editor's table. 



Tdkkeya Taxii'olia.* — This evergreen has been pronounced among the most satisfactory 

 of the rarer sorts. It stood, at Wodenethe, last winter uninjured, except that the leader 

 was a little whitened ; the sijecinien there is now twelve feet high. It resembles the yew, 

 and conies from Florida, where it attains the height of from twenty to forty feet, with nume- 

 rous spreading branches, tlie appearance not unlike the hemlock ; the leaves are broader 

 than the yew, and marked with two longitudinal lines. The ripe fruit, or, rather, seed, is 

 as large as a nutmeg, but has no fleshy cup as in the yew, but the external coat of the seed 

 itself is leathery, and covers the whole, leaving a minute perforation at the summit. 



It is found on the calcareous hills of the Apalache River as well as the Aspalaga, and 

 south of Suanna. The tree is still scarce in our nurseries, but deserves a more extensive 

 cultivation than it has yet received. It is surprising to find how slowly some of our valuable 

 California and Florida trees are in being attended to. There could be little difficulty in pro- 

 curing the seed. 



It is a Torreya that has been said to be a nutmeg-tree, by the wise men emigrated to 

 California. 



AcoRX. — A lady has kindly sent us a most remarkable acorn from the Plains of Troy, 

 awakening some classical allusions' but we fail to find any description in the books. She 

 calls it the Valonia Oak. 



Parks. — We are continually hearing from abroad of gifts of land for parks, by liberal 

 individuals, as perpetual places of enjoyment for pent-up citizens. A Mr. Adderley has 

 just given ten acres forever to the working people of Birmingham ; and yet our Philadelphia 

 Legislators have possessed, for twenty years, one of the finest sites for a park, and, instead 

 of improving it, have actually allowed a miserable tenant to despoil it annually of its trees 

 and rocks, and disfigure it in every way. This is one of the most extraordinary instances of 

 imperfect legislation on record. A few gentlemen have had influence enough to get Hunting 

 Park Course improved, and an enthusiastic writer, who well deserves to be heard, has issued 

 at his own expense a pamphlet, deprecating the neglect of Pratt's Garden, without effect. 

 Citizens of Philadelphia ! rise up in your might, and displace from office every man who 

 acts so contrarily to the dictates of humanity and civilization ! 



Since the above was written, the City Councils, on the motion of that excellent member, 

 Theodore Cuyler, Esq., have taken measures to displace the present tenant at Lemon Hill, 

 and probably something may yet be done. We ask of members of the Councils a little 

 consideration on the subject. Those who vote against improvement may dejiend upon the 

 frowns of their fellow-citizens. 



New Grape " Canadian Chief." — The handsomest and largest bunch of grapes grown in 

 the open air that we have seen, has been sent us by Mr. G. W. Fearman, of Hamilton, Canada 

 West. It is a seedling white grape, somewhat resembling the Chasselas, and quite good 



* See Fi-ontispiece. 



