Fobrnai; 11, 18S9. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGK GARDENER. 



log 



in the Journal for October 2ath, poge 321, where, by mis- 

 take, thty are referred to under the name of the Walnut-leaved 

 Kidney, bat they were the second crop of Veitch's Improved 

 Early AsUleuf planted on July lOth. Thoy were grown in a 

 light sandy loam on a subsoil of gravel. The first crop was all 

 that oonUl bo desired for a gentleman's table. 



Next to the variety just named, I like Myatt's Improved 

 Prolific Ashleat, which is a good cropper, a good Potato for the 

 table, and succeeds Veitch's well. Itivers's llaval Ashleaf 

 Kidney is also a first-class Potato, very similar to Myatt's. It 

 yields a good crop, boils floury, and is also second to Veitch's. 

 I think if gardeners were to grow these three varieties they 

 would have three of the best early Kidneys, and by growing 

 Fluke Kidneys for a late crop they would then liave four of the 

 very best Kidney Potatoes that could bo found in any seeds- 

 man's catalogue. — J. R. P., Tilbwstow Lodge, Godstone. 



PLANTS IN FLOWER DURING JANUARY. 



Jan. 5. Arabis albida 



ItboUodeudron dauricum 

 Miitbiiilrt an"ua 

 Caieurtulii ofticinalis 

 Hepalicii triloba, varieties 

 MuJe Pink 



Diimtbus caryopbyllQS 

 Omphiilodes verna 

 Galauibus nivalis 



plic.ttus 

 Hellebiirus ffetidus 



nit'iT 

 Er.Tntiiis hyemalis 

 Cbeiriintbus frnticulosus 

 Rin.e, Crimson Cbinn 

 Veronica syiiaca 

 Primrose, dunDle Lilac and 



Orimfon 

 Polyautbus, various 

 Erica carnea 

 Phlox stoionifera 

 setacea 

 „ 16. Bellis perennis, varieties 



-M. H., Acklam Hall, M iddlesbrourj h on-Tees. 



,11. 



Jan. 16. Ilex aquifoUum 



Eose, old Moiitbly Cbina 

 Pulmonaria officinalis 

 Forsytbia viridissima 

 Daphne mezereum 

 laureoia 



„ 21. Viburnum tinus 



.\ndromeda polifolia 

 Chimonanthus fragrans 

 Erica arborea 

 ramulosa 



„ 28. TIam.imelis virginica 

 Hedera helix 

 Una 



t'lex euroraja 

 Viburnum lucidum 

 Cerastinm tomcntosum 

 Taius baccata 

 Geuni rivaie 

 Viola odorata 



lutea 

 Doroniciim cauca-icTun 



NOTES FROM SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 



{Concluded J'rom parjc 83.) 

 Next morning wo diverged to Donelly's Creek, and spent 

 two days examining the various reefs and alluvial diggings. 

 The country was one mass of scrub and saplings, without any 

 attractiiins except as to mining. We started for Mount Useful, 

 but as rain came on we camped and waited a day, during 

 which time we had to remain in the tent, and the great alti- 

 tude we had attained made the nights very cold. About the 

 middle of the second day it cleared up, and we again made a 

 start. Still the same climbing through a very barren series of 

 ranges, not a particle of soil, and the granite and sandstone 

 standing up in huge blocks of many tons in weight, yet the 

 scrub thick, and Stringy Bark and Box large ; the country, too, 

 was very difficult for travelling. Arrived at the foot of Mount 

 Useful we siopped at a hut and examined the scenery. We 

 could not resist the temptation of going to the top of the 

 Mount, and after an hour's climbing we reached the summit. 

 The first glance amply repaid us tor the extra labour, for while 

 we were down upon the track the surrounding scrub obscured 

 the view except at intervals, but we were now far above every- 

 thing, and Could see in every direction as far as the eye could 

 reach. Here, at an elevation of 3000 feet above the level of 

 the sea, we sat and gazed upon the vast expanse of mountains 

 and valleys, chain afier chain stretching as far as the eye could 

 follow them, and with various spurs running out. As we 

 looked down upon them they had all the appearance of the sea 

 in a storm ; this was the more impressed upon us from the 

 fact that north and south, as far as we could see in a westerly 

 direction, the trees without a single exception were dead, stand- 

 ing whitened skeletons throughout the hills and valleys. The 

 whitened trunks and heads of the trees were brought out 

 boldly by the deep green foliage of the green underscriib sap- 

 lings. I could obtain no satisfactory reply to my inquiries as 

 to the cause of the universal death of the timber, the most 

 probable being the great fire that passed through the country 

 on what is termed Black Thursday, 1850. We noticed some 

 excellent varieties of Xeranthemum, the largest we ever saw, 

 and gathered their seeds, also those of a scarlet-leaved Eurybia, 

 of which we had previously seen individual plants, but could 

 not find any seed. 



