390 Foreign Notices. — Trance. 



and the fathers of families to use every exertion to educate their children 

 as the greatest and best service which they could render them. M. Soulange- 

 Bodin, who is a man of considerable eloquence, made some very impressive 

 observations on the subject, and recommended members of the Society to 

 lend and distribute the Annales, and other useful gardening publications, 

 among their neighbours, and to every gardener who could make use of them. 

 M. Boursault used various arguments to prove the beneficial influence of 

 gardening on society generally ; and the duty of every enlightened individual 

 to promote a taste for it, as a source of social improvement, and of general 

 amelioration. The Chevalier A. A. du Petit-Thouars made some interest- 

 ing physiological remarks on the result of an experiment which he had 

 made on the stem of a tree ; clearly proving that the sap which returns by 

 the bark and liber has the power of forming wood, without the aid of the 

 alburnum ; but the details we reserve till we return, and can illustrate the 

 subject by an engraving. 



The articles exhibited were chiefly dahlias, some implements and models 

 of implements, drawings of different varieties of the Patate, &c. M. du Pe- 

 tit-Thouars gave away thirty or forty copies of his Cours de Phytologie, and 

 some other papers were distributed. Professor Decandolle was present, 

 and Mrs. Yosy. The national characteristic was exhibited towards this 

 lady, who, though an entire stranger, and arriving some time after the 

 Meeting had commenced, was most graciously received, conducted to a seat 

 close to the president, and, when M. du Petit-Thouars proceeded to distri- 

 bute his pamphlets, he presented the first to Mrs. Yosy. 



The most remarkable thing which we have yet seen in the neighbourhood 

 of Paris, is the establishment of M. Soulange-Bodin, at Fremont. As this 

 is the travelling season with nurserymen, we would recommend all of them 

 who can spare time to visit France, to go thither, and see the art of graft- 

 ing, and especially the greffe a la Tschoudi, pushed further than it has yet 

 been in any establishment either in France or Britain. In rare exotic 

 shrubs, we are inclined to think M. Soulange-Bodin will soon be able to 

 undersell every nursery in Europe. We shall discuss the subject of this 

 establishment m our next Number, which we intend to devote entirely to 

 giving some account of the tour which we are now making. In the mean 

 time, we set off for Chantilly, Morfontaine, and Ermenonville (which we 

 have not seen since 1815), to try if we can find at these places any thing 

 worthy of laying before our readers ; hoping that, as we are now incessantly 

 occupied for their advantage, the great hurry in which this letter has been 

 written, and the impossibility of our seeing a proof of it before it goes to 

 press, will be an excuse for us, both in France and England, for the inaccu- 

 racies, or seeming carelessness of expression, which it may contain. — Cond. 



Signs announcing the Vigour of a Tree. — The branches, especially to- 

 wards the top, are vigorous ; the annual shoots strong and long ; the leaves 

 green, vigorous, and thick, principally at the summit, and falling late in 

 autumn ; the bark is clear, fine, united, and nearly of the same colour from 

 the foot to the large branches. If at the bottom of the veins, or divisions, 

 of the thick bark, there appear smaller divisions which follow from below 

 jupwards, in the direction of the fibres, and live bark be observed at the bot- 

 tom of these divisions, it is an indication that the tree is very vigorous, and 

 rapidly increasing in size. If some of the lower branches, stifled by others, 

 are yellow, languishing, and even dead, this is an accidental efiect, and is 

 no pi'oof of the languor of the tree. Finally, it is a sign of vigour when 

 branches are seen at the summit of the tree rising above the others, and 

 being much longer; but it is to be observed, that all trees with round heads 

 do not throw out branches with equal force. 



Sig7is which indicate that the Tree is mature. — Generally the head of the 

 tree is rounded; the shoots diminish in length each year, and the furthest 

 shoots add to the length of the branches only by the length of the bud ; 



