August 22, 1866. 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



158 



Cupressns macrooania anil Cupressus Lambortiana as the some, : 

 while others a^aiu iimintain that they are distinct species. I 

 di) not behove the ditTeronce is so great as to separate them 

 thu3 widely, and this may account tor the fact that nurserymen 

 supply tlie one for the other. Settin;^ aside ccmflictinK state- 

 ments, wo are ijuito correct in saying that they are distinct 

 varieties, and in no jioint more ohsei-vablo than in the difference 

 of habit. Macrocarpa invariably preserves a close-growing 

 spiral outline, while, on the contrary, Lambertiana, even as a 

 seedling, imshes out its branches at right angles, and with ago 

 the habit becomes more set. But there is something more 

 than this ; the latter passed through the winter of IHliO and 

 18t;i without being damaged in any way, while several plants 

 of the former, above 20 feet high, were completely liilled, quite 

 irrespective of shelter or exposure — henco it is irrefutable that 

 the constitution of the one is mcn-e resistible than the other. 

 We may then, I think, legitimately infer at least, that they are 

 distinct varieties. 



We have the Araucaria imbricata growing on two formations 

 —the mountain limestone and the rod sandstone. On the 

 former it does not refuse to grow, still the rate of growth is far 

 from being so satisfactory as on the latter. In different parts 

 of the park the Ai-aucaria is planted in quantities, and invariably 

 the same result follows. Our largest tree was planted in 1839, 

 and is now HH feet high, bearing cones on the south side. Age 

 does not in the least tUminish its progi-ess, as it is now as 

 vigorous as when I made its acquaintance tliirteen years ago. 

 No Araucaria can possibly possess greater symmetry of outUne ; 

 the branches are evenly and closely arranged from the summit 

 to the base, the lower tier is creeping so closely on the ground 

 as to require protection against being covered with soil. Why 

 it is so I know not, yet "the fact is indisputable, fully tested 

 during the winter of 'i860 and ISfil, that in a group of Ai'au- 

 carias planted in the same soil, and ecjual as to drainage, some 

 were severely injured, others completely killed, while not a few 

 escaped without any damage. Nor was the destro>-ing agent 

 confined to this situation, it passed over to other places, con- 

 ducting its operations much in the same way. Now it is some- 

 what remarkable that plants of the same species, possibly 

 seedhngs of the same tree, and reared under the same treat- 

 ment, should differ so greatly in resistive power. I beheve the 

 difference to be unexplainab'le, vegetable physiology refuses to 

 answer the question — tlie subject is just as subtle as the doctrine 

 of metaphysics. Conjectures irmumerablo might be offered, 

 but they can be of no real value. 



The WelUngtonia gigantea has beyond all cavil established 

 for itself a position and reputation for hardihood ; more than 

 this too, it is the most ornamental Conifer ever brought from 

 CaUfomia. What renders it so much more acceptable, arises 

 from the fact that it does not refuse to grow in any kind of 

 soil, so long as it does not contain an excess of water, nor does 

 it object to a dry situation. Our largest specimen was planted 

 eleven years ago, and it is now 18 feet high, densely covered from 

 the apex to the base with healthy foliage ; the lower branches 

 sweep the gi-oimd, and measure 14 feet in diameter. It is some- 

 what singiiiar that it should gi-ow so vigorously, as the depth of 

 soil does not exceed 1.5 inches, overlying the mountain Ume- 

 stone, but no doubt the roots are creeping down between the 

 cre\-ices of the rock, secure against sudden and continued 

 drought, such as we experienced last summer. We have also 

 the WeUingtonia gi-owing on the red sandstone quite as freely. 

 Some years ago we planted a young seedUng in a deep and 

 rather -tenacious loam on the border of a marsh, where the soil 

 is rather wet than otheinvise, which is, unquestionably, the 

 most appropriate situation, as it will ere long leave the others 

 fcr behind, judging by present progress. 



Torreya myristica has proved to be quite hardy with us, 

 having passed through our severest winters without the slightest 

 injury. Being so distinct from the generaUty of Coniferous 

 plants, it is found to be no inconsiderable acquisition. The 

 rate of growth is by no means rapid, so it will be a good number 

 of years before we can expect to have even a moderate-sized 

 tree. On the Sien-a Nevada mountains it does not exceed 

 40 feet in height, so there is but Uttle hope of it ever gi-owing 

 to half that height in this country. The long peculiaiiy-foi-med 

 leaves of a yellowish green colom* give it an interesting appear- 

 ance. Ton-eya grandis will not submit to a British chmate ; 

 in the truest sense it is a greenhouse plant, where it is not 

 worthy of the space. We had it planted in the open air for 

 three years, and I do no wrong in saying that it did not, during 

 that time, grow more than an incli, although every possible 

 care was taken as regards soil and situation. 



