Domestic Notices. — England. 103 



morganshire, of the following weights, and their growth and beauty were 

 quite perfect: — One 12 lb. 15 oz. ; ditto, 10 lb. 8 oz. ; ditto, 10 lb. exactly ; 

 ditto, 9 lb. ; ditto, 9 lb. ; making an average of upwards of 10 lb. 10 oz. 

 each. Within the same period, twelve queen-pines were cut, weighing 

 together 55 lb. (Times, July 6.) 



The stamens of the flowers of Schizdnthus pinndtus, on being touched with 

 a needle or knife point, possess the same irritability as the stamina of the 

 B&beris vulgaris. — R. Turner. Grantham, Mai/ 2 1 . 



Horticultural Depravity. — On the night of the 16th of June, some mis- 

 creant entered into the garden of J. T. Dering, Esq., of Crow Hall, near 

 Downham-market, broke open the green-house, and maliciously destroyed 

 every plant therein, including many fine orange and lemon trees, many of 

 them of nearly forty years' growth. The ruthless villain then barked, cut 

 down, and demolished between forty and fifty peach, nectarine, and other 

 choice and valuable wall-fruit trees, which were in full bearing, and had 

 been selected with great care to supply the deficiency occasioned by last 

 year's depredation. He also cut through and destroyed several fine vines 

 giving promise of an abundant crop, rooted up every melon and cucumber 

 plant, and broke and destroyed all the frames and glasses. (Farm. Jour., 

 July, 9.) — We hope the unhappy wretch who committed these acts was no 

 regular gardener. 



Enormous Thistle. — There is now growing in the garden of Mr. G. 

 Hardwick, of Stamford Bridge, a thistle, of the extraordinary height of 9 

 feet 2 inches ; the leaves, in general, are 5 feet long, and 2 feet broad ; 

 there are four branches from near the bottom, 6 feet 2 inches long, each 

 of which has thrown out 17 branches, with heads and flowers. There are 

 25 branches from the main stalk, from which have sprung the uncommon 

 number of 253 smaller branches, with heads and flowers : on one of those 

 stalks there are other branches with heads. (Yorkshire Gazette, July 21.) 

 Chelsea Botanic Garden, Jidy 9. ■ — There are now in flower here three 

 hundred different sorts of wheat, viz. fifteen species with their varieties, 

 forty sorts of oats, and eighteen of barley, from seeds brought from Spain, the 

 Adriatic Gulf, and the shores of the Caspian Sea, by Professor La Gasca. 

 (Gard. Mag., vol. ii. p. 220.) It is hoped seeds will be saved from all these 

 varieties, and sent to the different botanic gardens of the empire, in order 

 to be sown in them, and the produce distributed among such local agricul- 

 turists as have the means and sufficient patriotism to give them a fair trial 

 on a scale sufficient to admit of ascertaining their comparative merits. It 

 Mr. Coke, the Duke of Bedford, Lord Althorp, the Duke of Portland, 

 Mr. Curwen, and, in Scotland, Mr. Rennie, were to take up this subject 

 with their characteristic energy and perseverance, the result would probably 

 be some new and valuable varieties of grain introduced into general culture. 

 Mr. Anderson, the curator, has obligingly sown these seeds for Professor 

 La Gasca, who, we doubt not, will be found most liberal in the distribution 

 of the produce as far as it will go. 



Traps for Hay-stealers. — Have the grower's name printed or written on 

 a great number of little slips of paper : distribute these in the hayrick as it 

 is building, so as there may be at least one slip to each truss, which will 

 not require above one hundred slips to an acre, but to make quite sure, 

 say two hundred. Then when you suspect your man has given away a 

 truss, or any particular truss or quantity to be stolen from your cart or 

 rick, have the truss pulled to pieces, &c. This practice has been adopted 

 in Shropshire, and a thief detected and convicted in consequence. The 

 ingenious inventor is Mrs. Richards, of the Parish of Clun. (See Farm. 

 Jour., July 25. p. 255. 



Ranwiculus dcris, the sharp, or upright meadow crowfoot, is said to 

 blister the mouth, stomach, and udder of cows. Mr. Whitlaw, who has a 



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