appears very common in some parts of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. [The specimens sent us closely resemble those of the preceding sort.]

U. campéstris stricta Hort. Dur. Red English Elm. One of the most valuable timber trees of the small-leaved kinds. Growth very rigid. The timber is excellent; and the tree forms poles of equal diameter throughout. There are fine specimens of this tree in Minster, Thanet, and at Ickham, near Canterbury. In Mr. May's park at Herne, where there are several kinds of elms, all of which thrive remarkably well, one recently cut down showed this day (Nov. 14. 1836) indications of upwards of 100 years' growth. A portion of the trunk girts 15 ft. for 16 ft. in length. The remaining portion of the tree has been appropriated.

U. campestris virens Hort. Dur., or Kidbrook Elm, a Cornish variety, is almost evergreen in a mild winter; and, as such, is the most ornamental tree of the genus. It must not, however, be depended upon as a timber tree, because, in some autumns, the frost kills the shoots. The bark is red, and the tree of spreading habit. This, like the last-mentioned kind, grows well upon chalk. [There is a fine tree in the Horticultural Society's Garden, named there U. montàna nodòsa, which fully answers to the above description of Mr. Masters.]

U. campestris viminàlis Masters. In some stages of its foliage, this sort is frequently mistaken for a variety of birch. It is quite useless as a timber tree; but makes an ornamental tree, with a character of its own. This was raised in 1817, by Mr. Masters. The stems are erect; and it does not appear likely to exceed 30 ft. in height. It produces an abundance of pendulous twigs; whence its name. [There is a fine tree of this variety in the Horticultural Society's Garden, which, in 1834, when we had a drawing taken of it, was 30 ft. high.]

U. campéstris péndula Hort. Dur. This variety was originated at Downton, where it is said to have grown into fine timber. With Mr. Masters it grows so irregular, that it does not appear likely to become of value as a timber tree. [We have written to Mr. Knight respecting this variety.]

U. suberòsa Hort. Dur. [U. campéstris suberòsa Arb. Brit.] The Dutch cork-barked Elm. This, except U. americàna and the Canterbury seedling (U. montàna màjor glabra), is the quickest-growing of any that Mr. Masters cultivates. It is, moreover, valuable, on account of its growing well upon the Kentish chalks; and it keeps its leaf till late in the autumn. It is a tree of large growth: many of the elms at Windsor are of this kind.

U. suberòsa variegata Hort. Dur. [U. c. s. variegata Arb. Brit.] is precisely like the last, except in its variegation. Mr. Masters has seen a few of very large dimensions; and there is

one in the grounds of G. May, Esq., Strood House, Herne, remarkable for its size and beauty..

U. suberòsa álba Masters. [U. c. s. álba Arb. Brit.] A lower tree, of more compact growth, than the two preceding varieties; and often growing into an oval, or rather cone-shaped, head. Young shoots pubescent. Foliage thickly set. Bark much wrinkled, and becoming white with age. Fine specimens of this variety are growing in Lee Park, near Canterbury.

Several of the varieties of the above list are, we believe, wanting in the collections about London; and some of them seem of great value as timber and ornamental trees. We wish much that some gentleman near London, who could spare a sufficient quantity of land, would plant an ulmarium, and collect varieties from all parts of Europe. The kinds might then be determined with accuracy, and also the comparative value of the timber. If the business were properly set about, all the results of real utility might be attained in ten years after planting; for in that period all the sorts worth growing for their timber would be 50 ft. high, with trunks 1 ft. in diameter at the surface of the ground.

U. effùsa Arb. Brit. is a most remarkable tree, quite as easily known in winter as in summer. The finest specimen in

England is at White Knights, where, in 1835, it was upwards of 60 ft. high. There are three trees of this elm in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and there are plants at Messrs. Loddiges's.

Alnus cordifolia Arb. Brit. is a most beautiful tree, introduced in 1818, scarcely ever seen in plantations, though there is abundance of plants at Messrs. Loddiges's, and in the Woking Nursery.

