JOURNAL OF HORTICULTCEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



C Julj 4, 1865. 



In conclusion, I may state that I have used several chemical 

 manures in a sohible form, but I never found cue of them of 

 tcay use, except to bring the leaves of the plants down. Re- 

 Hismber, I do not include, in this condemnation, some of the 

 sulphates, mniiates, and phosphates, which are manurial agents, 

 but concentrated liipiids, which are said to answer the same 

 end as the pills of the Scythians, which would answer for food 

 during a six -mouths campaign. The gluten of a bread loaf, 

 brought into the compass of a pea, will no more satisfy and feed 

 a hungi'y man than will a drop of the manurial constituents of 

 a cartload of dung, condensed into an ounce phial, added to a 

 bucket of water, be beneficial to plants, — G. Abeev. 



CONIFEK.E rRODUCING CONES AT LINTON 

 PARK. 



TuE tine dry autumn of last year seems to have exerted a 

 fruitful influence on some of our trees, which this season have 

 produced cones, and possibly Bome of these may arrive at ma- 

 tuiity. I must, however, remark that the blooming of ordi- 

 nary forest trees and shrubs was not so abundant as last year, 

 and some of them have not the appearance of being loaded 

 with their usual heavy crop of seeds. Walnuts will be thin, 

 and the common Hawthorn will bear anv-tliing but a hea\-y 

 crop. These things are, however, of little importance com- 

 pared with the crops of eiUble fruits which form so important a 

 feature in the general cultivation of the district, and which in 

 most cases fall short of the expectation once entertained. My 

 ptirpose, however, is to point o)it some Conifers which have 

 here this geason produced cones for the first time. Might I 

 ask if they have done so elsewhere, and with what result ? 



AK.vrc.iRU iMERic.iT.i. — A fine tree of Araucaria imbricata 

 has this season produced three large cones, which, from their 

 manner of growth, pi-omise to arrive at a size hitherto unknown 

 amongst specimens furnished by other trees ; the tree is Jip- 

 wards of 30 feet in height, and in outline more cylindrical than 

 conical, the diameter of its branches at the height of 25 feet 

 being about the same as at bottom. The top is gi-acefnlly 

 roonded, and though the bottom branches for about 3 feet are 

 gone, the next tier sweep the ground, so as to give that imiform 

 outline so much admired in trees of this and similar species. 

 The cones are near the top, are globular in form, and, as a 

 lady justly ohsen-ed a few days ago, are like hedgehogs in size 

 and the bristly manner in which they are set with leaves, or 

 rather spines, on all sides. Their size is quite equal to that of 

 a full-grown heilgehog. From these cones appearing so early 

 in the season there is reason to hope that they may amve at 

 perfection, the situation of the tree being favmrraWe for ma- 

 tiu-ing them, being dry, sunny, and sheltered. Indeed we have 

 long thought the site drier than is wanted for a tree of this 

 kind, but not having a tree of equal size growing on a situation 

 of opposite character, although we have several smaller ones, 

 it is, perhaps, premature to condemn the site, especially when 

 it is known that the tree has never suffered from the severest 

 winter, and promises so well. 



PirEA NOBiLis. — A specimen of tliis fine Conifer which had 

 lost its leader some fifteen years ago, and remained without 

 one for several years, growing slowly in a lateral direction, at 

 length sent np two leaders ; and one being taken off, the other 

 has pushed on as straight as a gun-barrel, and for the last four 

 or five years the gi-owth has averaged fully 3 feet. The tree is 

 now upwards of 20 feet high, and as healthy-looting as could 

 be desired, presenting that rich glaucous hue so much admired 

 in this genus. This season several cones have been formed, 

 and they promise to arrive at perfection. They are now np- 

 wards of 7 inches long, of a pale gi-een colour, and to all appear- 

 ance look as if they would attain a large size. The tree is on 

 a dry stony situation, well sheltered from the north .and east, 

 and I hope the cones, from showing themselves thus early, 

 may ripen. 



PiCE.\ CEPH-VLONICA. — A Specimen of this has also shown 

 cones this season in numbers. I am not certain whether it 

 has done so before or not ; they are, however, short and small 

 compared with those of P. nobilis. The tree is more bushy, 

 and has not the tall upright foi-m of the last-named. An 

 accident deprived it of its leader about twelve months ago, but 

 it is making an effort to replace it by another, which will give 

 the tree that conical form of which it is so good a representative. 



