376 Domestic Notices : — England. 



the alpine region, or the high mountains, grow the iJanunculaceae, GentidnecB 

 Umbelliferse, and other plants of temperate climates. One of the finest trees 

 which adorn the hills, and which is now in flower, is a magnolia, or, rather, 

 talauma; which is more than 30 ft. high : its flowers exhale an extremely sweet 

 odour, which scents the air to a great distance. {U Hermes, Feb. 1837.) 



Art. III. Domestic Notices. 



ENGLAND. 



OfVEN's Atiimalised Carbon. — Five or six years ago, Mr. Owen happening 

 to be at Copenhagen, and observing that the emptyings of the privies, and 

 the bones, and such like domestic refuse, had been for many years, perhaps 

 for centuries, deposited in four or five large pits in the outskirts of the town, 

 conceived the idea of using it as manure. He purchased the contents of all 

 these pits, and is now selling it in the form of compressed powder, as a most 

 valuable manure, which it doubtless is. In 1835, 700 tons of this manure 

 were sent from the manufactory at Copenhagen; in 1836, 1600 tons, and in 

 1837, up to about the middle of June, when our informant, Mr. Petersen, 

 left Copenhagen, 3000 tons were exported. 



The SoutJi London Floricultural Society have held several shows, in the 

 course of the season, at the Surrey Zoological Gardens, which have been 

 numerously attended : many choice articles have been exhibited, and many 

 prizes obtained. The Surrey Zoological Gardens improve in beauty every 

 year, and the named trees there, which constitute the arboretum, are now 

 becoming very interesting objects. 



A Collection -of Cdctecs and Orchide(S, said to include a number of species 

 never before in the country, arrived in London about the end of June, and 

 has since been on sale under the auspices of Mr. Charlvvood. Among the 

 most extensive purchasers of these plants, we understand, is Mr. Harris of 

 Kingsbury; a gentleman who has lately commenced horticultural and botani- 

 cal pursuits with great ardour, and who, having had the good fortune to meet 

 with such a man as Mr. D. Beaton, and the good sense to engage him as his 

 head gardener, will, in all probability, soon render important service to horti- 

 cultural and botanical science. — Co7id. 



A new Hybrid Rhododendron, originated by fecundating the blossoms of 

 R. arboreum with R. ponticum, in Knight's Exotic Nursery, some years ago, 

 is now in flower in the green-house at the Duchess of Bedford's, Camden 

 Hill. The blossoms are large, of a rich pink, inclining to scarlet, very similar 

 to the colour of R. phoeniceum (Azalea phoenlcea); and Mr. Caie, Her 

 Grace's gardener, informs us that the blossoms are produced in great abun- 

 dance, and that, though he has taken the plant into the green-house, yet he 

 considers it quite hardy, it having stood in the open border at Camden Hill 

 two or three winters. 



The Manchester Botanic Garden. — I had often heard of the magnificent 

 range of horticultural buildings in the Manchester Botanic Garden ; but never, 

 since their completion, had I seen them until yesterday, when, having some 

 business to transact with the curator, I took that opportunity of minutely 

 inspecting them. The entire range of buildings extends about 320 ft. in 

 length, and consists of two curvilinear-roofed green-houses, forming the 

 extreme ends ; two intermediate hot-houses, or stoves, with flat sloping roofs; 

 four connecting corridors, forming the principal entrances from tlie terrace- 

 walk in front, each having a glazed curvilinear roof; and a splendid conserva- 

 tory in the centre of the range ; which, being surmounted by an elegant glass 

 dome, somewhat resembling in its outline the dome of St. Paul's, London, 

 and rising to the height of nearly 40 ft. from the floor, gives such an imposing 

 and fascinating effect to the whole, that 1 should in vain attempt to describe 

 it. But the peculiarly distinguishing and most important feature in this range 



