Scientific American Supplement, No. 803, May 23, 1891 | Page 3

for the last two years been using an instrument of this
kind whose objective has an aperture of 15 inches. Another equatorial
of the same kind, of 16 in. aperture, is now in course of construction for
the Nice Observatory, where it will be especially employed as a seeker
of exceptional power--a role to which this kind of instrument lends
itself admirably. The optical part of all these instruments was furnished
by the Messrs. Henry, and the mechanical part by Mr. Gautier.
The largest elbowed equatorial is, therefore, that of the Paris
Observatory. Its optical power, moreover, corresponds perfectly to its
huge dimensions. The experimental observations which have already
been made with it fully justify the hopes that we had a right to found
upon the professional skill of the eminent artists to whom we owe this
colossal instrument. The images of the stars were given with the
greatest sharpness, and it was possible to study the details of the
surface of the moon and other planets, and several star clusters, in all
their peculiarities, in the most remarkable manner.
When it shall become possible to make use of this equatorial for
celestial photography, there is no doubt that we shall obtain the most
important results. As regards the moon, in particular, the photographing
of which has already made so great progress, its direct image at the
focus of the large 24 in. photographic objective will have a diameter of
11 in., and, being magnified, will be capable of giving images of more
than 3 ft. in diameter.--La Nature.
* * * * *

LILY OF THE VALLEY.
There is no flower more truly and universally popular than the lily of
the valley. What can be more delicious and refreshing than the scent of
its fragrant flowers? What other plant can equal in spring the
attractiveness of its pillars of pure white bells half hidden in their
beautiful foliage? There are few gardens without a bed of lily of the
valley, but too often the place chosen for it is some dark corner where
nothing else would be expected to grow, but it is supposed as a matter
of course that "it will do for a lily bed." The consequence is that
although these lilies are very easy things to cultivate, as indeed they

ought to be, seeing that they grow wild in the woods of this and other
countries, yet one hears so often from those who take only a slight
interest in practical gardening, "I have a lily bed, but I scarcely ever get
any lilies." Wild lilies are hardly worth the trouble of gathering, they
are so thin and poor; it is interesting to find a plant so beautiful and
precious in the garden growing wild in the woods, but beyond that the
flowers themselves are worth but very little. This at once tells us an
evident fact about the lily of the valley, viz., that it does require
cultivation. It is not a thing to be left alone in a dark and dreary corner
to take care of itself anyhow year after year. People who treat it so
deserve to be disappointed when in May they go to the lily bed and find
plenty of leaves, but no flowers, or, if any, a few poor, weak attempts at
producing blossoms, which ought to be so beautiful and fragrant.
One great advantage of this lovely spring flower is that it can be so
readily and easily forced. Gardeners in large places usually spend
several pounds in the purchase of crowns and clumps of the lily of the
valley, which they either import direct from foreign nurserymen or else
procure from their own dealer in such things, who imports his lilies in
large quantities from abroad. But we may well ask, Have foreign
gardeners found out some great secret in the cultivation of this plant?
Or is their climate more suitable for it? Or their soil adapted to growing
it and getting it into splendid condition for forcing? It is impossible that
the conditions for growing large and fine heads of this lily can be in
any way better in Berlin or elsewhere than they are in our own land,
unless greater heat in summer than we experience in England is
necessary for ripening the growths in autumn.
There is another question certainly as to varieties; one variety may be
superior to another, but surely if so it is only on the principle of the
survival of the fittest, that is to say, by carefully working on the finest
forms only and propagating from them, a strong and vigorous stock
may be the result, and this stock may be dignified with a special name.
For my own part what I want is to have a great abundance of