To

Quércus. All the species and varieties of oaks are beautiful. The oaks of Europe may all be reduced to three species: Q. Robur, the British oak; Q. Cérris, the French, Turkey, and Austrian oak; and Q. I'lex, the Spanish and Italian oak. these may be added Q. Æ'gilops and Q. Suber, with two or three others. The American oaks may almost all be reduced to Q. álba, Q. rùbra, Q. Prìnus, and Q. vìrens. The finest trees of American oaks in England are at Strathfieldsaye. The only nursery which we know, which contains a large stock of Q. R. sessiliflorum, is that of Young and Penny at Milford. The weeping oak at Moccas Court, and the curious cut-leaved oak of Mr. Fenessey, have been already noticed. One of the finest kind of weeping oaks in England is at Hackwood Park, in Hampshire, of which we have been kindly promised a drawing, which we shall have engraved for the Arboretum.

Pópulus. A new variety (P. nigra salicifòlia), with leaves not unlike those of Sàlix viminals, has lately been introduced by

Messrs. Loddiges. P. cordifolia Lodd. Cat., edit. 1836, (P. heterophylla Arb. Brit.) is a tree, which, though it has been a long time in the country, is little known. As it bears a profusion of catkins, and is therefore a valuable spring tree, we should like to see it much more frequently cultivated in ornamental plantations.

Salisburia Arb. Brit. Almost all the trees in the country are supposed to be males; but there are female plants at Messrs. Loddiges's. Some curious facts respecting this tree will be found under our Foreign Notices, article France, Vol. XII., p. 690.

Pinus Arb. Brit. Pinus austriaca Höss's Anleitung, p. 6., (P. nigricans of the Vienna nurserymen) bears a general resemblance to P. sylvéstris, of which, notwithstanding the difference in the cone, we have no doubt it is only a variety. This sort of pine has many valuable properties. It is described at length in Lawson's Agriculturist's Manual, p. 338.; and there are abundance of plants in Lawson's Nursery. It is considered more hardy than the Scotch pine.

A. nóbilis is a very scarce variety, of which there is a plant at Chatsworth; but we hardly know of another bearing this name that is true to the description, except some plants in the Fulham Nursery, which are 3 guineas each. There are plants of nearly forty sorts of the genus Pinus (including Abies, Cèdrus, &c.) at this moment in the Fulham Nursery, varying in price from 1s. 6d. to 5l. each. Pinus insígnis is 5l. Abies spectábilis (Pinus Webbiana Wall.), the giant silver fir of the Himalayan Mountains, is 2 guineas. Abies Morinda, or, more properly, A. Smithii, of which there are some hundred plants in Knight's Exotic Nursery, is 21s.: but we refer to Messrs. Whitley and Osborn's Catalogue for 1836.

We might have here noticed many other trees and shrubs, as either new, or old and neglected; but these may suffice for the present. We would respectfully suggest to the provincial horticultural societies the idea of offering premiums for the establishment, in the grounds of private gentlemen, of small arboretums. A certain prize might be given for a minimum number of trees and shrubs (say 100 species or varieties), which have been introduced during the present century; and for every 10 above this number, a certain addition might be made to the prize. The competitors might be required to present the society with a single leaf of each species, properly dried, attached to paper with a thread, and correctly named. Any species or variety that could not be correctly known by the leaf alone (of which, with the exception of double-flowering plants, there are very few indeed in the whole compass of the Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicum) might safely be left out of view. Varieties

of roses, azaleas, and such like florists' shrubs, should, of course, be excluded from the competition.

Another, and perhaps a better, mode of encouraging the introduction of trees and shrubs into the grounds of gentlemen throughout the country would be, for the societies to offer premiums for the greatest number of species and varieties of some particular genus, for which the climate and soil of the locality were considered particularly adapted. Our Arboretum Britannicum, we think, would form a very suitable prize. For example, premiums for Populus, Sàlix, Nýssa, &c., might be held out for the fen lands; coniferous genera, for mountainous districts, and dry, sandy, or gravelly soils; elms, for chalks; oaks, for loams; Nepal genera, for ornamental purposes, or acclimatising in Devonshire, &c.

