1 00 Domestic Notices : — Etigland. 



ladies having sent the seeds to us, in order that we miglit present them to 

 the Horticultural Society, we accordingly did so ; and the following extract 

 from the letter acknowledging their receipt will show that there is still room 

 for exertion on the part oF Sir R. K. Porter, Mr. D. Fanning, and others, 

 on this subject : — "I regret to say that the Palo de Vaca seed is quite 

 dead ; and that the Chica seeds have been so devoured by insects as not to 

 be likely to grow. With regard to the Guaco plant, we have it growing in 

 the garden of the Society, but it has not yet flowered. Would it not be as 

 well to hint to Sir R. K. Porter that some doubt is entertained in this coun- 

 try of his Guaco pla'i<-, which is well known to botanists, being really the 

 famous medicine of the Indians ; and that as it is, at all events, a hot-house 

 plant in this country, it can scarcely be cultivated extensively for medicinal 

 purposes ? " Plants of the Mikan/cr Guaco may be seen in the hot-house of 

 Mr. J. Knight, of the Exotic Nursery, Chelsea. — Cond. 



A Cockscomb in this garden measures, from the surface of the earth to 

 the top of the flower, 8^ in. ; the crest of the flower 26 in. long, and the 

 breadth 1 1 in. ; very compact and full in ever}' part, and the colour a most 

 brilliant crimson. — John Harrison. Si/ston Park, Oct, 10. 1829. 



Destruction of Auriculas and Tulips. — The admirers of flowers in Bever- 

 ley and its neighbourhood have been greatly disappointed this year by the 

 destruction of Mr. Marmaduke Camaby's fine and valuable collection of 

 auriculas and tulips, some malicious person or persons having impregnated 

 the earth with a pernicious ingredient, which has destroyed the whole of 

 his auriculas, consisting of nearly 300, and his tulips have suffered in like 

 manner. The earth has been analysed by a chemist, but the ingrecUent we 

 forbear to mention. We are glad to hear that the florists in Hull and its 

 vicinity have kindly offered him the choice out of their collections, in order 

 to console him for his loss, and to show their detestation of the act prac- 

 tised against him. The value of the plants cannot be estimated at less 

 than 70/. or 80/., and they had occupied him above twenty years in collect- 

 ing, (Hull Advertiser.) 



We differ from the writer of this paragraph as to the propriety of con- 

 cealing from the public the article (in all probabilit}', common salt) with 

 which the soil was poisoned : because, in the first place, as a general prin- 

 ciple, the truth ought never to be concealed ; and, secondly, as a principle 

 applicable In this case, the actions of man ought to be regulated by a know- 

 ledge of the good and evil which flow from them (and good thus produced), 

 and not by the ignorance of that evil, or by the constraints of power. Are 

 the hearts of gardeners and cultivators naturally so bad, that if it were gene- 

 rally known that salting soils strongly would destroy all the plants which grow 

 in them, a great many persons would be found destroying the finest flowers of 

 their neighbours in this way ? No such thing ! Does not every male or female 

 servant know how easy it would be to set fire to their master's house, or 

 to blow it up with gunpowder ? and have they not opportunities of doing 

 so every day ? Human nature is not naturally bad, but full of human 

 sympathy, of affection for the species, and of kindness and goodness ; un- 

 less, indeed, when the natural good qualities are poisoned, like the soil of 

 Mr. Carnal)y's tulip beds, by bad laws and bad treatment. But admitting 

 that some minds are tainteil, and that they know not that soils could be 

 poisoned by common salt, would it not be better to conceal the fact from 

 these minds? In our opinion, by no means. If the evil-disposed should 

 poison soils, let them be punished : but do not incur a greater evil, and 

 hide from the upright man how weeds may be poisoned, and how dangerous 

 it is to apply an overdose of salt when it is used as a manure. We have 

 already given our opinion on this subject (Vol. III. p. 42.), and must request 

 our readers to reperuse what we have there written. — Cond. 



Campdnnla Midium. — Walking round the garden to-day, I observed a 

 rabbit very eagerly devouring plants of the above. Examining further. 



