house (fig. 1, e), is twelve inches wide, twenty-four long and eighteen deep, the pipes being fitted to it in precisely the same manner as into the boiler. The height of the water is represented by the light lines in the plans; it should never be filled to within, at least, half an inch of the surface of the upper pipe. The furnace around the fire (k) should be built with fire brick, as the heat is so intense as soon to destroy common masonry. Over the furnace, in the end of the green-house, is left an open place, about two feet high, and two feet wide, to admit of easy access to the boiler, from the shed, without entering the house, for the purpose of turning water into the boiler, whenever occasion requires. This place is made close, when not wanted open, by a door of just the size, which opens into the shed by hinges on the door side, and is fastened open by a hook. This is generally kept closed; but, if the green-house is too warm, air may be easily admitted by leaving it open. The grate is cleared of all ashes by drawing out the single bars, when it falls through, and the bars returned to their places. The consumption of fuel is very small; anthracite or hard coal is used. The fire, in common winter weather (Therm. 16° to 24°), is lighted about four o'clock in the afternoon, and about a peck of coal put into the furnace; this lasts until about nine o'clock in the evening, when a half peck more is added. In very severe weather the consumption is greater, a peck, instead of half a peck, being required at nine o'clock. The water should not be allowed to boil, as steam would be generated, and the water wasted. If a very hot fire is kept under the boiler, it will require to have water added more frequently. When there has not been any fire in the furnace for several days, and it is apprehended the night will be intensely cold, it should be lighted earlier than four o'clock. In general, however, the fire should not be allowed to go out as long as there is any heat wanted. The water will then retain its warmth, and less fuel be required in the end, as the furnace will only need occasional replenishing. The atmosphere almost invariably is found the same in the morning as it was left the previous evening, not varying in the greatest, more than two or three degrees. The usual temperature at which it is kept is from 42° to 45°. The front sashes have shutters, which we believe, has not been mentioned above, in describing the house; these are extremely useful; and if there were shutters also to slide over the lower roof sashes, it would be a great saving of fuel. The expense of building this green-house cannot be exactly given; but the actual cost will not exceed the total amount of the following items. For the erection of frame complete, boarding, tan for filling up, and making roof and front sashes 500 feet of crown glass, 7 by 5-$9 Glazing roof and front sashes, Building frame of end shed, filling back with tan, curb in front of furnace, benches for potting, &c. $250 00 45 00 30 00 30 00 Painting house inside, walls, trellis, walk, &c. 16 67 Painting and drawing sashes 5 00 376 67 The following items are for inside work. Erecting stage, fitting up shelves in front, trellis on the back wall, curb to back border and other work Lattice work for centre walk 30 00 15 00 45 00 Expense of heating the house. Building furnace, flue, chimney, and stand for reservoir (3000 brick used) 38 00 Furnace and ash-hole doors and grate 5 00 at 40 cents the lb. 28 00 70 feet of four inch copper pipe (1 lb. to the foot), making and fitting up, at 50 cents per foot (or lb.) 28 00 99 00 $520 67 This amount, Mr. Sweetser states, will not vary but a few dollars from the actual cost; it will not exceed this; if anything, it will fall short. At another opportunity, we hope to present our readers with some facts relative to the temperature, the consumption of fuel, &c., throughout the winter. ART. II. Descriptive Notice of the Osage Orange (Maclura aurantiaca). By T. S. P. THE following extract respecting the Maclùra, is from Loudon's Encyclopedia of Plants; "A spreading deciduous tree, about twenty or thirty feet high, with a yellow axillary berry, the size of an orange, nearly as succulent, and said to be as agreeable when fully ripe." The fruit is beautiful and tempting to the eye, but disagreeable to the taste. It is, properly speaking, a compound berry, or berry-like aggregate, growing on very short peduncles, and attaining, at maturity, a considerable size. It is globular in its form, with a warty surface; of a pale yellow cast, and rather fragrant than otherwise. A tree growing in my garden, yielded this year about one hundred and fifty, many of which weighed eighteen or nineteen ounces. The berries are formed at the axils of the leaves, and when they are as large as sycamore buttons, which, in that state, they exceedingly resemble, the pistillate organs become fully developed. These organs are filiform, like the silk of the Indian corn, about an inch in length, and very numerous. The seeds, however, are generally abortive, owing, probably, to the partial fructification by the pollen of the staminate plant. The branches of the tree are armed with a number of rigid spines, a circumstance which has induced many persons to suppose it may be advantageously used for hedges. It is extremely hardy, flourishes in almost any tolerably fertile soil; and with sufficient clipping, it is highly probable it may become valuable for that purpose. It would certainly be very ornamental. It has also been suggested that the Maclùra might be usefully employed in the arts. The whole tree, including the fruit, abounds in a thick milky fluid, which might doubtless be converted into caoutchouc, as it readily assumes a viscid and elastic consistence when exposed to the air. This gum, however, is obtained in such immense quantities from South America, and at so cheap a rate, that it may not be profitable to cultivate any of our plants for the purpose of obtaining it. Yours, T. S. P. Beaverdam, Virginia, Nov., 1835. It will be recollected that we noticed this plant in our last (I, p. 460), stating that a memoir had been presented to the French institute, in which it was asserted that it would be a good substitute for the Mòrus multicaúlis, the foliage of which is so celebrated for food for the silkworm. By the above excellent communication, from our correspondent, VOL. II.