The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-05-09 00:00:00

HORTICULTURE.

STOVE, CONSERVATORY, &C.—Many of our choice stove—
plants will now be benefited by liberal applications of
liquid manure, especially free-growing sorts, such as'
stephanotes, allamandas, clerodendrons, and similar plants.
The azaleas are now in full bloom, and may have a lower
temperature, which will tend to prolong their season of
beauty ; these lovely plants are worthy of every care, they
require nice management, and when they receive it, amply
repay it ; as they go out of bloom, they should be cleared
of all insect enemies, and allowed to rest in a cold house
fora short time.
FLoWEII GARDEN.—The late frosts will have renderecr
it necessary to sow fresh hardy annuals. Give the grass
lawns and verges a good rolling and mowing, if nem;sary..
KITCHEN GARDEN.—Sow reddish lettuce • prepare
ground for the celery trenches—which year after year are
required earlier—for the table. Wall-fruits still require
protection.

THE LATE FROSTS, according to the Gardeners' Chro—
nicle, have committed terrible destruction among the fruit
crops. On the night of the 24th the thermometer fell to
18 deg., or 14 deg. below freezing, the frost being what is
termed a black frost, of the most pervading description.
Apple, pear, plum, and cherry blossoms were everywhere
killed. There may be a few from later blossoms, and a few
naturally late-blooming apples, but all the Most valuable
are completely destroyed. The shoots of walnuts are hang-
ing wet, black, and soft, as if parboiled. There is no record.
of the thermometer having been thus low in April, near
'London, in the present century at least. Accounts from
the surrounding counties are to the same effect. Near
Tunbridge Wells the most abundant young crop of apri-
cots, peaches, and pears which had, been seen for several
years was entirely destroyed. In Hampshire the whole
of the blooms on the cherries, pears, plums and apples
totally perished ; also the young apricots, which were
larger than damsons, and all the greengage plums, as well:
as rhubarb, and every asparagus head which was above
ground. At Sawbridgeworth all the wall fruit whic, .
I_,=.
not well covered, all the standard pear, plum, aT,l_so"Call.
blossoms, and the greater part of the apples, u
utterly perished.

GIGANTIC BORING MACHINE Vg GLASGOW.-011 nO
occasion have we been more impressed with the magnitude
of the operations carried on in the Glasgow ship-building
yards or steam-engine factories than. when looking on a.
newly-finished boring machine. This magnificent too,
which has been made for one of Mr. Robert Napier's
engine shops, weighs no less than 30 tons, and stands 25-
feet high. 'The height of the entablature of the frame is
15 feet, and the width is no less than 14 feet. The frame-
work of this grand boring machine is composed of two.
upright columns, surmounted by an elegant entablature..
below which the wheels which give power to the
tool which
are supported on a cross beam of great size aria
strength. This tool, which can work at all speeds,fro
one revolution in 21- minutes to 16 revolutions in one-
minute, is capable of boring a hole in solid irilufTa
inches, or a cylinder of seven feet diameter, andCan—tak-;
any feed, from 1-40th to t; of an inch
a
hper revolution of the
hole 7 feet 8 incite ,/
spindle ; and it is capable of boring
in length. We may mention in conc 1•
is to be used for boring and facing nialiT4ttali6-th°l:l
ii ksx
cross-heads, connecting rods, cylinders air *c"-
31\
marine engines.—Glasgow Herald-