Foreign Notices. — North America. 227 



stables of the Prince of Orange at Brussels, the latter end of June, 1826 ; 

 and these trees, though, as far as I know, not watered, never flagged during 

 the subsequent period of intensely hot weather. At the time of transplant- 

 ing, their tops had made several strong shoots, and the points of the roots 

 of many of them protruded through the interstices of the sides of the 

 hampers. Nothing farther was done than making each hole about twice 

 the size of the hamper, and filling the space surrounding it with good loamy 

 soil. (Ibid.) 



Grass-banks. — When the Belgians, who have little access to turf, wish steep 

 banks to be covered with grass, they first form them of earth, made into a 

 sort of stiff mortar, and cut to the requisite slope, and then cover the sur- 

 face with good rich soil, mixed up into a plaister with water and grass seeds, 

 which soon spring up and cover the whole with verdure. (Ibid.) 



Horticultural Fancies. — The Belgians have a fanciful sort of flower-pot, 

 resembling a miniature ruin, with an adjoining stump of a tree, in both which 

 various cavities are left for the reception of succulent plants requiring little 

 earth. In such a pot you see an aloe, a cactus, and two or three sorts of 

 mesembryanthemum, not indeed always flourishing, but at least growing, and 

 occupying little space ; and though the idea is not, perhaps, in very good 

 taste, yet it is one of those nicknacks in which citizen-florists may be allowed 

 to indulge themselves. The curious sometimes leads to the useful, and a 

 genuine love of plants may be often first excited, in some breasts, by the 

 wonderment caused by one of these grotesque flower-pots, or a hedgehog 

 of crocuses. In the same class of horticultural fancies may be noticed the 

 small pear-shaped gourds, half green, half yellow, with longitudinal streaks 

 of white, converging at the base and apex, which are sold in the markets of 

 Brussels for chimney-piece ornaments. These pale streaks are caused by 

 arranging pieces of narrow tape on the gourds , so as to exclude from the 

 influence of the light the parts wished to be white. (Ibid.) 



NORTH AMERICA. 



Vegetation of North America. — Some extracts from the letters of the 

 botanists, Drummond and Douglas, are given in the January Number of 

 Dr. Brewster's very excellent Journal, of a gratifying and entertaining na- 

 ture, from which we have made a few extracts. It is highly interesting to 

 mark the ardour and industry of these young men in the prosecution of 

 their object. Mr. Drummond thanks Dr. Hooker " for being the means of 

 affording him an opportunity of exploring scenes so congenial to his inclin- 

 ation ;" a feeling with which we can very readily sympathise ; and Mr. 

 Douglas, though he had hurt his knee, and his eyes had become so dim 

 that he could hardly use his gun, yet incessantly occupied himself, not 

 only in collecting specimens and seeds of plants, but birds, insects, and 

 every object of natural history. He finds time also to cook his own food, 

 and render occasional service to the natives; at Oak Point he met a chietj 

 a fine old man, who was desirous of the luxury of being shaved, and this 

 service Mr. Douglas very kindly performed, and was repaid by Tha-a-mux- 

 ci's company " all along the coast, and 60 miles up the Cheecheelin river." 

 Mr. Douglas says nothing of the female Indians, but we have no doubt he 

 will bestow a certain share of attention upon them ; indeed, a young man 

 in his situation ought not only to attend to his professional pursuits as the 

 main object, but ought also to lay in a stock of moral and miscellaneous 

 adventures to reflect upon in future days of ease and retirement at home. 

 (Brewster's Edin. Journ. Jan. 1827, p. 116.) 



Botanical Associations. — Dr. Clarke, in his Travels, mentions, that when 

 botanising in the neighbourhood of Moscow, the idea of home and all its 

 endearments was recalled by finding certain plants common there which 



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