Foreign Notices •• - — North America. 429 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Art. I. General Notices. 



Delphi'nium sibiricum pleno and D. Barldwii. — Although all the delphiniums 

 are showy and worthy of cultivation, still the D. sibiricum pleno and D. Bar- 

 lowii are truly splendid. The propagation of these two plants does not seem 

 to be so well understood as it ought to be, otherwise they would be seen 

 oftener and more abundantly in gardens, where their beauty often causes the 

 expression to be used, " I wish I had more of them." The proper time for 

 dividing these two sorts is in April, when the young shoots have appeared, 

 and are about two or three inches long above ground. They may then be 

 taken up, and every shoot carefully separated with a knife, leaving, if possible, 

 some portion of the roots attached- These must be carefully planted in good 

 rich soil, and each will flower much finer the same season, than the old plant 

 would have done if left undisturbed. To divide them in autumn or spring, 

 before they commence growing, is nearly certain to weaken the plants much, 

 and even sometimes destroys them altogether. — A. X. Birmingham, July, 1842. 



New Slate Cap, as a Substitute for Ridge Tiles, fyc. — We have received the 

 " Particulars and price of North's patent slate-capped ridge and hip, sold and 

 shipped at Port Penrhyn, Bangor, North Wales. The patent ridge is [said to 

 be] an improvement on slate saddle ridge ; it is bolder in appearance, and does 

 not require cement or putty ; it is preferable to lead, being secure against 

 high wind ; avoids the damage occasioned by hoisting and dressing lead upon 

 a slated roof, and needs no wood roll. Price complete, Is. 6c?. per foot run- 

 ning, including screws, plates, and holes drilled. Packed in parcels of four 

 3 ft. lengths, weight 112 lbs., for 12 ft. running of ridge, including the fasten- 

 ings and package." — July, 1842. [Slate is now sawn by machinery, and 

 made into such a variety of articles, that we are surprised it is not used more 

 than it is, in gardening, as a substitute for gravel and flagstone in walks and 

 paths, and for wood, cast iron, and lead, in cisterns.] 



To destroy the Turnip Fly. — A correspondent of the Mark Lane Express 

 says : " I have great pleasure in communicating to my brother-farmers, through 

 the medium of your valuable paper, that I have discovered that gas-lime, sown 

 upon turnips before their coming up, is a sure preventive against the ravages 

 of the fly. When gas-lime cannot be obtained, gas tar, reduced with common 

 lime, may be successfully applied between the drills, carefully avoiding the 

 plants. A mixture of twenty pounds of sulphur with a ton of lime (which 

 will not injure the plant) may be sown upon two acres, which will also 

 produce a beneficial effect," (Camb. Chron. and Journ., June 11. 1842.) 



Art. II. Foreign Notices. 



NORTH AMERICA. 



Large Mahogany Logs. — Two logs of Mansanilla mahogany were sold in 

 New York, in February last, for 1265 dollars, at the rate of 165 dollars per 

 foot. The two logs were only one quarter of the tree from which they were 

 cut : another quarter was sold for 1200 dollars. The whole tree, according 

 to these rates, was worth, in the New York market, very near 5000 dollars. 

 — J. M. Philadelphia, June 12. 1842. 



[About the year 1819, the following appeared in an English paper: — " The 

 largest and finest log of mahogany ever imported into this country was sold 

 by auction at the docks in Liverpool. It was purchased by James Hodgson 

 for 375/., and afterwards sold by him for 525/. ; and, if it opened well, was 



