and cast into moulds of any convenient shape for sale. (Mechanic's Magazine, Decem. 1825.)

We may add, that both wax and honey may be bleached perfectly white by steam, or by exposure to a humid atmosphere. In frosty weather the operation is rapid. It is by bleaching in frosty weather, Dr. Bright (Travels in Hungary) tells us, that the Jews bleach common honey to such a degree of whiteness, as to sell it for Kowno honey, which is exclusively made from lime tree blossoms. (Cond.)

ART. IX. Cottage Economy.

IN fixing on a situation for a cottage of any description, a naturally dry or well drained soil, and a sheltered, and yet airy, and not shaded surface, are obvious requisites. But there are two desiderata less obvious, that should also be attended to; not to place a cottage where, during summer, it will be surrounded by bushes, hedges, or trees, in such a way as to maintain around it a pond of stagnated vapour; and always, if possible, to choose a situation where the entrance will be from some point near the south.

Whatever may be the plan or accommodations of the cottage, it should be set down so as that a north and south line may form a diagonal to the square of the outer walls; that is to say, supposing the building a square or parallelogram in the ground plan, one front should face the south-east, and the others the south-west, north-east, and north-west. In consequence of this disposition, the sun may shine into every window of the house every day in the year, with the exception of a few days in December, and every wind that blows will strike on two sides of the house instead of one. The advantage as to the sun is, that the external surfaces of the walls are dried, and the interior of the rooms rendered more cheerful; and as to the winds, that the force of such as are violent is divided, and that drying winds after rain operate upon two surfaces instead of one. Another advantage as to the sun is, that his influence is moderated during the heat of the day in summer, because he then strikes obliquely and equally on two fronts, instead of falling with all his force on one front. This will apply to the roof as well as to the walls. A similar remark may be made as to the cold north winds of winter, which striking obliquely, the cold produced by them is moderated as well as their force.

The ground floor of every cottage should be raised at least one or two feet above the surrounding surface, whether that surface be naturally dry or moist, even or irregular; but if the surface is flat, very great advantages will result from raising the floor of the cottage three feet above the general level from the soil. Dampness and its accompanying cold are effectually obviated. The cold moist stratum of air, which lies on the surface of the ground, and which is known to injure the lower branches of shrubs and herbaceous plants, while it does not affect such as are higher, (Gard. Mag. vol. i. p. 289.) is thus prevented from entering the cottage, and a much greater degree of warmth insured, especially during the night time. Where some degree of ornament and comfort for children and females is considered worth attending to, nothing can add more to such a cottage than a raised terrace or elevated basement completely round it, and less one step of the height of the floor of the house, five or six feet broad, and covered with a veranda, or by the continuation of the cottage roof. This arrangement, independently of many other advantages and beauties, by protecting the walls and windows, and also the foundations, from mois

ture and direct perpendicular cold, will add greatly to the warmth of the house.

Whatever be the style of architecture adopted for a cottage, it ought not to be forgotten that most room, and, for the same expense, greater convenience, can be obtained from a square building than from any other form; and that a great many exterior angles, either in the walls or roof, are not only more expensive at first and in future repairs, but seldom so well executed in cottage building as effectually to exclude the weather. It will easily be understood that the greater additional surface given to the exterior of a building by these projections and recesses, the greater will be the cold produced by constant radiation, evaporation of moisture, and abduction by winds. The best possible form of a cottage in point of warmth, would be that of a semiglobe; we do not, however, recommend this form nor that of a cube for general imitation, but only refer to them as illustrative of principles. We regret that more attention is not devoted to cottage architecture for the lowest classes, by young architects, and shall frequently recur to the subject. In the mean time we repeat our recommendation of Waistell's Designs already recommended (p. 212.), and we hope the subject will be taken up and pursued till it is exhausted, in a work where the good will come into immediate and extensive use, the Mechanic's Magazine.

