1 98 Foreign Notices : — France. 



and by night from 50'' to 53° 60' of Fahrenheit, might possibly, by care, be 

 habituated to bear the ordinary severity of the winters of our southern and 

 western coasts, and add at once to tiie ornament and utiUty of our pleasure- 

 grounds. Could it, and its Asiatic congeners, be successfully acclimatised, their 

 hollow and durable stems would form an invaluable substitute for the lead 

 and iron employed for the distribution of water through our towns, besides 

 answering many other useful purposes in which great strength and durability 

 are required in combination with great levity. Even the frames of the sashes 

 for covering our stoves and conservatories might, possibly, be advantageously 

 and economically formed of this substance, and its cultivation thus rendered 

 at once useful and ornamental. — William Hamilton. Oxford Place, Plymoulhy 

 Feb. 23. 1835. 



Lobelia splendens andfulgens, two beautiful varieties, apparently belonging to 

 one species, were introduced to Europe by rather a singular circumstance. 

 Specimens of these plants were gathered in flower in Mexico, by the celebrated 

 botanists Humboldt and Bonpland, and put into their herbariums in the usual 

 manner. When these botanists arrived in France, they found ripe seeds on 

 their dried specimens; and these seeds being given to M. Thouin of the Jardin 

 des PlanteSjWere the origin of all these showy lobelias now common in British 

 and Continental gardens. This is stated on the authority of Dr. Lippold, an 

 eminent German botanist and horticulturist, now in London, and the author 

 of the Volstmdige Gartner, 2 vols. 8vo, &c. 



Art. II. Foreign Notices. 

 FRANCE. 



The Deciduous Ci/press (Cypres chauve, Fr.; Taxodium distichum JRick.'), 

 in the park of Rambouillet, has attained the height of from 65 ft. to 70 ft. ; 

 and the circumference of the trunk, at 1ft. from the ground, of different trees, 

 varies from 5 ft. 3 in. to 9 ft. 9 in. ; while, at 3 ft. from the ground, it varies 

 from 4 ft. to 8 ft. 6 in. These trees have borne seeds for many years ; but 

 we have never succeeded in raising plants from them. — At. Bourgeois, Direc- 

 tor of the Royal Farm of Rambouillet , in a letter to Af. Vilmorin, of Nov. 1834<. 



The Red Oak (Chene rouge, Fr. ; Quercus rubra Af/cAo;.), in the same forest, 

 has attained the height of from 80 ft. to 90 ft., with trunks, the diameter of which, 

 at 1 ft. from the ground, varies from 4 ft. 2 in. to 4 ft. 9 in. ; and at 3 ft. from 

 the ground, from 3 ft. 8 in. to 4 ft. 3 in. The trunks of these oaks are straight, 

 and clear of branches to a great height. The plantation where they stand has 

 lately been thinned by cutting down half the trees. The wood appears to be of 

 excellent quality, and is hard, though somewhat porous ; the grain, or texture, 

 having altogether the appearance of the common oak ; but it is finer, and the 

 wood appears to be more united (lianf). These trees have produced acorns 

 for many years : all those of this year (1834) were sent to the government 

 nurseries at Versailles. — Id. 



L'Institiit Horticole de Fromont is very well known by name both in France 

 and England; but in the latter country the difference of language prevents 

 young gardeners from knowing much about it ; and in the former country there 

 is a general prejudice amongst the ordinary cultivators of the soil against 

 science and novelty. The Annales published monthly at this institution, and 

 of which five volumes have appeared, abound in proofs that the science of 

 culture, whether in the garden or in the field, is perfectly understood by the 

 professors and gardening authors of France ; and by none better than M. 

 Soulange-Bodin himself. Every person, at all attached to gardening, who visits 

 Paris, ought not to leave it without devoting a day to Fromont, where they 

 will be gratified, not merely by seeing the different modes of propagation, and 

 particularly some modes (such as herbaceous grafting) little known in this 

 country, and the results; but also a very agreeable park; and some good speci- 



