2^6 Notes and Gleanings. 



Waste of Manure by Drainage. — That the drainage water from manure 

 is valuable will be evident from the fact that in one case there were in one gallon 

 no fewer than 15.13 grains of ammonia, 716.81 of organic matter, and 625 of ash ; 

 in which ash there were 73 grains of phosphates of iron and lime, 14.2 of sul- 

 phate of lime, 10 of carbonate of magnesia, 297 of carbonate of potash, 70 of 

 chloride of,potassium, 102 of common salt, and 10 of silica. When we calculate 

 by tons instead of gallons, the loss from drainage from large surfaces of manure 

 must be very great. Country Gentle/nail's Magazine 



Raising Shallots. — It is not usual to grow shallots from seed, but the 

 practice is very successfully followed by Mr. Trigg, of Hayling. His plan is to 

 plant out the offsets in the usual manner, and allow them to seed, which they do 

 the second year. The seed is sown in good, rich soil, at the same time as onion 

 seed, and the crop is such that five fair average specimens weigh one pound 

 seven ounces. They at first look like onions, but when they begin to divide into 

 offsets the peculiar difference between the two is readily distinguished. 



Florist and Pomologist. 



A v^riDE-SPREADiNG TreE. — When at Nagarote, in his Nicaraguan travels. 

 Dr. Seemann measured a famous Genisaro tree {Pitheco!obiu?n saniaii), of which 

 the villagers are justly proud, since they had the public spirit — the rarest of- 

 virtues in a Spanish American — to refuse an offer made for it of two hundred 

 dollars. The tree is but ninety feet high, but some of the lower branches, which 

 are quite horizontal, are ninety-two feet long and five feet in diameter. The stem, 

 four feet above the base, is twenty-one feet in circumference, and the crown of 

 the tree describes a circle of three hundred and forty-eight feet. A whole regi- 

 ment of soldiers might seek repose in its shade. Florist and Pomologist. 



New Peas. — One of the most important of our esculents is the pea ; and 

 without any disparagement of certain good old favorite sorts, it may fairly be 

 stated that during the last few years, commencing with the labors of the late Dr. 

 Maclean, a wonderful improvement in the quality of the garden varieties has 

 taken place. Some of Maclean's sorts, such as Little Gem, Advancer, Premier, 

 etc., have proved to be grand acquisitions, and are not even yet surpassed in 

 their respective classes ; but improvements of this kind are stimulative, and 

 since the advent of those just named, other novelties, bearing high characters on 

 good authority, and for which horticulturists are indebted to Mr. Laxton, of 

 Stamford, have made their appearance. 



Subsequently to the production of these later novelties, the Messrs. Carter 

 have taken up the raising of new peas ; and one of their first results, represented 

 in the annexed figure, is that which is called The Cook's Favorite Pea, or Hun- 

 dredfold. This was obtained by crossing Laxton's Prolific with Ne Plus Ultra. 

 It is described as a prolific late variety, about fourteen days later than Supreme, 

 as growling about four feet high, and as producing abundantly its remarkably fine 

 pods, which are slightly curved, of the deep color of the Ne Plus Ultra, and car- 

 rying a fine bloom. When cooked the peas are of excellent quality, and of a 