It has been usual to address proprietors and masters, as a matter of favour and condescension, to improve the external appearance and add to the interior comforts of the cottages on their estates; which is so far commendable, because the attainment of a desirable object ought to be attempted by every lawful means: but it might easily be shown that one reason why cottages, those of gardeners at least, are not more comfortable and commodious than they are, is the indifference or backwardness of their occupants in making the proper representations to their employers. It is not to be expected that those who move in an elevated sphere, and pass their time in the continued round of occupations and amusements peculiar to elevated and independent life, can either be acquainted with the details, or possessed of the leisure requisite to enable them to enter into matters which concern the personal comforts of their servants. Every man's world is the class of society to which he belongs, and it may often happen that an individual in one class may know little more of those classes which rank under or above him, than an inhabitant of the earth can know of those of the moon or the sun. It is the duty therefore of gardeners and others, when they wish for increased comforts in their cottages or in anything else, respectfully to state their case to their employers, and to point out what would add to their happiness. A judicious and reasonable master will be much better satisfied with a servant who acts thus candidly and honestly, than with another, who, under a false notion that it is the duty of his master to attend to his comforts unasked, grieves in secret because nothing is done, and finally becomes careless and neglects his business. Every prudent and worldly-minded master knows that to supply a want before it is properly felt is like taking goods to a falling market, and every servant ought to know that the first step towards the supplying of his wants is to make them known. Though we admit, therefore, that there is great want of improvement and comfort in the cottages both of country labourers and gardeners, yet we cannot agree in throwing the blame exclusively upon the proprietors; but think a considerable share attaches to the occupants; to their false notions as to the relative duties of master and servant; and, in some cases, to a degree of indifference, or want of good taste, on the subject of personal comforts.

ART. X. Hints for Improvements.

CULTURE of the Truffle, Tuber cibárium.-We were in hopes from some hints which appeared in a former Number (Vol. I. p. 320.), that we should have heard before this time of some attempts having been made to subject this fungus to culture, in the manner of the mushroom. Since the hint has not been sufficient, we must now call upon such of our readers as live in the neighbourhood of where Truffles grow naturally, to make some trials. As to the success, we see no reason why it should not be as great with the Truffle as with the mushroom, and there can be little doubt that, if their artificial culture was once established, there would be a great and regular demand for them in the London market. The first attempt should be to imitate their native soil and circumstances, and to ascertain how they may be propagated; afterwards they might be tried in garden soil, or in their natural soil more abundantly supplied with manure; and lastly, they might be forced in beds, or ridges (p. 406.), in the manner of mushrooms. We have looked over Bornholz's pamphlet with a view to select any useful hints for a beginner in England; but that author confines himself to directions for imitating nature in the soil and shadiness of the situation. It appears that in Germany Truffles grow chiefly in forests, and therefore M. Bornholz cultivated them artificially under trees. But, if the natural soil were correctly imitated, the natural shade might be given by litter, furze, leaves, wicker hurdles, boards, or other means suitable to a kitchen-garden. The chief difficulty in the imitation will be the quality of the soil, and its degree of compression and of moisture, and these a gardener can better do from his own observation of the habitat from which he may have procured the Truffles, than from any suggestions which we could give without seeing the habitat. Bornholz observes, that small or young tubercles are more likely to remove with success, than large or full-grown ones. But, we repeat, no instructions that we could give, either from Bornholz, or our own consideration of the subject, will be of so much use to the gardener, as the inspection of the soils and situations where Truffles are found. In England these are not many; we know of a few in Kent, Hampshire, and Oxfordshire, and we trust to the gardeners in the neighbourhood of these for an attempt.

The Baltimore Blackbird, Oriolus Baltimórus, might be easily introduced into this country and naturalised. It is beautiful in colour, black and brilliant orange, sings delightfully, lives on insects, and is fond of building near houses. We have introduced gold and silver fish into our gardens, and why not beautiful birds? The one above mentioned and another we should have no difficulty in raising even in flights, if we could preserve them from being stolen by bird-catchers; namely, the canary: it will endure our hardest winters, and live with the green-finch, to my certain knowledge. Two or three pair, turned out in some nobleman's garden in the spring of the year, would build and breed directly; and, if fed, would not leave the spot. (Rusticus in Urbe.)

OUR Correspondent, Mr. Felton, author of Miscellanies on Ancient and Modern Gardening, 8vo, 1795, and other works, one of the most enthu siastic and extraordinary men in the gardening way, whom we have ever met with, has furnished us with a large stock of gardening scraps and anec

dotes, which it is our intention to supply in small portions occasionally, as we find room, under the above title.

