THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, November 18, 1856. 117 
NOTES FROM PARIS. 
In the Revue Horlicole there is a note by M. Pepin, of 
the Jardin des Plantes, on a new variety of Pinus sylvestris, 
called Bujotii, in honour of its raiser, M. Bujot, nursery¬ 
man of Chierry. This variety was found among a number 
of young plants in 1843, and it is said to be well suited for 
planting on lawns or about pleasure-grounds. 
P. sylvestris Bujotii is described as having a close, up¬ 
right habit, with short branches. The leaves are about the 
same length as those of the species, but they are simple 
and much undulated, as those of P. laricio. The young 
leaves at the end of the shoots are shorter, straight, and 
glaucous. They resemble the leaves of P. cembra a good 
deal. The largest examples of it mentioned are about 
three feet high, and these are growing in the nursery of M. 
Morel, jun., at Bugny. It is propagated readily by grafting 
the young shoots on stocks of P. sylvestris. The grafts 
grow slowly, and the general form of the short, compact 
branches is said to be symmetrical and agreeable. M. Pepin 
thinks grafts would succeed on the P. Austriuca, and also 
on P. laricio. 
Sometime ago the Societe d’Acclimatation received a 
communication from the Princess de Belgiojoso (aforeigner 
at present residing in Paris) respecting an Asiatic variety of 
Melon which is not known here. Several samples, grown in 
Paris, of the novelty in question, were forwarded with the 
Princess’s communication, which has been published in the 
last Bulletin of the Society. Her Highness says:— 
“ These Melons, of a variety which I have seen nowhere, 
either in Asia Minor or in Syria, used to be sown in the 
open ground in my garden in Asia, by a Greek gardener 
from Saffrau-Bolo, who used to get his seeds from Angora. 
They used to come up freely and very good, almost without 
culture, or, at least, without more attention than was re¬ 
quired by Gourds and Cucumbers. It was the fruit for 
which I had the greatest predilection, and, indeed, if it is 
eaten at its real point of perfect maturity, just before it 
begins to show some signs of putrefaction (not desiccation), 
that is to say, when it becomes soft without diminishing in 
weight, or withering at the outside, I consider it incom- 
parably superior to all other Melons. It is full of juice, 
and makes of itself a delicious beverage; but it requires to 
be sweetened with sugar. 
“The seeds which I sowed in my garden here (Rue 
Mont-Parnasse), were about two years old, and by some 
oversight they were not sown till very late—near the end of 
May, if I am not mistaken, and my gardener sowed them, 
mixed with seed of ordinary sorts, under frame-lights. 
“ Notwithstanding these disadvantages, some of my little 
Melons were ripe by the middle of August. One of the 
secretaries of the Turkish Embassy who saw them at my 
house recognised them at once, and he says that he has 
frequently seen them at Constantinople, where they are 
grown under glass; but they are so rare, that when any 
grower of them has been fortunate enough to find a ripe 
one, he keeps it carefully as an offering to an esteemed 
friend or person of rank.’’ 
Her Highness adds that there are several other pro¬ 
ductions of the same kind in her garden or farm in Asia, 
such as the Melons de Gheredale, which keep through the 
winter, and the flesh of which at last turns to fresh juice of 
the most exquisite flavour; yet the outside remains hard. 
Another fruit mentioned is said to be about the size of a 
large nut, with the exterior similar to the skin of an Onion, 
and the flesh quite dry and mealy like a boiled Potato ; the 
taste is, besides, much like that of Vanilla. 
The Princess concludes her interesting letter as follows :— 
“ I much regret not having brought certain ducks, which, 
though wild, could be easily tamed. They are quite red, 
have a tuft of metallic green feathers on their head, and 
their shrill cry has something about it which is quite un¬ 
common. But I should first like to be certain that these 
Melons and fowls are not known and acclimatised here 
already. I have often regretted my ignorance of natural 
history, but during my travels in Asia I regretted it more 
than ever.’’ 
M. Borie notices another novelty under the name of 
Zetout d'Algerie (Irisjuncea, Desf.), which, according to M. 
