338 



FOREIGN NOTICES. 



Belle de Bruxelles, Beurr6 gris, Calebasse Lose, 

 Bezi de Chaumontel. and Bon Chretien d'Espagne. 

 I also noticed some very handsome Pears in that of 

 M. Meys. As it is impossible to name all the finest 

 varieties, I will pass on to the seedling Pears and 

 Apples exhibited by M. Bivort, of Geest, Saint Re- 

 my, in which were Beurrc Kennes (Bivort,) a very 

 handsome large fruit ; No. 2794, very large; Doc- 

 teur Capron, No. 2820, Marie Louise Nouvelle 

 (Van Mons,) and a splendid fruit numbered 1011. 

 Among the seedling Apples the following particu- 

 larly attracted my attention: — Nos. 3, 702!), 7003, 

 bright yellow, 7007, red, and 7023, a Ijeaulifui 

 golden red, M. Ouvelx, of Huy, had also a col- 

 fection of seedling Apples, in which were some very 

 handsome specimens, but as they were not num- 

 bered I am unable to send any particulars. The 

 Grapes were not ripe, and quite unfit for exhibition. 

 The Pines were exhibited growing, and had no- 

 thing whatever remarkable about them. Among 

 the Pears, one, Triomphe de Hasselt,was jiartieu- 

 larly conspicuous, from its enormous size and shape; 

 it must have been at least six inches long, colour 

 brownish green, and bell shaped; I only saw it 

 exhibited by one person, M. Vandievoet. — Foreign 

 Cor. Gardeners' Chronicle. 



Horticultural Exhibitions in France. — It 

 has been a very common, long established custom, 

 to utter pompous phrases about horticulture; we 

 shall, therefore, take good care to repeat none 

 here. We shall not even repeat what so many 

 others have said before us — that horticulture is the 

 most delightful of sciences; but we wish to remark 

 that the art of cultivation is, at present,very much the 

 fashion. This is a peculiarity which is wortiiy of note; 

 for among the ancients, and particularly the Ro- 

 mans, it was at those simple and rude epochs when 

 the arts, luxury, and the corruptions of riches had 

 not yet influenced the age, that the cultivation of 

 the earth was chiefly held in honor. 



With us, it seems that our tastes and inclinations 

 have pursued an inverse course to that remarked 

 among the Romans. It was not, certainly, among 

 our simple, and even rude ancestors, when France 

 was deprived of all the advantages and resources 

 of luxury, of art and civilization, that the culture of 

 the soil was the most esteemed: on the contrary, 

 the haughty proprietors occupied themselves very 

 little with the amelioration of the soil, or with the 

 introduction of new, economical species of plants, 

 etc.; they left this duty to their serfs, upon whom 

 they bestowed very little respect. Civilization 

 made little change in this state of things ; it did not 

 overcome the fatal, feudal prejudices against culti- 

 vators of the soil generally. 



Now, that we have passed through these various 

 stages, and that all the advantages of civilization, 

 all the effects of luxury, and perhaps, also, corrup- 

 tion, which often follows it, have destroyed in us 

 the simplicity of our ancestors, our tastes are be- 

 coming pastoral and rural. Our homes resound 

 with the echo of agricultural labor — we are all cul- 

 tivators. Now, great landholders themselves ma- 

 nage their estates, (or, direct the cultivation of 

 their own lands;) they belong to agricultural socie- 

 ties, to which they bring the results of their expe- 



rience, and receive, in return, the experience of 

 others, and the new discoveries by which they 

 profit. Happy exchange — happy enlightenment — 

 which contributes eminently to the progress of sci- 

 ence, to the prosperity of the country, and to the 

 well-being of society. In pursuing this task, the 

 horticultural societies have a noble position to fill. 

 It is from them, indeed, that we may hope for the 

 introduction into our culture, of new species of im- 

 proved qualities, as well for the food of man and of 

 animals, as for their value in the arts, medicine, etc. 

 The importance of these associations of horticul- 

 ture is fully appreciated at the present da}'; and 

 we see in almost all the principal cities of France, 

 that horticultural societies are formed, under the 

 patronage of illustrious men, and under the auspi- 

 ces of noble ladies, who wish to contribute to the 

 progress of science by distributing medals of en- 

 couragement to those horticulturists who have dis- 

 tinguished themselves either by their labors, or by 

 the introduction of new plants for ornament or uti- 

 litv. — Revue Horticole. 



Medal to M. Gris. — At the annual exhibition 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society of Paris, a re- 

 port was made by the vice president, M. Payen, 

 on the use of sulphate of iron in curing the chlo- 

 rotic diseases of plants (yellow and sickly foliage, 

 etc.,) and a silver medal was awarded to M. 

 EusEBE Gris, the young and learned chemist, who 

 has devoted several years of study to this important 

 subject. — Revue Horticole. 



The Chateau des Fleurs. — A new hall, or 

 structure of large size and great beauty, devoted 

 to the exhibition and sale of flowers daily, has lately 

 been opened at Paris, which is said to eclipse any- 

 thing of the kind before attempted. Delicious mu- 

 sic, turf enamelled with blossoms, large groups 

 and masses of plants and trees, and the greatest 

 profusion of flowers make up the effect of this luxu- 

 rious establishment. 



At a leading show, held in the Chateau on the 

 12th of September, Dahlias and China Asters dis- 

 puted the palm lor variety and beauty. There 

 were 2000 pots of China Asters grouped in masses, 

 and all the world admired the varied colours, their 

 form, and size of the blossoms. The finest collec- 

 tions of Heaths, Fuchsias, Pansies, and other plants, 

 made up the brilliant exhibition. 



Chinese Agricultural Population. — There 

 are few sights more pleasing than a Chinese family 

 in the interior, engaged in gathering the tea leaves, 

 or indeed in any of their other agricultural pur- 

 suits. There is the old man, patriarch-like, di- 

 recting his descendants, many of whom are in their 

 youth and prime, while others are in their child- 

 hood, in the labors of the field. He stands in the 

 midst of them, bowed down with age. But to the 

 honor of the Chinese, as a nation, he is always 

 looked up to by all with pride and affection, and 

 his old age and grey hairs are honored, revered 

 and loved. When, after the labors of the day are 

 over, they return to their humble and happy homes, 

 their fare consists principally of rice, fish and vege- 

 tables, which they enjoy with great zest, and are 