The Interment of Sir William Temple's Heart in his Garden, to some inconsiderate and foolish people gave offence; but, though the thing itself is justifiable enough and deserves no reply, yet let them take this, communicated in a letter to the editor of this work (Aubrey), dated Oct. 1. 1717, from a reverend, ingenious, and learned divine of the church of England, deservedly an intimate friend of Sir William Temple's, in these words: " As to that particular, of his (Sir William Temple's) laying his heart in his garden, a thing so common with the ancients that it seems strange to me that it should seem offensive to the world, especially, if we consider that it was no removal, but a bare consigning it after his death to that paradise where it continued while he was alive; surely we may not think a garden so unhallowed a sepulchre for any private Christian's body, which our Saviour consecrated with his own." (Aubrey's Survey, vol. iii. p. 349.)

Burial in a Field. One of the finest circumstances in the history of rural burial, is related of that most worthy and most benevolent of men, Thomas Hollis, Esq. (Milton's great admirer,) who ordered his body to be buried in one of his fields at Carscomb, in Devonshire, and the field to be ploughed over immediately after his interment.

ART. XII. Garden Antiquities.

PICTURE of an ancient Garden. (fig. 130.)-A painting seven feet six inches by four feet eight inches, by Sebrecht, dated 1696, of the house and gardens of Wollaton Hall, near Nottingham, as they appeared in the

time of King William, is now on sale (price 100 guineas), at Waud's, Noel Street. The architecture of the house, which was built in the time of Queen Elizabeth, is reckoned the chef d'œuvre of Thorpe, who was also the architect of Holland House and Burleigh. The gardens are extensive, and laid out in the Italian style, with terraces, statues, fountains, urns, orange trees in boxes, and, what is more remarkable, an orangery with a glass roof, which must have been one of the first of that description erected in England. The designers of this structure, and probably also of a part of the gardens, must have been London and Wise, the great nurserymen and garden architects of the day. In the fore-ground is a coach and six, with some figures on horseback admirably painted; and in the distance, the woods of Newstead Abbey, formerly the seat of the Byron family, now of Colonel Wildman. As a painting, this picture is of no great value, but, as a portrait of an ancient garden, it is perhaps unique. (Lit. Gaz. April 28.) The small size of our page does not admit of our giving any thing like a faithful idea of so large a picture, and one in which the details are so carefully painted. It is a valuable work of the kind, and worthy of being placed in the gallery of such a seat as Newstead Abbey, now undergoing in the gardens as well as in the dwelling, extensive improvements by the present proprietor Col. Wildman,-in a taste of which it may be sufficient approbation to say, that it is such as Lord Byron would have adopted, had circumstances enabled him to improve them himself, instead of forcing him to transfer them to another.

ART. XIII. Answers to Queries, and Queries.

TULIP bulb (p. 379.); additional Information. When the root planted is not strong enough to bloom, but only comes up with a single broad leaf; the same bulb is taken up which was planted, but enlarged and strengthened. (W. B. Kingscote Gardens, Gloucestershire, March 24. 1827.)

Propagating the Balsam by Cuttings. — Sir, I perfectly succeeded last summer in raising the Balsam from cuttings. The idea occurred to me from observing the manner in which cucumber plants will strike root in that way. I took a Balsam about eighteen inches high, and having stripped off the branches planted them in very small pots, and placed them in a melon pit. In a few days I had the satisfaction of seeing them begin to grow very freely; and after being fresh potted they flowered, but I think not so double as the seedlings. The thing is quite new to the gardeners in this neighbourhood. I am, &c.

C. F. W.

Fazeley, Staffordshire, Jan. 12. 1827. Balsams from Cuttings twenty years ago. I beg leave to observe that I succeeded in this experiment near twenty years ago; but not the first time I made the attempt, because I cut the shoots off and planted them immediately, in consequence of which they every one rotted: finding this to be the case I took off the cuttings and laid them in a cool shady place till the next day, when I found that almost every one of the cuttings so treated, grew; but alas! I could never succeed in producing a good or a handsome plant by this method, as all the plants so raised grew up spindling without any side shoots, and almost every flower was single, or only semi-double, in consequence of which I abandoned it altogether. I am, &c.

Stepney, February 1. 1827. |

W. GREEN.