226 Foreign Notices : — No)'ih America. 



consequence for several 3'ears, until, falling to pieces, the parts are carried 

 away on the camels and asses employed in the trade of furnishing fire-wood 

 to the villages and seaports. The timber, although extremely straight [? the 

 silver fir], and good of the kind, is used for no other purpose than fuel, 

 except the smaller trees, which are laid in lines around the cultivated grounds 

 as fences ; the branches soon harbouring luxuriant vegetation, and form- 

 ing a thicket, through which the cattle seldom break. (Journal in Asia 

 Minor, p. 258.) 



T/ie Corn-Drag of Greece is described by Mr. Fellows, in his Journal, p. 70. 

 as a thick plank of timber, flat on the under side, which is stuck full of flints, 

 or hard cutting stones ; and the corn being spread out on hard rocky ground, 

 this instrument, being drawn over it, cuts the straw as well as separates 

 the grain. It is also described by Paul Lucas, in his Voyage dans la Grece, 

 and by Virgil in his Georgics, and Varro in De Re Rustica. The Prophet 

 Isaiah alludes to it, when he says, " Behold I will make thee a new sharp 

 thrashing instrument having teeth." (Ibid.) 



A Classical Lease. — In Fellows's Joiumal in Asia Minor, p. 30., an ancient 

 Greek inscription is copied, which appears to relate to the planting of a 

 garden with cypresses at a certain period, and to the tenure of the garden, 

 together with dwellings annexed to it. The translation, as given by Mr. 

 Yates, in the Appendix to the Journal, p. 313., is to this effect ; viz. that the 

 ground was given to build upon, " during the existence of any tree planted 

 in the time of Cratsevus (the hedge of 170 cypresses was planted by him)." 

 Mr. Yates remarks that an interesting fact is here proved, viz. the use of the 

 cypress for hedges in ancient times. From the inscription it would appear, 

 that the lease would not expire till these 170 cypresses were dead. (Ibid.) 



NORTH AMERICA. 



Great Price for a Plant of M.drus multicaulis. — The annexed is the sub- 

 stance of a written communication from Mr. Ebenezer Warner, of Belcher- 

 town, Massachusetts, to the Hampshire Gazette, under date of August 24. 1839 : 

 — " Remarks having been made in the Hampshire Gazette about a white mul- 

 berry tree which I sold last winter for the extravagant sum, as was then 

 thought, of 50 dollars, it may be interesting to mulberry dealers to be made 

 acquainted with its origin, and to know what has become of it. About the year 

 1830, I purchased some white mulberry seed in New York, which I sowed in 

 my garden in Belchertown. Among the seedlings were four trees of unusual 

 thrift, and larger leaf than the others, one of which was removed from the 

 nursery into the street in front of my house, where it now stands. It has so 

 large a leaf as to attract the attention of travellers, especially of mulberry dealers. 

 Last winter (1838-9), a mulberry dealer from Connecticut, who had seen the 

 tree when clothed with fohage, asked what I would take for it. I stated 50 

 dollars, and he said he would take it. I afterwards understood that he sold 

 it for about 150 dollars to another dealer, who, within the last three weeks, 

 told me that he had sold many of the buds at one dollar each ; that he at- 

 tempted to start the buds in a hot-house last winter; but none vegetated ; that 

 in the spring he inserted some buds into the roots of the white mulberry 

 stock which have grown 7 ft. this season ; that the leaves are larger than any 

 multicaulis leaf to be found in his vicinity ; that about 2500 buds were taken 

 from the tree the last winter and spring ; and that there is at this time probably 

 not less than 3500 equally fair and good buds on the tree. He also said, he 

 had been offered for the tree and this year's product, the very handsome sum 

 of 5000 dollars, which offer he denied." 



The Mascal Plant. — This extraordinary vegetable production (a descrip- 

 tion of which" has never been published) is only to be found on the Rio Grande, 

 and its tributary streams, north west of the Mexican republic : it grows spon- 

 taneously on the most barren and sterile mountains in that country, and is as 

 much esteemed as an article of food by the Mexican Indians as is the buffalo. 