We would also repeat our suggestion made in a former Volume, that it would be most desirable, if gentlemen in different parts of the country, and more especially in the climate of London, would undertake to collect and cultivate each a single genus; and let the species and the varieties be examined by the botanical world, on certain days throughout the year.

Another most desirable object would be, the establishment of an arboricultural society, with 300 or 400 acres of land, in the climate of London; and we are persuaded that all that is wanting to form such a society is, an exceedingly active-minded man, enthusiastically fond of trees and shrubs, who is either independent, or has little else to do.

ART. IV. Olitorial Notices; or, Notices of new Culinary Vegetables deserving of general Cultivation in British Gardens.

(Continued from Vol. XII. p. 643.)

THE Spinach Tribe. By far the best variety of the spinach tribe is the new Flanders, the leaves of which are almost as large as those of the white beet. The quinoa, Mr. Charlwood considers to be inferior, as a spinach plant, to either the New Zealand spinach or the French spinach.

The Onion Tribe. A new variety of shallot, or, perhaps, a distinct species of Allium, has been cultivated for a few years in some private gardens. It is very much like an underground onion; but it separates into cloves, like garlic, or the common shallot, which are thicker and shorter than those of the shallot, but have the same flavour. In some parts of the country, this is called the Italian shallot; and in others the Cape shallot.

Asparaginous Plants, Salads, &c.-The giant asparagus continues to be in demand; and the new hardy white Cos is considered as decidedly the best Cos lettuce, and as being not only

VOL. XIII. No. 82.

D

more hardy than the old white Cos, but also than the brown Cos. The royal, or union, continues to be the best cabbage lettuce in cultivation. The taste of the mass of the public in London for winter salads is at a low ebb, otherwise we should long since have had blanched chicory grown in cellars in the manner recommended in the early volumes of this Magazine, and by Dr. Lippold in the present Volume. The Italian and the Manchester celery continue to be reckoned the best.

Pot and Sweet Herbs.· The most valuable of these, next to parsley, is, doubtless, tarragon; which, a young gardener, who has recently gone to fill a situation in Scotland, informs us, is as rare in the kitchen-gardens there as if it were a tender exotic. Under this head, we would remind gardeners of the excellent mode of preserving dried herbs adopted by Mr. Lindsay, and recommended in our Tenth Volume; viz. that of pressing them in a mould, and afterwards wrapping them up in paper, and laying them by in a dry place, not exposed either to a high temperature, or to currents of air.

Stalks and Fruits for Tarts, Pickling, &c. The tart rhubarbs have lately gained a valuable addition in the Rhèum austràle, which is much later than any of the other species in vegetating in spring, but which continues to grow vigorously in autumn, till it is destroyed by frost. It is true, the common sorts, by depriving them of their leaves in moderation during summer, and supplying them abundantly with water in July and August, will continue growing till winter; but the stalks of the leaves so produced have far less flavour than those of R. austràle. The flavour of the stalks of this species is said to resemble that of apples. According to some, the stalks are rather more purgative than those of any of the other sorts, even the R. palmàtum; and, as the roots are ascertained to form a portion, at least, of the rhubarb of commerce, this may be, to a certain extent, the case. From the experience of those who have used it for two or three years, however, we conclude that it is not injuriously so. Perhaps, for some constitutions, it might be advisable, in tarts made of the stalks of the common sorts, to introduce a small proportion of the stalks of Rhèum austràle. This sort, we are informed in a communication which will appear in a succeeding Number, may, by protection with a frame and litter, be kept growing, or, at least, in a healthy green state, till the middle of January; about which time the earliest variety of common tart rhubarb, if set to rest by withholding water early in summer, and treated in a particular manner in autumn, will be fit to succeed it, without the application of artificial heat. In this way, tart rhubarb may be obtained all the year round, without forcing; at least, according to the common application of that word.