FOREIGN AND MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 



Diemen's Land, a tree with glaucous leaves and 

 an abundance of large white flowers, which has 

 lived without injury for several years at Exeter 

 in the open ground, where it is now 20 feet 

 high. 



New hybrid plants are slow in appearing. 

 The only one which caught our eye was a hy- 

 brid Pelargonium obtained between the lemon- 

 scented (Citriodorum) and one of the Fancies, 

 by Mr. Thomas Kempster, of Blackheath. His 

 object was to add good Howers to sweet foliage, 

 and we are glad to see that he is evidently on 

 the road to success; the specimen exhibited 

 was very pretty, and was accompanied by a 

 cross between Kadula and Rollisson's Unique, 

 which we also look upon as a good beginning. 

 If growers would but persevere in this way 

 they would soon strike a rich vein, and occupy 

 themselves more profitably in every sense, than 

 in trying for results which only end in running 

 out their breed. What is wanted among Pe- 

 largoniunis is new blood, of which the wild 

 species can furnish an abundance. 



Among miscellaneous objects, was a remark- 

 able collection from Syon, consisting of a tree 

 bearing ripe nutmegs; a branch of Vanilla with 

 flowers, and ripe as well as unripe pods; a 

 Gamboge-tree, witli rich orange fruit; and a 

 piece of the Serpent Trichosanth (Trichosan- 

 thes colubrina,) loaded with its long striped 

 and twisted Cucumbers. 



Of Mr. Ilosea Waterer's magnificent display 

 of American plants in the Society's Garden, 

 we spoke at length last week. On this occasion 

 it was open to all visitors, throngs of whom were 

 gratified by one of the most varied and beauti- 

 ful spectacles which the gorgeous varieties of 

 Rhododendron and Azalea can produce. Under 

 the influence of the beauty of so grand a scene 

 the clumsiness of the awning which screened 

 it from the weather was hardly remarked. A 

 few hours however after the close of the meet- 

 ing this awning gave way before a gale of wind, 

 and it became necessary to close the ground 

 for some days, till it could be repaired. This 

 has naturally given rise to expressions of sur- 

 prise, and to inquiries, which we take this op- 

 portunity of answering, by stating that the 

 awning in question (not furnished by Mr. Edg- 

 ington) was contracted for by the gentleman 

 lately removed from his office of Secretary by 

 the Fellows of the Horticultural Society, at 

 their anniversary meeting; and that the con- 

 tract was made, not only without the concur- 

 rence of the proper officer, but in opposition 

 to all experience and remonstrance. — Garden- 

 ers' Chronicle. 



Russian mode of Preserving Green Peas 

 FOR WINTER USE. — The peas to be preserved 

 are chosen full grown, but before they become 

 at all farinaceous; they are carefuUj^ shelled, 

 and all damaged ones are picked out rom the 

 sound ones ; the peas are then thrown into water 

 whilst boiling on the fire; the instant the water 

 resumes the boil after immersion of the peas, 



it is expeditiously strained oflT from them, the 

 peas are then immediately spread upon a cloth 

 and turned over on it till all loose moisture has 

 been soaked up ; the peas are then dried gently 

 in the coolest part of a Russian oven-like fire- 

 place. Green French beans are dried in pre- 

 cisely the same manner, but the pods require 

 to be cut into narrow strips previou.sly to scald- 

 ing them. Both green peas and green French 

 beans dried are sold at a very moderate price 

 at St. Petersburgh. When either of them is 

 to be prepared for table, they are soaked for a 

 short time in lukewarm water, just enough to 

 cover them, then gently stewed in it, with the 

 addition of either gravy or a white sauce, and 

 seasoned with sugar as well as salt and spices. 

 Green peas for winter use have been perfectly 

 kept in England by simply bottling them like 

 green gooseberries, but much care is required 

 in the process to avoid difl'erent sources of pu- 

 trefaction, such as damaged peas and moisture. 

 Green French beans may be preserved till win- 

 ter by keeping them in brine just strong enough 

 to float an egg ; the beans must be entire and 

 without blemish. In preparing them for the 

 table they should be washed in warm water ; 

 if then found salter than desirable, they should 

 be soaked two or three hours in lukewarm 

 water, before being put into that in which they 

 are to he either boiled or stewed. Green rye 

 is also dried in Russia, is esteemed a great 

 delicacy, and sells in St. Petersburgh for eight 

 or ten times the price by weight of either green 

 peas or green haricot dried. — Gard. Chronicle. 



Preserving Fruit. — We have frequently 

 been asked, what is the best mode of preserv- 

 ing fruit, and whether there are not chemical 

 means of keeping it, so that it may be preser- 

 ved fresh and wholly unchanged for a long 

 time ; either by placing it in contact with some 

 substance which shall counteract its tendency 

 to spoil, or by plunging it in some gas or liquid 

 which will prevent it from decomposing. There 

 have been a great many attempts to do this, 

 but they have all been attended with but very 

 partial success. Fruit, for the most part, con- 

 sists chiefly of sugar, gum, starch, cellular 

 matter, water, and a small quantity of albu- 

 men and gluten; but besides all these, it also 

 contains certain other substances, such as color- 

 ing matter, and a small quanity of some highly 

 fragrant volatile oil, to which the taste and 

 agreeable smell of the fruit is due. The most 

 changeable component of fruit, therefore, is 

 the azotised matter, which is generally that 

 which first of all commences to decompose; 

 usually, too, air is necessary to its change, and 

 consequently tho.se fruits which have thick 

 dense skins, dry and shrivel up, when they are 

 kept, witliout being spoilt. In drying, of course 

 they lose some portion of the volatile flavor- 

 ing" matter, but they also retain some, and 

 they may be kept for a long time, w'' 

 their either putrifying or fermenting, 

 more delicate and highly flavored fruits 



