Foi-eign Notices. — Germany. 271 



Potato Mortar. — M. Cadet-de-Vaux found mortar of lime and sand, and 

 also that made from clay, greatly improved in durability, by mixing boiled 

 potatoes with it. {Bui. Un.) 



Hoveti Cattle. — As the distension is chiefly occasioned by carbonic acid 

 gas, any substance which will combine with that gas will reduce it. Such 

 a substance is readily found in ammonia (hartshorn), a spoonful of which, 

 infused in water, and forced down the animal's throat, completely removes 

 the distension. {Annates de Chimie.) 



An experimental Farviy as a school of practical husbandry for a part of 

 central France, has been formed by the celebrated Abb^ de Pradt. It is 

 situated about a-league from Avranches, on the great road from that city 

 to Bort, in the department of Correze. {For. Quart. Rev., February.) 



Names of French Pears. — The following, among other sorts, were seed- 

 lings found in the native forests, Rambuer,Bezy-d'hery, Colmar,Virgouleuse, 

 Silvange, &c. {Essai Historique, Sfc, prefixed to the ThSdtre d" Agriculture 

 de Olivier de Serres, edition of 1801, p. 148.) 



GERMANY. 



Luxemburg, near Vienna, June 3. — Before giving you some account of 

 our plant-exhibition, held on the 1st of May last, I shall enumerate the de- 

 scriptions of objects for which prizes were offered : — 



1. Rare and beautiful exotics highly cultivated, hardy or hot-house. 



2. Ornamental plants of Europe highly cultivated, hardy or hot-house. 



3. Rare and beautiful Austrian plants highly cultivated, hardy or hot- 

 house. 



4. Rare and beautiful hardy Austrian plants. 



5. The handsomest plant of the family G^ei'aniaceas, of foreign origin. 



6. The same, of indigenous origin. 



7. The handsomest plant of the family jRhodoracese. 



Plants which gained prizes last year cannot gain prizes this year. 



The exhibition was held in one of the hot-houses of Prince Schwartzen- 

 berg ; the prizes were mostly camellias and pelargoniums. By particular 

 request made to the emperor, plants were sent for competition from the 

 imperial gardens at Schonbrunn, one of which, Cordyline (sp. ?), gained the 

 first prize ; but, as the emperor refused it, it was given to the Archduke 

 Anthony for Areca alba. The second prize was won by the Countess 

 Zichy-Ferraria, for Epacris grandiflora; the third by Baron Welden, for 

 /Saxifraga Pondl ; the fourth by Baron Pronay, for Geum coccineum; the 

 fifth by Prince Metternich, for Pelargonium pedicelatum ; the sixth by M. 

 Klier, an amateur, for Pelargonium FerdinandzH?z j the seventh by Baron 

 Pronay, for Azalea indica alba. These plants were selected from about 

 500 others, produced and exhibited by eleven individuals. Among other 

 articles exhibited was a Noisette rose, grafted on the common hazel ! 



A great variety of geraniums have been raised here from seed since 

 January, 1826, chiefly by M. Klier, and a list of them has lately been pub- 

 lished by a society of amateurs, as a supplement to Sweet's Geraniacece. 

 The species enumerated amount to 112, of which I enclose you a list. [We 

 have sent the Hst to Mr. Sweet.] (See p. 267.) 



Tke Vegetable and Fruit Market is now pretty well supplied. About the 

 middle of March asparagus sold at 6s. a hundred ; lettuce, radishes, and 

 small carrots were abundant j and French beans sold for from 4d. to 6c?. per 

 hundred. These prices continued till about the middle of May. Every 

 thing is now (June 3.) much cheaper ; but peas, lettuce, and cabbages are 

 almost the only vegetables in our markets. Some forced strawberries have 

 appeared, and a few forced cherries ; plums and peaches may be had, but 

 they are very scarce and dear. 



