382 Foreign Mtices. 



but pluck up the plants at once, may often see, on examining narrowly, 

 that at the neck, little white buds were making their appearance to re- 

 pair the loss, which was supposed to be made. This remark can only 

 apply to those plants which ought to bud in a fortnight or three weeks. 

 Sometimes we have known two or three months to elapse before the fi- 

 bres of the roots recover animation. If amateurs, however, do not de- 

 sire to run any chance, they had better replace the plants they suspect, 

 as otherwise they may lose the first blow. We may here remark, that 

 the last year's experience, as well as that of 1829, proves that the Eng- 

 lish are quite right in their attachment to certain varieties, which resist 

 cold so much better than others. We, on the contrary, seem indifferent 

 in our choice. {Hort. Jour.) 



French Horticulture. — The following notices we copy from transla- 

 tions in the Horticultural Journal, from M. Poiteau's account of an in- 

 teresting excursion in the neighborhood of Fontainbleau. His princi- 

 pal object in making the tour was to visit M. Vilmorin's farm nearMon- 

 targis, to examine his plantations of -evergreens and American oaks. 

 The property of M. Vilmorin consists of about twelve hundred acres, 

 and is called Les Barres. It extends, without interruption, for some- 

 thing more than a league from east to west, and is cut in the centre by 

 a small valley, which serves as the bed of a stream of some breadth, ad- 

 mirably fitted for breeding fish, and sufficient to turn any mills that 

 miffht be erected on its banks. Curiously enough, the soil to the west 

 of the little valley is silicious, whilst all the ground to the east is calca- 

 reous. The high road to Lyons passes close to the property, and the 

 demesne is crossed in various directions with country roads, establish- 

 ing an easy communication with the neighboring habitations. The 

 whole estate is divided into four farms, of which two, containing about 

 six hundred acres, are in the hands of M. Vilmorin himself, and on them 

 he makes his experiments in planting. 



The whole account is so interesting, that we make no apology for ex- 

 tracting the whole of this translation. 



./2 gigantic Apple tree. — In examining the country, and from the ap- 

 pearance of the thickets scattered about here and there, I am inclined 

 to think that, not many years ago, the whole district was covered with 

 forests. One sort of tree is seen here more frequently than the others, 

 and that is the sorb-apple, many of which appear hundreds of years old. 

 One of these trees, in a hedge not far from M. Vilmorin's habitation, 

 appeared to Bosc not less than from eight hundred to one thousand 

 years of age. I am not aware on what calculations Bosc has formed 

 his opinion; but I think that six hundred years must have been the ex- 

 tent of its existence. It is probably the oldest sorb-apple tree in France; 

 its trunk, which is about four feet in diameter, is exceedingly short, be- 

 ing divided, at about six feet from the ground, into five enormous branch- 

 es. The value of this tree cannot be well ascertained, but smaller ones, 

 whose trunks were twelve or fifteen feet without branches, have been 

 estimated at 100/. or 120/. The fruit of these trees is carefully gather- 

 ed to make a sort of cider, considered in the country far superior to that 

 made from common apples or pears. The wild pear tree, with small 

 tart fruit, is common enoujrh in this district; but a variety of it, called 

 the "sage pear tree," probably because its leaves are white like the sage 

 plant, is seen in as great quantities as in Burgundy; and makes delicious 

 I)erry. It bears a load of fruit, and is well worth being introduced into 

 other districts. 



Stale of Agriculture. — At the aspect of these uncultivated plains, 

 which are manifestly so ill-adapted for tillage, where a badly construct- 

 ed y)lough just scratches the earth once every two or three years, it is 

 natural to inquire, why trees are not planted along the roads, to break 

 the tiresome monotony of barrenness.'' M. Vilmorin asked himself the 



