240 Domestic Notices. — Ireland. 



Dr. Graham remarks, that he has often observed that, in different seasons, certain plants flower 

 much before, or not till long after their usual period, when the state of the weather would have 

 led us to expect the very reverse. This season, the hairy leaved LauruS-tinus will [not be in 

 flower till towards the end of January ; two years ago, after a very inferior season, it was in full 

 flower during December. 



The Arbutus Andrachne, and laurel-leaved variety of Arbutus Unedo, nailed to a wall with a 

 south exposure, are considerably later than plants propagated from the same stock, and growing 

 as standards, though the soil where they are placed be equally loose and dry. The tender plants 

 in our borders seem to have suffered less from the frost which we have had lately, than they 

 usually do, probably owing to the dryness of the soil ; for the rains have yet penetrated but a lit- 

 tle way below the surface, (Prof. Jameson's Edin. Phil. Jour. Dec. 1826, p. 184.) These and 

 other facts mentioned by the Professor, may perhaps be accounted for by the very dry summer 

 retarding the progress of winter flowering plants, and the, stimulus given by the rain to autumn 

 flowering ones. — Cond. 



Culinary Vegetables, during the last summer, were scantily supplied 

 to the Edinburgh market, and brought double the usual prices. Flowers 

 were scarce ; but autumn and winter fruits abundant. French pears have 

 ripened sooner by a month or six weeks than usual, and as they do not 

 keep well in consequence of the autumnal rains, the dessert will be but 

 poorly supplied towards the spring. Crassanes, which generally last till 

 February, were over in December. Though apples are very abundant, yet 

 apple-pies come but very slowly into fashion among* the lower classes. 

 Walnuts have ripened well, and are of excellent quality ; and sweet chest- 

 nuts, a thing almost unheard of in Scotland, have been brought to the 

 dessert since October. Grapes, even the Black Hamburgh, have ripened in 

 various places on the open walls. Portugal laurel berries are in profusion ; 

 the Sweet Bay is in fruit in some places; Magnolia grandiflora var. 

 Exoniensis, and Yucca gloriosa have flowered ; and from the soil not being 

 yet thoroughly moistened with the rain, the wood of many half hardy 

 exotics has not yet been injured by frost." J. B. 



December 20. 1826. 



A Field of Barley was reaped on the third week of December, at Sea- 

 field, in the neighbourhood of Dundee, which was sown after a crop of 

 potatoes, and yielded a full average return of grain of good quality. (Newsp.) 



IRELAND. 



Mr. Moggridge's Cottage system (Gard. Mag. p. 19.) " might be adopted 

 here by any spirited proprietor, with equal or perhaps superior results. 

 The difficulty of which Mr. Moggridge speaks, as " arising out of that state, 

 bordering on despair, which paralyzes the exertions of our labouring poor," 

 would scarcely be found to exist in Ireland. Of all people on earth the 

 Irish peasantry possess the Nil desperandum most peculiarly. Indeed, if 

 they had not the most buoyant spirits under misfortunes, they could not 

 exist at all. They survey life ever with the most favourable glance. At 

 present they are slovenly and unimproving, but it is entirely owing to not 

 having, any, even the smallest, interest in being otherwise ; for, with very 

 few exceptions, the effect of industry and neatness on the part of the Irish 

 cottager or small farmer, would be to raise his rent enormously as soon as his 

 tenement fell to the landlord or middleman. The Irish landlord endeavours 

 to increase his rent-roll, though his tenants may be ultimately ruined. The 

 English landlord seeks to render his income more secure by extending the 

 comforts of the occupier of his ground. {Irish Farm. Journ. January 27.) 



A Letter on the Treatment of the Irish peasantry by their Employers 

 from Mr. Thompson, Steward to the late Earl Farnham, we must defer 

 till next Number. We regret to find that the Irish Farmers' Journal is 

 to be discontinued, after having existed fifteen years. The Proprietors 

 attribute the present unprosperous state of the paper, more to the general cir- 

 cumstances of the country than to any other cause. A sum of nearly 2,000/. 

 being now due from the subscribers. We are sincerely sorry for this cir- 



