The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-04 00:00:00

HORTICULTURAL NOTICE FOR

FEBRUARY.

January has passed away, leaving almost everything to
be done ; yet no time is los►, for this season of torpor will
be found the pioneer of activity. As we anticipated, the
severity of frost abated after the middle of the month ;
yet the ground remained covered with snow. This vanished
with inconceivable rapidity, and saturated the soil, which
has since been—as a general thing—too wet to be worked
with good effect.
The month of January has been most seasonable

_ .
has exhibited all the characteristics of an English winter,
in complete perfection ; and two important facts have been
established—First, that a six-inch stratum of snow is an
efficient protector, as is proved by a comparison between
the sca,ons of 1833 and 1841. la the former, the Bras.
sica.s were ruined—few persons retaining fig e plants of a
hundred alive ; the frost was intense, but there was no
snow ; whereas, though many persons have recently wit-
nessed and recorded 25 to 30 degrees below freezing, no
injury appears now to have been sustained.
The other fact of moment is this:—The greatest rigour
of cold seems to have cecurred within 100 mi!es of the
metropolis, east and south, Scotland and the north-western
counties having enjoyed, comparatively, warm weather.
Everywhere within the last week the ground has been
nearly open, but it remains wet, and the rain of the 30:h
did not improve it. However, we may safely direct to
seize the first opportunity to
Sow early peas, long-pod beans, horn-carrot, a sprink-
ling of lettuce, radish, and all salad-seeds. At and after
the middle of the month, cabbage, savoy, 13russels-sprout
seeds, a small quantity of onion, leek, parsnip, and beet-
root.

Plant out in succession spring cabbage from the seed-
bed ; earliest potatoes into a warm border, five inches
deep ; the ground to be covered with litter, and manure
over the sets.

Dig the ground between rows of plants, of cabbage,
brocoli, bereccAc, artichokes, yet keep a little fern, or
other stuff, near the last, which in the event of brisk frost
may be drawn close around the plan's. In clearing or
digging the garden plots, choose the best weather, for the
temperament of the ground is of great consequence,
much mischief resulting from the disturbance of it when
saturated with wet ; this was seen in the rainy season of
1840, crop after crop failing from damp, and the land
being a swamp till after mid-February.

FRUIT DEPARTMENT.
Prune the berry.bcaring shrubs.—Currants are to be
close spurred, and the lea,:ing shorts cut back to a f, vs
buds—the weakest to be the shortest. Gooseberries may
also be spurred, and will produce abundance of berries;
but the finest fruit is ost7ined From regularly distributed
last'year's shoots. Raspberries should not abound with
weak sheots; four or five strong canes, each shortened to
a bud, where the shoot usually assumes a curve, are amply
sufTitient. After pruning, dust the bushes ideated with
moss or lichens (by means of a dredger) with powdered
lime, and a small proportion of soot.
Prune close to the good spurs, espalier, wall and dwarf
apple, pear, plum, and cherry trees; but defer the regula-
tion of the peach, nectarine, and apricot till the end of the'
month.

ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENTS.
CONSERVATORY.—A Correspondent addressed us too
late to permit a notice of his queries. This erection im-
plies, properly, a lofty glazed house, large in every dimen-
sion, and furnished with a bed of compost soil, two feet
deep or more, over a thorough drainage stratum, wherein
large plants of the New Holland families—acacias, camel-
lia 3, Sec.—are planted without pots. Well prepared, and
ably managed, a good conservatory is a very beautiful
thing. It is geserally, however, conducted on mixed prin-
ciples ; being partly little more than a greenhouse. As to
ternpernture, air, end water, the plants being generally
hard-wooded, will require seldom more than 35 degrees
during the dark months. Air is always admitted in dry
mild weather; and the ample bed of earth provides a store
of durable moisture, which will seldom require increase
till growth takes [lace. The Greenhouse soft-wooded
plants, wherever deposited, demand more care and atten-
tion than those of a firmer texture. FIRE is but a poor ad-
junct. Could screening by covers, rollers, and boards be
conveniently applied, persons would soon perceive that,
even in total darkness during frost, plants would remain
more safe, healthy, and verdant, than when stimulated, or
dried up, by fire.
All the forcing houses should be excited more and more
as sun-light increases; never, however, in the carlisat
vinery aiming at more than 70 degrees by fire—say rather I
63 degrees to 70 degrees.

