Domestic Notices : — England. 39 



inventing reels, and other pieces of machinery, which will fairly counter- 

 balance the disadvantage with which we enter into competition with the 

 thickly settled districts of Europe. An enormous speculation has been 

 carried on in the Jforus multicaulis the present season ; trees having been 

 sold as high as 3 cents a bud, or 1 to 3 dollars per tree. This, which gives 

 a profit of about 900 per cent to the grower, is, of course, only a temporary 

 state of things, as millions will be raised next season; but I quote it as 

 an example of the wildness into which enterprise often runs among us. 



A most complete and thoroughly scientific work on our North American 

 botany* is in progress of publication, the first two numbers having been issued. 

 Professors Torrey and Gray are the able and distinguished authors ; and the 

 performance will tend greatly to increase their reputation as accurate botani- 

 cal savans. — A. J. Downing. 



Art. III. Domestic Notices. 



ENGLAND. 



New Ligneous Plants raised in the Birmingham Botanic Garden, in the year 

 1838. J'lnus barbata and subcordata Met/., .Khamnus Pulassra Fisch. et 

 Mey., R. Wicklius, It. opulifolius Fisch. et Mey., Ribes opulifolium Hort. 

 All these shrubs are natives of Russia. — D. C. Birmingham, Nov. 1838. 



Aflnus corddta. — Last week I was staying at Britwell House (Mr. Miller's, 

 M.P.). The J'lnus cordifolia which 1 mentioned formerly to you was really 

 splendid, retaining all its glossy leaves likean evergreen, when the surrounding 

 trees were almost all stripped. This circumstance, and its beautifully sym- 

 metrical form, render it very desirable for planting. It is, I think, not less than 

 60 ft. high. Can it have attained this size since 1820, the year of its introduc- 

 tion, according to Sweet ? Contrary to the habit of most of its genus, it 

 appears to thrive well away from water, the soil at Britwell being dry and 

 gravelly. — W. Christy, Jun. Clapham Road, Nov. 9. 1838. 



Aristolochia trilobdta is now flowering with me for the first time. Its flowers 

 are not nearly so large as those of some of the genus, and are of a fine deep 

 brown colour,- but the most remarkable peculiarity in them is a most singular 

 tail-like appendage proceeding from the centre of the lip, and hanging down 

 from it. I measured one, a few days since, 16 in. in length, while the flowers 

 seldom exceed 2 in. On the whole, it is a plant I think well worth growing, 

 especially as it flowers when quite small, and does not take up so much room 

 in the house as is usually required for the climbing species of the genus. My 

 plant was turned out (only a few inches high) not six months ago, and it 

 began to flower immediately on reaching the glass. I have never seen the 

 species before receiving this individual from a collection in Lancashire. Sweet, 

 however, in his Hortus Britannicus, records it as introduced in 1775. He does 

 not refer to any figure of it, from which I suppose none existed, at least in 

 English works, when his book was printed in 1830. It is most readily pro- 

 pagated, as it sends out long runners from the base of the stem, which root on 

 the surface of the bed. — W. Christy, Jun. Clapham Road, Nov. 9. 1838. 



* A Flora of North America, containing abridged descriptions of all the 

 known indigenous and naturalised plants, growing north of Mexico, arranged 

 according to the natural system. By John Torrey and Asa Gray. 8vo. 

 Vol. I. Part I., pp. 184. Carey and Hart, Philadelphia, 1838. 



This is a work which every European botanist will undoubtedly possess ; 

 and if, as we have no doubt will be the case, the habitats of the plants are 

 properly given, it ought to be in the hands of every nurseryman. Our copy 

 has not yet come to hand ; but, as soon as it does, we shall give our opinion 

 of it. — Cond. 



d 4 



