434 Domestic JVotices. 



instances it had become dwarfish, and the flowers small but brilliant — a 

 return to native habits. — i?. 



Pines of California. — The following dimensions of a gigantic pine 

 are given by Douglas, as taken by him from one discovered in North 

 California. Extreme length, two hundred and forty-five feet. Circum- 

 ference, at three feet from the ground, fift3'-?even feet nine inches. Cir- 

 cumference, at one hundred and thirty-four feet from the ground, seven- 

 teen feet and five inches. Trunk uncommonlj' straight, bark remarka- 

 bly smooth, whitish or light brown color, and yielding a great quantity 

 of gum. Fruit cones fourteen inches long. — Id. 



Plants that stood out unprotected last ivinter in Athens. Ga. — Hedy- 

 chium maximum, Bletm hyaclntha and Tigridia pavonia stood out in 

 the open ground, totally unprotected last winter, and flowered somewhat 

 sooner, and verj- much more finely, than those which were taken up and 

 kept from frost until spring. The same maj^ be said of dahlias, Calu- 

 dium esculentum, and most cannas; but C. iridiflora |jerished, and C 

 glauca barely survived. — Yours, M. Jl. W., Athens, Ga. 



Hybrids between Iponue^a and Convolvulus. — I have again fine natu- 

 ral hybrids of Ipomse^a Quamoclit and coccinea, and earnestly recom- 

 mend trials of artificial impregnation between all the species of Ipomae^a 

 and Convolvulus. What might not be expected from the beauty of a 

 hybrid between Ipoma^^a Quamoclit, or Convolvulus iVtZ and Convol- 

 vulus panduratus or paniculatus.'' — Id. 



Cereus triangularis. — This splendid species has lately bloomed at 

 Mr. Cushing's, Belmont place, Watertown. The flower was remarka- 

 bly large and extremely beautiful, nearly equalling, both in size and 

 splendor, the superb night-blooming C. grandiflorus. The flower began 

 to expand at night, and was fully open at nine o'clock, and remained in 

 bloom until the evening of the next day. The flo^^er was upwards of 

 six inches in diameter, and from the tips of the sepals fifteen inches. 

 It has only flowered once before, we believe, in this country; this was 

 at Mrs. Bigelow's garden, in Medford, about eight years since. Mr. 

 Haggerston has informed us that the plant was struck from a small cut- 

 ting about three years since, the parent from which the cutting was taken 

 never having flowered. It stands in a pot, and is trained to the back 

 wall of the stove, and has lately been grafted with a great number of 

 species and varieties, as noticed by us in our last visit to this place, p. 

 348. It is a magnificent species, but its rapid growth and rare flower- 

 ing prevent it from hems cultivated in small collections, only as a stock 

 upon which to graft other sorts. We suspect that this species requires 

 some difterent management from the others. In its native habitats it is 

 found running over trees, or anything which it can attach itself to, by 

 its flesh}^ roots, which are thrown out upon their stems, flowering abun- 

 dantly in its blooming season. — Cond. 



Seckel Pear. — The New Haven Herald states that this delicious pear 

 was a favorite of the early settlers of Connecticut, and is found grow- 

 ing wild[.?] in the w'oods of that state. This contradicts the generally 

 believed rej)ort that it originated on the farm of Mr. Seckel, from 

 whence it takes it name, in Pennsylvania. We should be pleased to 

 learn from some of our Hartford friends whether there is any founda- 

 tion in the above statement of the Herald. — Id. 



O'xalis Boivici. — This truly elegant species of O'xalis we have now 

 in full bloom. Its long peduncles^\re each terminated with umbels of 

 from five to seven beautiful deep rose-colored flowers, measuring in ex- 

 pansion about two inches. We also saw, a few days since, this species 

 in bloom in the garden of J. \V. Boot, Esq., of Boston. In one pot 

 was thrown up more than a dozen stems of its blossoms, forming one 

 of the most brilliant ornaments of the green-house at this cheerless sea- 



