MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART. 
177 
on Agricultural Associations and Improve- 
ment Societies, and to Henry Badgery, 
Esq., for his paper on the Improvement of 
Pastoral Lands. 
NOHT. KOHL. 
Mr. Richard Garrett, of St. Leonard’s, 
laid upon the table a quantity of — seed 
of the Nolil Kohl, or turnip cabbage, 
-which he desired the Society to accept for 
distribution among its members, for which 
purpose he had cultivated the same, re¬ 
marking that it was a beautiful vegetable 
which he hoped to see largely cultivated 
in this colony. 
y[ r . P. L. C. Shepherd proposed, and 
Mr. W. Deane seconded, a vote of thanks 
to Mr. Garrett -for his donation of seed, 
which, on being put to the meeting by the 
Chairman, was carried by acclamation.' 
The Chairman took this opportunity of 
reminding the members present that the 
autumn exhibition will be held on the 
25th and 26th of next month, and trusted 
that they would make the subject as public 
as possible, in order that the members may 
have an exhibition not only creditable to 
the Society, but to the colony at large. 
The Chairman further remarked that, in 
order to carry out the idea expressed in 
Mr. Meston’s paper with regard to affiliated 
local societies, he would suggest that two 
or three of the Council, together with the 
Secretary, should be requested to visit 
some of the country towns for the purpose 
of carrying this scheme Into effect. An¬ 
other way, he thought, of furthering the 
ends of the Society would be by holding a 
General Exhibition of the products of all 
the Australian colonies under the auspices 
of this Society. 
MEMBERS CONFIRMED. 
Mr. W. Mordeau, George’s River, and 
Mr. Mortimer. 
EXHIBITS. 
The following prizes were awarded by 
the Council:— 
Solanum Species, being a new variety 
from Java. Prize, silver medal. 
Fuchsia Dominiana hybrid, from spec- 
tabilis. Honourable mention. 
Both of these plants were exhibited by 
Messrs. Shepherd and Co., of the Darling 
Nursery. 
Pea, new variety, from seed procured 
from Van Diemen’s Land, the original seed 
of which is said to have been taken from 
Lisbon after the last great Earthquake. 
The peculiarity of this pea consists in its 
having a thick stem without lateral 
branches, the foliage and fruit forming a 
large bushy head on the top. The fruit 
is small hut abundant. Honourable men¬ 
tion. Exhibited by Mr. D. Mclnues, 
North Shore. 
PAPERS FOR NEXT MONTH. 
The following notices of papers have 
been received from Mr. Lewis Markham, 
Armidale, New England, 
1st. The Origin of Vegetation. 
2nd. The Deterioration of Plants. 
3rd. The Potatoe, its culture, disease, 
and preventative. 
Simple mode of raising water by cattle 
power, from Mr. IV. Stewart, Balmain, 
exemplified by a working model. 
Seaton’s mode of numbering plants, by 
Mr. P. L. C. Shepherd. 
The next monthly meeting will he held 
on Tuesday, February 2nd. 
PARAGRELES. 
To the Editor of the Sydney Magazine of Science 
and Art . 
Sir,—I forward you a M. S. some time in my pos¬ 
session, for publication in your Sydney Magazine of 
Science and Art. 
PARAGRELES, OR HAIL GUARDS. 
In France, during the years 1799, 1800, and 1801, 
great distress was brought upon the growers of vines 
and olives by the tremendous visitations of hail which 
occurred about that time. In order to mitigate the 
evil, it occurred to the benevolent mind of Al. Barrau, 
of Toulouse, to establish a mutual indemnity company, 
believing, that where the whole of the vine-growers 
were equally exposed, it was hut right that all should 
participate- in the distress of one. It was a Christian 
principle, and was destined to do good. Tlie scheme 
| was also good ; for there could be no roguery iu the 
case. No man could produce a hail storm , though 
I insured parties caw, and sometimes c/o, burn their own 
houses. We shall not stop now to detail the particulars 
! of this company, but merely observe, that it was pro'- 
| reeding favourably when it incurred the jealousy of 
. Napoleon, and accordingly by a decree issued, from the 
• camp at Yienna, on the loth October, 1809, the society 
| was dissolved. The decree was recalled in 1813 or 
I 1814 ; but, of course, then it was too late. Tn the year 
I 1824, however, the question ut'Paragrdes was mooted 
i in the learned societies of Paris, and, though (as will 
, always be the case) some people were pleased to deny 
I the benefit of the invention, and even to profess disbo- 
I lief of facts, because they had not seen them personally 
I verified; others of note caught at the idea, and now, 
after much discussion/the use of Puragnles had been 
been acknowledged. A report was drawn up in their 
favour, and published by the Academic des Sciences , 
| and since then, societies of a stable character, for m- 
I mrance against haiL have resulted. 
The Sardinian Government .also took up the question, 
| and the Royal Agricultural Society of Turin instituted 
j an enquiry by commission,-as to the use of Paragreles. 
On a chain of mountains near Chamberri, 1407 para* 
greles were placed, extending from the base to the 
summit. 
On the 5th August, 1825, a violent storm took place. 
The storm extended over and beyond the paragreles. 
