152 Notes and Gleanings. 



The Bombardment of Paris. — The special correspondent of the London 

 Times gives the following account of the effects of the bombardment on the 

 Jardin des Plantes : " No fewer than eighty-three shells had fallen within this 

 comparatively limited area. On the nights of January 8 and 9, four shells fell 

 into the glass houses, and shattered the greater part of them to atoms. A heap 

 of glass fragments lying hard by testified to the destruction ; but the effect of 

 the shells was actually to pulverize the glass, so that it fell almost like dust over 

 the gardens. The consequence was that nearly the whole of this most rare and 

 valuable collection was exposed to one of the coldest nights of the year, and 

 whole famihes of plants were killed by the frost. Some of the plants suffered 

 the most singular effects from the concussion ; the fibres were stripped bare, 

 and the bark peeled off in many instances. All the Orchids, all the Clusiaceae, 

 the Cyclanthes, the Pandaneae were completely destroyed, either by the shells 

 themselves, or by the effects of the cold. The large palm-house was destroyed, 

 and the tender tropical contents were exposed to that bitterly cold night ; yet 

 singularly enough, although they have suffered severely, not one has yet died. 

 All through the whole of the fortnight during which these gardens were sub- 

 jected to the rain of shells, M.M. Decaisne, Chevreuil, and Milne Edwards 

 remained at their posts, unable to rest, and have since, at their own expense, 

 repaired the damage done, trusting that whatever form of government France 

 may choose, it will not repudiate its debts of honor. M. Decaisne is making out 

 a list of his losses, a large proportion of which might possibly be supplied from 

 Kew, while owners of private collections might also be glad to testify their sym- 

 pathy and interest in the cause of science, by contributing whatever they may be 

 able to spare, as soon as the amount and nature of the loss is ascertained." 



A Miniature Oncid. — In the course of an agreeable tour round the Hale 

 Farm Nursery, a few days ago, I discovered in one of the alpine houses there, 

 a beautiful example of a rare plant, Epimedium pinnatiun elegans, bearing a 

 spike of elegant yellow flowers that reminds one instantly of the more fragile- 

 habited of the oncidiums, and equal to any of them in beauty. The catalogue 

 price of this plant is just sixpence, but the specimen I saw might have been 

 worth half a crown. How many gardens shall I visit ere again meeting with 

 such a gem as compared with gardens where oncids are grown, and represent 

 immense expenditures of money and labor ? A friend has just remarked that 

 " these first-class hardy plants want writing up," and to that I have responded 

 that a few second-class tender plants equally need writing down ; but it is 

 sufficient for us to point attention to things that are sure to commend them- 

 selves when seen, and leave less worthy objects to find their proper level in open 

 competition before the eyes of the world. .5'. H., in Gardener's Magazine. 



Fruit Prospect in England. — The Gardener's Magazine of March 25 

 says, " The promise of a good fruit crop is complete. The trees are everywhere 

 bristling with plump flower buds, and in the southern counties the walls are 

 grandly sheeted with the bloom of peaches and apricots. The lateness of the 

 spring is particularly favorable to fruit, by lessening the risk of destruction by 

 frost." 