Pseudolarix Kwmpferi has withstood the frost of our severest 

 winters, and may tiiereforo be catalogued as quite hardy ; but 

 its dwarf Inishy liabit will, I fear, prevent it growing larger than 

 a good-sized shrub ; still in China it is said to attain the height 

 of 100 feet. This dense low form is greatly to be regretted, 

 nor have I been able to produce a free centre by keeinng aB 

 contending side branches constantly shortened, (.'ould we by 

 some means cause it to produce an active leader, it would be a 

 great acquisition, as no tree with which I am acquainted offers 

 such a display of golden-coloured loaves during autumn. — 

 (A. Ciia:mi!, Torticorth Court, in Scottinh Gardener.) 



THE ROMANCE OF THE VEGETABLE 

 KINGDOM. 



No very limited field of literature this, and if I, an old 

 gleaner in the field, were to throw down my sheaf bcfcne yon, 

 many Journals would appear, each with a handful of the 

 gleanings before the entire were gathered up. Tlie " Book of 

 Books," the mj-thology and the poetry of the Greeks and 

 Romans, the tales of the Persians and Arabs, tlie Hindoos, the 

 Chinese, nay, the .American Indians, have all episodes and 

 narratives iii which flowers and trees occupy a conspicuous 

 position. I could buzz about and among these flowers like an 

 old " dnmble-dore," and add many a modem instance, such as 

 " The Rose in January," that tale in the old " London Ma- 

 gazine," in Tom Hood's time, a tale that fascinated me in 

 youth, and fascinates me now, for the frost though on my hair 

 has not got to my heart. Then there was the Fuchsia of her 

 " boy Ben," fomid in the old woman's window in Wapping ; 

 and the Mignonette in the Saxon coat of arms ; and that lovely 

 " Picciola, or the Prison Plant ; " and the Plauta genista of the 

 Plantaganets ; and the Eoses of York and Lancaster. Put on 

 the cockle-shell, take up your staff, and see how many years 

 would pass before you could visit the Gospel Oaks, and other 

 historic and romance-associated trees in our own land. Pass 

 on to Germany, France, and Italy, and life must be protracted 

 to a length equal to that of the wandering Jew before you could 

 exhaust the legend-lore and historic events associated with 

 members of the vegetable world. 



I named Italy last, and from that laud, to which God, not 

 man, has been so bounteous, my last gleaning was collected. 



The Jasmine was introduced from India into Europe early 

 in the sixteenth century, and a duke of Tuscany was one of its 

 first possessors. He was so jealously fearful lest others should 

 enjoy what he alone wished to possess, that strict injunctions 

 were given to his gardener not to part with a slip, not so much 

 as a single flower, to any person. To this command the gar- 

 dener would have been faithful, but for a fair but poi-tionless 

 peasant, whose want of a dowry and his own poverty kept 

 them from becoming husband and wife. On the birthday of 

 her he loved, the gardener presented her with a nosegay, and 

 to render that nosegay more acceptable, he added to it a 

 blossomed spray of the Jasmine. The " povera figlia," wish- 

 ing to preserve the bloom of this " new flower," put it into 

 the earth, and the spray remained green all the year. In the 

 following spring it grew. It flourished and multiplied so much 

 that the bride elect was able to amass a little fortune from the 

 sale of the precious gift which love had made her. With a 

 sprig of Jasmine in her breast, she gave her hand and wealth 

 to the happy gardener of her heart. This may be only a legend, 

 but it is certain that the Tuscan girls to this time preserve the 

 remembrance of this event by invariably wearing a nosegay of 

 Jasmine on their wedcUng-day, and they have a proverb which 

 says a young girl wearing this nosegay is rich enough to make 

 the foiiime of a good husband. — G. 



NEW ZEALAND. 



A BDTANIC.^I, EA.MBLE IN HOON HAY AND OTHER BUSIFES. 



Geologists tell us that the body of the earth was once in a 

 state of fusion — that is, it was once aU in a melted state, glow- 

 ing, burning, flaming, and that it gi-aduaUy cooled uutU it 

 became covered with a hardened surface. These bushes, in the 

 convulsions of nature, seem to have been tossed up into aU 

 sorts of forms, and are now clothed with noble trees of the 

 forest ; some appearing in fuU view, others half-concealed 

 behind the rocks and crags, and others with their rounded 

 heads appearing above the summit of one range, as if they were 



