■ Foreign Notices. — Holland and the Netherlands. 51 



kind, on which are still upwards of 100 fine bunches. They are protected 

 during the night with reed mats, and many of the bunches, when the 

 mouldy berries are thinned out, will be fit for the table till the middle of 

 January, and longer. It is a very great curiosity in this country, to see at 



Christmas fine ripe grapes hanging on the vine in the open ground. J, P. 



Petersen. Copenhagen, Dec. 29. 1827. 



HOLLAND AND THE NETHERLANDS. 



Brussels, February 15. — A number of flower shows are held at this 

 time in different cities of the Netherlands. 



The Society of Flora of Bruges had a very fine exhibition, and awarded 

 to M. Pettelberghe an honorary medal, as the florist who during the past 

 summer had brought to the public market the finest productions. {Jour, de 

 la Belgique,¥eh.) 



The Agricultural and Botanical Society of Ghent, at their meeting, Fe- 

 bruary 7th, distributed a large piece of vegetable wax, sent by M. le Baron de 

 Serret, of Bruges, which he had produced from the berries of the Myxica 

 pennsylvanica. These berries v/ere grown on a surface of 1 50 square ft. of 

 poor soil, which annually produced from 1^ to 2 lbs. of wax. A medal 

 was given for Jsclepia* tuberosa; and a prize to M. P. Verleeuwen, for 

 Crinum amabile, as the best cultivated plant. {Ibid.) 



The Horticidtural Society of Tournay gave away several prizes ; that for 

 the best culture was for Astrapse^a Wallichiz; the second for BletzaTanker- 

 siWicB ; and the third for Epacris rosea. A prize was given for a plant 

 forced so as to come into flower on a particular day, and this plant was 

 726sa centifolia Pompbnia. {Ibid.) 



The Society of Flora of Ypres gave away two prizes. {Ibid.) 



The Society of Agricidture and Botany of the District of St. Nicolas in 

 East Flanders assembled on the 25th of February, and had a very splendid 

 show of flowers, plants, and trees. Four honorary medals were given away, 

 one silver watch, and several minor medals. {Ibid.) 



The Agricidtural and Botanical Society of Louvain held an exhibition of 

 plants and flowers on the 7th of February. The prize for superior culture 

 was awarded to M. de Mangeer for a Primula sertulosa, of gigantic deve- 

 lopement. The second prize was awarded to M. Paschal d'Onyn, for a 

 Camellia japonica incarnata ; and the third to M. de Schrynmaher, of Dor- 

 mael, for a Sophora tetraptera. {Ibid.) 



Floral Society of Brussels, Feb. 20. — A meeting of this Society was held 

 in the rotunda of the Museum, and the number of plants produced were 

 1033. The medal for the rarest plant, or that most recently introduced 

 into Europe, was awarded to the Podalyria sp. ? by M. Steenecruys d'An- 

 vers ; the iyilium candidum of M. le Baron Peuthy d'Huldenberg carried 

 off the palm, as the plant to be produced in flower at the precise time of 

 the 1 6th of February ; and, finally, the Cypripedium spectabile, by M. van 

 Geert, florist, at Ghent, obtained the medal as the most remarkable for its 

 beauty. The exhibition lasted three days. {Ibid.) 



At' Antwerp, several zealous amateurs are endeavouring to form and 

 arrange a botanical and horticultural society. {Ibid.) 



The Orangery and Hothouses of the new Botanic Garden at Brussels begin 

 to present an imposing appearance. The edifice in general will be one of 

 the finest buildings in Brussels ; it presents a front of nearly 400 ft. in 

 length. The southern extremity of the front is ornamented with eight 

 Ionic columns, and the other end seems also to require to be so terminated. 

 The centre is composed of a rotunda of the same order, and encompassed 

 by a gallery of eight columns, detached from the main body. We do not 

 think this establishment is surpassed by any other of the kind, either in 

 magnificence or grandeur. {Tbid.) 



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