294 



JOURNAL OF HORTICTJLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ April 25, 1867. 



a ten-acre field, planted with the American hardy native Grapes, 

 of the kinds called Concord and Delaware, the first a black and 

 the latter a red sort. Our Concords, however, would meet with 

 a poor Bale in Covent Garden, on account of the intolerably 

 " foxy " ilavour which they possess. The Delaware ia a trifle 

 better, but neither of them would suit an English palate unless, 

 as is the case here, a taste for them were acquired. In this 

 neighbourhoed there is a good demand for the fruit, and the 

 Vines will produce yearly from two to four tons of Grapes to 

 the acre. They are trained upon upright trellises, and planted 

 8 feet apart. 



I shall al.'JO plant out in June about two thousand plants of 

 the Orangetield Dwarf Prolific Tomato. From a small packet 

 of seed obtained from Mr. WiiUams, of the Paradise Nurseries, 

 we grew last season about twenty bushels of fruit, and being 

 BO favourably impressed with it we saved a quantity of seed, 

 from which we are raising plants for this season. It is dwarf, 

 early, very prolific, and of excellent quality, and we hope to 

 ship some hundreds of bushels to Toronto and other markets, 

 where the fruit is in great demand. 



The reports of the fearfully cold weather experienced in 

 England fairly make one shudder. Our long, dreary Canadian 

 winters bring about a great dread of cold. The mercury has 

 not sunk lower than 10° below zero with us this season ; but it 

 sometimes goes down to 30° below, but not often in this part 

 of the country. ' The monthly average mean temperature of 

 the winter months at Toronto for twenty-five years is as fol- 

 lows : — December, 20.20°; January, 23.(51°; February, 22.99°; 

 March, 29.86°. The high maximum temperature attained makes 

 this appear warmer than it reaUy is, as the maximum counter- 

 acts the minimum, which is very low. The extremes are very 

 great, the mercury rising to .50° and falling to 10° below zero in a 

 few hours. In the course of a day and night I have observed a 

 difference of 80° in the temperature, rising from 20° below 

 zero to (J0°, causing a rapid thaw and great floods, and much 

 discomfort to both animals and vegetables. In spite of all 

 this we manage to keep poultry, although Spanish are soon 

 deprived of their combs and wattles, and even the hardy Game 

 suffer. Our little English Game Bantam cock had to succumb 

 during a "cold spell," as the natives term it, to the great grief 

 of the household, for, like " Wiltshiee Eectoe," we have a 

 weakness for Bantams. "Dick" was a noble little bird, full 

 of pride and courage ; but Jack Frost was too much for him. 

 A native-bom son of his now supplies the vacant place, but 

 is not looked upon so favourably as the little Englishman. — 

 W. T. GoLDSHiTn, St. Catharine's, Canada West. 



coniferjE at basing park. 



A FEW days ago I visited that charming place. Basing Park, 

 Hants, the residence of W. Nicholson. Esq., M.P., who has a 

 collection of Conifers, comprising nearly two hundred different 

 species. Although many of them are new, and otherwise de- 

 licate-growing sorts, I was much astonished to find that not 

 one of them, with the exception of the Wellingtonias, which 

 looked a little bronzed, had experienced the slightest injury from 

 the severity of the late winter ; while among the ornamental 

 flowering trees and shrubs which are distributed over the 

 noble pleasure grounds, a fine specimen of Garrya elliptica was 

 completely destroyed, besides many of the Roses. I was in- 

 formed that the lowest temperature at Basing Park was 2°, or 

 30° below freezing, and that it occurred on the morning of the 

 30th of January ; on the morning of the -Ith of January, the 

 temperature was 2" higher, or 28° below freezing — certainly 

 enough to try the hardy qualities of most plants. Such a 

 winter as the past has enabled us to distinguish many so- 

 called hardy species from those which are reaUy so, whether 

 Conifers, or flowering trees and shrubs ; even what may be 

 termed the delicate-growing sorts of the former far excel most 

 of the latter in hardiness. 



While referring to the hardiness of Conifers, who, I ask, 

 would like to be without a collection of these graceful and 

 beautiful plants ? I do not consider a gentleman's establish- 

 ment, however small, complete without one. In my estimation 

 a well-designed iiinetum stocked with a good collection of 

 coniferous plants, is not excelled by any other branch of land- 

 scape gardening. 



