JOUBNAL OF HOETIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May 12, 1870. 



first limb branches out, and is 10 feet in diameter. This tree is 

 supposed to be entirely solid, with the exception of two or three 

 spots burned out of its sides by camp nres. There are others 

 here as large as the above, but none with such a majestic appear- 

 ance as this grand old veteran presents. Passing by another 

 large specimen measuring 77 feet around, with a few smaller 

 ones near at hand, we soon arrived at the Upper Grove. This 

 embraces about 365 trees, in the midst of which is built a cozy 

 little cabiu called Galen's Hospice, where the weary traveller 

 can sit down and rest while viewing these astonishing vegetable 

 growths. On the outer edge of this Grove we notice the Dia- 

 mond Group, consisting of four large and very handsomely shaped 

 trees. We now step round the base of a number of trunks with 

 the following results:— 84 feet, G9 feet, 73 feet, &c. Two im- 

 mense trees stand close together, one of which is entirely hollow, 

 in fact a mere shell, in which sixteen horses with their mounted 

 riders have stood at one time. We next come to the Tunnel, a 

 prostrate trunk hollowed out by fire, and which is 42 feet in 

 length; through it wc walk erect from end to end. Ten thrifty 

 and very handsome trees stand in a cluster, and are named the 

 Commissioners. They are from -1 to S feet in diameter, respec- 

 tively. The Chimney is a hollow stump 50 feet high, burned out 

 through the centre to the top, and is 32 paces round. An old 

 charred stump lying on the ground, was without the bark 27 feet 

 in diameter. A curious tree of immense size forks into two 

 distinct growths about 60 feet above the ground, and is called 

 the Faithful Couple. We measured the thickness of the bark 

 taken from this grove, 20 inches, and which was soft and pliable 

 as cork. 



Not having time to visit the Calaveras Grove, located in Cala- 

 veras County, I am indebted to the kindness of a friend for a 

 detailed list of trees composing this collection. Although fewer 

 in number (93 I think) than the Mariposa Grove, it is neverthe- 

 less noted for a few gigantic growths. One of the largest of 

 these, which was cut down for an exhibition, was 93 feet in cir- 

 cumference, and over 300 feet high. It was felled by augurs, 

 and required five men working steadily for twenty-five days to 

 accomplish it. The Sentinels are over 300 feet high, and the 

 larger one 23 feet in diameter. 



The Miner's Cabin is a prostrate tree, 211 feet in diameter and 

 319 feet in length. The Mother is a grand old tree, with its 

 bark stripped off, but yet measures 7S feet in circumference and 

 327 feet high. A wonderful sight is the decaying ruin of the 

 Father of the Forest, which, although centuries may have passed 

 since he succumbed to the elements, measures to-day 112 feet in 

 circumference at the base, and 312 in length, notwithstanding a 

 large portion of the top was evidently broken off in its fall ; it is 

 hollow, and a horse and rider can enter for some distance. Her- 

 cules, a grand old tree, was blown down in 1S62 ; it measured 97 

 feet in circumference and 325 feet long. There were numerous 

 other trees to be seen here of immense size, but the foregoing com- 

 prise the largest specimens in the place. — (American Gardeners 

 Monthly.) 



SOCIETY FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF 

 FLORISTS' FLOWERS. 



Will you permit me to refer to the notices which have appeared on 

 this subject, and to explaiu what is intended ? At a meeting of the 

 Horticultural Club on the 20th April, the after-diuner discussion 

 turned on the neglect of florists' flowers. The question was asked, 

 Could nothing be done ? and I then broached a subject which had been 

 in my mind for some time — the formation of a society to encourage 

 the revival of an interest in them. The proposition was warmly re- 

 ceived, and it subsequently was moulded into this form — that I should, 

 of course entirely unconnected with the Club, endeavour to carry out 

 the plan, and that the first object should he to revive an autumn show 

 at the Crystal Palace of Dahlias, Gladiolus, Hollyhocks, and Verbenas. 

 I then communicated with my excellent friend Mr. "Wilkinson, and he 

 has assnred me that the Palace authorities will act with their accus- 

 tomed generosity. I have since seen several of our leading horticul- 

 turists, and have receive! the promise of assistance from all whom I 

 have consulted ; and when I say that Messrs. Veitch & Sous, Mr. 

 Charles Turner, Mr. George Paul, Mr. James Cutbush, Messrs. Carter 

 and Co., Messrs. Earr Sc Sugden, Mr. J. Fraser, and Mr. Holmes are 

 amongst our earliest contributors, I do not despair ; there are difficul- 

 ties, but "Amor omnia vintit" 



The flowers we propose to encourage are, in addition to those named, 

 the Auricula, Pink, Carnation and Picotee, Pansy, Tulip, and Ranun- 

 culus. How this is to be done I must leave at present. We have one 

 object before us, and let ns try for that first. I wish it to be distinctly 

 understood that this society is not devised in any antagonism to other 

 Bocieties, but to supplement them. 



I must only add that the name of the society, the form it shall take, 

 and all such matters must be subjects for arrangement by a committee, 



when we have formed one. In the meantime I shall be happy to 

 receive names and subscriptions, as well as any suggestions. Com- 

 munications to be addressed to me, Westwell Vicarage, Ashford, Kent. 

