384 



FOREIGN NOTICES. 



Others differ from mine, we must still ad- 

 mit them facts, and search for causes and 

 remedies somewhere else. As I have stated 

 all the experience I have had, I have, of 

 course, done all that, as an individual, I 

 could do, I hope others will do likewise ; 



and that you will help us all to the whole 

 truth in this important matter. The slit- 

 ting of the trees I found worse than no- 

 thing. Eidire peeling alone seemed bene- 

 ficial. J. B. TUKNEE. 

 Illinois Colles', December 23, 1S4S. 



FOREIGN NOTICES. 



Continental Gardens. — The following is a 

 translation of a portion of some notes on the Hor- 

 ticulture of Europe, by M. H. Lecoq, Professor of 

 Natural History, Clermont-Ferrant, Belgium: — 



BOTANIC GARDEN OF VENICE. 



After traversing the smiling landscapes of Swit- 

 zerland, and the beautiful plains of Lombardy, I 

 arrived at Venice as the Statice and the Aster 

 covered all the strips of ground intersected by the 

 canals, with their pretty flowers. The town it- 

 self is situated, as is known, in the midst of wa- 

 ters. It is quite astonishing to see such a grand 

 display of flowers and fruit as is here presented. 

 The shops of the flower-dealers are numerous, 

 and always well supplied with flowers; consisting 

 of inferior zinnias, single or semi-double dahlias, 

 pinks, nearly wild, some vervains, and a few ta- 

 getes and China-asters. With these miserable 

 flowers, arranged among some leaves of rose- 

 scented pelargoniums, small bouquets are made, 

 which pretty flower-girls oflTer you in the arcade 

 of La Place St. Mark. 



On Sundays and fete-days each dealer makes 

 his exhibition before his door. From forty to fifty 

 decanters contain flowers similar to those just 

 mentioned. In the midst of all is generally placed 

 a crown, a large bouquet, or some other object 

 exquisitely composed. It is hardly to be conceiv- 

 ed that with so poor resources so fine an effect 

 could be produced. 



If the flowers present nothing remarkable, this 

 cannot be said of the fruit. During the whole of 

 September the warehouses of the fruiterers were 

 completely decorated. There were to be seen 

 numerous gondolas entering Venice from all parts 

 of the adjacent coast, and even from the other 

 side of the Adriatic, laden with baskets, in which 

 the various kinds of fruit were arranged like the 

 flowers in a bouquet: here, the rosy and velvety 

 peaches raised in regular pyramid; there, grapes 

 of different colours grouped in crowns above each 

 other; then azaroles of a brilliant red; pears and 

 apples of various kinds, tomatoes and pomegra- 

 nates. These gondolas move slowly and steadily 

 along, and arrive at their destination without any- 

 thing being displaced by shaking. The baskets 

 are now placed in several ranges, in which the 

 tomatoes and the azaroles are intermixed to in- 



crease the effect, in contrast with the other fruits. 

 The front is set off" with several varieties of figs, 

 and the perspective is formed with melons. The 

 floor of this sailing shop is generally furnished 

 with evergreens forming a kind of screen, open at 

 a certain point in order to reveal the fair Madone, 

 who is busy attracting her customers towards so 

 fine a display. It is thus that Venice receives 

 every mornin'g the tribute of the banks of the 

 Adriatic, and horticulture is in these quarters a 

 very considerable source of trafliic. Innumerable 

 barges also arrive, laden with melons and sweet 

 gourds, which the people use very extensively. 

 The sale of these fruits occupies a great number 

 of individuals. Everywhere water-melons, desig- 

 nated in the country by the name of Cocomeres, 

 are hung out for sale; they are large, of a fine 

 green, and with the flesh of a delicate rose-colour, 

 and the seeds brown. The veritable dealer in 

 cocomeres takes his stand in some public place, 

 or on the Quai des Esclavons; he cuts one of his 

 fruit in slices, at from one to two centimes — the 

 fifth part of a farthing. He understands how to 

 attract his customers by the very art wath which 

 he cuts a melon. With grimaces, gestures, and 

 smacking his fingers, he dilates at considerable 

 latitude on the taste, the colour, the smell, and 

 the tenderness of tlie fruit he has just opened, 

 which is always superior to any that he has yet 

 opened, and those remaining in his possession; 

 but as soon as that one has found a customer, he 

 finds, on taking up another, that he had formed 

 too high an estimate of the preceding one ; what 

 he has now in his hand is still better — it is extra- 

 ordinary, and delicious beyond comparison. Our 

 merchant, who has thus been cutting slices of 

 melons perhaps for twenty years, continues to 

 find, or, with the innumerable superlatives of 

 which the Italian language is susceptible, affects 

 to find, that the fruit ho has just opened is supe- 

 rior to all those which have passed through his 

 hands. 



There are two sorts of gourds also sold in the 

 streets — one long called Succo-zanta, and the 

 other flat, known under the name of Barruch. 

 These obtain considerable sale; they are sold in 

 slices roasted in an oven, are very palatable, and 

 as low as from one to five centimes. The people 



