Domestic Notices. — England. 



101 



Australian Agricultural and Horticultural Society, February, 1827. — 

 A report was read, by which it appears that the crop of wheat was above 

 an average, and the crop of maize promised to be abundant, where it was 

 sown in rich alluvial soil, but a failure on fresh land. Tobacco is said to 

 be less extensively grown, since the reduction of the duty. The condition 

 of the vineyards is mentioned as extremely luxuriant. The influence of 

 the turf-club, in encouraging the breed of horses, forms a subject of con- 

 gratulation, as also the increasing numbers, and the improvement in quality, 

 of the breeds of horned cattle. An improvement of the quality of wool 

 produced from sheep of the Saxon breed is also noticed. {Colonial Times.) 



The fruits of New South Wales, and the general state of gardening in the 

 Colonies in that part of the world, are very fully given in Two Years in New 

 South Wales, by P. Cunningham, Surgeon, Royal Navy, lately published. 

 The indigenous fruits are not very numerous, but every European fruit 

 thrives there freely in the open air ; and most of the tropical fruits grow in 

 warm situations, and require only the protection of a glass frame during 

 the season of ripening. a 



Art. II. Domestic Notices. 



ENGLAND. 



CONCENTRATION of the Sim's Rays for the Purpose of accelerating Vege- 

 tation and the Maturation of Fruits. — Mr. Gauen, the author of the plan 

 for blooming fruits (p. 54.), is about to bring forward a very ingenious in- 

 vention for hastening the maturity and increasing the flavour of fruits, and 

 for flowering, with greater vigour, every description of exotic plant. The 

 effect is produced by concentrating the sun a rays by means of lenses 

 {fig. 31. a), which ^ _ _ 31 



may be self-adjusted 

 by watch machinery, 

 on a hollow cast- 

 iron ball (b), with an 

 opening at the lower 

 extremity (e), to ad- 

 mit the air to be 

 heated in the ball, 

 and another on the 

 upper surface {d), to 

 allow the heated air 

 to pass off through 

 iron tubes, which it 

 heats in its passage. 

 These tubes {e e,ff) 

 are distributed at 

 pleasure among the 

 trees or plants on r 

 which it is intended 

 to operate. In the case of a wall tree (fig. 31.), the arrangement would be 

 very simple, and consist of one main tube (e e), with a number of branch 

 tubes (fff) of different lengths, so as to distribute the air over the surface 

 of the tree and wall. Mr. Gauen has tried many experiments with this 

 engine, some of which, with a more detailed account of the invention, will 

 be found in our succeeding number. He also informs us that by November 

 he will be able to announce where the machines may be purchased, to- 

 ll 3 



