Angast 19, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUaE AND COTTAGE GASDENER. 



143 



TVe all tnow that some plants are mncli more sensitive than others 

 to iDJarioas chemical matters in the atmosphere. When I came to 

 my present sitaation the Fir and Larch were hpaltby ; these were the 

 first to give vray, ami the first which huu t.i be cat down. Cotoueaster 

 microphylla next died ; the Arbor Vita\ Janiper, Erica, and common 

 Rosemary followed, and what few now exist of these are in a wretched 

 condition ; so is Berberis ilicifolia ; the Yew, once very vigoroua. is all 

 bat destroyed ; the Rose struggles hard for existence ; the Holly is 

 j^iviug way ; and none of the Conifers, if planted in these gronnds, will 

 live more than two or three years. Many of the forest trees that 

 flonrishod twenty years ago are gradually becoming weaker every year, 

 as the air becomes more and more filled with obnoxious vaponrs, and 

 some of them are affected sooner than others. The Sycamore, more 

 particularly the variegated variety, is very tender, it suffers severely ; 

 the Hornbeam is fast decaying; the Horse-Chestnut grows vigorously, 

 but is often severely cat while the foliage. is yonng, and never worse 

 than at present; and the Beech and Lime tree are somewhat stronger 

 than the above, though very far from being healthy. The Ash seems 

 to stand best, and the Elm the next ; b'at all of these are dirty, and 

 are injured to a considerable extent. 



Among fruit trees, the Pear appears to stand best, but is not up to 

 the mark, and the Plnm and Damsou moderately well, but they are 

 giving way. The Apple is suffering very much ; only young trees are 

 at all vigorous, and these not satisfactory; the full-grown trees are 

 very bad, and the fruit very inferior. The Bed and White Carrant 

 have suffered severely, being very subject to the attacks of aphides ; 

 the leaves then become covered with an adhesive substance, the soot 

 coats them over and chokes the pores, and the leaves falling off in 

 summer, the wood cannot get matured, and the plant ultimately dies. 

 Our Currant trees, that a few years ago were healthy and produced 

 very flue fruit, are now quite mined. The Raspberry stands pretty 

 well in, more favoured times — that is, when the air is moderately free 

 from smoke. The Gooseberry is inferior. The fruit of all these plants 

 would soon be detected in the market as having been grown in a 

 smoky atmosphere. 



Many vegetables which grow strongly do well in summer, but when 

 the autumn sets in the air is so heavy, and filled with poisonous gases, 

 that they soon decay. Kidney Beans sometimes drop off as early as 

 October. Cauliflowers do not stand any frost here as they do a short 

 diatauce from town ; even common Winter Greens are injured to a 

 considerable degree, and it is only in very mild winters that the Broc- 

 coli keeps alive. 



Many half-hardy flowering plants do not prosper. The Pelargonium, 

 which grows the best here, has the flowers often discoloured during the 

 night, if the barometer is low and the air charged with chemical vapours. 

 A few plants stand pretty well ; the Rhododendron, Aucuba japonica. 

 and the Hawthorn flourish here. Some species of plants suffer in 

 all parts of the garden, others only in certain parts. Where the Haw- 

 thorn, Rhododendron, and Yew are planted side by side, the first 

 two are healthy, the Yew almost dead. We find, too, that where some 

 of the delicate plants are considerably sheltered from the passing 

 vapours, they are somewhat healthier than those more exposed to 

 smoke. 



The above remarks have reference only to the grounds on which I 

 am employed, and which are peculiarly situated. Some time ago the 

 town lay to the east and north of the hall and gardens, but now they 

 are surrounded on all sides except directly to the south. Trade gra- 

 dually increased, and during the last three or four years has rapidly 

 progressed, therefore smoke has progressed too. Some of the works 

 are of a very disagreeable kind, dispersing very obnoxious smells 

 throughout the town, and unquestionably doing a great deal of harm 

 to vegetable life. I have been on the gronnds at all hotTrs of the 

 morning and night, and have felt the disagreeable vapours pass in a 

 body when there has been scarcely a breeze : this has been when the 

 atmosphere was heavy and foggy, and it is on occasions like this that 

 the flowers are found to bo discoloured in the morning. Sometimes 

 we find the foliage while m a young state cut in a straight line, and 

 this suddenly. Under all circumstances, the trees in the town cast their 

 leaves at least six weeks before those in the surrounding districts, 

 where there are no manufactories. W^hen the wind is from the east 

 we do not suffer so much as when it is from the west, for in the former 

 case it is often sharp, and carries away the smoke, but in the latter it 

 is soft, the air heavy and moist, and the smoke falls quickly to the 

 ground, Banging among the trees, and passing away very slowly ; 

 therefore the plants suffer more. 



