Domestic Notices. 195 



ralization, in Algiers, of eighty acres in extent, which contains 25,000 

 trees, bushes, and phmts, under the care of a director and twenty men, 

 The^e plants inchide the sugarcane, cotton tree and bush, and, no doubt, 

 all those species and varieties of useful plants which the botanists and 

 horticidturafnts of Paris have supposed likely to suit climate. — [Camp- 

 htWs L iters from the South). 



Schtzdnthus HuokkrW. — VVe mentioned in another page that this splen- 

 did species was ai)out flowering in our cullection of plants ; since that 

 was written and sent to [)ress, several buds have o|)eMed and the plant 

 now displays several fully ex|)aiided blossoms. It is a superbly elegant 

 S|)ecies, and, although of rather diffi(;ult cultivation, is worthy of all the 

 care that may l)e bestowed upon it to grow it to perfection. Jt seems to 

 require more heat than the other species and varieties, and is also of 

 slower growth. Oiw |)laMts were from seed sown in September last, 

 and [)otted into small pots (number ones), in which they remained until 

 January ; they were tii.^n shifted into a larger size, and are now just 

 flowermg. Some plants wiiicli we gave Mr. Haggerston, with the hope 

 that, under his management, they would bloom in greater l)eauty than 

 under ours, we regi'et to state, were lost during the tiuie he w;is confined 

 to his house by sickness. No colleciion should be without it. S. retu- 

 sus, which is also flowering, a|)pears to be synonymous, or tiie seeds we 

 sowed were not true. — Conds. 



On Blights and their Causes. — Blights are often caused by a continued 

 dry easterly wind tor several days together, without the intervention of 

 showers, or any morning dew, by which the perspiration in the tender 

 blossoms is stopped, tliat in a short time their color is changed, and they 

 wither and decay ; and if it happens, that there is a long continuance of 

 the same weather, it equalh' aftccts the lender leaves, as from the same 

 cause perspiring matter is thickened and rendered glutinous, which 

 closely adhering to the surface of the leaves, becomes a pi-oper nuti-iment 

 to small insects, wliich are always found ])reying upon the tender bi-anches 

 of fruit and other ti-ees, whenever this blight hapiiens. But insects are 

 not the first cause of blights, as has been imagined by some naturalists, 

 though it must be allowed that whenever the insects meet with such 

 food they multiply exceedingly, and are instnnnental in promoting the 

 distemper-, so that many times when the season proves favorable to thein, 

 and proper car-e has not been taken to prevent their depr-edations, it is 

 surprising how soon whole walls of trees have suffered by contagion. 

 The best known remedy for this distemper is, to take in the spring, just 

 before the buds beguir to bur-st, two pounds of soft soap, one pound of 

 black sulphur, eight ounces of tobacco, a tea cup full of urine, three tea 

 spoonsful of oil of tur-pentine, and one ounce of nux vomica, to which 

 add four gallons of rain water-, boil them together till about the consist- 

 ency of paint, to be put on when about milk warm with a brush, such as 

 is used for painting. If attacked in the spring or summer-, take one 

 pound of black sulphur-, one pound soft soap, and four ounces of tobac- 

 co, to which add four gallorrs of rain water, to be put on with a sweeping 

 brush, and used milk warm ; the garden engine may be used freely over 

 the trees when the fruit is fairly set, with pure water, as long as is 

 thought necessai-y, to clear them if possible from this glutinous riiatter, 

 so that the respiration and ])erspir-ation may not be obstructed ; but 

 whenever the opet-ation of washing the trees is performed, it should be 

 early in the day, that the moistitr-e may be exhaled befor-e the coldness 

 of night comes' on, especially if the air be fr-osty; nor should it be done 

 when the sun shines very hot upon the walls, which would be likely to 

 scorch the tender blossoms. , 



Another cause of blights in the spring arises from sharp hoar frosts 

 which are often succeeded by hot sun-shine in the day time ; this is the 



