454. Notices. — England. 



two years' training. It occupies seven rafters in the house, and has produced 

 the extraordinary weight of eighty pounds of grapes. This is the first season of 

 its producing fruit. It was reared and trained by J. Bridges, the gardener there. 

 (County Chronicle.) 



Fruits infested with Worms, %c. In consequence of the extreme drought ot the 

 summer, the autumnal fruits are found this season to be much infested with 

 worms and maggots. This is peculiarly observable in pears. Under these cir- 

 cumstances, we conceive it our duty to warn our readers, and particularly such 

 as have young families, against the injurious effects likely to result from eating 

 fruit in the state alluded to. It is necessary that every discoloration produced 

 by the maggot be cut clean away, before the fruit is eaten ; as, unless this precau- 

 tion be taken, the effects upon the intestines, particularly of children, are frequently 

 most serious, and often fatal in their results. An eminent physician of this 

 neighbourhood has stated his conviction, that a very few grains of the discoloured 

 substance to be seen in a pear when worm-eaten, are sufficient to cause a disorder 

 in the intestines of a most dangerous character. (Nottingham Herald.) 



Currants, raspberries, and gooseberries are this season found to be particularly 

 injurious to those who indulge in them, whether eaten as a dessert, or used in pastry. 

 The dry weather occasioned them to ferment on the bushes, instead of attaining 

 a proper degree of ripeness, and many of the prevalent maladies, cholera morbus, 

 diarrhoea, and other stomach complaints, are attributed to this cause. ( Taunton 

 Courier.) 



Mangold Wurzel. At the Doncaster Agricultural meeting, Lord Althorpe 

 described an interesting experiment which he had made to ascertain the compara- 

 tive merits of Swedish turnips and mangold wurzel, in the fattening of cattle ; the 

 result of which went to prove the superiority of the latter. His lordship further 

 observed, that during the present droughty season, when the turnips had been 

 nearly burnt up or destroyed by the fly, mangold wurzel had flourished, and was 

 an abundant crop. (Farmer s Journal.) A correspondent (D. B.) informs us, 

 that mangold wurzel may be used for feeding dogs, and that they are very fond 

 of this root, while they will not eat the turnip. 



Moveable Trellis. — We have seen a very handsome model of a hot-house, con- 

 taining a trellis of this description in the manufactory of Mr. Long, of Chelsea. 

 The trellis may be raised or lowered at pleasure with the greatest ease by one 

 person ; it may be constructed either of wood, or of wood and wire combined. 

 Mr. Long has had great experience in hot-house building, and showed us a 

 variety of plans and elevations of structures of this kind, some of them on a 

 large scale and very ornamental, which he has erected in different parts of the 

 kingdom. He is a remarkably correct and neat draughtsman, and being also a 

 practical man, we think we are doing our readers a service by pointing him out to 

 them. — (See his advertisement in page 473.) 



To scare Birds from - Cherries. Fasten the ends of long shreds of linen to the 

 branches, and let them blow about. (Irish Farm. Journal, June 3- ) 



New Trap for Sparrows. Few birds are more difficult to scare or destroy 

 than the common sparrow. D. B., a correspondent, once saw a flight of these 

 birds fluttering over a toad, and so completely absorbed were they by something 

 about the animal, that they permitted his approach within three or four feet before 

 they flew away. He conjectures that they may have been attracted by the eyes 

 of the toad, which, it is well known, are remarkable for their brilliancy ; and he 

 suggests the idea of employing toads as traps, which may attract birds, and allow 

 them to be conveniently shot at ; but before he indulges any farther in specula- 

 tions of this sort, he wishes to know if any reader of the Gardener's Magazine 

 has observed any similar phenomenon. 



Horticultural Impostor. A man has gone about London, the two last autumns 

 selling the roots of cenanthe crocata, for those of a newly imported species of 

 dahlia. He found a number of purchasers. As the cenanthe is one of the most 

 powerful of vegetable poisons, the substitution of its roots for those of the dahlia, 

 which are edible, may possibly be attended with dangerous consequences. The 

 following description of this plant is from Gray's "British Plants." 



