574; Proceedings of the London Horticultural Society. 



very strong silk was produced by worms fed on rhem. I have seen many frag- 

 ments of garments which were made of that silk. — J. M. (See Congress Silk 

 Manual, for this and other facts on this tree.) 



V/inits fulva Arb. Brit., p. 1407. — I regard the inner bark of this tree as 

 the first of demulcents. The late Dr. Strong of the American army informed 

 me that, after the action with the Indians in August, 1794, the superiority 

 of the mucilage from the bark, over poultices of bread and milk, and flaxseed, 

 was fully established, in bringing on a good suppuration, and a disposition 

 to heal in gunshot wounds. In bowel and catarrhal complaints it is excel- 

 lent. In dysentery it acts like a charm in allaying the most distressing bowel 

 pain. The tree abounds in New York state, and the bark ought to be 

 introduced into British practice. I could say much more about it. — J. M. 



iiiglans nigra Arb. Brit., p. 1435. — The wood of this tree makes the most 

 beautiful cabinetwork, and is now fashionable in Philadelphia, as it is often 

 finely veined, and receives a polish equal to mahogany. The tree grows 

 to a great height, and the trunk to a large size. A few years since, the trunk 

 of one was shown in Philadelphia and other cities, " which grew in Chatanque 

 co., New York, that measured 36ft. in circumference; its height previously 

 to branching was 80 ft.; the entire height 150 ft.; the branches were from 

 3 ft. to 4 ft. in diameter. Had it been chopped and split into firewood, it 

 would have yielded not less than 150 loads, of a fourth of a cord each, the 

 common produce of an acre of woodland ; or, had it been sawn at a mill, 

 50,000 ft. of inch boards, worth, at the country price, 1500 dollars." (The 

 Exhibitor s Handbill.) The bark was 12 in. thick. The part that has been 

 preserved consists of the lower portion of its trunk, 9 ft. in height, and is 

 entirely sound. It was excavated after great labour, circular seats placed round 

 it inside, and a door made in it. — ./. M. 



Art. V. The London Horticultural Society and Garden. 



Nov. 6. 1838. — Ordinary Meeting. The following objects were exhibited. 

 From Messrs. Chandler and Sons, 18 varieties of the beautiful seedling Chinese 

 chrysanthemums raised in Jersey. From John Luscombe, Esq., of Coombe 

 Royal, near Kingsbridge, in Devon, specimens of the fruit of the lime tree 

 produced at that place. They were accompanied by some clusters of Seville 

 oranges, taken from a verj' old tree, protected by a wooden frame only ; some- 

 times as many as 16 fruit are produced in a bunch; one of the oranges ex- 

 hibited, the produce of a young tree, protected in winter by reeds, was rather 

 more than a foot in circumference. From John Williams, Esq., of Pitmaston, 

 near Worcester, specimens of seedling pears. One, " the Chaumontel swan's 

 egg," was raised from the seed of the Chaumontel, impregnated with the 

 pollen of the swan's eggs ; it was a middle-sized obovate fruit, with a short 

 stalk, a large open eye, a russet skin, and a rich sugary flavour. Mr. Williams 

 stated that it bears well as a standard, and will be in season in the end of October ; 

 the tree grows with upright branches, like the swan's egg. The other was a 

 very small roundish obovate pear, raised from the " seed of the green chisel 

 and pollen of the poire d'Auch;" it does not appear to possess merit of the 

 first kind, the flesh, though sugary, being rather gritty. Mr. Williams found 

 it succeed admirably on a north wall, where it ripens about the end of Sep- 

 tember, succeeding the jargonelle. From Henry Crace, Esq., of St. John's 

 Wood, some specimens of the Marie Louise and Duchesse d' Angouleme pears. 

 Mr. Crace stated that he had gathered 2,200 fruit of the former from five small 

 trees, and that he calculated 300 more to have fallen ; he ascribed the pro- 

 ductiveness of the trees, and the fineness of the fruit, to the roots of the trees 

 being covered with dung and watered since the month of July. 



Dec. 4. 1838. — Ordinary Meeting. There was read, a report upon the 

 effects produced on plants by the frost which occurred in England in the 

 winter of 1837-8, by the vice-secretary. The author stated that, in con- 



