92 General Notices. 



" ' The most important building in a park is, certainly, the dwelling-house. 

 It should be built, and the grounds laid out, not only according to the wealth 

 of the proprietor, but even in reference to his business. The ponderous 

 castle, with its pinnacles and towers, does not suit the merchant ; but is in ac- 

 cordance with the aristocracy, whose families have inherited it for centuries, 

 and whose forefathers, indeed, found it absolutely necessary to inhabit strongly 

 fortified castles, to secure themselves from their foes. The elder Repton car- 

 ried this idea so far, that he shut out a beautiful view of the city before a mer- 

 chant's house near Bristol, merely that the proprietor, who had retired from 

 business, might not see the buildings which would call to his remembrance 

 the by-gone days of trouble and care. This is completely English; so is, also, 

 the endeavour of several egotists there, who would conceal all objects, how- 

 ever picturesque they may be, which do not belong to them. I will not attempt 

 to remove this feeling, but shall only state that the view from the house 

 should always be adjusted according to the taste of the possessor ; that both a 

 near and a distant prospect are desirable, though both can rarely be obtained 

 from park buildings,' " 



(Tb be continued.^ 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Art. I. General Notices. 



The Coccus bronielus. — At a meeting of the Entomological Society, on 

 July 6., Mr. Children called the attention of the members present to the de- 

 struction of the pine-apple by the Coccus bromelise, a small apterous insect, 

 which infests it in immense profusion, so as to become a perfect pest. Speci- 

 mens were exhibited by him from the stoves of Sir John Lubbock, and the 

 heads of the fruit were found to be almost covered with a cottony secretion, 

 in the midst of which the eggs and young of the coccus were deposited. A 

 peculiarity observable in this, and other species of insects infesting hot-houses, 

 was noticed ; viz. that their production is not annual, as in the outdoor species, 

 but continuous, thereby occasioning greater obstacles against the application 

 of remedies. The subject was discussed by various members at great length, 

 by whom various remedies were suggested, and it was considered sufficiently 

 important to form the subject of one of the prize essays of the Society. 

 (Aihenceitm, July 18.) The circumstance of the breeding of insects being 

 continued throughout the year, in plant-houses kept in a continued state of 

 growing temperature, will confirm gardeners in their practice of occasionally 

 leaving vineries, peach-houses, and other forcing-houses, an entire winter with- 

 out being warmed artificially. 



Forcing Cherries in England in 1735. — " Wednesday, Jan. 1., at His Ma- 

 jesty's (Geo. II.) dessert after dinner, a large plate of fine ripe duke cherries 

 was served up ; to such perfection is the art of promoting vegetation arrived 

 in England." {Gent. Mag., vol. xxiii. for 1755, p. 40.") 



Extraordinai'y Produce of single Grains ofWheat. — Accounts to this effect 

 have lately been published by Mr. Lance as something remarkable ; but the 

 practice of exciting wonder in the ignorant in this way is as old as the time of 

 the Romans. A writer in the Gent. Mag. for 1734-, who dates from Basing- 

 stoke in ] 754, produced 50 stalks from a single grain, each stalk containing 

 60 grains. He kept some of the plants as a curiosity, which Mr. Lance also 

 has done. — A. B. Jan. 1835. 



Sugar 7uas extracted from Beet Root and Skirrets previously to 1754, and the 

 mode of effecting it is described in the Gent. Mag. for that yeai- ; where it is 

 stated, that, from half a pound of the root of white beets, half an ounce of pure 

 sugar was obtained j from half a pound of red beets, l^^oz. ; and from J lb. 



