293 General J\''otice$. 



subject,) and very properly ridicules the idea o( a patent ap- 

 plied to a bee-hive. Nothing, it has seemed to us, could be 

 more ridiculous than patents for such articles as IVeeks's hive^ 

 Dennis''s troughs. Sec. They cannot aftbrd any great profit to 

 the inventors, while, at the same time they impede the pro- 

 gress of agricultural improvement, by throwing in the way of 

 the farmer pecuniary obstacles. If these inventions had cost 

 the authors years of labor, and an outlay of money, to bring 

 them to perfection, such patents would be allowable. But it 

 is not so. Many of these patents are the improvements of 

 public spirited individuals, who feel that it is sufficient com- 

 pensation to have their labors duly appreciated, but which are 

 catched up by those who have not the genius to invent any 

 thing new, and after being burdened with a patent, the further 

 use is at once checked and lost. 



In conclusion, we would recommend Mr. Affleck's book to 

 every bee-breeder, whether he be Yankee, Hoosier, or 

 Buckeye. 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Art. I. General Notices. 



Preservation of JMarie Louise pears. — At a meeting of the London 

 Horticultural Society, on the 1st of December, Mr. Grace, ot" St. 

 John's Wood, exhibited some fine specimens of the Marie Louise 

 pear, although the season of them was some time past. He handed 

 in a memorandum, which was read at the meeting, detailing his pe- 

 culiar management. His trees were described as being trained in 

 the balloon fashion. About the first of October, he matted up the 

 south and west sides of the trees, leaving them open to the north- 

 east. They were then in full foliage, and continued so nearly three 

 weeks later than the other trees of the same kind, not matted. Ou 

 the 2bth of November, in consequence of the bad weather and heavy 

 gales, it became necessary to gather the fruit, which, however, if it 

 had not been for this circumstance, would have remained on the trees 

 much longer. 3Ir. Grace was very confident he should be able to 

 gather tVuit t'rom the trees as late as Christmas. — {Gard. Chron.) 



Miisa. Cavendish'il — This fine s])ecies of the banana is now exten- 

 sively cultivated in England, for its fruit. It is a dwarf species, at- 



