THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 349 



HORTICULTURxlL AFFAIES. 



New Hardy Cuinum.— The beautiful C. Moorei, which is reported to be 

 hardy, was recently tigured in the Botanical Magazine, and the plate was accotri- 

 panied by the [following observations from the pen of Dr. Hooker, which, no 

 doubt, will be interesting to those of our readers who are interested in beautiful 

 hardy plants. A hardy crinum is a rarity in English gardens, and except the 

 beautiful C. capense, 1 know no other but tliis now in open-air cultivation ; and 

 beautiful as C. capense is, it is by far exceeded in size, foliage, and colour by the 

 subject now under notice. Crinum Moorei was introduced into the Glasuevin 

 Gardens in 1863, by Mr. "\Veb'>, a friend of Dr. Moore's, who had served on the 

 commissariat staif of uur Army in Soutli Africa, and had brought the seeds from the 

 interior — as Dr. Moore thinks, of Natal. During the last five years the specimen 

 from which the drawing in the Magazine was made, has been planted in a border 

 fronting the conservatory range at Glasnevin, without getting the slightest 

 protection, flowering sometimes in autumn, and at other times in spring. The 

 leaves are cut up ia the winter, but the bulbs are not seriously hurt, and soon 

 recover themselves, when they push out a fresh set of their broad peculiarly-ribbed 

 leaves, 18 to 20 inches long. The bulb is remarkably long, sometimes reaching 18 

 inches. 



Canning Fkuit and Vegetables. — An immense trade in canning fruit and 

 vegetables is now carried on in America. Strawberries, Peaches, Beans, Peas, 

 Tomatoes and Cranberries are largely gathered and packed in tins and sealed down. 

 This busy season is said to commence about the middle of May, the Strawberry being 

 the first fruit to ripen, after which others follow in rapid succession, until the season 

 closes early in October. It is estimated that in Baltimore, during the season of 1873, 

 about 20,000,000 cans of fruit and vegetables were so preserved, about one third of 

 which were Peaches. This quantity, large as it may appear, seems to be only 

 sufficient to supply the demand, which has increased very rapidly of late. The 

 packing of fruit and vegetables affords employment for a number of women and 

 children. A quick woman, it is said, can earn l^ dollar per day, and the work is 

 light. 



The Botanic Gardens of St. Petersbueg. — In an acccmt of these gardens 

 by Dr. Regel, in Oartenfiora, it is stated that in 1823 the number of species culti- 

 vated did not exceed 1500, but in 1824 there was a considerable increase, bringing 

 the total up to o6S2, whicli was augmented to 12,000 in 1830. For twenty years 

 the number remained almost stationary, and in 1850 it was only 12,061. But after 

 this there was a rapid accumulation of species. In 1863 they numbered 16,500, 

 and in 1871, 21,320, or probably the largest number in cultivation in any single 

 establishment in the world. These unrivalled collections comprise : 827 species 

 of ferns, 1088 orchids, 214 bromeliads, 350 aroids, 270 palms, 415 conifers, 787 

 cacti, etc., 1128 hardy shrubs, 2763 hardy herbaceous plants, and 1164 economic 

 and useful plants. The herbarium is enormous, containing 5507 classified bundles, 

 including, according to Dr. Kegel's estimate, 165,000 species ; a total, however, 

 that we can scarcely accept. The botanical museum contains numbered fruits and 

 seeds up to 25,500 ; 59,047 specimens of woods ; 1906 fossil plants, and 1530 

 useful products of the vegetable kingdom. A most extensive botanical library enables 

 them to work up these rich collections. It contained, in 1871, 7947 works, in 

 15,552 volumes. 



Esparto or Alfa. — The Franco-Algerian Company obtained from the French 

 Government, in April last, the concession for ninety-nine years of more than 

 800,000 acres of land, the greater part of which is to be devoted to the production 

 of Alfa. The company calculates on a minimum production of 100,000 tons per 

 annum. A ton of Alfa costs 90 francs at Arzew, and is worth 140 francs at an 

 Algerian seaport. The company believes it will be able to reduce the price of the 

 fibre to 130 francs. In order to enable the company to carry out its important work 

 of supplying material for paper-making, the French Government has authorized it 

 to lay down and to work for ninety -nine years, a railway from Arzew to Saida, 

 with branches, in all about 130 miles in length. The Alfa grounds are those 

 known as the Hauts-Plateaux ; the other lands conceded to the company lie about 

 fifty miles to the east of Gran, on the line of the Alger and Oran Railway. 

 November. 



