March 21, 1867. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



211 



peeled iu a night. I have preserved my young woods to a great 

 extent by throwing down heaps of Ash tops and thinnings in 

 the fields adjoining the coverts ; hares like Crabs and the 

 Apple tribe better still. Iu hard weather I should advise the 

 snow-plough to be used when requisite, and to throw Turnips or 

 Cabbages on the bare part. 



In 18()0-61 hares ate nearly all my Araucarias. This season, 

 though the frost was more severe, but of not so long duration, 

 Araucarias, Deodars, Cupressus Lawsoniana, Hemlock Spruce, 

 Ac, have hitherto escaped ; but, perhaps, this is because they 

 had become good-sized specimens, and the bole or main stem 

 was not a salient object. 



As " E. F. Cr." suggests, the difficulty under such circum- 

 stances, is to have young plants well established. If we can 

 get three or four years over, we may hope for success. My 

 advice is to plaut plenty of undergrowth in young woods, and 

 have as much Broom as possible about the neighbouring banks 

 and hedges, so as to entice the game away from more valuable 

 food. I ouce saved a plot of young Pines by dragging their 

 tops through the liquid manure hole before planting. This 

 may be renewed in a small home plantation. — Jackson Gill- 

 banks, Cumberland. 



PORTRAITS OF PLANTS, FLOWERS, AND 

 FRUITS. 



Plehoma SAE5IENT0SA. — (Sarmentoso Pleroma). — Nat. ord., 

 Melastomacea;. Linn., Decandria Monogyuia. Native of cool 

 valleys near Cuenca, in Peru, and at elevations of 8000 feet. 

 A great acquisition to our greenhouses, being much more beau- 

 tiful than P. monochfetum. Flowers violet. — [Bot. Hag., 

 t. 5629.) 



Sarcanthus erixaceus (Hairy-stemmed Sarcauthus). — Nat. 

 ord., Orchidaoete. Linn., Gynandria Monandria. Probably a 

 native of Moulmein, being introduced by the Eev. Mr. Parish. 

 Flowers white tinted with pink. — {Ibid., t. 5630.) 



SiphocampylosHomboldtianus (Humboldt's Siphocampylus). 

 — Nat. ord., LobeliacesB. Linn., Pentandria Mouogynia. Na- 

 tive of Peru. Introduced by Mr. Bull, Chelsea. Very orna- 

 mental in a warm greenhouse. Flowers scarlet, with purple 

 stamens protruding. — {Ibid., t. 5G31.) 



Oncidium seeraium (Saw-toothed Oncid). — Nat. ord., Orchid- 

 aceffi. Linn., Gynandria Monogynia. Native of Peru, and 

 thrives under moderately cool treatment. Flowers chocolate- 

 brown, edged with yellow. — (Ibid., t. 5C3'2.) 



STNADE.■^IU.M Gbantii (Gapt. Grant's Milkbush). — Nat. ord., 

 Euphorbiacea;. Linn., Monceeia Monandria. Among the 

 dried specimens collected by Captains Speke and Grant in their 

 exploring visit to the heads of the Nile was a fragment of a 

 succulent Euphorbiaceous plant, which, having retained its 

 vitality, was taken by Dr. Thomson to the propagating-pits, 

 and being planted, has now developed into a striking green 

 Euphorbiaceous bush, 7 feet high. It belongs to a very 

 curious genus, Synadenium, closely allied to Euphorbia itself, 

 established by M. Boissier in his e.xcellent monograph of 

 Euphorbia and its allies, published in the fifteenth volume of 

 De CandoUe's " Prodromus." iS. Grantii was found by Cap- 

 tain Grant near villages iu lat. 3° 15' N., in February, 18B2, 

 and there only. The Kew plant flowered in November, 1866. 

 It is an erect bush, to 10 feet high, with a stout, terete, 

 green stem, few very thick, erect branches, and columnar 

 branohlets thicker than the thumb. The flowers are crimson, 

 and of very peculiar form. — [Ibid., t. -jGoS.) 



Peperomia aeifolia var. aegveeia (Silver-striped Arum- 

 leaved Peperomia). — Nat. ord., Piperacea'. Linn., Diandria 

 Monogynia. Native of South Brazil. Leaves dark green, 

 with silvery longitudinal bands on the upper surface. Well 

 suited for the front of borders in the house for tropical plants. 

 —{Ibid., t. 5634.) 



SoPHEONiTis grandifloea, I'ariety. — A bright scarlet Orchid, 

 blooming in winter. At Mr. Williams's, Victoria Nursery, 

 Holloway.— (7'7or«J Mag., pi. 329.) 



Camellia — Mrs. Doinbrain. — Delicate pink. Introduced by 

 M. Verschaffelt, Ghent, being raised by a Belgian amateur. — 

 {Ibid., pi. 830.) 



Pompon Chetsanthemums. — Saint Michael, bright golden 

 yellow. Tlie Countess, pink, softening to white in the centre. 

