FOREIGN AND MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 



remain too long in contact with it, they become 

 opaque and never hatch at all, apparently be- 

 cause they are over impregnated. In the or- 

 dinary Avay in which salmon and trout are bred, 

 the milt must be largely diluted with water, 

 and the contact between the milt and the ova 

 can only be momentary; for the streams in 

 wliich tliese fish spawn (particularly salmon) 

 are so rapid that the milt on exclusion must be 

 carried away immediately. 



I am. quite aware that there is another theory 

 which assumes that impregnation takes place 12 

 months before emission; but a very careful ex- 

 amination of the spawnings of minnows and 

 lampreys (I have never been able closely to 

 examine the spawning of the salmon,) convin- 

 ces me that it is not a correct one; besides, did 

 any one ever succeed in hatching the ova of fish 

 which had not been allowed to come into con- 

 tact with milt after exclusion ; if tliey have, 

 when — where — and how was it accomplislied, 

 and where is it recorded?* I know that I could 

 never succeed, although I have often tried the 

 experiment; on tlie other hand, it is the easiest 

 thing imaginable, with due care and a suitable 

 situation, to hatch those that have been proper- 

 ly impregnated after emission. But if I admit, 

 to avoid argument, that this theory is correct, 

 it will not interfere at all with the artificial 

 breeding of trout and salmon; on the contrary 

 it would materially facilitate it. It would only 

 be necessary to catch a female fish, with the 

 ova ready for emission, and place these ova in 

 clean gravel, in a box, as before described; but 

 there would be no occasion for males. T. G. 

 Gard. Chron. 



Blanching Celery. — This year I adopted 

 the following plan with my Celery, which has 

 answered extremely well. I planted it in a 

 trench and left it to grow to its proper height; 

 I then drew each plant through a circular drain 

 tile, and stopped the top of the tiles with moss, 

 and leveled the ground ; in less than three weeks 



* There is, however, one I'act which would almost lend 

 one 10 ouppose that the ova are iinpreg.iated 12 moiillis 

 before emission. It is this, — the male par (salmon fry,) 

 are at this season full of milt, and almost ready for emis- 

 sion; whilst in the fem.tles, the ova are so small, that thoyre- 

 quire a microscope to sec them individually, and the whole 

 ovary is merely like a thread: either the milt of the male 

 is not required to impregnate the roe of the fem.nle, or ihc 

 roe is impregnated long before emission, for the roe of the 

 female par evidently requires many months to hriug it to 

 maturity; but my opinion is, if a female salmon were to 

 ascend a river without being accompanied by, or meeling 

 ^•^ i'lr a male, that the roe would be impregnated by the 

 male par, which always swarms aliout the salmon spawn- 

 ing heds; and the experiments of llie Dukeof Bueclcuch's 

 game-keeper (.Shaw.) lend to prove that this is the fact — 

 the same excess of males may be desirable that exists in 

 a liee-hive. where there are, at least, a thousand males 

 for one female. 



afterwards they were beautifully bleached, quite 

 clean, and came in earlier than in the old way. 

 The drain tiles are very inexpensive, and they 

 do not harbor slugs, &c. — H. M. — lb. 



HORTICULCRAL EXHIBITION AT PaRIS. — I 



went to the show of the Societic Nationale d' 

 Horticulture de la Seine, on Saturdy, the 27th 

 of September. It was held in a very large 

 tent, pitched over one of the fountains in the 

 Champs Ely sees. I observed several, (what I 

 thought) improvements in the way of conduct- 

 ing this fete. It lasted four days; my visit was 

 on the second day, when certainly everything 

 was fresh, and by the crowds I saw entering on 

 the third day, it appeared not to have lost any 

 of its attractions. Not only were fruit and 

 flowers exhibited, but also vegetables, artificial 

 flowers and fruits, ornatuental flower pots, gar- 

 dening instruments, miniature drawing-room and 

 boudoir fountains, for keeping bouquets fresh, 

 and even some singing birds and gold fish. The 

 show of green and hot-house plants was very 

 inferior to ours, but there was great beauty and 

 variety among the common flowers, such as As- 

 ters, Dahlias, &c. Among yellow Picotees, we 

 have nothing equal to show in England. The 

 grounds of several were brighter and deeper 

 colored than ours, with much more variety in 

 the color and uiarkingof the edgings. Indeed, 

 if a little more regularity of shape could be ob- 

 tained, some of them would be very striking 

 flowers. Why cannot we have in England, as 

 they have now (Oct. 2) at Paris, abundance of 

 Strawberries and Artichokes in all the markets? 

 AVhat struck me most was the great profusion 

 of fine ripe Pears exhibited. While we can 

 only obtain two or three good kinds at this sea- 

 son, there are at least eight or ten at Paris. L. 

 H. Ipswich. — lb. 



Expeditious Grape Growing. — Seeing, by 

 the report of the last meeting of the Horticnl- 

 tural Society, that my brother has succeeded 

 in fruiting and ripening wood and fruit of the 

 Black Hamburgh Grape from eyes struck in 

 February last, I beg to state that I have got 

 good bunches and well-swelled berries of Mus- 

 cat of Alexandria, on vines struck from eyes in 

 March last. The vines were not stopped at 15 

 inches high, as his were, but at eight feet, con- 

 sequently the fruit is produced on the laterals. 

 I would particularly recommend those about 

 planting vineries, if they have the convenience, 

 to strike their own plants in February or March, 

 and plant them out in May or June. Some 

 which I have treated in this way here in our 

 new vineries, surpass two-year old plants planted 

 in April. R. Elphinstone. lb. 



