LOWE.

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