General Mtices. 269 



subsoil was a retentive clay, which caused the rain water to keep the 

 land very wet through the winter, and early part of spring. 



"Resxdls. 1822. In corn, Ibllowed by wheat in 1823 : not particu- 

 larly noticed — but the benefits must have been very inconsiderable. All 

 the muscle-shell marling, and four acres of the gypseus, sowed in red 

 clover, which stood well, but was severely checked, and much of it 

 killed, by a drought in June, when the sheltering wheat was reaped. 

 During the next winter (by neglect) my horses had frequent access to 

 this piece, and by their trampling in its wet state, must have injured 

 both land and clover. From these disasters the clover recovered sur- 

 prisingly, and in 1824, two mowings were obtained, which, though not 

 heavy, were better than from any of my previous attempts to raise this 

 grass. In 1825, the growth was still better, and yielded more to the 

 scythe. This was the fii'st time that I had seen clover worth mowing 

 on the third year after sowing — and had never heard of its being com- 

 parable to the second year's growth any where in the lower country. 

 The growth on the muscle-shell marling was very inferior to the other, 

 and was not mowed at all the last year, being thin and low, and almost 

 eaten out by wire grass. 



" 1826. In corn — and it was remarkable that the difference shown the 

 last year was I'eversed, the muscle-shell marling now having much the 

 best crop. 



" In these and other applications to neutral soils, I ascribe the earliest 

 effects entirely to gypsum, as well as the peculiar benefit shown to 

 clover, throughout. The later effects on gram are due to the calcareous 

 earth in the manure." 



Did our magazine treat upon agriculture, it would give us 

 much pleasure to notice this work at greater length. We gladly 

 commend the volume to every farmer ; and, as it is published at 

 a very low price, we hope it will find its way into the hand of 

 every agriculturist. 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Art. I. General Notices. 



The Use and Muse of Hybridisation. — In the Botanical Res:ister for 

 February, 1835, Dr. Lindley has, in an article ap])ended to his descrip- 

 tion of Calceolaria longiflora, cast a very unjustifiable reflection upon 

 gardeners, which is no less than that, in their " haste and unskilfulness," 

 they have converted the fairest races of the vegetaljle world into un- 

 heahhy, mongrel, and debased varieties; and that calceolarias are al- 

 ready sinking in estimation, in consequence of the ruin they have 

 brought on them by hybridisation. We were previously aware that 

 calceolarias do not hold the same place now as formerly in the estima- 

 tion of some, with whom pounds, shillings and pence weigh heavier in 



