124 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Solon Robinson mentioned the great value of a similar plant, sometimes 

 called the maggotty pea, that springs up after every crop on the eastern 

 shore of Virginia, and is a natural fertilizer of the light soil of that 

 region. 



FISH RAISING. 



Mons. Jules Cloquet sent a communication on this subject, empoissonne- 

 7nent, (stocking water with fish. Careful spelling is here essential, for 

 evipoisonnement means poisoning.) He sends trouts of various sizes 

 alive. He uses a wheel moving in a trough to agitate and aerate the aqua- 

 rium in which he keeps the trouts. The Emperor and Empress recently 

 visited Mons. Coste's fish nursery at the laboratory of the College of 

 France. 



JAPAN RICE— TEN VARIETIES. 



Mons. Von Siebold sends to the president ten sorts of rice of Japan, for 

 trial in Southern France, or Algeria, &c. Some of these flourish in rather 

 dry lands, and are of early growth. 



Orijza Montana. — The mountain rice of China is of long grains with 

 reddish epidermis, seems to me to be a distinct species. 



Von Siebold & Co., of Lcyden, (Holland,) supply their catalogues of 

 Japanese plants, cultivated by them. The wax tree, (Rhussucccanea,) 

 the varnish tree, (Rhus vernicifera of Japan,) are growing in their gar- 

 dens. The wax tree furnishes Japan with tapers, and the latter with the 

 varnish so celebrated. We ought to introduce to our forests their ce- 

 fhalataxvs pednnculata and ulnms keaki, the wood very precious for 

 cabinet work. 



N. B. — We give 24 wax trees for 250 francs and 6 varnish trees for 100 

 francs. These trees are from 6 to 10 decimetres high (about 24 to 42 

 inches). 



AUSTRALIAN POTATOES 



were distributed for experiment. It is said that they require hilling up 

 very early. 



CHINESE YAM. [Bioscorea.) 



The Chinese plant the slender upper end of this root and eat the rest. 



SEA ISLAND— LOrJG STAPLE COTTON. 



The Algerian cotton planters have tried to grow it, and now complain, 

 after six years trial, that if the government aid ceases they cannot sell it 

 in competition with the Americans who have grown it the last seventy or 

 eighty years! That this cotton plant requires abundant manure and irri- 

 gation, and it is apprehended that its quality will change to short staple. 



Tallow tree seeds were received from China and some candles made of 

 the tallow. 



Bogota potatoes were received. 



The olive tree from the Crimea is commended. 