Besides the above, Pinus insignis is this season loaded with 

 a more than usual number of cones, it having borne a quantity 

 for several years in succession. It is too earlv vet for those of 



Cedrus deodara to show themselves, but abortive ones have for 

 some years been produced on our largest specimens. Mote 

 perfect ones, black as Sloes, or rather of a beautiful purple 

 black, have here been produced by Picea Webbiaua each year, 

 and this year is no exception to tlie rule. Some other Piiiuses 

 have also jiroduced cones ; but I have not seen any indication 

 of "Wellmgtonias becoming fruitful, neither is such a state of 

 things to be wished for, it being in some degree the precursor 

 of disease and a premature death. I belie\e, however, it has 

 .shown fruit in some places, but I have not seen it. Some of 

 the Thujas are also bearing eones, I am told, in places, but I 

 have not perceived in that state any of those introduced 

 within the last twelve years ; but a second hot smumcr following 

 on the diy autumn of last year may, jjerhaps, throw into a 

 hearing condition some of those which have not hitherto pro- 

 duced cones ; but there are many things more desirable than a 

 young tree doing so. — J. Eor.sox. 



DINEKS A LA EUSSE, 



AND THEIR EXEMPLAIRES AT KEN.S1XGT0N. 



What is a "diner il la Russe?" Tliis would seem to be a 

 question as yet undecided, if one may judge from the character 

 of the tables set out at Kensington on Saturday week. Is it a 

 dinner for the advertising of china and glass ?' Is it a slice of 

 a bad ribbon-border cut out and laid on a white cloth ? or what 

 is it ? My incUnations do not lead me into society much. I 

 do sometimes, it is true, diue with friends who, I believe, 

 know what is correct ; and I must say it seems to me that there 

 was in many of the tables laid out on Saturday the 24th iust. a 

 want of taste, a vulgarity and inappropriateness, that none of 

 my friends would have tolerated at their houses. 



What is a diner a la Russe ? then. I repeat. My idea of it is, 

 as compared with the old style of dinner parties, that it con- 

 sists in this — that the dessert is laid upon the table at once, 

 that the old epergnes and candelabra give place to a lighter 

 and more elegant ornamentation in the shape of flowers, and 

 that the dinner is cut up at the side table and handed round. 

 If I am correct in my ideas, then, I should have disqnaUfied 

 some of the tables, and certainly not have judged them as they 

 were judged ; and without wishing to say one word of dispa- 

 ragement either of the ladies who undertook the arduous task 

 or the Aeadt'niicians who assisted them, I cannot think they 

 have tended to increase good taste amongst our dinner-giWng 

 friends. It must have been no slight matter to judge, for in 

 defiance of all ideas of comfort and convenience, the tables 

 were laid, some on one side, some on the other of the conser- 

 vatory ; so that, having decided on the merits of one half of 

 the tables, the Judges had to cross the whole length of the con- 

 servator>', keep in their minds what they had seen, and compare 

 them with the other half. AVhen we remember that even in 

 judging a few boxes of Roses yon have often to take one stand 

 and put it alongside of another, and that even then it is often a 

 difficult matter, one can estimate what a task this must have 

 been. It only illustrates what many besides myself think — 

 that a really effective show of any kind can never be held under 

 the present state of things at Kensington. 



And now to the prizes. " Surely," I said to a friend as I 

 approached the table that took first prize. " this must be a 

 china dealer's," little thinking how near the truth I was. My 

 objections to this are — First, that I think white china is a 

 decided mistake. It may do all very well for a warmer climate, 

 but in ours it is cold and chilly -looking ; and as winter is the 

 cliief season for dinner parties, that ought to be considered. 

 Second, The table was overloaded : it matters not whether this 

 be with silver or china, it is conh'arv to the elegance that 

 belongs to this new style of dinner table. Third, The dessert 

 was not well arranged. The double butter-boats in which the 

 fruit was placed, -whUe ])retty in themselves, were awkward. 

 I do not know how Cherries were to be got ont of them except 

 by one's hands ; and Strawbeiries must have been inevitably 

 smashed before they found their way to one's plate. And then 

 there was an absence of those pretty nhicc fruits and fanciful 

 ])rtitx foiirx which are indispensalile to a handsome dessert. 

 Then, fourth. It was a decided mistake to put the dessert plates 

 on the table. While the centre of the table is laid out for .a 

 dessert, the covers should be an-anged for the dinner itself — 

 knives, forks, spoons, bnt no plates. And what can be more 

 babyish than to have holes in the rims of the plates for water 

 and flowers V 



