68 Editorial Miscellany. 



Burgundy the Grape harvest is later now tban formerly, whilst the con- 

 trary is the case in the south of France. As regards Beans, it is usual 

 not to cut them until the pod is dry, but the farmers in the Valais, who 

 desire to keep the stalk unchanged, cut them as soon as the scar of the 

 seed is black, although the rest of it is still green. Wheat seed has been 

 proved by M. Duchartre to be capable of germinating when the albumen 

 is still almost milky, and that germination was strikingly facilitated by 

 the drying and shrinking [retraction) of the corn. Without, however, 

 going so far as this, it is certain, from experiments made at Versailles and 

 La Saussate, that corn may be got in without inconvenience when the 

 top of the stem is still green, and that the grains are then finer and more 

 valued in the market. This suflScient ripeness is from nine to thirteen 

 days earlier than what our farmers call complete ripeness, and gives ft 

 sum of at least 245 deg. of temperature. 



" There is another difficulty met with when an attempt is made to fix 

 upon a sum of degrees of temperature as necessary to enable a plant to 

 arrive at maturity ; namely, the difficulty arising from the great number 

 of varieties which mature, some faster and some slower than others : this 

 is the case with Corn, Maize, Potatoes, Grapes, &c. We cannot there- 

 fore admit that ripeness in its common sense, which is so arbitrary and 

 changeable, is a natural phase in the life of plants ; we must confine the 

 term to its botanical sense above explained, concerning which we know 

 very little, and leave the rest to the convenience of cultivators." 



" By an artificial contrivance'' — says the author of ' Gossip on Ancient 

 Gardening' — " during meals there descended on the guests from above, 

 the powerful aroma of roses. Heliogabalus, in his folly, caused violets 

 and roses to be showered down upon his guests in such quantities that a 

 number of them being unable to extricate themselves, were sufibcated in 

 flowers. During meal times they reclined on cushions stuffed with rose 

 leaves, or made a couch of the leaves themselves. The floor, too, was 

 strewn with roses, and in this custom great luxury was displayed. Cleo- 

 patra, at an enormous expense, procured roses for a feast which she gave 

 to Anthony, had them laid two cubits thick on the banquet-room, and 

 then caused nets to be spread over the flowers in order to render the 

 footing elastic. Heliogabalus caused not only the banquet-rooms, but 

 also the colonnades that led to them to be covered with roses, interspersed 

 with lilies, violets, hyacinths, and narcissi, and walked upon this flowery 

 platform." 



