Domestic Notices : — Scotland. 195 



Lambertian Museum and Boyton Garden, — "I have just received from the 

 neighbourhood of the Red Sea a fine plant of the true socotrine aloe, which, 

 I believe, is the first ever brought to Europe. I have also received splendid 

 specimens in flower of the Cheirostemon jolatanoides, from the Prince Bertero, 

 at Palermo, in whose garden it flowers annually. A few days ago, I received 

 a branch of the only tree now growing on the site of the supposed pensile 

 gardens at Babylon, which proves to be the Tamarix orientalis. Among a 

 collection of plants from Arabia, I have received fine specimens of Jmyris 

 gileadensis, figured by Bruce ; and Jmjris opobalsamum, figured by Vahl. — 

 A. B. Lambert. Feb. 22. 1838. 



The severe Weather of January, 1838, has killed, or greatly injured, almost 

 all the half-hardy ligneous plants in the neighbournood of London. The 

 foliage of the trees on the walls of the Botanic Garden at Kew, and also on 

 those of the Horticultural Garden, is quite black ; and the common laurustinus, 

 the common laurel, the Portugal laurel, the phillyrea, the alaternus, and 

 other such shrubs, are blackened or killed down to the ground. Even the 

 aucuba and the arbutus have had their hardy foliage injured ; and, in short, 

 so much damage has scarcely been done to evergreen shrubs within the me- 

 mory of any gardener living. It is interesting to observe the different degrees 

 of hardiness in different individuals of the same species, and in the same gar- 

 den, where the plants have been raised from seed, as in the case of the Por- 

 tugal laurel, the arbutus, the evergreen oak, the cork tree, &c. Some 

 individuals of these species, standing in nursery lines, among others in all 

 respects similarly circumstanced, are scarcely injured at all; while others are 

 partially blackened, their wood being alive, and some are killed down to the 

 ground. 



The mean Tewperatiire of January, 1838, at High Wickham, Bucks, 

 was 25"61°, which is 3-31° below the mean of any corresponding month during 

 the last fourteen years. This information was communicated by J. G. Tatem, 

 Esq., of High Wickham, to the Meteorological Society. {Lit. Gaz., Feb. 24. 

 1838.) 



The Menogramvie. — A new wooden label, or name-stick, for flower-pots 

 in borders, has lately been brought forward under this name by Messrs. 

 Mapplebeck and Lowe, manufacturers of horticultural implements, Birming- 

 ham. These labels are formed of wood, and seem slightly rubbed over with 

 white lead. Whether they have been Kyanised, or not, we are unable to say ; 

 but, as the manufacturers have kindly sent us a packet, we will try them, and 

 report on them at some future period. 



Cdrica Papaya, the Papaw tree, a native of India, has ripened abundance of 

 fruit, this winter, in the stove at Ripley Castle. We have received some spe- 

 cimens from the gardener there, Mr. Elliot, which we shall figure in our next 

 Number. In the mean time, as an object of luxury, the plant may be worth 

 cultivating, as one of the very few which ripen a handsome edible fruit in the 

 winter season. — Cond. 



SCOTLAND. 



The Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, one of the best organ- 

 ised and most useful societies that ever existed in any country, has published its 

 list of premiums for the year 1838 ; and, as some of the subjects concern 

 gardeners as well as agriculturists, we shall here notice them : — 



Tillage by Steam. — A premium of 500/. will be awarded for the first successful 

 application of steam power to the cultivation of the soil. A stationary steam- 

 engine might easily be contrived to drag along ploughs or harrows; but we hardly 

 think it would answer in an economical point of view. A locomotive engine that 

 would stir the soil in any manner wanted, as it went along, by a horse, is what 

 is wanted, and this might probably be produced on the principle of repeatedly 

 operating very slightly on the same surface, as in the case of the native plough 

 of Hindostan. Perhaps the curviiineal tines of a harrow fixed in a large cylin- 



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