FOREIGN NOTICES. 



337 



^lescribed as a very fine shrub, with deep yellow 

 flowers, and growing from 8 to 12 feet high. Ac- 

 cording to Siebold and Zuccarini, who have figured 

 it, there are two varieties, one with weeping 

 branches, and tiie other with upriglit ones; both 

 are said to have been obtained from China by the 

 Japanese, who plant them along ^yith evergreens 

 for the sake of obtaining, from the varied appear- 

 ance produced in the spring by this plant, a good 

 background to the Peaches, Apricots, and Camel- 

 lias, that blossom at the same time. This species 

 is said to have been brought alive to Holland in 

 1833, by M. Verkerk Pistorius. (See SieboUl and 

 Zuccarini, Flora Japonica, vol. 1, p. 14.) The 

 species obtained by flir. Fortune is very distinct 

 from the original Forsyth ia. Its leaves do not 

 appear even to be pinnated, and instead of having 

 an ovate form, they are strictly oblong, or oblong 

 lanceolate. The branches are four-cornered in- 

 stead of being terete, and are perfectly erect. The 

 calyx is shorter and more membranous, and the 

 flowers are smaller. It is no doubt a very diffe- 

 rent plant, and maj' be expected to become a great 

 favorite when the specimens in the garden are old 

 enough to flower; for then the branches will be 

 found to be loaded, before the leaves, with yellow 

 flowers as large as those of Chimonanthus grandi- 

 florus. In its present state it forms a compact deep 

 green bush, with oblong opposite leaves serrated 

 near the point, but perfectly free from indentations 

 below the middle. They emit a slight balsamic 

 odor, and from their smoothness, want of lustre, 

 and deep rich tint, are very handsome. The fol- 

 lowing are Mr. Fortune's observations on this spe- 

 cies: — "This is a deciduous shrub with very dark 

 green leaves, which are prettily serrated at the 

 margin. It grows about 8 or 10 feet high in the 

 north of China, and sheds its leaves in autumn. It 

 then remains dormant like any of the deciduous 

 shrubs of Europe, but is remarlcable for the num- 

 ber of large prominent buds which are scattered 

 along the young stems produced the summer be- 

 fore. Early in spring these buds, which are 

 flower-buds, gradually unfold themselves, an<l pre- 

 sent a profusion of bright yellow blossoms all over 

 the shrub, which is highly ornamental. I first 

 discovered it growing in the same garden with 

 Wiegela rosea, which, I have said in another place, 

 belonged to a Chinese Mandarin, on the island of 

 Chusan, and w'as generally called the ' Grotto Gar- 

 den ' by the English. Like the Wiegela it is a 

 great favorite with the Chinese, and is generally 

 grown in all the gardens of the rich in the north 

 of China. I afterwards found it wild amongst the 

 mountains of the interior in the province of Che- 

 kiang, where I thought it even more ornamental 

 in its natural state amongst the hedges, than when 

 cultivated in the fairy gardens of the Mandarins. 

 In England it is probable that it will be nearly 

 hardy, but t advise the possessors of it in the first 

 place to keep- it in the greenhouse, and to plant it 

 on tlie conservatory wall, until its constitution is 

 proved in tlie Garden of the Society next winter. 

 It is a free growing bush, and is easily increased 

 by cuttings or layers." — Journal of Ilort. Soc. 



Bones Dissolved in Sulphuric Acid. — I 



43 



applied them as manure to Strawberry plants in 

 pots for forcing, and from the appearance of the 

 plants, I am satisfieil it is one of the very best ma- 

 nures for this fruit, and worthy of extensive trial. 

 I have tried the elfect of various manures on the 

 Strawberry, but never had plants near so good as 1 

 have tliem this season. Should they produce fruit 

 accoriling to my expectation, I will send a sample 

 for inspection. — Robert Cassilis. 



To PREVENT Hares and Rabbits barking 

 Trees. — To one gallon stale urine add one quart 

 powdered lime, and one pint foreign tar; warm 

 the tar to mix v/ith the above, then add as much 

 cow's dung as will bring it to the consistency of 

 thin paint. Apply it to the trees with a painter's 

 brush. ^—Gardeners' Chronicle. 



Chinese method of Dwarfing Trees. — On 

 the termination of the late Chinese war, ourneigh- 

 bors, the French, who shared in the interest so 

 generally excited by the event, sent a mission to 

 China, to form, if jiossible, a treaty of commerce 

 with the Celestial Government. Confident hopes 

 were entertained of the success of this mission; the 

 finest silks and choicest wines formed part of the 

 cargo of serious argument provitled by these del- 

 egates of commerce. I believe Messieurs les Chi- 

 nois were inaccessible to the above mentioned 

 reasonings. La mode Parisienne only excited their 

 merriment, and the wine their unequivocal dislike. 

 However, it is not my i)resent purpose to speculate 

 on the comiiierctal possibilities of this mission. In 

 a short history of the voyage, b)' one of the party, 

 I have founil an amusing account of the method 

 pursued in dwarfing trees, which perhaps may be 

 more interesting to horticultural readeis. 



Immediately preceding the details of the dwarf- 

 ing system, is an account of a fete day in Canton; 

 that part which introduces and suggesfs the history 

 of the dwarf trees, maj', perhaps, without impro- 

 priety, be added here. 



The attach's of the mission were verj' much as- 

 tonished one moi'ning to find the appearance of the 

 two principal s'.reels of Canton completely changed. 

 Before each house was set a kind of stand or altar, 

 of considerable size; upon the difi'erent steps of 

 these stands were placed figures in porcelain and 

 cardboard; by the side of these tliey remarked 

 vases planted with fruit trees, scarcely a foot in 

 height, the branches of which, twisted and distort- 

 ed, bent under the weight of their fruit, which was 

 of their natural size. 



The figiues of cardboard and porcelain, the most 

 eccentric the brain of a Chinaman coulil invent, 

 were in continual movement. Here a Mandarin, 

 of the first class, rolled his haggard eyes, anil ges- 

 ticulatetl his arms; there a soldier sabred nothing 

 right and left; further on a Chinese lady raised ten- 

 derly her languishing eyes, and fanneil a large- 

 headeil n>an, wlio each moment hung out an im- 

 mense t(mgue. Time after time the fantastic 

 images stopped as if fatigued with their exercise, 

 but then the projirietors of the stands gave them 

 some strokes with a whip, and immediately the 

 pantomime recommenced with renewed activity. 

 Tliere was enough in this to astonish the curious 



