70 Foreign Notices : — Italiy. 



nurseries and market-gardens, the churchyard, and the vegetable market. 

 On the 23d vvc left for Heilbron, Heidelberg, Schweitzingen, and Carlsruhe. 



Baden. — We arrived at Carlsruhe on Nov. 26., examined the Botanic 

 Garden and Pleasure-Ground there, under the direction of M. Hartweg, 

 author of 116 r ins Carls rufumtis {Vol. III. p. 204.), and various other gardens, 

 grounds, and establishments, and especially the girls' school, under the 

 direction of Professor Kiircher. "We concluded the German part of our tour 

 on Dec. 3., passing by Baden and Rastadt. At the latter town we saw M. 

 Jacob Ainslie, mentioned by Dr. Pouqueville, under the name of Jaques 

 (Enci/c. of GarcL, §50H.), as having been gardener to the Grand Signer. 

 M. Ainslie has seen a deal of the world, speaks five or six languages, and 

 gave us some curious and useful information. Between Rastadt and the 

 Rhine we passed through a forest of pines, which has .the same reputation 

 as that of Hagenau. The variety of Pinus sylvestris has every appearance 

 of being the same, as is the soil. Seeds are collected for the trade by M. 

 Schottell of Rastadt, from whom we brought away two pounds weight, for 

 distribution. We also brought a few culinary seeds from the royal kitchen- 

 gardens of Munich and Stuttgard, and the grand-ducal kitchen-garden of 

 Carlsruhe. They are chiefly of German greens, Russian cabbages, savoys, 

 kohl-rabi, and knoll celery, but of finer growth than any we ever saw in 

 England. We have divided them equally between the Horticultural So- 

 cieties of London, Edinburgh, New York, and Philadelphia. There are also 

 among these seeds a few of j4stragalus boe'ticus, the seeds of which, roasted 

 and ground, make a very good coffee. We proved this at Munich, where M. 

 Hazzi has introduced these seeds and their culture, as well as another plant 

 called New Zealand Tea, the leaves of which are said to form a very good 

 substitute for the Chinese tea. Of this last plant we know nothing. None of 

 the culinary seeds above mentioned have the slightest pretensions to no- 

 velty ; and it is possible as good varieties may be in England already, though 

 we have not seen them. Should the contrary be the case, their introduc- 

 tion will be beneficial in proportion to the extension of the culture of these 

 plants in every cottage-garden in every temperate climate. 



Much as we were satisfied with the agriculture and gardening in these 

 three states of Germany, we were incomparably more so with the state of 

 general education, and its influence on the manners and happiness of the 

 people. In this respect. Great Britain and France have much to learn from 

 these countries. At Paris we commenced a letter on the subject, intended 

 for the Journal d' E' diication et d" Instruction of M. Lasteyrie ; but finding it 

 too long for that work, we had it printed there as a pamphlet * ; and we 

 shall give the essence of it in our next Number. 



ITALY. 



Grano marzuolo or marzolano. — This is the vai'iety of common wheat 

 cultivated in Tuscany, on the sandy hills on both sides of the Valley of the 

 Arno, for the purpose of being plaited and made into hats. It is sown in 

 March, very thick, and pulled when the ear is fully shot, but before the 

 grain is formed. It is then 18 in. high, if the crop is good ; it is bleached 

 as \ve do flax, and afterwards tied up in bundles in the same manner, and 

 carried home, to have the part between the ear and the first fruit in the stalk 

 selected, that being the only part used. 



To obtain the whiteness so much prized, the straw is smoked with sul- 

 phur previously to being worked ; the plait is also smoked ; and, lastly, the 



* Des E'tablissemens pour I'E'ducation Publique en Baviere, dans le 

 Wittemberg et a Bade, avec Remarques sur les Ameliorations a introduire 

 dans ces E'tablissemens pour les faire adopter en France, en Analeterre et 

 autres Pays. Paris, Mesnier, 8vo, pp. 67. ° ' 



