S26 Foreign Notices : — North America, 



At Louvain, the botanic garden is rich in stove plants. The great circular 

 stove conservatory has a fine effect ; the plants are in good order, and contain 

 many rare and interesting species. Here is a fine specimen of Opuntia cochi- 

 nilllfera, covered with the insects. The green-house contains several new 

 and interesting plants; but the majority of the plants are from the Cape; and 

 those from New Holland are of kinds now considered less valuable, although, 

 to a botanic garden, all species are interesting. Want of time prevented our 

 paying that attention to this rich collection which it deserves. M. Donkelaar, 

 the curator, is son of the late curator, our excellent friend M. Donkelaar, 

 sen., now curator of the botanic garden, Ghent. I was also recommended 

 to call on Mynheer Dondegein, MM. Pro vis, Le Roi, and W. Mertens; but 

 these I did not find time to see. 



M. Schrayraaker has a town garden containing many rare plants; a fine 

 green-house, camellia-house, and small stove. His camellias are very fine ; 

 his green-house plants are, also, very neat and healthy; and his stove is filled 

 with Orchidacese and the more rare species of Cactacese, much prized in the 

 collections here and in Germany. This gentleman has also a fine collection of 

 herbaceous plants, as Gentidna bavarica, G. verna alba ; Cyclamen, rare species, 

 &c. : a very interesting collection of plants, in a very small piece of ground. 



The Botanic Garden, Ghent, is now undergoing a series of alterations and 

 improvements under the skilful management of M. Donkelaar, sen., who has 

 already got the extensive collection of stove plants in excellent order. This 

 garden contains many species, the most interesting of which are among the 

 stove plants. Dr. Sieboldt introduced from China and Japan several interest- 

 ing species, which I will notice at another time. There are the finest speci- 

 mens of ChamaeVops humilis and C. ? sp. we have ever seen : they must be 

 very old. The trunks are 6 ft. high, or more, below the first fronds. The trees 

 in the arboretum contain nothing that is very remarkable; but, in a few years, 

 this will be much altered for the better. 



Trees, as Objects of Ornament, in Belgium, are nothing to be compared to 

 the same in England. There is little like landscape attempted ; and the Bel- 

 gians have no idea or ambition, in general, for such things, as far as I have 

 seen. I met the Due d'Aremberg's gardener, a German, at Louvain, who 

 invited us to accompany him to Enghien, where there is a splendid park 

 belonging to the duke. I intend writing to him soon, and shall then enquire 

 the particulars. — A. S> Jan. 3. 1836. 



NORTH AMERICA. 



Albany, Nov. 25. 1835. — I have been to-day to see an exhibition of cheeses, 

 of so extraordinary a character, that I venture to send you a brief account of 

 them. There were ten of them, one weighing more than 1400 lb., and the 

 other nine exceeding 700 lb. each. They were all, with others like them, 

 from the dairy of Col. T. M. Meacham, of Oswego county, in this state. The 

 largest one is destined as a present to the President of the United States ; two 

 of the others to the Vice-President and the Governor of this state J three to the 

 cities of New York, Albany, and Troy ; one to Daniel Webster ; and the others 

 to distinguished individuals. They are covered with cloth cases, fancifully de- 

 corated with devices, inscriptions, and paintings, and transported in boxes. 

 The weight of the ten cheeses is between 7000 lb. and 8000 lb. Probably 

 there was never so extraordinary a production of a single dairy exhibited in 

 this or any other country. — J. Buel, 



AUSTRALIA. 



Most of our readers will, doubtless, have seen, in the newspapers, an an* 

 nouncement of the death of Mr. Richard Cunningham, the colonial botanist, 

 while accompanying Major Mitchell's expedition into the interior. The first 

 arrivals announcing this event, brought few or no particulars respecting it; and, 

 therefore, we refrained from saying anything on the subject in our last Num- 