Having made our way down the Mount and come to the hut 

 where we had left our provisions and swags, wo found two pigs 

 had eaten and destroyed the whole of the former. Believing 

 this had been connived at by the proprietors to compel UB to 

 purchase more, after a passage of words we tiavoUed on de- 

 termined not to capitulate to them, although compelled to heat 

 a retreat. By hard walking wo succeeded in reaching Black- 

 wall, a place only in name bearing any rjeemble to tlie Black- 

 wall. Arriving at the commencement of a very steep descent 

 just at dark, we determined to camp, and, making a good fire, 

 went supperless to bed. Waking at daybreak, about 4 a.m., 

 we went outside to see what sort of a country we wero in ; before 

 us lay a basin of about two miles in diameter, with a beautiM 

 river running along the bottom, and having the banks clothed 

 with timber to the water. The opposite bank being level with 

 us plainly indicated what we had to do before wo could break- 

 fast. Accordingly we packed np and started down the hill, six 

 miles to the bottom ; the feet placed sideways to prevent our 

 going too fast, every step threatening to send us headlong 

 down, and I believe once down a person could not stop but 

 would roll to the bottom. This was Aberfeldie, and at the 

 bottom, which wo readied at H a.m., we found a store and — 

 what a relief ! a small garden with a few vegetables. Here we 

 replenished our stock of provisions, breakfasted, and took a 

 ramble down the creek, but were disappointed, all being barren 

 rocks, with nothing but Eucalyptus scrub. 



We now had the opposite bank, six miles, to go up ; filling 

 our biUeys with water we commenced the ascent, the sun 

 striking powerfully, and the temperature being about 90'. Vfe 

 dragged on our weary journey, and after many a rest arrived 

 about three in the afternoon at the summit quite anxious for 

 dinner and a siesta. We put up the tent, had dinner, and tried 

 to sleep, but the flies and mosquitoes— those enemies of all 

 travellers in the bush — prevented it, and we smoked, but that 

 did not drive them away ; so we prepared for another start. 

 The vegetation here consisted of one interminable scrub of 

 Acacia and Eucalyptuses, with hungry, barren sandstone crop- 

 ping up. 



We travelled all day through apparently trackless ranges, 

 making places named by travellers. Bed Jacket, Blue Jacket, 

 and Violet Town, arriving at the last-named on the second day 

 after leaving Aberfeldie. Finding the range so steep, and 

 being very much fatigued with our heavy swags, we camped, 

 and, after fixing the tent, rambled up and down the creek, but 

 found nothing of consequence except a fine variety of Panax 

 with very large foliage ; of this we secured seeds, though 

 scarcely ripe. We spent the afternoon in looking through the 

 diggings and rambling about, and next morning resumed our 

 journey. The scenery for fifty miles was much the same and 

 limited to the immediate steep banks of the creeks, or the 

 pathways of the dense scrnb through which we passed, and 

 this sameness continued until we reached Wood's Point, then 

 famous from the immense quantity of gold being daily obtainecA. 

 We found this place full of bustle and excitement ; hundreds 

 of miner^ were daily pouring in from all quarters, the two or 

 three rapidly-erected hotels were full day and night, and the 

 place in continual uproar. The whole of the tents and houses 

 were gathered in the creek or its immediate bank, as at 

 Stringer's Creek, and great was the activity of all. Everything 

 had likewise to be carried on the back — shingles for roofing, 

 timber from the sawpits, all had to be carried at per hundred 

 feet by men. We spent a week thoroughly investigating the 

 various reefs and alluvial workings, and in rambling up and 

 down the creek gathering seeds of the various species of Pit- 

 tosporums and shrubs in wliich it abounded. We saw beautiful 

 patches of Diiuella longifolia perfectly blue, with their bunches 

 of bright blue berries ; we gathered some of these, but as 

 regards the major part of the shrubs we were too late for the 

 flowering, and too early for ripe seed. After spending a fort- 

 night here and examining the country in every direction for 

 several miles we started for Melbourne, distant in a direct line 

 about one hundred miles. 



The return journey for the first thirty miles is a frightful 

 part of the route — up steep rugged hills and down again. 

 Mount Strickland, being all small granite boulders, was very 

 bad for the feet ; Vinegar Hill and Mount Arnold were very 

 steep and long, though having the advantage of plenty af 

 water at intervals of a few miles. At Mount Strickland was a 

 most beautiful spring ; the water icy cold, gushing out of the 

 rock into a naturally-formed basin covered with Fern trees, and 

 with overhanging Sassafras trees excluding the light. The 

 great heat in these gullies, and the moisture dripping from the 



