Foreign Notices : — South America. 3 7 



shoot 7i in. Most of the leaves more or less lobed, but some re- 

 sembling Q. Phellos. 

 Qlu falcata Mich., Pursh. Leaves 7 in. long, by 4i in. broad. Young shoot 

 7i in. 

 palustris Willd., Mich., Pursh. Leaves 7 in. long, by 4i in. broad. Young 



shoot 5f in. 

 obtusiloba Mich., Pursh. Leaves 5^ in. long, by 3| in. broad. Young 



shoot 2| in. 

 tinctoria Willd., Pursh. Leaves 8^ in. long, by 5 in. broad. Young 



shoot lOi in. long. 

 Banisterz Mich., Pursh ; ilicifolia Wang, and Arb..Brit. Leaves 4| in. long, 



by 2i in. broad. Young shoot 4i in. 

 lyrata Walt., Mich., Pursh. Leaves 7f in. long, by S^in. broad. Young 

 shoot lOf in. Plant 3 years' seedling. — Cond. 

 Artificial Maturation of Figs. — A traveller from the Levant taught me the 

 follovs^ing mode of rendering full-grown figs fit to eat. I take a blunt-pointed 

 boilkin, such as women use in drawing through tape ; I open the orifice at the 

 end of the fig, and at the same time, having a little bottle of sweet oil hang- 

 ing on a button of my coat, I dip the bodkin in the oil, and insert one drop 

 in the orifice. — Thomas Blake, Gardener. Shirley Park, near Croydon, June 

 15. 1840. 



In the notes made during our visit to Paris in 1828, and given in Vol. Vlf . 

 p. 262., we described the practice related above, as seen by us put in execu- 

 tion in the fig orchards at Argenteuil ; all the difference is, that a bit of wheat 

 straw is there used instead of the bodkin. — Cond. 



Art. IL Foreign Notices. 



SOUTH AMERICA. 



Rio Janeiro, Sept. 26. 1840. — Here I am at last in an almost tropical 

 climate, and under an almost tropical sun, only 80° in the shade, and we are 

 yet only on the end of the Brazilian winter. But where shall I begin, and 

 where shall I find an end to describe to you my daily, my hourly botanical 

 enjoyments and raptures ? I am quite sure * * *', when he was .transported 

 in the spirit * * *, could not feel himself more charmed than I was the day 

 before yesterday, finding myself with the celebrated traveller, Riedel, in one of 

 the remaining small portions of primitive forest behind Corcovado Mountain, 

 surrounded with tree ferns and myristicas and melastomas and rhexias and 

 epiphytes and pothoses and Piperaceae and bambusas, &c., under a con- 

 certo of chirping and humming giant-grasshoppers and minute colibris, and 

 loud-screaming many-coloured parrots, and whistling ugly monkejs, and all 

 that only two or three leagues far from the Emperor of Brazil's residence, 

 the good city of Rio Janeii'o. I assure you I pinched myself already many 

 times in full earnest, to see if I was awake, or dreaming only of a charmed 

 fairy land. But, poor mortal as I am, I must soon return in this misery of 

 human life, to tell you that I am not a little embarrassed, having failed until 

 now in my project to support myself with German and French lessons until 

 I could send to Europe large collections of plants, seeds, insects, &c. I trust, 

 therefore, in your long friendship not only, but also in your zeal for botany 

 and horticulture, to recommend as soon and as powerfully as possible my 

 poor exertions to generous amateurs, in order to keep me alive amidst all 

 these treasures. In revenge, if you carry in effect these mine projects by 

 procuring me generous protectors, I shall show you my gratitude by all kind 

 of contributions to your Magazine, collections, &c., whatever you may like or 

 wish to possess from this here charming country. Only arrived a fortnight ago, 

 all my ideas are so excited, that it would be impossible for me to give you for 

 the moment a sober description of any kind of object. If you will answer 

 this letter, you must recommend it to the care of Mr. Ousely, H. B. M. Charge 



D 3 



