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JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AN35 COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ July 11, 1865. 



Sir Thomas," allow me for one moment to put before you the 

 ignoble closing of his philosophical career, and also the moral, 

 or a part of it, with which Thomas Ingoldsby dismisses his 

 story. After waiting for " a fortnight or more " for her spouse, 

 who had gone out upon one of his exploring expeditions, the 

 Lady Jane's serving men discovered Sir Thomas's dead body 

 in the adjacaut pond. 



*' 'Twos e'en so, poor dear knipht, with his * specs * and Mk hat 

 He'd gone poking Ills nose into this and to that; 



When close by the side 



Of the bank he espied 

 An * uncommon fine' tadpole remarkably fat I 



He stoope^l ; and he thought her 



His own — he had caught her ! — 

 Got hold of her tail, and to land abnost brought her, 

 ■\Vhen — he plump'd head and heels into fifteen-feet water I" 



MOR.\L. 



'* All middle-aged gentlemen let me ad^ise, 

 If you're married, and have not got very good eyes, 

 Don't go poking about after bluebottle "flies ! 

 If you've spectacles, don't have u toi-toi6.eshell rim ; 

 And don't go near the w.ater unless you can swim ! " 



There is no doubt that natural history and botany are most 

 absorbing subjects to those who delight in them, and that we 

 have a world of interest which is not enjoyed by mankind at 

 large. I was foreibly reminded oi this the other day when 

 seeking of a bookseller a small work upon Ferns and Grasses. 

 In ansv.-er to my inquiries I was informed that " the subject 

 was so unpopular it was useless to keep such books in stock, 

 but that with pleasure he would order the work for me." AVho 

 does not know how the charm and freedom of some long- 

 looked-for expedition have been marred by the presence of some 

 uninterested individual, who, always forebodmg evil in some 

 forai or other, becomes at length a perfect Jonah in the vessel, 

 until he or she is got rid of '? — not exactly by pitching the said 

 personage out of the vehicle, because the finale might not be 

 so satisfactory as it was in the case of the prophet of old, and 

 to be indicted for manslaughter would be a sad termination to 

 even such unsatisfactory' beings as monomaniacal botanists — 

 but by the quiet dispersion of detachments of the party to 

 some devoted spot, leaving the aristocratic individual who 

 eschews dirty hands, hard names, and uneomfoitable-looldng 

 caterpillars and Hies to the charity of some kind-hearted friend, 

 jUid to lemon-coloured kid gloves and B}Ton. 



Strangers iu Jersey, nothing of this kind troubled us. Inde- 

 pendent of everybody, we daily took some new walk, either in 

 the interior of the island, through the lanes with their Ivy-clad 

 banks, or towards the seacoast. The sea-weed is so ibmidaut 

 on the rocks around Jersey, that the inhabitants at certain 

 times collect it for manure and fuel ; and " vraicking," as it 

 is Cidled, is quite a gala time, men, women, and children all 

 being engaged iu it. I have seen whole families returning 

 home late and wearied ■with their carts laden with sea-weed or 

 " Traick." No hay -making scene in England can be more 

 picturesque. Fish is exceedingly plentiful. Congers of diffe- 

 rent species abound amongst the rocks, some of them of an 

 immense size and strength. A shell-fish, the Auris marina, or 

 " Ormer," as it is called by the natives, is considered a great 

 treat, although I think we did not .appreciate it as much as our 

 Jersey neighbours. The Aldeniey cows, of wliich we hear so 

 much in England, are chiefly sent from this island ; these 

 with a few slieep and gnats appear to comprise the short list of 

 domestic animals of which the place can boast. We found it 

 most difficult to obtain good EngUsh miitton whilst we were 

 residing iu St. Saviour's ; and I feel sure tliat a good deal of 

 tliat which was brought to us had more jiroperly been desig- 

 nated " goat," the flavour was so strong and tlie meat so 

 impalatable. 



There is one plant which immediately catches the eye of the 

 newly-arrived visitor to Jersey. It is called the Jersey Cab- 

 bage. The plant grows to the height of 6 or 7 feet, and upon 

 the top of this high stem is the Cabbage. A garden planted 

 with these vegetables has the appearance of a miniature grove 

 of trees. I believe they use the stems of the trees as walking- 

 sticks. A most detestable combination which rejoices in the 

 cognomen of " Jersey soup," was pressed upon us one d.ay by 

 our voluble French hostess. We politely refused the proffered 

 luxm\y, as from the details of the ingredients therein used, we 

 were more disposed to take her word for its merits than to try 

 it; but she would take no nay. It was " (rt's (iohjic" "Mais, 

 Madame ! You Englesh are so much for dee rosbif ! Every 

 day it is meat of some kind. If I have the soupe I am con- 

 tent." I conclude it is the •' soupe maigre " of the continent ; 



and soupe maicjrr it certainly is, being nothing but the 

 water in wliich a piece of fat bacon and a Cabbage have been 

 boiled. 



One morning in stroUing about the garden I saw what I 

 considered was a humming moth flitting from flower to flower. 

