188 Transactions of the Prussian Gardening Society: 



two hundred and eighty-six beans. Two of the stems were 

 5 ft. high, and the rest from 2 to 4 ft. A sort of protuberance 

 was formed above the roots, which was occasioned by the 

 plant having been broken, or bruised, when quite young. 



10. On the Vegetation in the Neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro. 

 By M. Beyrich. 



Though the country in question is now generally culti- 

 vated, it may be still seen that a forest originally covered 

 the whole. Loam is the principal soil, in which the various 

 trees of those forests flourish luxuriantly ; and whilst some are 

 clothed with leaves and flowers, others appear to be in a 

 state of rest. M. Beyrich mentions the singular circum- 

 stance, that, when one of those original forests is hewn down 

 and burnt, the succeeding vegetation consists of quite dif- 

 ferent kinds of plants from what formerly existed ; but he does 

 not attempt to account for this occurrence. 



11. Extract from the Transactions of the Meeting of May 4. 1824. 



M. Otto proved, on M. Host's authority, that maro- 

 schino (a kind of cherry brandy) is made from the fruit of 

 Prunus bis-florens (twice-flowering plum), which grows wild 

 in the neighbourhood of Zara, and not, as it was generally 

 believed, from Prunus Mahdleb (now Cerasus Mahdleb). 

 M. Lenne gave an account of the improvement of the 

 National Nursery, which contains 340 sorts of apples, 236 of 

 pears, 98 of plums, and 100 sorts of cherries; and promised 

 to give a more particular account at a future time. 



12. Observations on the Culture of the Genus Amaryllis. 

 By M. Otto. 



When the bulbs begin to grow, more water is given them, 

 and, if required, larger pots. If they flower before the leaves 

 appear, they must be repotted after they have ceased flower- 

 ing ; but no roots should be cut off, except those which are 

 dry or rotten. The size of the pots depends entirely on the 

 size and growth of the bulbs ; and some of them may 

 remain several years in the same pot. Sufficient moisture 

 can be supplied to the roots, by putting the pots in a pan, 

 filled occasionally with water, which gives the bulbs more 

 strength, and is more likely to save it from rotting, than 

 when the water is put, as usual, on the top. The soil in 

 which they are planted is composed of one part of loam, 

 which does not contain oxide of iron, and two parts of leaf 

 mould. Small stones must be put in the bottom of the pot, 

 to facilitate the passage of the water. 



