Foreign Notices. — Holland and the Netherlands, fyc. 349 



POLAND. 



Warsaiu, March 26. 1827, — " The proprietors of land in this country are 

 so encumbered with debts, and so proud and ignorant, as far as respects 

 agriculture, that it will probably be a long time before any progress in that 

 science will take place. They generally let their estates from one to three 

 years, but sometimes keep them in their own hands. Persons renting them, 

 frequently pay one, sometimes three years in advance, by which means they 

 make considerable sums of money; but, of course, every idea of improving 

 the land is out of the question. As an example, there is close to the gates 

 of Warsaw, a fine estate, containing nearly 5000 acres, let to a person at 

 1 7,000 florins (a Polish florin is worth about 6d.), per annum : but the 

 occupier never thinks of driving dung, although any quantity of it may be 

 procured in Warsaw for the trouble of taking it away; in fact, the proprie- 

 tors of houses in Warsaw are generally obliged to pay some one to take 

 away the dung, which is carted out of town, and laid down on the waste 

 ground near the Vistula. At the new year, wheat was selling in the 

 market at Warsaw, at from 1 5 to 20 fl. per korsee {5\ bushels) ; Rye, at 

 13 to 14 fl. ; Barley, 12 to 15 fl. ; Oats, 9 to 10 fl. ; a load of hay drawn by 

 one horse, about as much as a donkey in England would draw, 12 to 18fl.; 

 a two-horse load, 20 to 27 fl. ; a load of straw, consisting of 50 bundles, 

 each about the size of a sheaf of corn, 5 to 7 fl. ; Potatoes per korzee, 6 fl. 

 Since January last, the prices are rather lower than the above. 



Vegetables are at present very scarce, which is the case every spring. 

 Asparagus is sold at 24 fl. per shock of 60 sprouts ; for about 20 radishes 

 you must pay 1 fl. ; savoys preserved in the cellar all winter, 8 groschens 

 a-head (about lfrf.); a lettuce about the size for transplanting, a small 

 handful, 10 gr. or 2d. ; spinage, a small handful, 2d.;, turnips not to be 

 purchased. 



Were a good gardener to settle here, I think he might do well, provided 

 he had some little capital ; glass, wood, and almost every thing wanted by 

 him, are very cheap. " — (J. L.) 



HOLLAND AND THE NETHERLANDS. 



The Botanical and Agricidtural Society of Louvain opened its exhibition 

 room on the 7th of February. The prize for la belle culture was given for 

 a Cyclamen persicum (G. Mag. vol. i. p. 586 r fig. 79.) of an extraordinary 

 size, and having more than one hundred flowers in bloom. A Camellia 

 japonica paeoniflora, Amaryllis Johnsons, and Azalia indica received second- 

 ary premiums, and la mention honorable was made by the council of several 

 plants. — {Jour de la Belgique.) 



Caterpillars. — An edict is published annually by the government of the 

 Netherlands, ordering all the proprietors of lands and farmers to clear off 

 these from the trees twice a year, viz. before the 25th of March, and before 

 the 25th of April, under pain of the infliction of a certain penalty, deter- 

 mined by law. — {Brussels, Feb.) 



The Brussels' Society of Flora held their meeting on the 18th of Febru- 

 ary, when the Queen and some of the Royal Family were present. Four 

 plants are mentioned as of great merit, viz. a Provins and Pompone rose, 

 and Cactus flagelliformis'and salicornoides. (L.) A tree paeony, and a number 

 of other plants were exhibited, and mentioned in a manner honourable to 

 those who sent them. — {Jour, de la Belgique, Feb. 1 8.) 



The Use of Arsenic as a Poison for Vermin has led to such abuses in Hol- 

 land, that the Agricultural Society of Amsterdam have offered their silver 

 medal for the best means of destroying vermin without the use of that 

 poison. The same Society has, for the last fifty years, proposed a prize for 



