78 



JOURNAL OF HORT1CULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 81, 1866. 



changed or modified by the water that is artificially supplied. 

 I have known Cape Heaths and similar plants languish and 

 fall into ill health, and now and then some of them die, from 

 being snpplied with spring water from a ohalk well ; and I ex- 

 pect that it must hare been something of this kind that pre- 

 vented tha Hydrangea flowering blue when grown in peat 

 soil by our late worthy writer, Mr. Beaton, or, if not this, that 

 some other neutralising agency had been at work. This, how- 

 ever, like many other matters connected with the culture of 

 this remarkable plant, deserves to be further inquired into, and 

 the result given to the world. — J. Bobsoh. 



NOTES FROM NEW JERSEY, U.S. 



It was extremely cold weather when last I wrote to you — 

 colder, it is believed, than ever before felt in our part of New 

 Jersey. The thermometer registered 20* below zero. One 

 would suppose that when the cold became 'so severe as this, 

 two or three degrees more or less would hardly make much 

 difference ; but as a cold of 18° below zero kills the fruit-buds 

 of the Peach, the difference was to us between Peaches or no 

 Peaches. In our garden, where last season we had bushels, 

 not one is now (July 7th) to be seen. 



We thought that so cold a winter would bring as compensa- 

 tion an early spring ; but it was not so. There was a good 

 deal of frost in May, and towards the end of that month one 

 cold night killed not only many tender garden plants, but, 

 sweeping through the low grounds in the woods, blackened the 

 new growth of even hardy forest trees and shrubs. The young 

 shoots of the Chestnut tree and Kalmia latifolia especially 

 suffered, although the wood of the latter when ripened is so 

 hardy as to endure 35° below zero, a temperature not very un- 

 usual in the winters of some New England States. It seems 

 strange that the young wood of such hardy subjects should be 

 as tender as hothouse plants. 



After the 1st of June, with us there is but little danger of 

 frost, and all bedding plants may be safely put out. The sun 

 by this time is powerful, warming the ground well by day ; 

 and the nights being still a little cool in the early part of the 

 month, plants are by night in a sort of natural hotbed, which 

 starts the roots at once into vigorous growth. After the middle 

 of the month the heat increases so rapidly that about the 1st of 

 July we generally reach the maximum of our summer heat. 

 The following observations, made in a neighbouring town, will 

 show wh it this maximum is : — 



Tuesday, June 19th . . 

 Wedne-d y, June 20th 

 Thursday, June 21st . . 



Friday, June 22nd 



Saturday, June 23rd . . 

 Monday, June 25th .. 

 Tuesday, June 26th . . 

 Wednesday, June 27th 

 Thursday, June 28th . . 



Friday, June 29th 



Saturday, June 30th . . 



Monday, July 2nd 



Tuesday, July 3rd . . . . 



Fancy 98° in the shade for a working-day temperature. This, 

 I confess, is an extraordinary degree of heat, even for us ; but 

 90° is a point often reached during the summer. After three 

 or four days of such hot weather we generally have a thunder 

 shower, which freshens the flagging vegetation and cools the 

 air to 70° or 80°. Every season, either in summer or early 

 autumn, we have many consecutive days of very dry weather, 

 during which most plants seem to suffer almost beyond en- 

 durance. These hot and dry days are, however, followed by 

 heavy dews, furnishing wonderful refreshment ; and such 

 weather it is that gives the flavour to the Peach and the 

 Melon, and drives the Indian Corn rapidly to maturity. 



One of your correspondents speaks of my mentioning sandy 

 ground as best for Melons, and also rightly says that our 

 Peach trees are not on the Plum stock. With us the Plum 

 stock for Peach-growing is only tolerated on very heavy clay 

 soil, aud not one free in a thousand has other than the Peach 

 stock. As for Melons, those in our immediate neighbourhood 

 are so delicious in flavour, that as some toasts are drunk stand- 

 ing and in silence, I sometimes think our Melons should be 

 eaten kneeling for thankfulness. The soil is new, and so light 

 as to be almost drifting sand, containing only vegetable matter 

 enough to give it the colour of light brown sugar. About two 



parts of this soil and one part of half-rotted stable manure 

 make the mixture we use. 



It may be interesting to you to know how some of the bed- 

 ding plants used in England endure our scorching sun. To- 

 day (July 7th), the heat has been again very great — from 93° to 

 96° — so oppressive, indeed, that most of the labourers, unable 

 to endure it, went home before noon. 



