Domestic JS'otices. 1 J 5 



good order now, but they have the appearance of remaininjr so for 

 one or two months to come: we njay therefore safely recommend 

 Mr. Russell's method above all others. — hid. 



New vegetable. — At the December meeting of the Pennsylvania 

 Horticultural Society, Mr. Buist presented a specimen of a new veg- 

 etable from South America. It is called the Sechium edule, or Siegos 

 edulis, one-seeded cucvmber. It is stated to be unlike any thing cul- 

 tivated in this country. In shape, it is similar to a bell pear; flesh 

 soliti; skin smooth, of a pale green color; and weighs from six to 

 eight ounces. Each specimen, having been thirty -six days at sea, 

 had germinated on the j)assage, and presented a singular apjiearance. 

 From the eye, or apex, partially jirotruded a sinsle flat seed, some- 

 what larger than a Lima bean, from which issued fibrous roots, and 

 between the colyledons the plumule. For the table, it is j)repared 

 in the same manner as squashes, and is said to be of more delicate 

 flavor. We should be ghid to receive from any of our Philadelphia 

 friends a further account of this vegetable, wiih some notice of its 

 habit of growth, &c., and, if possible, a drawing, representing its 

 sha|)e, &c. — Ed. 



Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. — We have received the pro- 

 ceedings of the three last meetings of this Society: the Committee on 

 Premiums made their report at the meeting of the 15th of December, 

 accompanied with a schedule of the |)remiumsfor 1841. Some amend- 

 ments were made, and the report was then adopted. The amount of- 

 fered in premiums exceeds five hundred dollars, and inclutles a great 

 variety of subjects. In our next number we shall give an abstract of 

 this schedule, together with the dates of the meetings at which the 

 objects are to be exhibited. — Ed. 



Influence of Temperature on the vegetation of Seeds. — A corres- 

 pondent of Silliman's Journal has connnunicated some experiments 

 which he made, with the intention to shov/ at what average temj)era- 

 ture at noon various seeds will germinate, and how many days are re- 

 quisite for them to vegetate at any given temperature. Thus he 

 states that the Lima bean, at a temperature of 88*^, (in the shade,) 

 will appear above ground in seven days; at a temperature of 62"^ it 

 requires twenty days. 1 he marrowfat pea, at 51", requires nineteen 

 days, and at 74° only eleven days. Radishes vary with the tempera- 

 ture from six to twelve days. Thus the average temperature of any 

 country, other things being equal, may be inferred with considerable 

 accuracy from the j)eriods of vegetation; for in looking over a long 

 list of recorded experiments, he finds a great degree of uniformity in 

 the process of germination, in ordinary circumstances. (Silliman^s 

 Journal.) 



[These experiments teach the horticulturist a useful lesson. It is 

 well known that the Lima bean is one of the most uncertain varieties 

 to vegetate, when sown at the same time and under the same cir- 

 cumstances as the others. Cidtivators often have the trouble of 

 planting twice, and fie(|uently three times, before they j)rocuie good 

 plants. The experiments alluded to explain the cause. Sown about 

 the middle of May, as they generally are, unless the weather is very 

 warm, the seeds will not vegetate under from ten to twenty days: 

 and if the weather should be accompanied with nnndi rciin, the seeds 

 \\ill rot in the ground. If, on the contrary, the beans are not 



