1 1 Foreign JVotices, 



parts of Spain, of baking corn to a certain extent, by exposing it to a 

 temperature of one hundred and fifty degrees, or upwards, for the pur- 

 pose of destroying an insect by which it was liable to be attacked. Dr. 

 Richardson mentioned that the seeds sold in China for the European 

 market were previously boiled for the purpose of destroying their vital- 

 it)', as the jealousy of that people made them anxious to prevent their 

 exportation in a state fitted for germination. Upon sowing these seeds 

 he had, nevertheless, observed that some few of them were still capable 

 of vegetating. 



[The floricultui'ist may gather from this some hints which may be of 

 importance. It is well known that a large portion of the Calcutta, and 

 many of the New Holland and Australian seeds, which are often re- 

 ceived in this country from these places, do not vegetate, particularly 

 the acacias and other kinds of seed with hard shells. By steeping them 

 in water, subjected to the boiling temperature, according to the experi- 

 ment of Prof. Heuslow, perhaps they may be made to grow with per- 

 fect facility. It is a tact, not unknown, that the seeds of the Ipomae^a 

 Quamoclit, or cypress vine, will not vegetate freely unless steeped in 

 boiling water for a few minutes. If this mode should succeed, it will 

 enable us to add many of the beautiful plants of the East Indies to our 

 collections by means of the seed. We hope some of our friends will 

 try the experiment, and let us know the result: we shall ourselves try 

 several kinds in this manner. — Cond.] 



Art. II. Foreign Notices. 

 ENGLAND. 



London Horticultural Society. — At the meeting of the Societj', Dec. 

 6, 1836, fine specimens of the Poinsettio pulcherrnna Graham were ex- 

 hibited by Mrs. Lawrence: this plant, since its introduction to England 

 from Philadelphia, has been propagated, and is now probably to be 

 found in all the fine collections about London. From the garden of the 

 Society was exhibited a great number of chrysanthemums, among which 

 were ten of Mr. Wheeler's seedlings, mentioned by us in our i. p. 

 139. jEuphorbia jac^uimceflora, a new species, was also exhibited. — 

 (Cond.) 



Genus Ribes. — In Loudon's Arboretum Britannicum upwards of forty 

 species of this genus are described, and thirty figured. It is stated, in a 

 late number of the Gardener's Magazine, that the R. ailreum is a very 

 desirable species, as is also the R. niveuni, both probably hardy in our 

 climate. — Cond. 



Dahlia Shows. — The shows of this magnificent flower have never 

 been so gorgeous as during the past year. The exhibitions of the Shef- 

 field Horticultural Societ\", the Bath Royal Horticultural and Floricul- 

 tural Society, and that at Salt Hill, Windsor, have probably surpassed 

 all others in the kingdom. At the former, a large tent, upwards of one 

 hundred feet in length, and twenty in width, was filled with the blooms. 

 The most successful exhibitors were Mr. Widnall, and Mr. Brown, of 



