516 General Notices. — Foreign Notices. 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Art. I. General Notices. 



ACTION of Tannin, and some other Substances, on the Roots of Plants. By 

 M. Payen. — It has been repeatedly stated that trees soon die when the roots 

 come into contact with the remains of the roots of oak trees cut down near 

 them. This was supposed to be owing to the action of the tannin in the oak 

 roots. M. Payen, after making a number of experiments on the subject, ar- 

 rived at the following conclusions : — 1st, Tannin, even in small quantity, acts 

 deleteriously on the roots of certain plants : 2dly, Acids in small proportions 

 are hurtfu' to germination : 3dly, Alkalies in small quantity are favourable to 

 the progress of vegetation : 4thly, The neutralisation of the acidity developed 

 during germination hastens its progress, and favours the ulterior developement 

 of the plant. These experiments account for one of the useful effects of 

 lime, or vegetable ashes, and of calcareous marl; and also for the unfavourable 

 influence of alkalies used in too great quantity, or unequally distributed. — 

 (Journal ale Chimie Medicate, April, 1 834, as quoted in the Lond. and Edin. 

 Phil. Mag. for August, 1834.) 



Art. II. Foreign Notices. 



INDIA. 



A Plant-HOUSE for excluding Heat and growing British Plants. — Mr. G. Porter, 

 lately returned from Penang, informs us that the Marchioness of Hastings, 

 when resident in Calcutta as the wife of the Governor, had an immense con- 

 servatory built, for the purpose of growing British plants and trees ; the in- 

 tention being to shut out the heat. Mr. Porter mentioned to the marchioness, 

 that, instead of shutting out the heat, it would rather increase it ; and, in con- 

 sequence of experiencing this to be the case, the house, after costing an enor- 

 mous sum, was applied to contain a few common articles that heat could not 

 injure. After similar instances of extravagance and folly, it is not greatly to 

 be wondered at that the East India Company have in a great measure ceased 

 to patronise botanic gardens. 



A Botanic Garden in the Island of Penang was commenced in 1822 by Mr. 

 George Porter, under the patronage of the then governor, Phillips. It was 

 managed by Mr. Porter till 1828, when it was destroyed. Mr. Porter, when 

 attached to the Calcutta Botanic Garden, prepared many specimens of plants 

 for the herbarium of that establishment ; and subsequently, as Dr. Wallich 

 informs us, in a letter dated March 24. 1834, sent home vast collections both 

 of growing and preserved plants from that rich island. 



Art. III. Domestic Notices. 



ENGLAND. 



THE Metropolitan Society of Florists and Amateurs had their grand show of 

 georginas, roses, flowers, flowering plants, &c, at the Surrey Zoological Gar- 

 dens, on August 13. and 14. The assemblage of company was most nume- 

 rous, not less than 10,000 or 12,000 persons, it is stated in the newspaper 

 reports, having entered the gardens in the course of the first day. The show 

 of flowers was more than usually magnificent. Silver cups, and volumes on 

 the science of horticulture, were the prizes awarded to the successful candi- 

 dates by whom the best flowers had been reared. The names of the nursery- 

 men to whom the cups were adjudged were : — Messrs. Chandler, Widnall, 

 Harding, and Wilmore, whose georginas were preeminent in magnificence and 



