Queen pines are grown at Bicton to the weight of 5 lb., and their flavour, as we can bear witness, is excellent; all the plants in pots or boxes, from the smallest heath up to the largest orange tree or camellia, are grown in rough turfy stuff mixed with broken stones or pebbles, sometimes with the addition of powdered bones, and generally with a mixture of charcoal. The introduction of this last ingredient in general culture is a new and important feature, apparently of great importance, for which the horticultural world is indebted to Mr. Barnes. We have prevailed on him to furnish us with an account of his practice, both in the open garden and the hothouse department, and to supply some lists and dimensions of plants; and this he has kindly done in a series of letters, which we give in a separate article, in the order in which they have been received. (To be concluded in our next.)