A. de Cbs-Caupenne, who has tasted it in its native habitat, 
is much liked by the Arabs. The Zetout in general form 
looks like a wild Narcissus; the bulbous part of it, which 
is eaten, is about the size of a filbert. It flowers in spring, 
and this stage of its growth indicates the most suitable 
time for pulling it up. The bulbs are divested of their 
skin, and cooked (fried, I suppose), in butter, or boiled in 
water. When properly cooked, the bulbs are mashed up 
together like Potatoes, and it is said that they are very 
mealy, and of an agreeable flavour. In Algeria the bulbs 
keep well enough in the ground during winter; and in 
certain places the wild boars burrow in the soil for them. 
Hitherto the Zetout has been allowed to grow wild in 
Algeria, the Arabs being but little inclined for husbandry. 
It is more than probable, however, that were it introduced 
into France, and properly grown, the bulbs would become 
larger, without losing anything of their delicate flavour. 
We are informed that some of these bulbs have been sent 
to the Societe d'Acclimatation, in order to try if they will 
succeed in this climate. There can be but little doubt of 
the result, and we may, therefore, soon have another addition 
to our long list of esculents. 
M. F. Schlumberger, of the Chateau des Anthieux, has 
an article in the last number of the Revue, in which he 
enumerates several species of Cacti that have flowered with 
him during the present year; and, as his communication 
contains several interesting particulars of flowers which are 
not often seen, a few extracts may have some value for those 
of your readers who cultivate these curious plants. 
Echinopsis salucianus. — Tube about six inches long, green, 
and furnished with scales, and tufts of dark brown hairs; 
sepals lanceolate, very numerous, three inches and a half 
long, narrow at the base, of a dull white colour, and a green 
line down the centre; petals about three quarters of an 
inch broad, and two inches and a half long, pure white; 
stamens yellowish; style short, stigmate, inserted at the 
throat of the tube, and having twelve yellowish white 
divisions. The flower only lasts a day. It is said to look 
more like a Cereus than an Echinopsis. 
E. cinnabarinus or Chereaunianus. —Tube from an inch 
to an inch and a quarter long, woolly, formed of green 
scales; sepals clear brown, transparent, separated by a 
green line; petals a quarter of an inch broad, numerous, 
in two rows, nearly rounded, and slightly fimbriated. The 
colour of the petals is of a brilliant deep red. The flower 
is three inches in diameter at the time of opening. It lasts 
two days, closing in the evening. The stamens are nu¬ 
merous, and inserted partly at the base of the first row of 
petals. The style has eight divisions of a green colour, in¬ 
serted in the stamens. The flower of this species is gene¬ 
rally described as of an orange colour; but M. Schlumberger 
thinks that the authors of that description have seen the 
flower early in the spring, and in a house; for his plant, 
which flowered for the second time on the 15th of October, 
and in a house, had not so deep a colour as when it 
flowered in the open air in the summer, and yet the colour 
was bright red, and not that of cinnabar. 
Cereus multicostatus. —M. Schlumberger says, under this 
name he grows a plant which is not yet very well de¬ 
termined, but which, he thinks, comes near Cereus enneacan- 
thus and acifer. Tube green at first, and then changing 
to orange, four inches and a half long. It is freely studded 
with areoles, well furnished with white hairs, and having 
from ten to twelve fine thread-like appendages, which are 
white at the base and pale red at the summit; sepals from 
twelve to fourteen in number, and of a bright orange colour; 
petals numerous, about thirty, in three rows, small; style in 
eleven divisions of a green colour, which extend slightly 
beyond the very numerous yellowish stamens. The flower 
has the colouring of Phyllocactus Ackermanni, though with 
a little less of the orange. This is said to be a truly mag¬ 
nificent flower, which, with M. Schlumberger, lasted ten 
days without closing at night, and kept fresh and beautiful 
for nine days together. 
Echinocactus acifer. —Flowers about three quarters of an 
inch in diameter; petals of a dirty yellow colour, with a 
brown line at the exterior. 
E. grandicornis. —Flowers small, a little more than an 
inch through; petals white, separated by a brown line; 
stamens yellow ; style yellow, with six divisions, the same 
length as the stamens. 
