Olitorial Notices. 33 



of roses, azaleas, and such like florists' shrubs, should, of course, 

 be excluded from tlie con)}ietition. 



Another, and perhaps a better, mode of encouraging tlie in- 

 troduction of trees and shrubs into the grounds of gentlemen 

 throughout the country would be, for the societies to offer 

 premiums for the greatest number of species and varieties of 

 some particular genus, for which the climate and soil of the 

 locality were considered particularly adapted. Our Arboretum 

 Britanniciim, we think, would form a very suitable prize. For 

 example, premiums for Populus, ^alix, N^'ssa, &c., might be 

 held out for the fen lands ; coniferous genera, for mountainous 

 districts, and dry, sandy, or gravelly soils; elms, for chalks; oaks, 

 for loams ; Nepal genera, for ornamental purposes, or acclima- 

 tising in Devonshire, &c. 



We would also repeat our suggestion made in a former 

 Volume, that it would be most desirable, if gentlemen in different 

 parts of the country, and more especially in the climate of Lon- 

 don, would undertake to collect and cultivate each a single 

 genus ; and let the species and the varieties be examined by the 

 botanical world, on certain days throughout the year. 



Another most desirable object would be, the establishment of 

 an arboricultural society, with 300 or 400 acres of land, in the 

 climate of London ; and we are persuaded that all that is want- 

 ing to form such a society is, an exceedingly active-minded man, 

 enthusiastically fond of trees and shrubs, who is either inde- 

 pendent, or has little else to do. 



Art. IV. Olitorial Notices ; or, Notices oj" new Culinary Vegetables 

 deserving of general Cultivation in British Gardens. 



{Continued from Vol. XII, p. G43.) 



The Spinach Tribe. — By far the best variety of the spinach 

 tribe is the new Flanders, the leaves of which are almost as 

 large as those of the white beet. The quinoa, Mr. Charlvvood 

 considers to be inferior, as a spinach plant, to either the New 

 Zealand spinach or the French spinach. 



The Onion Tribe. — A new variety of shallot, or, perhaps, a 

 distinct species of ^'llium, has been cultivated for a few years 

 in some private gardens. It is very much like an underground 

 onion; but it separates into cloves, like garlic, or the common 

 shallot, which are thicker and shorter than those of the shallot, 

 but have' the same flavour. In some parts of the country, this 

 is called the Italian shallot ; and in others the Cape shallot. 



Asparagiuous Plants, Salads, SiC. — The giant asparagus con- 

 tinues to be in demand; and the new hardy white Cos is con- 

 sidered as decidedly the best Cos lettuce, and as being not only 



Vol. XIII. — No. 82. d 



