42 



FOREIGN NOTICES. 



which have been trented with a weak solution of 

 common salt ami water, totally escape the honey- 

 tlew, where trees of the same kind growinir in the 

 same plot of ground not so treated, have been ma- 

 terially injured by its ravaijes. I think, however, 

 that the solution which has been sometimes employ- 

 ed for this purpose is much too strong for watering 

 plants. I have always preferred a weak liquid, 

 and I am of opinion, that one ounce of salt (chlo- 

 ride ol sodium) to a gallon of M'ater, is quite power- 

 ful enough for the intended purpose. I am in doubt 

 as to the correctness of Knight's opinion, as to the 

 mere water having any material influence in the 

 composition of such a remedy, since I have noticed 

 that standard finit trees, around which, at a dis- 

 tance of six or eight feet from the stem, I had de- 

 posited at a depth of twelve inches a quantity of 

 salt to promote the general health and fruitfulness 

 of the tree, according to the manner former!}' adopt- 

 ed to some extent in the cider countries for the ap- 

 ple orchards, that these escaped the honey-dew 

 which infected adjacent trees, just as well as those 

 which had been watered with salt and water." 



^oth the theoretical and practical horti- 

 culturist will find this Dictionary an inte- 

 resting book, and worthy of a place among 

 those for daily reference. 



Illusthations of Medical Botany : consisting 

 of colored figures of the plants, affording the 

 ■most important articles of the Materia Medica, 

 and descriptive letter press. By Joseth Carson, 

 M. D. Philadelphia : Robert P. Smith, 144 

 Chestnut-street. No. 1. 4to. p. 28. 



We announced this Avork as in preparation 



some months ago, and we have now the 

 first part lying before us. Its chief design 

 is to furnish faithful portraits, of the size 

 and color of nature, of all the most impor- 

 tant plants of the Materia Medica. The 

 plates are characteristically drawn on stone, 

 and neatly and faithfully colored. They 

 are accompanied by concise botanical de- 

 scriptions, and a brief statement of the pe- 

 culiar medical qualities of each species. 

 The author observes : " As the design of the 

 work is simply to present the botanical his- 

 tory of the Materia Medica, and not a com- 

 plete account of it, with the exception of 

 indicating the modes of operation peculiar 

 to each stibstance, all therapeutical and 

 pharmaceutical details appertaining to it, 

 have been omitted. The works especially 

 written with the view of unfolding them 

 are full, and easy of access." 



When we reflect how many students, 

 physicians, and dealers in medicine in this 

 country, are ignorant of the living appear- 

 ance of the vegetable remedies which they 

 employ, we cannot but believe that a work 

 of this kind is well timed, and will be 

 found exceedingly useful. 



FOREIGN NOTICES. 



Rhubarb Tartine. — The enclosed recipe for 

 making what I call, for want of a better name, 

 " Rhubarb Tartine," will, I think, be of some use 

 to cottagers and others, as a cheap mode of using 

 Rhubarb, and especially to those who find pastry 

 unwholesome. Take as many Rhubarb stalks as 

 will fill a baking dish, and lay them in water for 

 ten minutes ; then grease a dish for baking, and 

 put in the bottom of it some bread cut in slices 

 about a quarter of an inch thick, toasted and soaked 

 a few minutes in some boiling water poured into a 

 plate, with two table spoonfuls of moist sugar in it. 

 Cut the Rhubarb into pieces an inch long, and fill 

 the dish ; then put some slices of toasted bread, 

 soaked as before, to cover the top, and bake it about 

 an hour and a half, or till well done. If the toast 

 be cut from the bread after being toasted it will be 

 the nicer. — G. Cooper. Gard. Chron. 



AsPArtAGUs. — I venture to call attention to a 

 practice which prevails so almost universally as to 

 fill me with astonishment, and at the same time 

 make me feel some hesitation in applying to it the 

 terms ridiculous and absurd. The practice to which 

 I allude was forced particularly on my attention in 

 passing through Covent Garden market, on Satur- 

 day last, when of all the beautiful Asparagus ex- 

 posed for sale, every bundle that I saw was white 

 to within an inch of the top ; whereas had it been 

 allowed to grow higher above the ground, it might 

 have been not only edible but delicious. 



I am quite at a loss to account for the prevalence 

 of the custom of earthing up the plants so high for 

 the mefe purpose of blanching the stem. I have, 

 for several years, been in the habit of cutting a 

 large quantity of Asparagus, and my practice has 

 been this: Some time between the second M^eek in 



