DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



branches and over the tree. One application to 

 each tree was sufficient, and had entirely freed 

 his trees from the Curculio, I give this to you 

 for what it is wortli, and you can make such use 

 of it as you choose. Yours, J. Hackett. 



The "Wild Orange or Carolina Laurel. — 

 Dear Sir: I send you a parcel of seed of a 

 beautiful evergreen, known among us as the 

 wild or mock Orange. I infer that it is a 

 stranger to you, from having never seen it no- 

 ticed in your journal. Perhaps, however, you 

 may know it by some other name — if so, you 

 will identify it by the sprig of leaves, and by 

 the fruit, a small glossy black drupe, whicli I 

 enclose. 



At the south we have many noble evergreens, 

 but not one which will surpass it either for ele- 

 gance or form, or for denseness or beauty of 

 foliage. It is a universal favorite, and, though 

 from the abundance of prussic acid which is 

 found in all parts of the tree, it is supposed to 

 be poisonous, it is found in every garden. I 

 have never heard of a serious accident from it. 



It has tliis peculiarity that it bears the shears 

 well. I have seen it trained from the ground 

 in the proportions of the pyramidal cypress: 

 and again kept as a border-edging, though when 

 left to itself, it will attain a height of forty or 

 fifty feet, with a trunk of from nine to eighteen 

 inches in thickness. As a screen, too, it is at 

 once handsome and impervious to tlie sight. I 

 believe it would vvithstand your vigorous winter 

 climate well, for here it timws through a thick 

 coating of ice, with as little apparent damage, 

 as any deciduous tree of them all, 



You will observe that they are enclosed in an 

 oil-silk bag, which will suggest to you the pro- 

 priety of planting them immediately. First. 

 lidwever, soak them for about twenty four 

 hoursin water, as this is always done by those 

 who succeed with it best. I have stripped off 

 the pincaps, a precaution which makes them 

 generally a sure crop. 



Hoping that you will excuse the liberty I 

 have taken, and that the seed may reach you 

 safely, I am, very truly, &c. 0. Simth 

 Carolina, Dec. 5, 1851. 



Our correspondent will receive our thanks 

 for the acceptable present. The evergreen is 

 the Cerasvn CaroIiniensis—nccLv\\- related to 

 those beautiful evergreens, the English laurel 



and the Portugal laurel — which are the orna- 

 ment of almost every European garden. It 

 should be called the Carolina laurel — as it has 

 no affinity with the orange. We regret to say 

 that it will not stand the winters here, as we 

 have proved by trial . We think it will be hardy 

 at Baltimore, and we have sent the seeds to 

 Washington to be planted there, wliere this tree 

 will be very ornamental. Ed. 



The Victoria kegia in the U. States. — 

 We copy the following interesting account of 

 this superb water lily, and Mr. Cope's successful 

 culture of it, from Dr. Emerson's admirable ad- 

 dress before the Delaware Horticultural So- 

 ciety. 



The horticultural triumph, of which I have 

 attempted to give you a short description, as it 

 has been recently achieved in Europe, with the 

 aid of the science, slvill, and wealth there so 

 abundant, lias been promptly repeated on this 

 side of the Atlantic by Mr. Caleb Cope, Presi- 

 dent of the Philadelphia UorticnUural Society, 

 with whose company we arc favored on the pre- 

 sent occasion. When it is considered that in 

 Europe, the aid of princely munificence has 

 been called into re(piisition in obtaining the first 

 successful developments of the Victoiia Regia 

 at Chatsworth, Kew, and Zion House, the hor- 

 ticultural feat accompli.shed by our tasteful and 

 spirited fellow-citizen, must be tlic more highly 

 appreciated. The eclat of Mr. Cope's achieve- 

 ment is only equalled by the kindness he has 

 displayed, not only towards Iiis personal friends, 

 but tlie public at large, to all of whom his su- 

 perb conservatory has been freely opened. More 

 than this, many Horticultural Exliibitiuns have, 

 like the present, been supplied by him during 

 tlie blooming period, with flowers and leaves of 

 the Victoria Regia, which has greatly extended 

 the gratification furnished by a sight so perfect- 

 ly unique. 



On the 21st of last March, Mr. Cope planted 

 in seed-pans four seeds obtained from England, 

 through the kindness of Sir Wm. J. Hooker. 

 Three of these grew, and one of the plants was, 

 on the 21st of May, transferred lo a circular 

 basin about twenty-five feet in diameter, en- 

 closed in a glazed house erected expressly for 

 tlie purpose. There it has been kept in water 

 maintained at the tepid tem])erature of 70° to 

 85° Fahrenheit. Tlic depth of water in the 

 tank or basin is about two and a half feet, and 

 the oozy soil at the bottom, into wjiich the roots 

 of tiic plant expands, is about tlie same depth. 

 It is worthy of notice that the first leaves pro- 

 duced did not exhibit the turned-up edge, or 

 salver-shajie, which contributes such an uncom- 

 mon appearance to to the i)lant, until about 

 twenty-four had grown. Ever since that 

 the leaves have been salvered as quickly .' 

 expanded. The development of a leaf. 