-NO. I. 2 it will be perceived that it may yet become very useful in other respects, and may be extensively employed in various arts. It is a tree, as yet, but little known, and having a very limited cultivation. We are not certain, but we think there are few, if any (except at some of the nurseries) this side of Philadelphia, where it was introduced by Nuttall, the first discoverer and namer of the plant (Genera, &c., of North American Plants, II, p. 223, 1818). It is a beautiful growing tree, and when loaded with its golden fruit, it presents a most magnificent object. When we first saw it, in the fall of 1831, at the Messrs. Landreth's, we were particularly struck with its appearance; it was then full of fruit, but they had not begun to assume their yellow tinge, which they do not, in the Middle States, except in extremely favorable seasons. Much has been said in respect to it, in Loudon's Magazine, particularly in regard to that very important question, whether it is a monoecious or a diœcious plant; that is, whether the staminate (male) and pistillate (female) blossoms are produced in distinct flowers on the same plant; or, whether the staminate blossoms are produced entirely on one plant, and the pistillate ones on another. In Loudon's Encyclopedia of Plants, quoted above by our correspondent, it is registered in Monoe'cia Tetráudria Lindley; and in the Introduction to the Natural System of Botany, by the latter author, Artocárpeæ, to which order it is referred, is defined as containing flowers moncious." But Mr. Nuttall, in his Genera, &c., has placed it in Diœ`cia Tetrándria. From all the information, however, which has been collected together, it appears that Mr. Nuttall was incorrect. J. D., in Loudon's Magazine for June, in a paper on diœcious plants, asks the following question: "Are the sexes of Maclura aurantiaca diœcious, or monœcious?" and then adduces proof to the latter. Further information is yet wanted, and if any of our friends, who are well acquainted with the tree, and have examined the flowers, can communicate anything which will throw more knowledge upon the subject, we shall be happy to receive it. Through our Magazine it will reach those who are very desirous of obtaining such facts as will tend to settle this important question. We have no doubt ourselves, but it belongs to the monoecious plants. In the above communication, mention is made of but one tree, and this has borne fruit, which it would not have done, had it been dioecious. In the Messrs. Landreth's nursery we saw but one tree, and this a large specimen full of fruit, standing isolated from any other tree whatever. The Messrs. Prince have stated, (Gard. Mag. II, p. 350,) that the "male plant is [1826] not only not in Europe, but not in any botanic establishment in this country, except our own." This we infer must have been an error caused by supposing the plants were diœcious, they not having, probably, at that time, produced fruit. It has not yet fruited in England. All the Artocarpeæ to which this belongs, abound in a milky fluid, in most of the genera, resembling caoutchouc. In this order is placed the Upas tree of Java, of which so much has been said, and which contains the most deadly poison. In it also are found those harmless plants, the mulberry and the fig, the latter so well known as an article of luxury. It is one of the singular instances in which deleterious and wholesome plants are found in the same order. We think it very probable that, belonging to the same order of Morus, it will be found a good substitute where that cannot be grown. It is of rapid growth and perfectly hardy in the Middle States; but whether it will stand our northern winters we are not certain, as we do not know of any trees in this quarter. It should, however, be introduced, if for no other purpose than for ornament, into every garden where handsome and showy indigenous trees and shrubs are collected together. Loaded with fruit somewhat resembling an orange, the effect of a few trees, planted either in the pleasure-ground or garden, would be very imposing. Unpalatable as the fruit is, there would be no danger of its being touched; while any of our fine fruit trees, in the same situation, might be subject to continual depredations.-Conds. ART. III. On the Management of Plants in Rooms. By ROBERT MURRAY, Gardener to the Hon. Theodore Lyman, Jr., Waltham. GENTLEMEN, AMIDST the rigors of stern winter, how delightful it is to exhale the balmy odors of a few select plants; even the lovely blush of the expanded rose, when the whole face of nature is clad in a mantle of snow, might entice the most careless admirers of Flora to supply their parlors with these delightful harbingers of pleasure through the winter months. But in all the numbers of your valuable Magazine, I have never observed any hints on the management of greenhouse plants kept in rooms or parlors. In order to supply this deficiency, I have, in as brief a manner as possible, endeavored to give a few remarks, which may not, perhaps, be unimportant. You are aware that it would require too much room to enter into a minute detail, and enumerate a great number of species and varieties, with the modes of propagation; I shall, therefore, confine my remarks to those kinds most generally grown in such situations. In the first place, I shall treat on the proper soils, and the potting or shifting of the plants ;-secondly, how to arrange the plants on the stages or in the windows ;-thirdly, on the watering of the plants ;-fourthly and lastly, how to destroy insects that may annoy them. I shall now begin by considering the plants procured from a friend, or purchased from the nurseryman or seedsman, and take the first part of the subject, namely, soils and potting. I may here merely mention that all the soft wooded kinds will do very well in a good rich loam with a quantity of vegetable mould or decayed tree leaves (I would strongly recommend that a quantity of vegetable mould be kept in store, as it will suit almost every variety of plant); the same may be said of myrtles, oranges, lemons, Aúcuba japónica, Verbèna tryphylla [Alòysia citriodòra], &c., but not quite so light; the most part of the shrubby, or hard wood |