616 General Notices. 



animals, viz. an invariable abortion of some of the parts, so that these plants 

 are, in fact, consistent or perpetually recurring monstrosities. In an alpine 

 cytisus, with terminal flowers, M. Dutrochet observed six petals, four disposed 

 in a cruciform manner, and above them two contiguous petals placed alter- 

 nately. The manner in which these last were placed proves that there must 

 have been two others which have become abortions, so that the papiliona- 

 ceous flowers were originally regular flowers, having eight petals disposed in 

 two ranges alternately. Three of these petals constantly become abortions, 

 and the five remaining ones form the standard, the two wings, and the two 

 pieces of the keel. Irregular flowers are always lateral; when by chance 

 they become terminal they resume their original regularity, because they have 

 then equal room for developement on every side. {Jour. R. Inst.) 



The Tanning Principle has been extracted from the common hemlock, by 

 drying it, chopping it to pieces, boiling or steaming it, and evaporating the 

 extract. (Newton's Journal, vol. ix. p. 480.) 



Husking the Palm of Chile. — A curious method is employed to free the 

 nut from the green husk in which it is enveloped ; a process that was for- 

 merly attended with great loss of time and labour. A number of cows and 

 oxen are driven into an enclosure, where a quantity of the fruit is spread, and, 

 being very fond of the husk, they immediately begin to feed on the fruit, 

 only slightly masticating it in the first instance, and swallowing the whole ; 

 afterwards, while chewing the cud, the nuts are rejected ; and, when the meal 

 is finished, a heap of them is found before each of the animals, perfectly free 

 from the husk, the cattle being thus supplied with food at a season when 

 little grass remains on the hills, at the same time that they effectually perform 

 a very useful operation. (Botanical Miscellany. ) 



The Culture of Cabbage has undergone a great change in the neighbourhood 

 of London within the last seven years. Formerly the most approved practice 

 was to plant a crop in August or September, another in February or March, 

 and a third in April or May. Now only one crop is planted in September. 

 This is fit for use in the following May and June ; and the second shoots, pro- 

 duced by the stools after the first heads are cut off, furnish abundance of 

 cabbages during the remainder of the season. In this way, ground, anxiety, 

 and labour are saved, and a greater certainty of supply is produced. I refer 

 you to the Royal Kitchen-Gardens at Kew, where this method is practised 

 with complete success by the present excellent kitchen-gardener there, Mr. 

 Aldridge. The same mode is also practised at Bromley Hill, in Kent ; and at 

 Ashridge, near Tring, in Hertfordshire. The kind of cabbage generally 

 planted for this purpose is the Peignton, Penton, or Vanack, which will con- 

 tinue producing heads fit for use, even while it is flowering and ripening seeds. 

 I believe, however, that any kind of free-growing cabbage may be used; 

 only some kinds require to be well watered in very dry weather, which is not 

 the case with the Vanack. — John Tims. Brentford, Sept. 1839. 



Fastening Trees to Walls. — Possibly you may entirely disapprove of the fol- 

 lowing mode of fastening fruit trees to a wall, which, it seems, was rather 

 prevalent about 1722. At all events, if you can spare a short space from 

 your crowded pages, it may be curious to preserve what was once recom- 

 mended by a gardener so eminent in his day as Stephen Switzer, from whose 

 Practical Fruit-Gardener the following extract is taken. — A Constant Reader. 

 June, 1829. 



" The best way of fastening trees to a wall is by little round wooden pegs, 

 made of the heart of oak, driven into the wall between the bricks, to which 

 may be tied all the small branches, with the juncus or small rush that grows 

 in watery places ; and all the great boughs, requiring more strength, may, with 

 small withies made of osiers or basket-rods, be tied to large wooden pegs, 

 that are here and there interspersed in the wall, where occasion shall require. 

 The conveniences of this method will be found to be, that as soon as the 

 fruit boughs swell out to the extent of the rush or withy, that band will 

 easily give way, and not pinch or damage the tree, and the pegs of wood 



