FOREIGN NOTICES. 



381 



" Take a quantity of fresh [earth] worms, put | 

 them into a wooden box, with a small quantity of 

 carbonate of barytcs in powder, and let them re- 

 main for an hour or two: then find out the runs 

 where the moles leave the fences for the land, lay [ 

 in every run five or six worms, and continue doing I 

 so as Ions as the worms are carried away by the 

 moles. I was infested with moles before I used 

 this remedy, which was about fifteen years since, 

 but have never been injured since, by giving a little 

 attention to them in the spring." 



I cfimmiinicated the above remedy to an English 

 friend, and he has written to me, confirming its 

 entire efficacy. — Richardson's Pests of the Farm. 



To PROTECT Trees against Hares and Rab- 

 bits. — For years I have suffered by the destruction 

 committed by these vermin among my apple trees: 

 unless painted every year with train oil and hogs' 

 lard, mixed over the fire to tiie consistence of paste, 

 many thousands of my trees would have been de- 

 stroyed. The above I have found the only efficient 

 composition, after many trials of others recom- 

 mended. The oil is injurious to trees, but the lard 

 neutralizes its bad effect, and appears to prevent 

 its penetrating tlie bark ; still, the trouble of hav- 

 ing "20,000 apple trees painted with a brush by boys, 

 was very great; and I felt much pleased when vi- 

 siting Mr. Dillistone last autumn, to learn from 

 him that sundry pieces of rags tied to sticks, which 

 I observed in his nursery, and about which I was 

 inquiring, were sulphured rags, which had protect- 

 ed his trees from hares and rabbits, all the prece- 

 ding winter. I must confess, however, that I felt 

 incredulous, observing at the same time that, sur- 

 rounded as I am by preserves, if they would pro- 

 tect my trees, I should feel perfectly convinced of 

 their efficac}'. In November last, I purchased a 

 quantity of sulphur, collected sundry pieces of rags, 

 which were cut into slips nine inches by six ; these 

 were put into cleft sticks (about two feet in length,) 

 dipped into the melted sulphur, and the sticks with 

 their miniature flags stuck into the earth so as to 

 stand about eighteen inches out of the ground , round 

 the quarters of apple trees, about three 3'ards apart. 

 Now for the result. We have had much sharp 

 weather, in which hares and rabbits are generally 

 very destructive, but not a single tree has been 

 touched in those quarters surrounded by my flags 

 of sulphur. Some straggling unprotected trees 

 have been completely gnawed round, and in parti- 

 cular one solitary row of apple trees, which was 

 forgotten, was entirely destroyed. I have, there- 

 fore, strong hopes that I shall never more have oc- 

 casion to smear my trees with oil and grease, and 

 other compositions, all of which are, to a certain 

 degree, injurious; for oil, even when mixed with 

 lard, often forms a coat over the buds on the young 

 shoots, and prevents their breaking kindly. I have, 

 in bygone years, destroyed in my nursery more 

 than three hundred hares and rabbits in one sea- 

 son. I have reason to be grateful for such a simple 

 and efficacious mode of protection from their rava- 

 ges. — T. Rivers, Sawbndgeworth. 



Dr. Hooker's Botanical Mission to India. — 

 The increased and increasing patronage which the 



government of this country affords to science, is a 

 subject of high satisfaction to all naturalists. This 

 patronage is peculiarly evinced in the liberality 

 with which the treasures contained in the British 

 Museum, and those in the Royal Garden at Kew, 

 are rendered available to the public good. In con- 

 nection with the latter establishment, we have to 

 announce that one of the most enthusiastic votaries 

 of Botany, whose name stands at the head of the 

 present article, has just quitted this country to 

 further its interests. Dr. Hooker, having brought 

 his " Flora Antarctica," part of the results of a 

 previous voyage, to a close, has been appointed 

 by Her Majesty's Government to investiirate the 

 vegetable productions of India, and especially of 

 the Himmalaya mountains; and as a treaty is now 

 in progress of negotiation between the British pow- 

 ers in Hindostan and the Chinese, with reference 

 to the boundaries of Thibet, it is possible even the 

 latter interesting region may be visited by Dr. 

 Hooker in the course of his journey. The most 

 important assistance, in exploring the botany of 

 northern India, is promised to our traveller by His 

 Excellency the Governor-General, Lord Dalhousie, 

 and by the Court of Directors of the Honorable- 

 East-India Company. After spending about twelve 

 months in this undertakinir, Dr. Hooker's instruc- 

 tions are to return in 1849 to Calcutta, and thence 

 proceed to Singapore and Borneo. At the latter 

 island, the valuable aid of His Excellency, Mr. 

 Brooke, and the protection afforded by H. M. ship 

 Meander, (commanded by the Hon. Capt. Keppel, 

 to which ship Dr. Hooker will be attached as su- 

 pernumerary medical officer,) will enable Dr. 

 Hooker to fulfil the designs of the enlightened First 

 Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Auckland, who directs 

 that he shall pursue his botanical researches and 

 draw up a report on the vegetable productions of 

 the British settlement of Labuan, and such parts 

 of Borneo as can be safely explored. It is espe- 

 cially his object to ascend, if possible, the great 

 mountain of Keeny Baloo, supposed to be 14,000 ft. 

 in height. Dr. Hooker embarked at Portsmouth 

 on the 11th of November, in H. M. steam frigate 

 Sidon, which conveys Lord Dalhousie to Alexan- 

 dria, en route, for Calcutta, and he may be expect- 

 ed to arrive there towards the end of December. 

 Two or three months will probably be devoted to 

 investigating the plains of Bengal, and particularly 

 the fossil vegetable remains in the coal formation 

 at Bui d wan; and then Dr. Hooker will journey 

 northward, perhaps to Sikkim, but his exact route 

 must considerably depend on circumstances which 

 it is impossible yet to foresee. — London Journal of 

 Botany. 



Pears on Qitince Stocks. — We have lately heard 

 a little on this subject, but I imagine before long we 

 shall hear a great deal more; my own information, 

 you will perceive, is very limited, and my object is 

 merely to draw attention to the subject. I shall 

 also have to name Mr. Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, 

 several times, so that I may appear to some to be 

 a commission agent of his; but I beg to say, al- 

 though I have been in his garden, I have never seen 

 him in my life, and I much fear he would not em- 

 ploy me as his advocate, if he needed one. 



