DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



burst into bloom instantaneously. No one has 

 been able to penetrate the secret of the ' ' dis- 

 covery," as it is called, — legerdemain, as it pro- 

 bably ought to be called. The following account 

 by an eye witness, (the correspondent of the 

 St. Louis Kepublican,) gives the impres.sion 

 made upon the speculators, w'hich is certainly 

 very curious. 



And now let me tell you of a most beautiful 

 and interesting discovery which has lately been 

 made by a celebrated Parisian horticulturist by 

 the name of Hebert. I was persuaded to go 

 to his rooms a few days since, and I assure you 

 I had no reason to regret the long walk. I had 

 taken. Beneath a large glass case, four or five 

 feet in height, and as many in circumference, 

 were placed pots of roses, japonicas, pinks, 

 dahlias, china asters, 8tc., &c., all in bud. By 

 means of a certain gas, invented by himself, 

 and which is made to pass by a gutta percha 

 tube to any pot required, Mr. Hebert causes 

 the instantaneous blooming of the flowers. The 

 ladies in the room asked successively for roses, 

 dahlias, and japonicas, and saw them burst into 

 full bloom and beauty, in a second. It was 

 really wonderful. Mr. Hebert is now trying to 

 improve on his discovery, and to make the gas 

 more portable and its application less visible. 

 The secret is, of course his, and his rooms are 

 crowded every day with the most delighted 

 spectators. I wish I could send you the lovely 

 camellia which I received, which, when asked for 

 was so tightly enveloped in the green leaves of 

 its calix, that the color of its flower could not 

 even be guessed at ; and yet the request was 

 hardly out of my lips wlien the beautiful white 

 camellia was in my hand. When he has made 

 a little more progress, Mr. Hebert intends to 

 get out a i^atent and deliver his discovery to the 

 public. 



Gardeners — so-called. — Mr. Elliott, in 

 the first number of the Ohio Farmer, comments 

 on our complaint of the scarcity of really good 

 gardeners — who understand the nature of our 

 climate, as follows: 



Amateur cultivators of ornamental trees, 

 shrubs, plants, etc., in Ohio, and farther west, 

 we opine, have cause for complaint far beyond 

 our friends on the sea shore. Here we have 

 men applying for situations as ' ' head gardeners," 

 claiming to know all about the cultivation of 

 every variety of tree or shrub, how to arrange 

 and plant out grounds, Stc, &,c., wlien in truth 

 they are incapable of planting a tree successful- 

 ly, know nothing how to make a cutting or lay- 

 er for propagation, have never studied vegeta- 

 ble physiology sufficient to know aught of the 

 nature and habits of plants; and yet these men, 

 talking large, obtain situations, and because they 

 succeed, the proprietor, who often has 

 ime to give his grounds, becomes discour- 

 and unless more successful the second 



than the first year, abandons further improve- 

 ment. 



If state experimental gardens and farms, un- 

 der the superintendence of a competent board 

 of managers, and supi)orted at the expense of 

 the state, were established, emigrants as well 

 as aspirants to the art of our own country, could 

 labor and study for a season or seasons, until 

 they acquired such proficiency in the practice, 

 and knowledge theoretical, as to enable the 

 board of managers to give them a certificate, 

 and send them out fitted to meet the real wants 

 of zealous but inexperienced amateurs. 



We hope to see our own Ohio take hold of 

 this subject, and that other States throughout 

 the Union will follow her example. 



Albany and Rensselaer Hort. Society. — 

 The annual meeting of the society was held at 

 the State Agnicultural Rooms, February 4th, 

 1852— V. P. Douw, President, in the chair. 



The Treasurer, Mr. Tucker, presented his re- 

 port : — 



Receipts, 5204 68 



Disbursemems, 19i) 01 



$8 67 



Messrs. Wilson, Kirtland, E. Corning, Jr., 

 J. S. Goold, Mayell and Menand, were appoint- 

 ed a committee of nomination. 



Mr. Wilson, from the committee, reported the 

 names of the following persons for officers for 

 the ensuing year, who were duly elected: — 



President — Herman Wendell, M. D. 



Vice-Presidents— E. P. Prentice, E. B. Kirt- 

 land, D. T. Vail, Wm. Newcomb. 



Secretary — B. P. Johnson. 



Treasurer — Luther Tucker. 



Managers — V. P. Douw, J. McD. Mclntyre, 

 J. M. Lovett, L. Menand, E. Corning, Jr., C. P. 

 Williams, A. F. Chatfield, J. S. Gould, E. Door. 



On motion of Mr. Newcomb, a vote of thanks 

 was tendered to V. P. Douw, Esq., for the effi- 

 cient and satisfactory manner in which he had 

 discharged the duties of the office of President 

 of the Society, for the past two years. 



The following resolution was adopted: 



Resolved, That it be recommended to those 

 to whom premiums shall be awarded during the 

 year, to leave the same in the Treasurer's hands, 

 to form a permanent fund for the benefit of the 

 Society, and thus enable it to increase its means 

 of usefulness. 



The constitution of the Society was amended 

 bj' making the annual fee of members 

 instead of $2, as heretofore. 