The piuetum at Easing Park is very prettily laid out, 

 and divided into sections, containing the different genera of 

 Coniferfc, and being well filled the whole presents to the eye 

 a miniatiue forest of Conifers. These are all planted on 



mounds of earth, with a flattened top to retain water. Th« 

 benefit of planting the Pine and Fir tribe on such mounds ia 

 great, for the roots run near the surface, and unless the collar 

 is elevated, a Conifer seldom thrives. They are planted in 

 some rich soil, and for that reason do not require manure 

 water, but occasionally a little fresh soil is put round the roots 

 to keep them in good growing order. 



Every other part of the establishment was in first-rate 

 keeping, and reflected much credit on the ability of the indus- 

 trious and intelligent head gardener, who, during the few years 

 he has been at Basing Park, must have been very active in 

 carrying out the various and extensive alterations for the im- 

 provement of the place. — G. N. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Dr. Masters, in his foui-th lecture on Saturday last, took for his 

 subject tlie Leaf and its modifications. After stating that leaves 

 served the double purpose of the lungs and stomach in the animal 

 economy, being at once the organs of respiration and digestion in the 

 plant, ho pointed out the distinctions between them and other parts 

 of the plant, and then passed on to the consideration of their 

 arrangement on the branches, which, he said, was a matter of more 

 importance than their mere form. The various ways in which they 

 are arranged on the stem and branches were then illustrated, and the 

 object in all these cases, he stated, appeared to be the non-inter- 

 ference of the leaves with each other, so that, however crowded, no 

 two should completely overlap each other, thus securing a due expo- 

 sure of aU to light and air. Sometimes the same end was attained 

 by the lowest leaf in a spiral arrangement being the largest, so that 

 the upper leaves do not altogether overlap it. The fact that leaves 

 are often bent out of one another's way, as exemplified by the leaflets 

 of the Hose, was then referred to as another instance of the manner 

 in which the arrangement of parts is made subordinate to the perfect 

 performance of the functions which leaves have to folfil as organs of 

 respu-ation, exhalation, and digestion. The different parts of the 

 flower were then shown to be mere modifications of the stem and 

 leaves — to be originally identical with these in form, structure, and 

 mode of growth, and to be arranged on the same general principles ; 

 but however varied in appearance, the only two absolutely necessary 

 were the stamen and pistil. Dr. Masters then announced that the 

 parts of the flower would form the subject of his concluding lecture. 



FLOAVERS AND THEIR FITNESS. 



We often find the value and beauty of flowers lessened and 

 spoiled by the unfitness, with regard to times and circum- 

 stances, with which they are often thoughtlessly or ignorantly 

 used. 



Who has not seen at times strange flowers chosen for adverse 

 seasons — some gay, laughing, flaunting Poppies put to the 

 gravest, most solemn uses, or the sad ever-mourning Jasmine 

 adorning the young heir's christening cake ? 



I know some will think this mere affectation of sentiment, 

 and ignore altogether the indwelling spirit of flowers. Call 

 them so much form, and substance, and colour, and scent, and 

 nothing more, there is still a fitness or unfitness in the use of 

 them. The Camellia, for instance — who can think of it without 

 ■^nsions of festive mirth, of brilliant lights, of shadowy forms 

 of beauty, of manly forms of strength, with the lines of care 

 and of speculation and of deep thought smoothed away ? The 

 Camellia is surely the belle of all flowers during the long winter 

 season, gracing our dinner parties, our balls, and concert- 

 rooms ; gleaming out in rosy crimson streaks from flaxen hair, 

 or showing off its depths of spotless whiteness among the dark 

 braids of brown or black. How it shines out in the duU gloomy 

 weather, prized by those who possess it, envied by those who 

 do not ! yet who, with any depth of thought or kindly feeUng, 

 would ever take or send such to a sick friend — to one who ia 

 pain or weariness lay waiting for the soft summer months and 

 the dear summer flowers ? 



That pure white Stephanotis with its dark green leaves, 

 waxy petals, and delicate perfume, may live and bloom in the 

 pastor's study in harmony with all surroundings — fit presence 

 with holy thoughts and high aspirations — and perhaps by some 

 gentle refining influence make stronger, more heart-reaching, 

 the written words ; or it may soothe the griefs which often m 

 quiet lay heavy on the thoughtful spirit ; but it is out of its 

 fit place amid the noise, and talk, and jest, and laughter, and 

 ringing of glasses in the clouded tainted atmosphere of the 

 squire's smoke-room, though his guests be " lords and dukes, 

 and parliament men of renown." 



That large Dahlia, with its splendid blooms, perfect in form 



