656 



I'oreigti Notices : — France. 



deserving of general attention. The beans are roundish. (j%. 115.) It 



very appropriately bears the appel 

 lation of ro3al dwarf. Whence it 

 originated, or how or when intro- 

 duced, 1 know not. It is only within 

 the last four or five years that it 

 lias been offered for sale by seed 

 dealers ; and the very great eager- 

 ness with which it has hitherto 

 "^^^ been purchased is an incontestable 



proof of its superiority. The royal dwarf bean requires to be planted 

 9 in. or even 1 ft. apart in the drills, which should be 2 or 2\ ft. dis- 

 tant from each other. Planted thus, it grows and extends itself most 

 luxuriantly; producing handsome red-streaked pods 8 or 9 in. in length, 

 and to the amount of '20, 30, and even more, on each plant. Among the 

 islanders, the criterion of excellence of this vegetable is, that it possesses 

 none of that tough interior skin, or, as it is here termed, farchemm or 

 parchment, which distinguishes the English sorts if not picked quite young. 

 This quality the royal dwarf eminently possesses, and is in consequence 

 edible when the reproductive germ has attained to a considerable size 

 within the pod, which is even palatable when on the point of ripening. 

 Hitherto we have found it somewhat shy in perfecting its seed ; which 

 leads me to imagine that it is a native of a warm climate, and the casual 

 introduction of some mariner. It is true, the weather our summers have 

 afforded us of late years has been so fluctuating as to be very prejudicial 

 to the regular process of vegetation. The royal dwarf kidneybean is, 

 howevei', to a certainty, more tardy in attaining to perfection than any 

 other of its tribe. It is possible that this sort may be known to some of 

 your readers, although I am pretty well convinced that its dissemination 

 has not been very extensive. I recollect sending it, among other specimens, 

 three years since to Mr. James Teeton, the venerable and worthy superin- 

 tendent of the seed department at Messrs. Cormack and Sinclair's, New 

 Cross; but as he has since abdicated, or at least no longer holds that 

 situation, I know not what may have been its fate. I am, Sir, yours, 

 &c. — John Williams. Jersey, Nov.b. 1830. 



The Broad-leaved Norman Cress. — Sir, Since my communication to 

 you on the Norman cress (p. 242.), I have seen Mr. Malcolm and other 

 nurserymen, to whom I have shown the broad-leaved Norman cress of 

 1783. They all say it is a variety they had not seen before (and wish for 

 seed of it) : from which it appears there are two kinds; one unknown in 

 the trade, and the other not generally known. I now send you some 

 plants as specimens, and a parcel of seed, which you can distribute, and 

 thereby bring both kinds into general culture, by adding your own observ- 

 ation on their merits. I am. Sir, yours, &c. — Josejjh Thompson. Welbeck, 

 Oct. 31. 1831. 



The plants received have very broad leaves, almost entire on the edges ; 

 general length, 6 in. or 8 in. ; and breadth at the upper extremity, above an 

 inch. The seed we have sent to Mr. Charlwood's, for distribution to such 

 gardeners as may call for it, leaviiis2; their names and address. — Cond. 



Art. II. Foreign Notices. 



FRANCE. 



Sir, After a residence of six months, I left Tours for Bagnoles Wells on 

 the 13th of May, by which time the heat of the weather had become 

 troublesome, though frequently, as in England, accompanied by chilling 

 easterly winds. The road for Bagnoles is up the trancliee, formed on an 



