THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, September 11, 1860. 
for the number of fiacres employed to convey the disciples of 
Virtumnus and Pomona to the rendezvous is anything but small.. 
On the present occasion a grand choral mass was performed at 
the church of Passy, and the fete took place on the islands in the 
lake of the Bois de Boulogne. One of the chief ingredients in 
the procession was, as usual, what may be literally termed a cart¬ 
load of flowers, or, more elegantly, a gigantic bouquet containing 
thousands of blossoms most tastefully arranged, backed by a 
mass of beautiful evergreens and other foliage, the whole placed 
in a colossal vase. On one of the islands in question w r as a tent 
surrounded by Venetian masts and gay streamers, and arranged 
to accommodate 300 persons at dinner ; on the other island was 
a ball-room of still larger dimensions. Unfortunately, it rained 
during the whole day, but that fact did not prevent a full 
attendance—gardeners are accustomed to all kinds of weather— 
nor did it cause the dancers to leave for home till old Sol in¬ 
formed the company that it was time to throw off varnished 
boots and white neck-ties and assume the hoe and the pruning- 
knife. The feast was headed by the chief gardener of the Bois, 
who was supported by nearly afl.tlie dignitaries of the profession, 
wliile the female portion of the company was declared to be a 
collection of choice blossoms .—(Daily Telegraph.) 
PURPLE ORACH AT TRENTHAM. 
Ik reference to the laudatory remarks at pages 324 and 325, 
respecting the purple Orach at the Crystal Palace, I am much 
pleased to find such a high eulogium has been passed upon it by 
such a critic in the flower garden as Mr. Beaton. For his in¬ 
formation and others, I may state that the Orach has been cooked 
here for several years by my predecessor, Mr. Fleming, not only 
as a novelty, but as an indispensable dish, having taken many 
prominent positions throughout the garden here, and has now 
become a dish for every cottager in this neighbourhood. 
For ribbon-borders it is all that the most sanguine could 
desire. We are growing it here by the hundreds of yards. 
Allow me, therefore, to make a few remarks respecting its culture. 
Sow in the first week in May, pinch when nine inches high, and 
at every joint afterwards during the season, as much of its beauty 
depends upon this. By so doing, at this date, August 31st, it is 
not more than fifteen inches high, and one solid mass of the 
richest purple imaginable, and is now the most important fea¬ 
ture in the flower garden. There is no plant that I am acquainted 
with half so accommodating. Its usual height being from six 
feet to seven feet, and not over-prepossessing when allowed to 
run to seed. Such being the case, do not attempt saving seed in 
the flower garden, but in some place of less importance. When 
allowed to grow without pinching, its colour becomes that of the 
Perilla a hard bronze, instead of the rich, soft purple which the 
young foliage produces. 
When sown in the autumn, as recommended by a celebrated 
author, it gets too far advanced with the short period of its 
existence, and is in perfection the early part of June, and is 
arrayed in its winter garb when all around are clothed in their 
richest splendour. Consequently, the rich, soft purple has given 
place to that of less pretentious—viz., maturity. I purpose 
sending seed to the Experimental at Surbiton, where I hope it 
will be sown by the superintendent himself at Michaelmas in the 
present year, and the first week in May following, and the future 
results carefully jotted dow T n, and that in due time he will give 
us, the readers of The Cottage G-akdeheb, the benefit of his 
experiments and experience. Notwithstanding what the prince of 
gardeners has written on the subject, we shall, in all probability, 
read from the pen of Mr. Beaton before twelve months have 
gone—sow in May.—A. Hendebson, Trentham. 
STUNTED ARAUCARIA. 
A feiekd of mine has an Araucaria imbricata from twenty 
feet to thirty feet high, which for many years was one of the 
most vigorous in Devonshire. On visiting him the other day I 
regretted to see the extremity of its branches decaying, and 
found that they were covered with a slate-coloured lichen. Can 
you inform me if this be the cause or the result of disease, and 
what is the remedy ? The ground appears to be well drained. 
[The last three or four summers were so dry that full grown 
Elms, Oaks, Horse Chestnuts, and others of the hardiest trees 
suffered much in the same way as that Araucaria—that is, from 
extreme dryness in the subsoil, whence the great supply of 
summer nourishment is mainly derived by the deepest roots. 
