Domestic Notices. — Scotland. 105 



The Caledonian Lodge of Gardeners had their splendid triennial proces- 

 sion in Edinburgh, on July 3d. The brethren assembled in the Riding 

 School, Nicolson Street, at two o'clock, and a number of deputations from 

 the lodges in the neighbouring towns arrived in succession. Shortly after 

 three o'clock the grand display commenced. The whole procession moved 

 off, in regular order, by the South and North Bridges, and thence to the 

 British Hotel. The members were tastefully decorated with their sashes 

 and the other showy insignia of their order ; and their flags, music, and 

 beautiful garlands of flowers, gave the whole an appearance greatly supe- 

 rior to that of the common parades. The members dined in the Hopetoun 

 Rooms, and spent the evening in the most harmonious manner. (Scotsman, 

 July 4.) 



The University Course of Lectures on Botany were terminated July 30th, 

 when the following prizes were awarded: — To Mr. Edward Moore, of 

 Plymouth, a gold medal, for the best essay on the plants which are 

 poisonous either to man or the inferior animals, and belong to the British 

 Flora, with various circumstances (as stated in the intimation given last 

 year) relative to their natural history, culture, and properties. To Mr. 

 Isaac Haig, of Bemersyde, Berwickshire, a silver medal, for the essay next 

 in merit on the same subject. To Mr. John Sutherland, of Edinburgh, a 

 silver medal, for a herbarium collected in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. 

 Before opening the sealed notes, in which were the names of the successful 

 competitors, Dr. Graham expressed himself much pleased with all the essays 

 given in. They evinced much patient research and general knowledge of 

 the subject. He also complimented the collector of the herbarium on the 

 very great accuracy with which the plants were named. (Scotsman, Aug. 1.) 



A Strawberry, exceeding five inches in circumference, was gathered in the 

 neighbourhood of Edinburgh in the last week of July. (Scotsman, Aug. 1.) 



Yucca gloriosa andflamentdsa have flowered magnificently in the nursery 

 grounds, Leith Walk, and at Redbraes, Bonnington Road, belonging to 

 Dicksons & Co. Some of them were upwards often feet high, and covered 

 with many hundreds of blossoms. They are supposed to be the finest that 

 have yet flowered in this quarter of the country. (Scotsman.) 



The Edinburgh Green-Market has been abundantly supplied with the 

 vegetables and fruits of the season during the last two months. There 

 has been some altercation respecting the size of the strawberry-baskets, 

 which the Committee of the Fruit-Gardeners have set at rest, by declaring 

 by advertisement (Scotsman, June 20.) that the baskets at present in use 

 contain one full imperial quart each, which is about one fifth less than the 

 former basket. — B. Edin., Aug. 10. 



Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, June 7. 1827. — List of rare plants which 

 have flowered during the last three months, communicated by Dr. Graham 

 to Professor Jameson : — Jcacia lunata and mucronata, Banksia integrifolia, 

 Cactus heptagonus, Cycas circinalis, Dracaena obtecta, Dry&s integrifolia, 

 Liparia sphaeYica and villosa, Lomatia longifolia, Magnolia cordata, Oma- 

 lanthus jjopulifolius, Oxalis bipunctata, Passiflora pedunculata, Penafa 

 imbricata, Primula longiflora, Psidium chinense, tfterculia Baldnghas 

 Strophantus diveVgens, Trixus auriculata. (Ed. Phil. Jour., June, 1827, 



Watching the Swarming of Bees. — The hive is placed upon a weighing 

 beam, about three feet eight inches long, with a board on the other end, 

 on which stones of the weight of the hive are put. When the bees begin 

 to cast, (an ordinary top swarm is between 4 lb. and 5 lb. weight,) and 

 when the first pound's weight of bees have left the hive, the beam will turn 

 back a little, the same way as a merchant's scale does on the counter : but, 

 before the scale rests, it forces out a trigger, like the pin of a mole-trap, 

 which lets oh* a small iron wire to a bell in the house, that gives sufficient 



