FOREIGN NOTES. 



Metallization of Flowers. — Wash the flowers 

 carefully, soak them some moments in a concentrated 

 solution of gallic acid, then plunge them in distilled wa- 

 ter, containing one fiftieth of its weight of azotate of 

 silver. The gallic acid, with which the flowers are im- 

 pregnated, reduces the silver salt. The silver retains 

 its metallic luster and adheres firmly to the flower. 

 The operation should be repeated until the flowers have 

 a fine silver tint. — La Nature. 



o o 

 o 



Authorization to Import Foreign Vines. — It is 

 well-known that in our country regulations are carried 

 so far that one is not even allowed to do what is best 

 without permission. Here is another example of it ; 

 the district of Roch-sur-You has just been authorized, 

 by a notice from the commissioner of agriculture, to im- 

 port foreign vines, and vines coming from the districts 

 in which the phylloxera exists. — Kcvuc Horlicole. 



0 o 



o 



Cucumber, Banneuil's White Extra Large, [Blam- 

 /rt'S-gras de Baiineiiil). This has a very pronounced 

 flavor which makes it much sought for in the market. 

 The fruit is ovoid, and can easily be made to weigh 4)^ 

 lbs. It is pale yellow at first, but whitens as it matures. 

 — Kcviie Horticole. 



o 0 



0 



Cucumber, Green, Extra-long of China (C. vert 

 tres-/otig de China). The fruit is almost a foot long ; 

 the skin pale green, bearing a few spines, and marked 

 by white longitudinal lines. Flesh very white. This 

 variety is a steady and abundant producer. — Kevue 

 Horticole . 



o o 

 o 



The Largest Orchid Known. — The plant was 

 found growing on a Dario tree, at Felangas, Malaysia. 

 After being detached it required fifteen men to carry it. 

 This orchid is seven feet two inches in height, and 

 thirteen feet six inches in diameter ; it has seven clus- 

 ters of flowers, the longest measuring eight feet six inches. 

 The flowers are deep brown, spotted with yellow. — 

 Jif. de Keyser, i)t The Gardeners' CJironicle. 



0 o 

 o 



Australian Plants.— Baron Sir Ferdinand von 

 Miiller has issued a second systematic census of the 

 plants of Australia, comprising their names, references 

 to the books where they are described, date of publica- 

 tion, local and general distribution. — The Gardeners' 

 Chronicle. 



0 0 

 0 



Exports from Japan. — The exportation of plants, 



trees and shrubs for the month of January, amounted 



to 5,708 yen. One yen is equal to 3 6 d. — Journal of 



Japanese Horticultural Society. 



o 0 

 o 



The Utility of Bamboo. — Large quantities of Bam- 

 boo are at present brought to England as ballast. The 



large firm pieces are used in cabinet work, while the 



slender pieces are sold so cheaply that they are taking 



the place of the ordinary wooden supports for plants. 



Their hard silicious covering renders them much more 



durable, and they remain in the ground a very long 



time without decaying. — Wiener Illustr. Gart. Zeitung. 



0 0 

 o 



To Destroy Caterpillars. — Mix two parts of 

 chloride of lime with one part of lard. Mould this in 

 the form of rolls, cover with cloth, and bind around 

 the affected trees. The caterpillars will soon fall, and 

 none will crawl up the trunk. Even butterflies will 

 avoid trees treated in this manner. — Garten-iind Bluni- 

 enzeitu}ig. 



0 o 

 0 



Mirrors at Floral Exhibitions. — At the Ghent ex- 

 hibition of 1888, a large number of mirrors were used 

 in the orchid department, and again in the same depart- 

 ment at Berlin in 1890. In both cases the effect produc- 

 ed was wonderful. At Berlin the Throne hall appeared 

 like a fairy land ; for the spaces between the mirrors 

 had been filled with palms, azaleas, and other ornamen- 

 tal and flowering plants, so that the hall looked much 

 larger and more beautiful than on former occasions. 

 Too many mirrors can hardly be used at such exhibi- 

 tions. — GartenJJora . 



o o 

 0 



Camellia alba plena. —Mr. Lathan, of Eddisburg, 

 near Liverpool, has a specimen of this camellia which 

 has grown to an enormous size. It is vjYz feet in height, 

 the trunk measures 2^2 feet in circumference, and the 

 branches cover an area 20 feet in diameter. When in 

 full bloom this tree is a wonder, and is annually visited 

 by thousands of people. During the past year its fortu- 

 nate possessor made over $250 from the sale of the 

 flowers. — Garten-und Blumenzeitimg. 



0 o 

 o 



Notes on Agricultural Education. — Last year 

 England gave ^5,000, and again this year, to assist edu- 

 cation and research, and this looks very trifling besides 

 what other countries are doing. France in her budget 

 for 1888-9 voted ;^i63,6oo; Belgium, provides by the 

 central government, ;^3o,8oo, and by provincial govern- 

 ments, ^20,300; Holland has a Department of Agri- 

 culture, but has recently voted funds for Agricultural 

 ^institutions, and previously was spending ^7,446 (of 

 which over £\, 800 was returned by produce) on forestry, 

 dairy, and veterinary schools ; Denmark, in the budget 

 for 1889-go, provided for ;^56,68o ; in Germany the 

 agricultural budget for the same years was over half a 

 million, of which nearly ;^52,ooo is for education and 

 science, and over /40, 000 for the veterinary department, 

 while provincial administrations pay out ^13,000, and 

 are subsidized besides to about ;^6,648. There are also 

 heavy subventions to institutions which are great aids 

 to agriculture. — The Horticultural Times. 