Let us hope the first yard in depth of the surface of this island 
is now well soaked through—we know it is not in some up¬ 
land slopes—and that free growth will return in consequence 
to the Araucarias. Meantime it would pay to examine for the 
extent of the roots, the depth they have attained, and the state 
of the soil about them. In his reports of Hampton Court, Mr. 
Beaton has shown how about a hundred of very old Yew trees* 
which were dying by inches there for the last thirty years or 
more, have been brought round to look as healthy as ten-year-old 
plants. The surface all over the roots is cultivated as for com 
crops, and covered with flowers ; but any covering would do just 
as well.] 
WHAT TO LOOK FOR ON THE SEASHORE. 
(Continued from page 329.) 
Echikodeehata ( Continued ). 
Before entering into a detailed account of the various 
creatures composing this interesting class, it will be advisable to 
take notice of some further generalities applicable, more or less, 
to all of them. It is also necessary to devote more time and 
attention to the Echinoderms than to the other classes of Radiata, 
inasmuch as that they are of so much more importance from their 
rank in the scale of organisation. It has been doubted, and is 
still very uncertain, whether the Star Fishes have, or have not, 
any special organs of sense ; that of touch, however, is evidently 
exercised by the motive organs, which are also employed in the 
capture of prey, and certain red spots are observed, situated on 
the upper surface of Sea Eggs, and at the extremities of the arms 
of Star Fishes, which have been denominated eyes, whether or not 
with any degree of correctness has yet to be decided. 
The Echinoderms generally act the parts of sea-sweepers or 
scavengers, crawling about at the bottom of the sea, carefully 
seeking and voraciously devouring any particles of carrion or 
offal which they may be fortunate enough to come across, and by 
tliis operation are supposed to render a beneficial service to the 
water generally, keeping it free from such noxious matter as 
might otherwise exercise a baneful effect on other denizens of 
the deep. Independently, however, of this unscrupulous mode of 
feeding, it is said that the Star Fish has a remarkable liking for 
shell-fish ; and it was once looked upon as so dangerous a rival to 
man for this luxury, that by an old law of the High Court of 
Admiralty, any person meeting with a “ Five-Finger ” on the 
coast, and neglecting to destroy it, rendered himself liable to a 
penalty. The way in which a “ Five-Finger ” contrives to 
provide itself with a delicacy in the shape of an oyster or other 
bivalve is very singular. This creature is destitute of teeth, but 
has the faculty to turning its gullet and stomach completely 
inside out, in the form of great vesicular lobes, which can in¬ 
sinuate themselves into very narrow apertures. When, therefore, 
the animal falls in with an oyster, and is disposed to regale itself 
therewith, it seizes and holds it fast with its powerful and closely- 
clinging rays, and, no matter how violently the waves may dash 
it to and fro, it never for an instant relaxes its tenacious grasp.. 
Presently on finding a spot where the valves slightly gape, the 
“ Five-Finger” pouts out its pliable stomach, and, gaining access 
by the minute opening, it manages to dilate itself within the shell, 
and so devour the succulent animal within, or, at all events, to 
extract all the nutritious juices of its body. This process is 
supposed to be assisted by the emission of a poisonous fluid 
secreted by the lobes of the stomach. Tliis corresponds with a 
similar faculty attributed to the Anemones ; but it is only a 
matter of conjecture in either instance. 
The digestive organs of the Echinoderms are very much 
superior to those of other classes of Radiata. They all have a 
distinct intestinal canal, generally furnished with two orifices, 
one for the reception of food, the other for the discharge of 
foecal matter. There is a variation, however, in different species 
as to the situation of these orifices. The worm-like Echinoderms, 
as the Sea Cucumbers, and many Sea Urchins, have them at 
opposite extremities of the axis of the body; whereas, in other 
groups both are placed on the lower surface. The arrangement 
of the intestine is also subject to great variation. In the Sea 
Cucumber it is bent twice upon itself, and presents a formation 
somewhat resembling the letter S. The mouth of the Star Fish 
opens directly into the stomach, which is surrounded by smaller 
sacs occasionally branched, and extending for a considerable 
