Domestic Notices : — England. 157 



Chaptal, and other agricultural chemists of the Continent. Mr. 

 Ruffin allows that it might be inferred from the ingredients 

 exhibited by the analysis of fertile soils, as given by these 

 chemists, that calcareous earth was an ingredient essential to 

 permanent fertility ; but still none of them have ever distinctly 

 said so. We shall probably examine the work more in detail 

 hereafter : in the mean time, it is due to Mr. Ruffin to state it 

 as our opinion that he has performed a very important service 

 to the scientific agriculturist in this country, as well as in 

 America. 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Art. I. Domestic Notices. 

 ENGLAND. 



LiNNMAN Society. — Nov. 3. Mr. Lambert exhibited a branch and leaves of 

 an arborescent species of dahlia, from Oaxaca, Mexico, which is said to grow to 

 the height of 50 ft. There are living plants of it in the Liverpool Botanic 

 Garden. Mr. Lambert also exhibited the root of a remarkable fern (An- 

 giopteris erecta) from the Society Islands, which is used by the natives for 

 food, and the root of which weighed 14 lb. This may probably be a useful 

 plant for Australia. 



Society of Arts. — Nov. 4. At this meeting were exhibited, a sample of 

 cloth from Assam, made from the down of the silk-cotton (Bombax hepta- 

 phyllura); a fine sample of safflower, from the same country ; a sample of fibre 

 prepared from the leaf of the pine-apple, with netting made of the same, also 

 from Assam ; and extraordinarily beautiful specimens of natural lace from the 

 inner bark of the lace-bark tree {Lagetta lintearia), from Jamaica. 



The Stamford Hill Horticultural Reading Society. — A sneer thrown out against 

 this Society, in a contemporary publication, has induced the Secretary to send 

 us a communication, full of practical instruction, relating to societies of 

 this kind, which we regret that we cannot find room to insert at length ; 

 but from which we make the following extract : — " This Society has been 

 established about two years and a half, for the study of Horticulture, Bo- 

 tany, and Natural History ; and it consists of more than fifty members : it 

 has a monthly meeting for the production of specimens of plants, and for 

 conversations on their mode of culture, &c. ; also, meetings for botanical dis- 

 cussions. If the benefits the gardener and his employer derive from such 

 institutions as this were better made known than at present, I am quite sure 

 that every nobleman and gentleman having an interest in the welfare of his 

 gardener and garden would feel the propriety of contributing to their forma- 

 tion and support ; and such societies would then be found in all parts of the 

 kingdom." — Stamford Hill, Jan, 21. 1836. 



The Stratford Nursery, formerly in the occupation of Mr. Corbet, has lately 

 been taken by our correspondent Mr. W. Garvie, many years foreman to 

 Messrs. Low and Co, of Clapton j and we sincerely hope that he will do 

 well. 



Sterciilia ^latanifblia has stood in the open ground at Flitwick House, near 

 Ampthill, Bedfordshire, for several years, producing its fine large leaves during 

 summer, though frequently killed down to the ground during winter. 



In the Milford Nursery, Genista monosperma is now covered with fragrant 

 white flowers; and Cytisus fllipes, ifell^borus purpurascens, and Crambe 

 fruticosa, are in flower. This nursery has just received some new species or 



Vol. XIL— No. 72. .N 



