Muf^um of Natural Hiflory^ Paris. 2S3 



devour every thing. There are fome places where it is ini- 

 poffible to prevent the devadation occafioncd by thefe infects, 

 ^nd many diftrid-s are abandoned to them. Buj; fince the 

 ihtrodnai'on of the pepper plant it has been obfervcd that 

 they do not fccm to touch the leaves of that (lirub. Some 

 plants fcattercd throughout the dilTerent eftates have been 

 fpared by them. If this faft is confirmed in regard to large 

 plantations, the foil of the ifland will be gradually renewed, 

 and its produce will incrcafe in the fanre proportion. 



C. Martin tried to propagate the female nutmeg-tree by 

 layers, if the operation fiicceeds, it will, no doubt, be the 

 fpeediefl: and fureft means of propagating this fpicery; for 

 among the nutmegs which are fown, and which germinate 

 exceedingly well, "there is a much greater number of male 

 than of iemale individuals. He propofes alfo to graff the 

 latter on the males, and to try for this purpofe the different 

 proceflTes likely to produce a faiisiaftory refilt. 



In reaard to the brp^d-fruit trees, they thrive in an ad- 

 mirable manner. C. Martin announces that he will fooii 

 have twelve new layers to feparate from their parent flock. 

 Some of them have already luckers, and tlie reft willhave 

 them foon. He has oblerved, that layers in general, if the 

 branches are fomewhat ftrong when they arc buried, will 

 produce fruits the fame year. 



A letter has been received from C. Rcidic, the gardener 

 who accompanies captain Baudin, dated Iflc de France, 

 April 20, lEJol. The following is an extract from it: 



" We arrived here on the I4lh of February, five motiths 

 after our departure from Paris. Our pafllige from the idand 

 ofTencriflc took up more than four. You have no doubt 

 Irarncd the accident which I met with two days before T 

 quitted llie ifland. I fell from a rock about 45 feet in height, 

 in confe(|uence of wliich I was confined to my bed during 

 three months. I flill fuff*ercd from my v.ounds on my arrival 

 at the IfleofFrance; and I entertained great fear that this 

 niistbrtunc would have prevented me from labouring during 

 the remainder of the voyage. But, thank God, I recovered, 

 and now travcrfe the mountains as before. I have already 

 colleded 255 fpccics of plants, without reckoning double 

 fpe(imcns h>r the htrbal of the nud'acum. 



" I have made a catalogue of the colonial garden. T have 

 marked thofc trees whiih are found in the Muiieuni of Paris, 

 and thofe which are wanting there : the latter arc in nund)cr 

 fixlv. C. Cero has proiuilld to give me plants on our reluru 

 from the South Sea. I have given him in exchange the fol- 

 lowing trees : two free olive, two pears, two apples, a cherry, 



an 