(OLD COURT.)
Before Mr. Justice WILLIAMSe and Mr. Justice COLTMAN.
The Court was occupied during the morning with a
charge of counterfeiting coin, against James Taylor.
The Solicitor for the Mint had received information
against the prisoner from a companion of his ; but it ap-
peared very questionable from the evidence given whether
the informer had not himself prepared the facts stated
against the other party.
After the evidence had been gone through, the Counsel
for the prosecution withdrew the charge.
ALLEGED FRAUDS UPON INSURANCE COMPANIES.
THE CASE OF THE DRYAD.
Michael Shaw Stewart IVallace and Patrick Max-
well Stuart Wallace, the individuals charged with de-
frauding insurance companies, under the circumstances
that have recently been laid before the public, were
placed at the bar this morning.
When the case was cailed on, the Attorney-General,
who with Messrs. Clarkson, Bodkin, and Laurie, was
instructed on behalf of the prosecution, addressed the
Court, and applied for a postponement of the trial.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL said he was glad that a
Noble Lord now formed part of the Court who had
heard some of the former arguments in this case. It
would be remembered that at. that time a question arose
as to the validity of the remand of the prisoners by the
Magistrate before whom they were taken, but subse-
qeently they were committed for trial. The charge
against the prisoners was that they had been accessory
to the casting away and destroying a vessel called the
Dryad, insured from Liverpool to Santa Cruz for the
sum of 10,0001. There was abundant proof of the
policy being effected, and that no goods were on board
the ship, and also that an attempt was made to cast her
away; but the difficulty they had to contend with was
that there was no proof of the actual loss of the vessel,
a witness who could prove that fact being abroad. It
would be unsafe to proceed with the trial in the ab-
sence of that person, anal be therefore bed to apply
for a postponement of the trial till next session, by
which time there was every reason to believe that the
witness would be in England. The Learned Gentle-
man then read the affidavits of Mr. James Philips, the
solicitor for the prosecution ; and Mr. E. S. Phillips,
the secretary to the Maritime Insurance Saciety, in sup-
port of his statement ; and also a statement of the
wife of the man referred to, that she had heard him say
that the Dryad was cast away and destroyed. Tee
Learned Gentleman, after some further remarks con-
nected with the facts of the case, moved the Court to
postpone the trial.
Mr. PHILLIPS, who appeared for the defence, was
understood to say that he had no objection to offer to
the course proposed by the Attorney-General.
Tho ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that, as this was the
case, the only question that remained was as to the
propriety of 'admitting the prisoners to bail. He should
most decidedly oppose such a course, for he feared
that if the prisoners were set at large, they would
abscond, and the ends of justice be defeated. One of
the prisoners had already absconded from the charge,
and ab indoned his house and family, and he was traced
to the sea-side ; and there was every reason to believe
that he intended to leave the country. He therefore
hoped, that, under all the circumstances, the Court
would not accept bail.
Some conversation here took place between the
Learned Counsel, and Mr. Phillips said that as the pro-
secutors had agreed to the proposition he had made to
refund the prisoners a portion of the money found in
their possession, he should not press his motion for bail.
The ATTORNEY•GENERAL said he thought it quite
eight that the prisoners should be afforded the means
of defending themselves, and he saw no objection to a
sufficieat sum being given them for that purpose.
Mr. PHILLIPS said it must be understood that be
only consented to a postponement till the next Session.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that was all he re-
quired, and the prisoners were then removed.
Robert Langston, aged 19, John Edwards, aged 18,
and Edward Hopkins, aged 22, were indicted for felo-
niously assaulting and wounding James Michael Wood,
with intent to do him some grievous bodily harm.
In another count the intent was laid to be to resist
the lawful apprehension of the prisoner E !wards upon a
charge of felony.
Mr. Phillips appeared for Hopkins.
The prosecutor, who had his head bandaged,and who
appeared to be very weak and ill, deposed, that on the
20th January he was passing down Duke-street,Water-
loo-road, where he saw Edwards, who had a bundle
under his arm, and another man with him, come out of
the house of a pereon named White. Ho suspected
something was wrong, and he followed the parties, and
stopped them and asked them to go back with Ifm
to Mrs. White's, aad they did so, and when he got
there, he found that she had been robbed of
a cloak, and he advised her to send for an
officer, and just as he said the words, a
number of persons, among whom were the prisoners
Langston and Hopkins, rushed into the house,
and Langston struck him a violent blow on the
head viith some instrument which cut completely
through his hat, and inflicted a severe wound on his
head. Witness held Edwards, and a struggle ensued,
and he was dragged into the street, and again kicked
andnear
the
beaten. It
t It appeared by the testimony of other
witnesses that a number of picklock keys were found
and alga a " life preserver," with which
the injury had been inflicted. The prisoner Langston
was the only one identified as having struck the prose-
cutor.
The Jury found Langston guilty,:and acquitted the
other prisoners.
The c ers.
c am prisoners were then indicted for stealing a
eorie jafginairiNdVelpi iotese. d
clo,arkil,etshaemefts w
propertyae
to, and the Jury
convicted EdwardsaannddLangston,
to b
andan i
acquittedninleodp kai
nr sd
The COURT sentenced Langston to be transported
forkep tgtfoteehna rydelaarbsO u r for one year.
Michael Shaughnessy, aged 23, and John Shaugb-
nessy, 30, were indicted for feloniously cutting and
wounding George Mayhew, with intent to do him some
grievous bodily harm.

Messrs. Phillips and Ballantine appeared for the
prisoners.

- It appeared from the evidence, that on the 2d of
January the prosecutor was walking in the City-road,
when ha met the prisoners, who were total strangers
to him, and one of them exclaimed, " Here comes
a - Englishman," and John Shaughnessy knocked I
'uirs down, and Michitel commenced kicking bial on the