428 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 11. 
amateur will be able, from wbat T have written, to make 
some homely shifts to furnish himselt with ornamental 
plants for his garden as well in summer as winter. 
J. Robson. 
Monster Mushrooms. —A Mushroom has been found 
in Tatton Park, Cheshire, more than 30 inches in cir¬ 
cumference. It was of great thickness, and weighed 
rather more than 13 ounces. A larger one than this has, 
however, been found in a field near Moorthwaite: its cir¬ 
cumference was 42 inches and its average thickness 2£. 
NOTES FROM PARIS.— August 29. 
Since I sent off my last communication the weather 
here has been dry and warm ; often, indeed, oppressively 
hot. A gentle shower of about half-an-liour’s duration 
felL on the 24th, the day of the grand review in honour of 
the Queen, just enough to lay the dust in the Champ de 
Mars, then fine weather continued up to three o’clock this 
morning, when there was a heavy fall of rain, and we have 
had incessant rains with a clouded sky all day. Yesterday, 
about two o’clock, there was a sudden sharp gust of wind for 
about twenty minutes, which took people by surprise, and 
tried doors and windows not a little. It is, perhaps, worthy 
of note, that there has been little or no thunder near Paris 
this summer, but a good deal of “ sheet lightning ” in the 
evenings. It is fortunate that the harvest operations are 
now nearly quite completed in this quarter. 
The Yine disease has been reported from Languedoc and 
Bordelais, but not to any great extent. It has not appeared 
near Paris, and I think there is not much probability of the 
crop in general being injured now. The markets are well 
supplied with Grapes, both white and black, and the 
samples I have seen are very good. The sort at present 
most common is the Chaselas Blanc and Noire. It is 
selling at 6d. a pound, and upwards. This was seen in the 
principal fruit shops a month ago, but now it is plentiful 
everywhere. There is, in particular, a great abundance of 
green and purple Figs at present, and these are selling as 
low as eight and ten sous a dozen. The former is the 
Figue blanche , and the latter the Figue violette. The 
Apricots ( Abricot conimun, or, Plcin vert) has also been 
plentiful and good. The name Plein vert has been given to 
this variety, most probably, from the fact of its being always 
grown in the open ground, and I have seen trees of it 
twenty-five and thirty feet high. It is seldom or never 
grown against a wall, or an espalier. In general, the side 
exposed to the sun is much spotted and freckled with red 
and black, but the flavour is good. Of Apples there are 
now several sorts in the market; one of the earliest was that 
called here Pommc Pigeon net, a pretty crimson variety, of 
moderate size and agreeable flavour. The Jargonelle Pear, 
and one or two more sorts are also common. Of Plums, 
the most esteemed are the Heine Claude and the Prune de 
Monsieur. These are selling at fourpence a dozen and 
upwards. There has been a tolerable supply of Peaches 
during the last fortnight, but as yet the prices have been 
high, compared with former years. The cheapest that ore 
to be had, and these are not very good, cost six and eight 
sous a piece (3d. to 4d.). The better samples sell at about 
fifteen and twe,nty sous each (7^d. to 10d.). Of Melons 
there are two sorts in great abundance ; these are the 
Cantaloup , and the Maraicher ; the former regularly fur¬ 
rowed all over, and the latter quite round. Both fare from 
six to eight inches in diameter, or perhaps more. They 
may be had as low as a shilling a piece, but the better and 
larger samples are selling at from three to four shillings 
(about five francs). The Cantaloup needs no explanation, 
as it is well known, but I suspect the Maraicher is only 
known under that name by the mai'ket people. I am at 
present unable to make out its real name. Cucurbita pepo, 
called here Potiron, and Cucumis citrullus, known as the 
Citronille , are both much in use among the people for soup. 
Although fruit is much less plentiful this year than it has 
been for several seasons, it is some satisfaction to know that 
with the single exception of Turnips, all sorts of vegetables 
are exceedingly abundant and good. It follows, that the 
prices are not more than half what were paid last year. 
During the last month Potatoes have much improved, and 
as a great extent of ground has been planted this year, an 
abundant supply is insured. 
There is also a heavy crop of Carrots and Cabbages of 
different sorts. Haricots, too, which are much liked by 
the French people, have rarely been so plentiful. 
The flower dealers have had a brisk time of it for the 
last fifteen days especially, and on one or two occasions the 
supply was scarcely equal to the demand. Of the many 
occupations to which the Queen’s visit has given an im¬ 
petus, les marchandes des flews have particular reason to be 
satisfied, for the total of the money paid for bouquets and 
plants in pots must have been enormous. 
At present, the Heine Marguerite (China Aster) Dahlia, 
Hollyhock, and Hydrangea, are the principal sorts in vogue; 
but there is no lack of variety. Young Orange-trees, Pome¬ 
granate-trees, Fuchsias, Heliotropes, Jasmins, Nasturtiums, 
Cobcea scandens, Clematis, and late Roses, combine to make 
a good show. 
The directors of the Universal Horticultural Exhibition 
in the Champs Elysee, have published every week since the 
1st of July, a livret or catalogue of the Exhibitors and 
their contributions. It is, to be sure, but little more than a 
list of names and addresses, but it is accompanied with a 
plan of the ground, in which the houses, beds, and plots 
are numbered, and in this way it is easy to ascertain the 
name of the owner of any particular collection, as well as 
the objects which he exhibits. It is also easy to find out 
where any exhibitor’s collection is. This catalogue i3 very 
good so far as it goes ; because, for the most part, the 
flower-beds are changed every week. But there are many 
things which are permanent, and about which a detailed 
account would be both interesting and instructive to all. It 
is, therefore, to be hoped that the directors contemplate 
something better than a mere list of names, especially for 
the machines, implements, and other objects exhibited in 
what is called the Tente de Vlndustrie. 
As far as my opportunities have enabled me, I have col¬ 
lected the materials for a notice of such inventions and 
contrivances as merit particular mention, and this I shall 
prepare as soon as my leisure will permit. 'VYith respect 
to the exhibition of plants and flowers, there is very little 
to note which would not be unnecessary repetition. 
In the “Annex” of the Palais de Vlndustrie there are 
many fine agricultural collections, particularly that sent 
from Algeria, and which contains examples {of this year’s 
groivth) of the principal products of that rich and fertile 
country, both in their natural and prepared state, including 
a good assortment of tropical fruits, but, unfortunately, the 
scientific names are not given, and it is difficult to identify 
many of the specimens. This is particularly the case with 
the several sorts of flour and similar preparations, as well 
as grains and fruits. 
It is very clear that there is yet a great deal to be learned 
as to the manner of exhibiting. Where is the utility of 
setting down a number of things of this kind for the gaze 
of the public, without such information as the public are 
likely to ask; without a short statement of history, merit, 
use, time of introduction, by whom raised, or discovered, 
and, above all, the correct scientific name, when it can be 
given, or the correct name of the plant from which the 
particular preparation is obtained ? Without the means of 
identification, those likely to take an interest in such matters 
can make but little use of other details respecting the objects 
exhibited. In the present case, I endeavoured to ascertain 
from what varieties of grain the Algerians obtained then’ 
flours and meals, which appeared to be different from any¬ 
thing I had seen in England, but I was obliged to give up 
the pursuit of my object. We cannot expect information of 
this kind in an official catalogue. 
In the English department, the Board of Trade have an 
extensive collection of the same kind, and the different 
objects are all neatly and accurately labelled, but the nu¬ 
merous cases of artificial fruits and roots are particular 
objects of study. With some few exceptions, the varieties 
are all named; but in many cases, the labels being wrongly 
placed cannot be read. 