Iresine, fully exposed, has not quite so good a colour as when 

 planted in partial shade. My plants of this were well forwarded 

 in the hothouse, and are now 15 inches high, bushy, and in 

 vigorous health. Should I be fortunate enough to have a 

 flower on the Iresine I will send it to you. Coleus Verschaf- 

 felti is magnificent both in sun and shade ; the lower leaves, 

 when fully exposed, being beautifully toned with bronze. Co- 

 leus atropurpureus also does well. Centaurea candidissima 

 thrives remarkably ; so also do Lantanas, most of the Zonale 

 Geraniums, Gazanias, Verbenas (if mulched), and Heliotrope. 

 This last is said to need slight shade, but I do not find it so. 

 Phlox Drummondi and Portulaca are most brilliant, especially 

 the Portulaca. which seems to do best in the hottest and 

 driest sand. The sun closes the flowers about noon ; but until 

 then a bed of mixed colours is one of the gayest sights ima- 

 ginable. I have Viola cornuta, and Lobelias speciosa, marmo- 

 rata, and Snowflake as edgings. The Lobelias stand well — 

 better than the Viola. Petunias thrive, growing so vigorously 

 in good soil that many of the blotched and variegated kinds 

 have a tendency to run to self colours. Roses suffer much with 

 the heat ; and Fuchsias, of course, must have shade to keep life 

 in them. Among variegated Geraniums I have Mrs. Pollock, 

 Burning Bush, Picturatum, Glowworm, and others. Though 

 planted in a sheltered bed, so far they have not advanced 

 much. 



The flower from which I derive the most satisfaction is the 

 Gladiolus, to which our soil seeniB to be in every way suitable. 

 Last season from one spike of Madame de Vatry I had twenty- 

 seven blooms. This season I had over from Paris all M. Sou- 

 chet's novelties, except Mareehal Vaillant, also many others 

 not in my collection. Some having started into growth during 

 the voyage, I potted and forwarded them in the greenhouse. 

 Among the high-priced novelties Shakspeare and Milton have 

 already bloomed, and they fully sustain M. Souchet's good 

 name. Shakspeare especially is most admirable — a far finer 

 flower than Reine Victoria, in the same style. It seems, indeed, 

 entitled to he called, as in the catalogue, perfection. Milton 

 comes with me rather more rosy than is described, being a 

 rosy blush nicely flaked with rose, a fine flower. 



Thinking of Gladiolus, however, I cannot forbear telling you 

 how fine they are for dinner-table decoration when arranged 

 with slim and tall-growing Ferns. We had the other day a 

 piece of this sort with Princess of Wales in the centre, sur- 

 rounded by one or two EI Dorado, Madame de Basseville, 

 Penelope, Brenchleyensis, Walter Scott, and Canary. A few 

 Fuchsias drooping here and there under the Ferns gave a 

 charming effect. — George Such, South Amboy, New Jersey. 



THE GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT 

 INSTITUTION. 

 Much pleased was I, and so, I have no doubt, were many more 

 besides myself, with the valuable suggestions offered by Mr. W. 

 Paul, in his article on the above in The Journal of Horticul- 

 ture for July 10th, as it seemed to be the first step towards 

 uniting gardeners in forming one brotherhood or society, 

 such as all other trades or professions have, to assist the aged, to 

 benefit the afflicted, and to regulate the wages. Why should 

 not the gardeners have theirs ? Surely they are as able and 

 willing to form a society as those pursuing any other calling, and 

 I think I may add without boasting, being one of their number, 

 that they are as intelligent and steady as any class of men wio 

 work for their living. I am aware that several articles have 

 been written in your Journal on the subject of -rrages, &c, 

 which have been ably answered by Mr. Fish fr°ui time to time 

 in a very kind and considerate manner ; l>»' » s nothing definite 

 has come of them, and as the «We Institution purports to 

 be for the benefit of gardeners, could not its influence be ex- 

 tended for their benefit ? Perhaps I may be asking too much, 

 but it is a fact that there are scores, and I think I might say 

 hundreds, of gardeners totally ignorant of the existence and 

 the benefits to be derived from such a Society, except what 

 they may read in the occasional articles that appear in The 

 Journal op Horticulture. Now, as a first step in the matter, 



