of applying it. Moreover, that M. Mar^s has won the prize of 3,000f. proposed by the So- 

 ciety for the best essay on the nature of the malady which has attacked the vine for so 

 many years. The report concludes with proposing prizes of encouragement of l,000f. each 

 to MM. Camilla Leroy and Kopezinski, and of 500f. each to MM. Berkeley, Chancel, Gaudry, 

 Hardy, Money, and Bonnel, for their laudable efforts towards eflfecting the object in question. 

 We may possibly offer some observations upon this subject on a future occasion." 



DicENTRA. — In the " Foreign Notices" last month, occurred the synonyme of Diervilla for 

 Dielytra spectabilis. It was, no doubt, a slip of memory on the part of the paper from which 

 we copied ; it should be Dicentra. 



Camellias. — S. Feast & Son inform us that the Camellias, " Feast's Perfection" and 

 " Triumph of Baltimore," were originated by themselves, and that they did not purchase 

 any of this tribe of plants at Dr. Edmondson's sale. Mr. Feast has hopes that he is in 

 possession of a fine perpetual strawberry. 



A Diving Bell that is entirely independent of suspension, its movements dependent on 

 the will of those within it, has excited much interest abroad ; it is perfectly safe, and 

 capable of lifting enormous weights. 



A New Cement of great value has been obtained by melting together, in an iron vessel, 

 two parts, by weight, of common pitch with one part of gutta percha. It forms a homo- 

 geneous fluid, which is much more manageable for many useful purposes than gutta percha 

 alone. 



Gossip. — A grape grower in France has succeeded in destroying the oidium by burning 

 sulphur under his trellis once a week, and thus obtained a noble crop of grapes, while 

 those around him had very few. One difficulty encountered in the application of any 

 remedy in the wine countries, arises from the sluggish habits of the peasants, and another 

 from religious scruples, as if any exertions of their own out of the ordinary course, inter- 

 fered with the dispensations of Providence. M. Bourgeois presented to the Imperial and 



Central Society of Agriculture some shoots of a vine, as the result of numerous experiments 

 which he had made with respect to ringing, and which he stated had been completely suc- 

 cessful as regards the improvement of the grapes, the berries of which became larger, and 

 ripened earlier in consequence of the operation. According to him, this experiment is of 

 great importance, especially in cold, moist, and late situations in the neighborhood of Paris, 

 where, last year, the grapes did not ripen well. He also states that it prevents the berries from 

 dropping off. Some members of the Society thought that the operation would have no effect 

 upon the grapes situated below the incision, and others believed that ringing weakens the 



plant. The wild carrot makes good pegs for verbenas and petunias. In the Champs 



Elysees, this season, there are some trees which present an odd appearance. They are good 

 sized young horsechestnuts, which were planted this spring, when in leaf. They are alive, 

 but seem not yet to have a hold on the soil enough to supply the exhaustion of evaporation. 

 Accordingly, the trunks are bound round with canvas inclosing a quantity of moss. At 

 the top of this, the stem is surrounded by a funnel-shaped piece of zinc, doubtless to facili- 

 tate the moistening of the moss. A very good result would be produced, if the crest or 



crown of the white thorn could be grafted with the crimson ; the force of contrast would be 

 surprising and effective ; or the white on the crimson would be equally beautiful. This 

 be readily carried into effect on the lawns or jjleasure-grounds, where the trees would 

 safe, which they would scarcely bo in more exposed situations. A second edition of 