 Madge Wildtirc', scarlet, with golden-tipped petals. Kaised 

 by Mr. Salter, Versailles Nursery, Hammersmith. — {Ibid., 

 pi. 331.) 



ZoNALE Pelaeqonium — MiSS Martin — raised by Mr. Groom, ' 



Ipswich. Soft rosy peach, truss very large and globular. — 

 {Ibid., pi. 332.) 



Beukee Clairgeau Peak. — " The Beurre Clairgeau is a Pear 

 which ought to have a place in every garden v/hich is not of 

 the most limited extent. It combines in itself so many of the 

 qualifications that go to make a good fruit, that wherever there 

 is room it ought to find a place. Its size is of the largest, and 

 its colour the brightest, its form is most graceful, and its 

 quality in certain situations is excellent. For the dessert it 

 has few rivals, and as its season extends from the beginning 

 of November till January, it is invaluable for keeping up a 

 supply. The tree is of remarkable fortihty, and of moderate 

 size. It does not produce a very vigorous growth, and is con- 

 sequently well adapted either for bush culture, or for pyramids. 

 To have the fruit iu the finest possible condition, it ought to 

 be grown in one of these forms. We have seen dwarf bushes 

 laden with fruit equal iu size and colour to that represented 

 iu our figure, where proper attention has been paid to thin- 

 ning and exposure to the sun's rays, and particularly so when 

 it was so near the soil as to benefit from the radiation. On 

 espaliers, or against an east or west wall, we have also seen it 

 produced iu high condition. 



" This beautiful Pear originated at Nantes about the year 

 1838, in the garden of Pierre Clairgeau, a gardener in Kue de 

 la Bastille of that city. It first fruited in 1848, and that same 

 year he exhibited it on the 22nd of October at the Horticul- 

 tural Society of Loire-Inforieur. It is believed to have beeu 

 produced from a cross between the Brown Beurre and Duchesse 

 d'Angouleme. The original tree was purchased by M. De 

 •Jonghe, of Brussels, and formed part of his collection at St. 

 Gilles in the subui'bs of that city." — {Florist and Pomologist, 

 vi., 45.) 



GROUND VINERIES. 



Feoh no mention being made by Mr. Broome of the inventor 

 of these valuable structures (see page 179), and from all his 

 remarks being confined to the hinged ground vineries of Mr. 

 Wells, I am inclined to think he has not made himself ac- 

 quainted with some particulars relating to them, and I am sure 

 he will pardon me for supplying some omissions. 



Ground vineries were invented by a gentleman in Sussex, 

 well known for his inventive powers and horticultural skill, 

 about ten years since ; and the first idea, under the name of 

 the " curate's vinery " was carried out here (Sawbridgeworth), 

 in 1857-8. The ground vineries under the name just given 

 were glass ridges — still in existence — placed over a f m'row lined 

 with slates. Across the fuirow were placed slight bars, which 

 supported the Vines, so that the buuches of Grapes were sus- 

 pended in the furrow. They ripened well, but were hable to 

 mould. In 1860-1 the slate flooring was invented here, to 

 which the Vines were pegged down. This is the mode still in 

 use here. 



The next improvement was to make these ridges barless by 

 a very simple process, not patented ; and these are so light, 

 elegant-looking, and cheap, as to have superseded ground 

 vineries with bars. The difference in expense between these 

 and the recently invented hinged vineries is so great as to be 

 of much consequence to those who employ these structures 

 largely. Two seven-feet lengths of the barless ground vinery, 

 3 feet wide, with two closed ends, making a 14-feet ground 

 vinery, will cost, painted, and glazed with 21-oz. glass, £1 19s. ; 

 while a hinged vinery of the same dimensions costs, or did 

 cost, £5 lO.s-. For those who require but one or two vineries, and 

 who can aft'ord to pay the extra price, the hinged one is a most 

 agreeable luxury ; but when a Vine is well established, so as to 

 require every season an additional seven, or even tv.o seven- 

 feet lengths, a hinged ground vinery becomes very expensive ; 

 and when a Vine reaches to 100 feet iu length, which one of 

 mine promises to do, it is rather alarming to have to pay 

 nearly £40 for one's hobby, while the same length of a barless 

 vinery would cost under £14. I need scarcely add that home- 

 made barless ground vineries may be constructed very cheaply. 

 I hope to be allowed to correct, iu a kind spirit, a few trifliug 

 errors in Mr. Broome's paper. 



1. They were not at first exclusively employed for Grape- 

 growiug. Lettuces* for early spring salads and Strawberries 

 were planted in the first ground vineries employed here after 



• Lettuces of the Cabbage kind, such as Tom Thumb, should be planted 

 early in October, and protected as recommended for bedding plants : they 

 come into use in February, when those imported cost from 4s. to 6s. per 

 dozen, and are Yer>' inferior. ^ 



