The natural order of plants to which this belongs is 
of great importance to the public, on account of the valuable 
fruit which is borne by many species, and which forms one 
of the most common articles of food in all the southern 
countries of Europe. Every one is familiar with the Gourd, 
the Melon, the Cucumber, and the numerous tribes which 
are arranged under one or other of these denominations. 
Yet they have never found a botanist who would take the 
pains to reduce their infinite variations into order, to 
ascertain their respective qualities, or to determine the 
limits which nature has assigned to the intermixture of their 
varieties, or to the effect produced by ohe upon the other. 
This subject is well deserving attention, and would pro¬ 
bably lead to the discovery of some method of rendering 
the Melon and the Cucumber as hardy and easily culti¬ 
vated as any of the varieties of the Gourd. 
We are therefore glad to see that some pains have been 
taken with the tribe by M. Sageret, whose observations, 
it is well known, have for many years been directed to this 
particular line of investigation. In a paper communicated 
to the Royal and Central Society of Agriculture of Paris, 
he has detailed the result of his experience up to the 
present time. M. Sageret’s Memoir is replete with curious 
information, especially upon the effects of hybridizing 
Cucurbitaceae, in which he seems to have arrived at pre¬ 
cisely, the same conclusions as Kolreuter with regard to 
the effect of intermixing distinct species. We have not 
at present space to enter upon the question; but we 
recommend M. Sageret’s remarks to the attentive con¬ 
sideration of all who are interested in ameliorating the 
products of the garden. 
J. L. 