 It eluded all my attempts to catch it, and finally I lost sight of 

 it altogether. I have since my return to England read of an 

 insect which is peculiar to Jersey, and which " resembles a 

 humming bird so much in its habits that it is considered of 

 the same species. Its size is that of a laige hiunble bee. It 

 does not light on any plant, but continually fluttering with a 

 loud hummmg noise, it introduces a long pi-oboscis into the 

 cup of a flower, and thus sucks out the moisture." I still am 

 inclined to think that it is the same moth which goes under 

 the name of " Humming Moth " in England, and which we 

 see occasionally in our gardens flitting and dancing over the 

 flower-beds like a fairy thing. Whilst speaking of beautiful 

 things I must not forget to mention the lizards which are found 

 upon the simny banks of Jersey. I am just now alluding to 

 that bright green kind which one sees, with its piercing eyes, 

 peering out from between the stones, or lying basking at full 

 length in the sun. They are exceedingly vigilant, and disap- 

 pear upon the slightest approach of danger. They are, how- 

 ever, to be bought of boys, who stealthily lie in wait for them, 

 and secirre these pretty creatures. The tremendous size of the 

 toads in the island is, I suppose, well known : the size of a 

 breakfast saucer is about the usual circumference. I could 

 even excuse the lady in the light kid gloves if she fainted at 

 the sight of these hideous monstrosities. I would go even 

 farther, and bathe her face with eau de Cologne, and read 

 Byron to her du-ring the process. — Alice. 



ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY S SHOW. 



JtJLT 5th. 



This was the last of the Society's Shows for this season, ajid despite 

 of the hot weather of the previous fortnight, the tiowering plants were 

 still in good bloom, though not looking so fresh as they did in May. 

 Ferns and other omamental-foliaged plants were in tine condition, 

 wliilst of fruit there was a very extensive and excellent display. The 

 day being line theTe was a large attendance of visitors. 



Stove and Gtrkenhouse Plants. — Although several very good 

 collections were shown, the plants of which they were composed were 

 nearly the same as at former shows. Of Ixora saUcifolia, Mr. Whit- 

 hreud exhibited a remarkably tine specimen covered from the base to 

 the top with large heads of orange flowers ; and a veiy good specimen 

 also came from IVIr. Peed. Tlie white-flowered Ixora alba was likewise 

 well represented in several collections, as well as Ixora coccinea and 

 javanica. AUainandas consisted of grancUfiora, Schottii, and cathar- 

 tica in good bloom ; and a Stephanotis from Mr. Fraser was covered 

 with a profusion of its white blooms. Among other plants we noticed 

 Dipladeuift splendens, and D. acuminata with numerous flowers of a 

 deeper rose ; Mussffindii frondosa, Kalosanthes, Haemauthus punicens, 

 with sixteen of its showy orange scarlet heads ; Cyrtoceras reflexum, 

 Statices, Heaths, Aphelexes, Pleroma elegans, Vincas, and Draco- 

 phyllum gracile. 



Awards. — For sixteen : lirst, Mr. Peed, gardener to Mrs. TredweU ; 

 second, Mr. "SSTiitbread, gitrdeuer to H. Collyer, Esq., Dartt'ord ; 

 fourth, Mr. Kaile, gardener to Earl Lovelace. For ten (Nurserymen) : 

 tirst, Mr. Fraser ; second. Mr. Ilhodes ; third, Messrs. Lee ; fotu-th, 

 Messrs. A. Henderson & Co. For ten (Amateurs) : first, Mr. Chilman, 

 gardener to Mrs. Smith, Pipsom : second, Mr. A. Ingram, gardener to 

 J. J. Blandy. Esq., Reading ; thii-d, Mr. Pai^e, gardener to W. Leaf, 

 Esq. ; foiu-tii, Mr. Wheeler, gardener to Su- F. Goldsmidt, Bart., 

 Regent's Park. For six : first, Mr. "VVheeler, gardener to J. PhiUpot, 

 Esq., Stamford Hill ; second. Mi*. Kemp, gardener to Earl Percy, 

 Albnry Park ; third, jlr. Smith, gardener to A. Anderson, Esq. 



Frs'E-FOLLiGED PLANTS AND Feuns. — Foremost among the former 

 was a collection from Mr. "S^eitch, of Chelsea, conta inin g a mag nif icent 

 specimen of Alocasia zebrina, the dark green sagittate leaves about 

 a yard in length, and the stalks beautifuUy marbled ; also, two Crotons 

 of' large size and ■\nth the foliage beautifnlly coloured, the golden 

 colour predominating in C. variegatum, whilst in pictum the red varie- 

 gation was conspicuous, especially round the margin. Among the 

 others were the variegated Pandanns javanicns with the leaves beauti- 

 fully striped ; the graceful P. reflexus, a noble Dicksonia antarctica, 

 Cyathea dealbata, Theophrasta imperiaUs, Chamx-rops excelsa, and 

 Liitania borbonica. I'rom Messrs. A. Henderson &, Co. also cama 

 Alocasia zebrina, and their fine -Mocasia macrorhiza variegata, Ma- 

 ranta Portcaua, the leaves jircttily marked with white ; Anthuritini 

 leuconeunim, with deep green leaves veined with white ; Croton an- 

 gnstifolium, verj- ornamental from the weeping appearance which ia 

 offered bv the narrow pendulous leaves ; and a fine variety of Cala- 

 dinm hicolor. Mr. Bull likewise contributed a good collection, con- 

 sisting of Fema, Dracasnas, and Palms. In the Amateurs' Class, Mr. 



