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JOURNAL OP aORTICDLTDBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



t FebrufU-j 1, 1S77. 



to deface my borders ; tho manure is dag-in in tbe spring, and 

 if the snmmer is dry an oocasioaal thorough watering is given 

 and thankfully received. 



If my small experience is worth anything, let me strongly 

 urge the desirability of growing all Roses, but more especially 

 Toas, on their own roots. They will require well staking at 

 first, but iu a few years many of them will be strong enough 

 to withstand tbe fiercest gales without injury, whilst their 

 neighbours on unsightly standards will he knocked about or 

 very likely lose their heads altogether, whilst as for the blooms 

 there is no comparing them. I have only one ezouse to offer 

 for presuming to give an opinion in company with so many 

 authorities on the inexhaustible sabjaet of Rosea, and that is 

 — Success. 



SOME SPECIES OP PRIMULA.— No. 4. 



PRIMULA DECORA— COMELY AURICULA. 



Its specific characters 

 are thick smooth leaves, 

 acutely serrated; calyxes 

 clammy, and pedicels 

 longer than the scape. 

 " This is nearly allied to 

 Primula vUlosa, but we 

 think it is specifically dif- 

 ferent. Theserraturesof 

 the leaves are larger and 

 much fewer, being usually 

 about four on each side, 

 and occupy the sides of 

 the leaf only, leaving the 

 apex painted and entire ; 

 or, in other words, the 

 terminal tooth is larger 

 and more acate than the 

 others. 



"In the late Mr. Zier's 

 ' Herbarium,' now in our 

 possession, is a specimen 

 of this plant from the Kew 

 Gardens, where it was 

 then called decora, which 

 name we have adopted, 

 being convinced that, al- 

 though frequently taken 

 for glutinoaa, it is quite 

 distinct from that species, 

 which has nearly or alto- 

 gether sessile flowers, and 

 narrow, minutely-sawed, 

 and clammy leaves. 



" We are not acquainted 

 with the country from 

 which it came. It waa 

 communicated by N. S. 

 Hodson, Esq., of the War 

 Ofiioe. 



"Flowers in April. Is 

 as hardy as the common 

 Auricula, and requires the 

 same treatment." — [Botanical Magazine, t, 1922. J 



ANTS AND TOADS. 

 " Go to the ant thou sluggard, consider her ways." I am 

 not going to preach a homily, that is not my forte ; but ob- 

 serving a few days ago some ants very busy ou a young shoot 

 of a Grape Vine, I was induced to watch their movemants, and 

 saw that they were coUoctiag tho small crystal globules which 

 had exuded from the Vine shoot. It did not appear that they 

 were feeding on them, but carrying them away most likely to 

 feed their young. I observed one in particular, which was 

 fearful of losing the precious morsel, reverse its position ou 

 the stem, so as to more securely hold it. In a short time all 

 the almost infinitesaimal globules had disappeared. I collected 

 a few to ascertain if they had any taste, but they were as 

 tasteless as homeopathic globules, but ratber gummy, and did 

 not dissolve on tbe tongue. From this and my previous ex- 

 perience I do not think ants injurious to tbe plants which they 

 visit. They are seldom seen on plants unless there is food 

 of some kind for them, aphis, scale, or mealy bng. After all 



the globules had disappeared from one Vine the ants took op 

 another, and so on through the entire length of the house. 



While on the subject of gardeners' friends I may instance 

 the sagacity of a toad which came under my notice. Some 

 sixteen years ago, when living in Derbyshire, some of my 

 assistants drew my attention to the actions of a toad in a pit 

 which had been recently cleared of Melons. I saw that it was 

 snipping up woodlice, and it poised its head as instinctively as 

 a terrier dog at a rats' hole. I thought I would try its insect- 

 devouring propensity on larger game, procured some fat well- 

 fed cockroaches, and tossed them down before the gentleman 

 in brown. Alter cunningly eyeing them for a second or two, 

 " snap," and they were gone. Now, for sport, I thought I will 

 see if toads are to be caught with bait. I then tied a piece of 

 thread to one, threw it down near the devourer, and " snap " 

 again. I then drew it 4 or 5 inches, when the toad finally ejected 

 it. I then tried it without the string, but the toad was too wise 

 to take'that. I put down a fresh one ; that was soon put out 

 of sight. If this does not 

 show sagacity of a charac- 

 ter higher than we give 

 each things credit for I am 

 mistaken. It may not be 

 generally known amongst 

 gardeners, but toads 

 slough or shed their skins 

 annually like snakes. My 

 attention was drawn to 

 the action of one in a 

 Cnoumber house scraping 

 alternately with its paws 

 over the back of its head, 

 similar to the action of a 

 oat when cleaning itself. 

 On close examination I 

 saw that it was completing 

 the removal of its old coat. 

 From that time I have 

 watched their varied ac- 

 tions with great interest, 

 and keenly appreciating 

 their services. 



Many are the prejudices 

 against this useful crea- 

 ture, one in particular I 

 will mention. An old 

 gentleman, whom I suc- 

 ceeded in a situation, was 

 kindness itself, and would 

 not " heedless tread upon 

 a worm," was of opinion 

 that toads snck Straw- 

 berries, and if he found 

 one inside the garden 

 walls would carefully take 

 it np and convey it to the 

 outer world. No doubt 

 many of the readers of 

 this may have heard of 

 similar prejudices; but if 

 the habits of these minor 

 subjects of creation were more closely studied, many an in- 

 structive lesson would be learned. — J. Gadd, Thorndcm Oarden, 

 Brentwood. 



10.— PBIlIULi DECORA. 



THE PROPHET ELM AT CEEDENHILL COURT, 

 NEAR HEREFORD. 



The common Euglibh Elm — for height and size, for grandeur 

 of form, and for majestic growth, combined with lightness 

 and beauty — has few competitors. It gives to our parks and 

 pleasure grounds grand avenues and noble groups of trees ; it 

 encircles our home landscapes, adorns our houses, and gives 

 everywhere a shade in summer that adds greatly to our 

 personal enjoyment, and make it perhaps, in its homely and 

 domestic associations, the most general favourite of all our 

 large trees. 



Many superstitions are connected with the Elm, eo that each 

 of them may be considered to be a " Prophet." Thus Carda- 

 nus says, " The leaves of an Elm tree falling before their time 

 do foreshew a murrain or death of cattle." There ia a pecu- 

 liarly-formed Elm in Hampton Court garden known as " King 



I 