 — D., Deal 



NITROGEN IN MANURES. 



I am sorry "F. H. S." thinks I am wasting valuable space in 

 calling attention to the relative value of nitrogen in manures ; but if 

 I can persuade persons who are practical chemists and agriculturists 

 to reconsider the question I 6hall not regret it. " F. H. S.'s " own 

 letter fully proves to me the necessity for so doing, aud I cannot 

 see that he has brought any fresh argument to bear against me. He 

 says, "All cultivators of the soil, and all analytical chemists, agree 

 that manures are powerful in proportion to the nitrogen they contain. 

 No reasoning can surmount this fact." What fact ? I may ask. Not 

 that they really are valuable in direct proportion, but that it is gene- 

 rally considered so. He then says, " That it is a fact is thus tersely 

 shown by Mr. Nesbit ;" but all the argument brought to bear on this 

 subject is a table, made by Boussingault and otheis, of different 

 manures, showing their relative proportion of nitrogen. How this can 

 prove the fact of their value is what I do not see ; it is only arguing 

 in a circle. Allow me to remind ''F. H. S." that Liebig. Payen, 

 Boussingault, and other chemists laid down the same law about the 

 value of nitrogen as food for man, and divided all food into nitrogenous 

 or plastic, and non-nitrogenous or heat-giving ; hut later researches 

 have proved that tables of food calculated on the basis of the quantity 

 of nitrogen are utterly fallacious. I would refer your readers to Dr. 

 Letheby's work on food, from which I will make one quotation (page 4). 

 After giving a table calculated according to the amount of nitrogen in 

 the dry substances, he adds, " I hardly need say that comparisons of 

 this description are of little practical value, for they furnish no indi- 

 cation of the digestive labour required to utilise the products ; besides 

 which, we are far from being assured, at the present time, that the 

 nitrogenous elements of our foods are the most important." 



tl F. H. S." accuses me of raising a ghost for the sake of laying it. 

 I do not assert that persons think nitrogen the only valuable part of 

 a manure, but I say that the comparative values of manures are based 

 upou tables calculated only on the amount of nitrogen they contain. 

 " F. H. S." furnishes us with one of these tables, and as a case in 

 point he draws the deduction that one ton of guano is equal to 33.1 tons 

 farmyard dung, 21 tons of horse dung, &c. I consider the deductions 

 drawn from these tables utterly fallacious. One ton of guano might 

 produce in its immediate effect as much as 33 \ tons of farmyard 

 manure; but, if a second crop were taken without further manuring, 

 then the true value of the farmyard manure would b^ shown. Guano, 

 through the soluble properties it possesses, enables a plant to draw 

 upon the manures already contained in well-farmed land, as well as 

 giving additional valuable manure of its own. But if nitrogen is to 

 be the basis on which the value of a manure is to be judged, how is 

 superphosphate of lime, phosphate of soda, chloride of sodium, sul- 

 phate of lime, carbonate of lime, and other artificial manures to be 

 compared to farmyard manure, ccc. ? Ammonia is so valuable that it 

 may very fairly be used as the basis to calculate the value of one 

 Bample of farmyard manure with another, or one sample of horse dung 

 with another ; but it is also found that the droppings of animals are 

 valuable in proportion as the animals are fed with fat-producing foods. 

 Highly-fed oxen produce much more valuable manure than cows, &c. 

 But I need not add more on this point. In the same way the value of 

 the carbonaceous elements in food is not in exact proportion to the 

 carbon they contain, as fat is found by experiment to be 2 J times as 

 valuable as starch containing the same amount of carbon. 



I venture, therefore, again to assert, that just as Liebig has been 

 found to lead a great many chemists astray in the laws he laid down 

 as to the value of nitrogen as food for man, so he has in the same way 

 in manures as food for the plant, aud that it is time further experi- 

 mental research be made. — C. P. Peach. 



THE ARCHIMEDEAN LAWN MOWER. 



It is no part of my duty to be the champion of this new mower, as 

 I have no interest whatever in being so, further than having tried it, 

 aud found it having all the good qualities its promoters claim for it, 

 I ventured to recommend it to the notice of your readers. It is exceed- 

 ingly kind of Mr. Featherstone (page 308), to so gently caution your 

 readers against placiug any reliance on my statements and opinion, 

 or " being led to purchase any novelty without its first having had a 

 fair and proper trial." I believe, however, that in general the ad- 

 vantiges of competing trials tend more to the fortunate prize-winners 

 than to the general public. A mowing machine may, for instance, 

 he got up to such a high state of precision as to cut beautifully a cer- 

 tain spot of grass, and for a time while carefully handled ; but how 

 about its lasting capabilities when subjected to ordinary treatment by 

 ordinary and inexperienced hands ? I wonld sooner pin my faith to 

 the opinion of the ordinary workmen, those who use it, than to 

 that of the best set of judges that may be found, who can be button- 

 lookers. If the Archimedean lawn mower has been awarded no prizes 

 in this country, it may be because it has had no opportunity of com- 

 petition. At the great International Exhibition held at Hamburg last 

 September it was, however, awarded a medal. In this country it has 



