Scotland. q | 



plant ; as an ingredient in salads ; and even as an herbage plant for cattle : but 

 having (IX. 78. 232. and 618.) afforded our correspondents an opportunity of 

 saying enough to direct the attention of the public to it, so as to induce them 

 to give it a fair trial, we think we have done enough for the present. In the 

 course of our late tour we saw the O'xalis crenata in many gardens, growing 

 luxuriantly to stems and foliage, and producing few tubers, in very rich soils'; 

 and growing less luxuriantly, but still without producing many tubers, in dry 

 sandy soils. The truth is, the tubers are not produced till a certain reduction 

 in the temperature of the atmosphere checks the elongation of the under- 

 ground stolones ; which, when so checked, accumulate their sap in the form of 

 tuberosities at their extremities : which tuberosities are, consequently, nothing 

 more than stunted stolones or underground shoots. The demand for the plant 

 has proved profitable to many nurserymen (IX. 470.),* one of whom informed 

 us that he had an order for a bushel of tubers. — Cond. 



Grafting Pears on the Extremities of the Shoots of old Pear Trees trained on 

 Walls, Mr. Saul informs us, is practised with so much success by an eminent 

 clergyman in the neighbourhood of Lancaster, that the scions form blossom 

 buds and spurs the same year that the graft is put on, and produce fruit the 

 year following. The scions are inserted either on the points of the shoots, or 

 the shoots are shortened back, according to the room there may be for the 

 shoots produced by the scion ; these shoots are either trained straight forward, 

 or wholly, or in part, turned back towards the bole of the tree. More than 

 this an intelligent gardener does not require to be told. — Cond. 



Madura aurantwea. — A fine specimen of this fruit has been sent us by 

 Dr. Mease, from Mrs.M'Mahon's garden near Philadelphia, as before. (VI. 103. 

 fig. 22.) It is about the size of a large orange, and though evidently gathered 

 before it was fully ripe, yet the seeds, which may be compared to those of the 

 common flax, only three times larger, are plump, and appear as if they would 

 grow. We have distributed them, along with those which were sent us of 

 Benthamk. — Cond. 



The Sarracen Pear, a specimen of which has lately been sent to Mr. 

 Saul from Mr. Saunders, nurseryman in Jersey, and which is not described in 

 either the Horticultural Society's Catalogue, or in Lindley's Guide, is thus 

 characterised: — It is oblong, about. 4§ in. by 4 in. in diameter; the skin on the 

 shaded side is at first green, but becomes pale yellow at maturity. The side 

 next the sun is tinged with brownish red, dotted with grey : the flesh is almost 

 melting, of a sweet, rich, and partially perfumed flavour ; the seeds are long, 

 pointed, not well matured, and of a black hue. This fruit is excellent, and will 

 keep from one year to another. There are few pears which so highly merit 

 cultivation as this variety. The specimen sent weighed 15 oz. — M. Saul. 

 Lancaster, Dec. 6. 1833. 



Uvedale's St. Germain Pear. — A fine specimen of this pear has been sent 

 us by Dr. Hamilton of Plymouth : its dimensions are, " 13| in. for the trans- 

 verse, and 16 \ in. for the longitudinal diameter ; and its weight is 1 lb. \\\ oz. 

 The tree from which these pears were gathered has, in former years, produced 

 fruit of a considerably larger size, and in much greater abundance, than in the 

 present season, and five years since a pear was gathered from it which 

 weighed above 2Jlbs. — William Hamilton. 15. Oxford Place, Plymouth, 

 Nov. 14. 1833." 



SCOTLAND. 



Modes of heating by Hot Water. — Mr. M'Nab, the excellent curator of the 

 Edinburgh Botanic Garden, was on a tour in England in the month of Decem- 

 ber, with a view to ascertain, from ocular inspection, the best mode of heating 

 by hot water. We had the pleasure of seeing him a few days before he left 

 London, and, we believe, he considers, with us, that the best plan is Kewley's, 

 provided manufacturers could be found to make joints as completely water- 

 tight as Kewley does, and to repair such pipes when they go wrong. The 

 next best plan he also agrees with us in considering to be the level system, of 



