Notices — Asia and Australasia. 207 



ASIA. 



Tarts of Rose-leaves. A writer in the New Monthly Magazine observes 

 that one of the best tarts he ever tasted " was composed of nothing but 

 rose-leaves." What variety of rose it is whose leaves alone compose a 

 tart, he does not mention. He adds, that the most exquisite conserves 

 are made in the neighbourhood of Damascus, amongst which are dried 

 cakes of roses. The celebrated plain of roses from which the tarts, the 

 cakes, and the attar is obtained, is about three miles from the town ; it 

 is a part of the great plain of Syria, and its entire area is thickly planted 

 with rose-trees, which are cultivated, and irrigated with great care. — 

 {New Monthly Mag. No. 79. p. 434.) 



Agricultural Society of Calcutta. At a meeting of this Society, held on 

 the 22d March, a variety of seeds were presented, which were sent from 

 Cachemire and Ladak, by M. Moorcroft. Among these seeds are men- 

 tioned the wild pear and apple, apricot, melon, marsh onion, buck wheat, 

 lucerne, saffron, and the Prangos hog plant. Among the books pre- 

 sented was a Treatise on Agriculture for Nepal, by Raja Gunshan Shingh. 

 — [Asiat. Jour. Oct. 1825.) 



AUSTRALASIA. 



Cotton. Some very fine specimens, grown in the parallel of 52 south 

 latitude, has been sent to Glasgow for manufacture. There can be no 

 doubt that in a short time New Holland will afford an immense supply of 

 this article. 



Van Diemen's Land. The following very interesting letter on the 

 Horticulture of this colony has been communicated to us by Mr. Joseph 

 Knight, F.H.S. Nurseryman, Kings-road, Little Chelsea, to whom it is 

 addressed. 



Forcett, near Hobarts Town, Van Diemen's Land. 

 Sir, 4th September, 1825. 



The good wishes you expressed for Van Diemen's Land, in your 

 communications with Mr. Wedge, a young gentleman in the Surveyor's 

 department in this colony, induces me to trouble you with this : I hope 

 my intention will be my excuse, and that any further apology will be un- 

 necessary. 



I must first thank you for the very liberal supply of fruit trees, with which 

 you were so kind as to present him, on his leaving England, in the ship 

 Heroine, the beginning of last year, and though they may be considered his 

 sole property, yet they will soon get distributed through the Island; they 

 arrived at a very good time of the year, and were planted in a gentleman's 

 garden, near Hobart Town, where many have recovered the effects of so 

 long a voyage ; those that suffered the most were the stone fruits. 



Thinking you would be gratified with a specimen of the fruits of this 

 country, but as the very great distance renders it impossible to send them, 

 I have taking the liberty of forwarding figures of a few of the different 

 kinds of apples grown in my garden : could I flatter myself, that any further 

 description of them from me would be worth your perusal, I certainly 

 would attempt it ; I shall, therefore, merely state that they were all reared 

 from pips in this colony, the oldest plant not being more than twelve or 

 fourteen years. Nos. , and . are coloured just as they came off the 



tree, and are good representations. No. . is the same as No. . but was 

 gathered three or four weeks before it was painted. It may be gratifying 

 to know that No. . is a very late apple, the buds not showing the least in- 

 fluence of the Spring, when all other kinds are in full bloom ; it was raised 

 by A. W. H. Humphrey, Esq. our superintendant of police, a gentleman 

 much attached to Horticulture : the others were reared by a very indus- 

 trious farmer, of the name of Stanfield ; probably none more ignorant of 

 Horticulture than he is ; he sows the pips, and gets trees, which, if they 



