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THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[June, 



separate sparrow is engaged without meaning in 

 fighting all the rest. Political economy is evi- 

 dently not a leading subject of study in the 

 university of sparrows. But who would not forget 

 all this when nightfall comes again, and the 

 evening song is repeated from every roof of the 

 village, and from some two or three of the largest i 

 trees upon the green ? It ought to give enjoyment j 

 even to the most critical of musical ears, for it is 

 the expression of content." 



The Perfume of Roses. — In Roses there are 

 seventeen different sorts of scent. " Sweet Briar 

 scent, as in the garden variety ; Moss Rose scent, 

 as in Common Moss and family, Austrian Briar 

 scent, as in Copper Austrian and family ; Musk 

 Rose scent, as in Narcissus, old Musk and family ; 

 Myrrh scent, as in Ayrshire splendens ; China 

 Rose scent, an astringent refreshing scent, as in 

 old Monthly China and many others ; Damask 

 perpetual scent, as in Rose du Roi, &c. ; Scotch 

 Rose scent, as in the early double Scotch ; Violet 

 scent, as in White Banksia ; Old Cabbage scent, 

 as in the well-known double Provence ; Otto 

 perpetual scent, as in Charles Lefebvre, Madame 

 Knorr, &c. ; true perpetual scent, as in Chabril- 

 land, Pierre Notting, &c. ; Old Tea scent, as in 

 the old yellow. Tea or Magnolia Rose, and others 

 almost unpleasantly strong for some tastes ; Sweet 

 Tea scent, as in Goubalt, Mar^chal Niel, &c. ; 

 Hybrid Tea scent, as in La France ; Nectarine, or 

 fruit scent, as in Socrates, Jaune Desprez, Aline 

 Sisley, &c. ; and the Verdier scent, represented 

 more or less by all the Victor Verdier hybrids, 

 such as Eugenie Verdier, Castellane, Countess of 

 Oxford, Marie Finger, &c. The petals of the 

 highly-scented varieties have on their inner sur- 

 face minute perfume glands or vesicles, containing 

 the highly volatile essence, under the microscope 

 distinctly visible. Those on the petals of Sweet 

 Briar and Moss are almost visible to the naked 

 eye. Mr. Curtis concludes that the following are 

 the most deliciously and powerfully-scented varie- 

 ties ; La France, Goubault, Devoniensis, Mar*?- 

 chal Niel, Bessie Johnson, Madame Knorr, Pierre 

 Notting, and Charles Lefebvre." — Rosarian. 



Japanese Tea.— Tea is one of the principal 

 productions of Japan, and a large quantity of it is 

 exported to the United States from the ports of 

 Yokohama and Kobe. In Japan the use of Tea 

 dates back to very early times, and at present it is 

 more than ever a popular beverage. Whenever a 

 guest presents himself at a person's house a cup of 

 tea is at once offered him ; the omission to do this 

 is a breach of politeness. It revives the spirits, it 

 allays the ennui incidental to old age, and pro- 



motes sociability. In most houses it is the leaf of 

 the tea plant called Sencha that is used, and not 

 the powdered leaf at all. Powdered tea, Matcha, 

 is usually used only in the houses of nobles and of 

 the rich. A ceremonious system of drinking tea 

 has existed in Japan from very ancient times. ,A 

 gathering of friends is held in a certain small room 

 of fixed dimensions, in which ground or powdered 

 tea is served to them. This room is called sukiya, 

 and is generally detached from the dwelling-house. 

 Outside and about the room curious and valuable 

 stones and plants are arranged, and inside old tea 

 utensils are displayed, also old scroll pictures and 

 other paintings. At the time of a gathering 

 various kinds of prepared dishes are placed on low 

 stands before each guest. The host himself pre- 

 pares Koicho (thick tea) in the presence of his 

 guests, and offers acupof it toall the guests (always 

 five), to be taken in turn, after which usucha 

 (weak tea) is handed to them. The great point 

 about this tea-room is, not that it be gaudily 

 decorated, but that it be neat and thoroughly 

 clean. 



The process of making tea for everyday use 

 does not differ materially from that adopted in 

 England, but in the matter of ceremonious tea- 

 drinking it is necessary that great attention be 

 paid to the selection and preservation of tea, the 

 selection of the water, the arrangement of the 

 utensils, observation of the temperature of the 

 water, and care in the washing of the utensils. — 

 Gardeners' Chronicle. 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Loco Weed. — A Lincoln, Neb., correspondent 

 says : " Inclosed I send you a plant which is said 

 to remain green the year round. It is found on 

 the prairie and has the reputation, when eaten by 

 cattle and horses, of causing them to bloat or 

 swell up and die. Whether it is really so I can- 

 not say, but such is the report. I have not seen 

 the flower. I suppose you will be able to identify 

 it at once. If I can get a sufficient quantity of it, 

 I think I will examine it for some alkaloid which 

 it probably contains, and which is the cause of its 

 fatality with cattle, that is, if report tells the 

 truth." 



[This is apparently the Astragalus moUissima of 

 which Prof. Porter wrote. Our correspondent is a 

 distinguished chemist and just the one to make the 

 chemical analysis suggested. — Ed. G. M.] 



