FOREIGN NOTES. 



A Mucilage similar to gum arabic is now maoufac- 

 tured from the gum obtained from the cherry. 



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The wages of the workmen in the Kew gardens range 

 from I4.50 to f5 per week, the men working eleven 

 hours a day. 



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The Flora of France. — Gaston Bounier and M. de 

 Layens have undertaken the publication of a Flora of 

 France. Cuts of all the native species will be given in 

 the work. 



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Broccoli, Violette Navidad. — This is an excellent 

 early variety, having large, smoth leaves, and a firm 

 and compact head. It is the earliest and most tender 

 variety yet grown. — Gartenflora, 



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European Orchids. — The Dutch Orchid Club has 

 published a valuable catalogue of the species, varieties 

 and hybrids of orchids found in the European collec- 

 tions. About 4,000 sorts are enumerated. 



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The severe weather which prevailed in England 

 during December and January past, also caused consid- 

 erable losses in France. It has been estimated that the 

 rose growers in the vicinity of Paris alone will lose 

 about $200,000 worth of roses. 



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Obituary. — John Dominy died February 12, aged 75 

 years. He commenced hybridizing orchids and nepen- 

 thes in 1846, and had remarkable success in this work. 

 Among his most valuable hybrids may be mentioned 



Cattleya Exoniensis, Calantha Veitchi and Lcvlia Domini, 

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A Thriving Experiment Station exists at Libreville, 

 Gabon-Congo, Africa. The rubber tree of Para, proba- 

 bly Hevea Giiyanetisis , is being propagated very rapidly, 

 and the directors hope to distribute 200,000 of these 

 plants in the colony within the next two years. Similar 

 work is also carried on with other tropical plants. — Rf- 

 vtie Horticole. 



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An interesting plant in the cactus house at Kew is 



the epiphyllum grafted on a specimen of pereskia that 



runs up one of the rafters. The epiphyllum is grafted 



on at various points, and the bunches of leaves and 



flowers hang down like a cluster of mistletoe from an 



old gnarled apple tree. The effect is very pretty when 



the epiphyllum is in full bloom. — TJie Garden. 



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The Members of the Association for the Exter- 

 mination OF Sparrows held their annual reunion at 

 Borssele, Zeland. Their report states that 424,472 

 sparrows were killed during the year. F. Van Duyne 

 was the champion, as he destroyed 502, this being the 

 greatest number killed by one person. In consequence 

 he is exempt from taxation for one year and is given the 

 position of accountant, with an annual salary of about 

 $100. — Bulletin d' Arhoricultiire, de Floriiultitre, etc. 



The English Government has recently passed an 

 act providing for an official examination of all weighing 

 instruments used in England. All such instruments 

 must be stamped by an inspector within twelve months 

 from the passage of the act, and all persons violating 

 any of the clauses will be subject to a fine not exceeding 

 $10. Repeated offenses are still more severely dealt 

 with. 



American Weeds Abroad. — Elodea Canadensis, 



which was introduced into France some time ago, and 



which has also proved a curse in England, has obtained 



such a foothold in many of the rivers of Europe that 



they have become seriously obstructed by this plant. 



Azolla Cayolinia)ia threatens to do likewise. These 



plants are particularly troublesome in the canals of 



Belgium. — Reviie Horticole. 



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The First Hybrid Stanhopea — The first hybrid in 

 this genus has been effected by a German orchidist, 

 Herr Weber von Spindlersfeld. It was obtained by a 

 cross between S. osculata and S. tigrina, and has been 

 described under the name of S. Spuidlerania. The first 

 seedling flowered the fourth year after the germination 

 of the seed, and the flowers, as to color, were exactly 

 intermediate between the parents. — Ehe Gardening 

 World. 



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New Hybrid Verbena "Nordlicht." — This variety 

 was obtained by A. Matz, of Breslau, from the seed of 

 Defiance. The flowers are so large that at first sight 

 they look like pelargoniums. They are almost an inch 

 in diameter and bright orange-scarlet in color ; the 

 clusters are produced from the beginning of May to the 

 end of October. Another valuable characteristic is its 

 vigorous and compact growth, the plant being only seven 

 or eight inches in height. — Gartenflora . 



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Manure for Orchids. — Every night the floors, paths, 

 and all available spaces were damped with strong manure 

 water direct from the tanks. This caused the houses to 

 be filled for several hours with a damp, ammoniacal 

 moisture. Several growers have remarked on the healthy 

 appearance of the plants and of the absence of red spi- 

 der. I find that plants on blocks or in baskets, where a 

 circulation of air passes freely through the roots, do 

 even better than plants in pots. — O. Ji'. Guy, in The 

 Garden. 



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The Royal Dublin Society has just made an impor- 

 tant departure in connection with agricultural education 

 in Ireland. The sum of $2,000 has been allotted for the 

 purpose of establishing a system of itinerant practical 

 teaching and example farms, to each of which instruct- 

 ors will be appointed. . These will go among the strong 

 holders and instruct them in better systems of farm 

 practice, including fruit and potato culture, which will 

 also be shown in operation on the example farms. — The 

 Gardeners' Magazine . 



