468. Domestic Notices. — Ireland. 



The Rhubarb of Commerce has generally been thought to be the Rhepnv 

 palmatum, Lin. ; but Mr. David Don, Lib. Lin. Soc, in a very interesting 

 paper in Prof. Jamieson's Journal, has proved it to be the R. australe of 

 Mr. Don's Flora Nepalensis, and the R. Emodi of Dr. Wallich. Plants have 

 been raised, in Mr. Lambert's garden at Boyton, from seeds received from 

 Dr. Wallich; the leaves are subrotund-cordate,of a dull green, the foot-stalks 

 red and deeply furrowed, and the whole plant thickly beset with bristle- 

 shaped points, which give it a rough feel. The " R. australe appears to be 

 peculiar to the great table lands of Central Asia, between the latitudes of 

 51° and 40°, where it is found to flourish at an elevation of 1100 feet 

 above the level of the sea ; and there is little doubt, therefore, of its proving 

 perfectly hardy in our own country," {Jam. Phil.Jour. March, 1827, p. 505.) 

 whenever it may pay to cultivate it as an article of commerce. 



IRELAND. 



The Horticultural Society of Ireland held their spring show of flowers at 

 the Rotunda, on April 16. The attendance was extremely numerous and 

 highly respectable, so much so, indeed, that we may safely say the public 

 are determined to support the society, if it continue to be conducted with 

 the same anxiety to please its visitors which has hitherto characterised it. 

 The flowers exhibited for prizes were auriculas, hyacinths, and polyan- 

 thuses, and there were also prizes awarded to the first and second selections 

 of exotics of six pots each, and certificates for broccoli, cucumbers, and 

 apples. 



The stages on which the classed flowers were placed were tastefully de- 

 corated with various productions of the conservatory. Mr. Robson, of the 

 vice-regal gardens, furnished a number of Rhododendrons and roses, which 

 were placed so as to catch the sun's rays through the southern windows, 

 and the effect thus produced on the rich and transparent blossoms of the 

 Rhododendrons was uncommonly beautiful. Mr. Robson is extremely for- 

 tunate in the forcing of such plants to a premature inflorescence ; the 

 roses were as strong as any we have ever seen in the open ground. Mr. 

 Keefe, of Black Pits, sent a fine Acacia armata, an A. verticillata, and a 

 palm of a species which the writer was not botanist sufficient to deter- 

 mine. Messrs. Tooles and Mackey furnished the following jEricas ; viz. 

 cerinthoides superba, Blandfordiaws, nigrita, scariosa, venusta, WalkeVi al- 

 ba, W. rubra, Patersom'a, campanulata, perspicua, p. nana, pubescens 

 minima, and pilosa. They sent double white and double red camellias, and 

 the C. anemoneflora rubra, C. Chandlera, and a new species of Primula, 

 somewhat resembling P. longifolia. There were also on the stages nume- 

 rous pots of Epacris, Pultenae'a, Polygala, (xnidia, &c. ; and it was said 

 that on future occasions the exotics will be still more abundantly supplied. 

 An amazing large citron from the garden of James O'Reilly, Esq. of" Old 

 Castle, county of Meath, was exibited ; many contended that it was a 

 shaddock. With respect to the prize flowers, it would be too tedious to 

 particularise them ; it is sufficient to say that they were superior in quantity 

 and quality to former exhibitions, especially the auriculas, of which the 

 Apollo variety obtained a general preference. (F. T. P., Dublin, April 

 17.) 



