of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 261 



The first was a small Scotch pine, suspended from a much larger tree by ad- 

 hesion to its side, in the M'Nab burying-ground, at Killin. This is evidently 

 an accidental graft, similar to that discovered in an old thorn hedge, by Mr. 

 John Wallis ; and from which he concluded that " vegetables derived their 

 nutriment independently of the earth." (See our Vol. X. p. 51.) The second 

 monstrosity is, the apparent union of a horsechestnut and beech, at Cambus- 

 more, near Callander ; and the third is at Gargunnock House, Stirlingshire. 

 It consists of two broad-leaved elms, growing so near together, that they might 

 be supposed to rise from the same root ; while there is squeezed in between 

 the stems an ash, and three hollies. Of course, there are abundance of local 

 legends accounting for the origin of these apparently unnatural unions, which 

 the slightest knowledge of vegetable physiology will enable any one to detect 

 as having no foundation in truth. 



Jan. 11. 1838. — Mr. R. W. Falconer read a paper on the ancient history 

 of the rose. This paper we should much like to peruse. An abstract of it is 

 given, but it is much too short to be of interest to our readers. Mr. Edwin 

 Lees of Worcester sent a communication on the Pyrus domestica, or the 

 Whitten pear tree of Wyre Forest, in the parish of Rock, in Worcestershire, 

 about three miles from Bewdley. It agrees with what we have stated in the 

 Arb. Brit, and Sup., on the authority of Lord Mountnorris, Mr. Pearson, and 

 some other local correspondents. Mr. Lees estimates the age of the tree at 

 400 years. " The vestiges of a habitation and garden, he thought, might 

 be traced in some bricks and remains near the spot ; and in the presence of 

 solitary specimens of Z/igustrum vulgare and Prunus dcmestica, the only ones 

 which he observed in the whole forest." " Fruit is produced annually, and is 

 eagerly gathered as a curiosity by the country people, who look upon it as a 

 charm, suspending it in their habitations, and appearing to consider it a safe- 

 guard ; while to the mountain ash, Pyrus aucuparia, they pay no sort of 

 attention, although they seem aware of the relationship between the species, 

 designating the latter the whitten tree, the former the whitten pear tree." 



Februarys. — Mr. R. W. Falconer read a paper containing an account 

 of the most celebrated gardens of antiquity, with observations on the hortu- 

 lan taste which they exhibit. From the short abstract given of this paper, 

 it appears to resemble one on the same subject, printed many years ago, in 

 the Memoirs of the Philosophical Society of Manchester (vol. i. p. 297.), 

 and subsequent^' in a separate volume, dated 1783, by Dr. W. Falconer. 



Mr. James Macauley read a paper on the culture of flowers by the an- 

 cients ; in which, among other things, he showed, that the garden of Lucullus, 

 so often referred to, cannot be regarded as a specimen, either of the art, or 

 the taste of his time ; in as much as it was censured by his own contempo- 

 raries (Cic. de Leg., iii. 13.) ; and Varro expressly states, " Hortos Luculli 

 non Jloribus fructibusque sed tabulis fuisse insignes." The gardens of Lucul- 

 lus were distinguished, not by their flowers and fruits, but by their pictures. 

 [The inference from Cicero is, that the villa of Lucullus was stuffed with 

 pictures and statues.] 



April 12. — Mr. Hamilton read a paper on the Gardens of the Ancient 

 Hebrews. This we should like much to see. 



Professor Christison made some observations on the preservation of fruits 

 and other botanical specimens in a moist state. After numerous experiments 

 made " with various fluids, he had found none which served so well to pre- 

 serve both the consistence and colour of fruits, leaves, and flowers, as a 

 concentrated solution of common salt. The solution should be made with 

 the aid of a boiling heat, otherwise it can with difficulty be obtained suffi- 

 ciently concentrated. When articles are to be sent to a distance, as when 

 specimens are transmitted from hot climates to this country, the best mode of 

 putting them up is to preserve those which are of small size in greenglass bottles, 

 such as are used for pickles, to fill the bottles with the solution, and to secure 

 the corks with a covering of some resinous substance, and cloth tied over 

 all. But the cheapest and most effectual mode for larger articles, and, indeed, 



t 3 



