Domestic Notices : — England. 103 



can doubt of the grandeur of the effect that would be produced. So success- 

 ful have the proprietors of the Surrey Zoological Gardens found the model of 

 Mount Vesuvius in attracting company, that they are altering a portion of the 

 garden, directly opposite the model, in order to its being seen with greater 

 ease, and by a greater number of spectators. The alteration consists in ren- 

 dering a surface, now nearly flat, an inclined plane, so that a crowd standing on 

 this plane may see the mountain and the eruption across the lake over one 

 another's heads. The glass structure, containing the animals of hot climates, 

 has recently been heated by Mr. Kewley ; and, notwithstanding the great 

 length of the pipes, the effect is most satisfactory, the temperature being 

 everywhere the same. The greatest attraction which these gardens have for 

 us is the collection of named trees and shrubs along the walks. These are 

 growing vigorously ; and the different species and varieties are flowering, fruit- 

 ing, and showing their distinctive characters in a most interesting manner. 

 We regret to find, however, that a number of them are erroneously named ; 

 but this error we trust to see corrected in the course of next summer. — 

 Coiid. 



Kcidcifs Hot-Water Appni'ntus has been applied to the new stove in the 

 Botanic Garden at Oxford. This stove, which was erected about three and 

 a half years ago, with smoke flues, used to give us a great deal of trouble to 

 keep up the heat to the requisite degree ; but with Kewley's mode we have 

 not the slightest difficulty. It consumes little more than half the fuel, and does 

 not require half the attention which the smoke flue did. The expense of 

 erecting the apparatus was not a great deal more than what the flue cost. — 

 W. H. Baxter. Botanic Garden, Oxford, Nov. 5. 1837. 



Premiums for Arboi-etuvis. — The Royal Society of Horticulture and Agri- 

 culture offer to award the gold Adelaide medal, value 20 guineas, and the 

 gold Victoria medal, value 10 guineas, will be awarded, to the individuals who 

 shall form and plant the best arboretum, regard being had to the extent, ar- 

 rangement, quality of specimens, plan of ground, &c. : the large medal to 

 private gentlemen or ladies, the smaller, to nurserymen. The condition is, 

 that more than two thirds of the plants ultimately forming the arboretum 

 shall be procured or removed after the date hereof; by which means those 

 who have already specimens on their ground shall be able to avail themselves 

 of them in forming their plan, though arboretums already formed will not be 

 eligible. Among the comj^etitors, who give notice within one month of their 

 intentition, silver medals will be awarded to such as shall have respectably 

 competed for the prizes. Sketches of the plans, with numbers referring to the 

 trees, shrubs, &c., to be delivered at the Egyptian Hall, by the end of May, 

 with names of the intended competitors. (Gard. Gaz., Dec. 2.) 



Varieties of the common Spruce Fir. — In the course of our enquiries on 

 this subject for the Arboretum Britanniciim, we have received a list of those 

 raised or collected by Mr. Smith of Ayr; a notice of several new varieties in 

 the Chester Nursery, which have not yet been given out ; a notice, by the Earl 

 of Aberdeen, of a remarkable fine-leaved fastigiate tree at Harewood Hall, 

 and of which the Earl of Harewood has kindly sent us specimens, which we 

 have distributed among the nurserymen to propagate by cuttings ; a notice 

 from Mr. Frost, gardener at Dropmore, of a variety sent him by the Rev. Mr. 

 EUicombe of Bitton, near Bath, and which Mr. Frost thinks comes very near 

 the Harewood spruce, of which we sent him specimens ; and, finally, our atten- 

 tion has been directed to a variety sold in some of the nurseries as ^^bies 

 orientalis, and which is so remarkably like the Harewood spruce, as to be 

 almost identical with it. 



A'stcr argophyllus has stood out in the open shrubbery at this place since 

 1821, growing vigorously and flowering freely every year. Your readers are, 

 doubtless, aware that it is a native of Van Diemcn's Land, and that it is 

 remarkable for the musky fragrance of every part of the plant. It forms here 

 an evergreen bush, 13ft. high; and its branches cover a space llift. in dia- 

 meter. The trunk divides, about 6 in, above the ground, into se'veral stout 



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