That some works are more deleterious than others we have aafficient 

 proof. On the east side of the town a firm of long standing has lately 

 introduced a fresh branch into its trade. Close to these work;? are 

 tho rectory grounds, which, as well as the land adjoining, are wretched 

 in the extreme ; forest and fruit trees, shrubs, &c., are dead and dying : 

 only such as are screened from the works are fit to stand, and even 

 these are looking badly. 



The outskirts of Warrington are somewhat better. Several Conifevs 

 that will not live at all with us are found in some of the gardens, bnfc 

 not in a satisfactoi^ state. If we go six miles west wo come to one of 

 the most desolate places one ever saw, trees and hedges being killed 

 for a considerable distance. The Thorn and Elder appear to be the 

 hardiest; miserable relics of these are nearest to this rising town — 

 Widnes, where chemical warks are numerous. If we go eight or nine 

 miles north-west we eomo to St. Helen's, another town spreading 



desolation ; trees arc dying for miles away from it. East and south- 

 ward of Warrington, where no works are, the country is fertile and 

 the foliage rich. 



Plants with smooth, glossy leaves, of vigorous habits, grow best in 

 Warrington. The Oak looks as well in the town as the country, for 

 all of US know this tree in many parts of the country is decaying. 

 With us the Labuniam flourishes, so do the Syringa, the Willow, the 

 Birch, tha Ivy, and the Elder. The Privet grows moderately. All 

 vegetables mast be vigorous, otherwise they will not stand the smoke. 

 Thirty years ago the farmer grew large quantities of Ridge Cucumbers 

 in the fieHs, but now he cannot grow them. Gourds will not now grow 

 in the town, unless when the season happens to hs favoured by a less 

 amount of smoke than we have on an average. 



Under circumstances such as these we can ouly do our best to grow 

 such plants as will withstand the evil, and ask the manufacturers to 

 assist us by rcduciag that evil as far as they are able, by consuming 

 the smoke. Some have done so here to a cjreat extent ; we must hops 

 others will follow in their steps. We do not know how much might be 

 done through a persevering, ingenious man ; many wonderful things 

 bave been accomplished, and we cannot teil what may yet be done. 

 The earth is not only given to U5 for usefulness in bringing food, but 

 also for producing things of beauty and adornment, and it is the duty 

 of every man to try to accomplish theae ends. — E. Green, Gtirdencr 

 to Ci>l. the Riijht Hon. J. V/ilson Potten, M.P., BanhHall, Wamngfon 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 August 17th. 



Frutt Cor.miTTEE. — G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the cbaii-. 

 Messrs. Veitch & Son sent parcels of their Impra^ed Ash-leaved Kid- 

 ney Potato, which was found at Chiswick to be very prolific, and when 

 cooked very floury. Mr. Thomas, of Shrewsbury, exhibited a seedling 

 raised from a cross between Arrowsmith's Seedling and Fluke. This^ 

 is a roundish Potato. Mr. Earley, of Digswell, sent a bundle of 

 Short-horn Carrots, which were highly commended by the Committee 

 for their unusual size. Mr. Eckford, of Coleshiil Park, gent a large 

 Lettuce under the name of Coleshill Park Lettuce, which proved to 

 be the Florence Cos. Mr. R. Smith, gardener to T. Nicoll, Esq., 

 Wembly Hill House, Sudbury, sent a Cucumber, supposed to be Long 

 Gun, 2S inches long ; but as it was quite ripe, its length was its only 

 attraction. Messrs. F. Jir A. Smith, Dulwich, sent fruit of Surrey 

 Prolific Cucumber, a good, solid, and heavy variety, not of great length, 

 but of general utility. Mr. Baker, of Honiton. sent two varieties of 

 Cucumber, called Eclipse and Bowlen's Long, neither of which was 

 considered an improvement on existing kinds. 



Mr. George Lee, of Clevedon, near Bristol, sent branches of Lee's 

 Prolific Black Currant, which obtained a certificate at last meeting. 

 These were sent to show that the fruit hangs well on the tree. The 

 fruit maintained all the good properties which it exhibited at the pre- 

 vious meeting. Mr. McLaren, of Ash Common, Surrey, sent fruiting 

 branches and a dish of fruit of a seedling double-bearing Raspberry, 

 to which a first-class certificate was awarded for its robust habit, fer- 

 tility, aud size of the fruit. Mr. Cooling, of Bath, sent fruit of Brail- 

 brook Seedling. This Apple has been sent on various occasions, but 

 never before in con^lition to enable the Committee to form a decided 

 opinion. It was now shown in good condition, and in the opinion of 

 the Committee was not of suQicient merit to warrant a certifi-cate. 

 Mr. Dry, of Hayes, Middlesex, sent a dish of a seedling Plum, which 

 has been several times before the meeting. It is a large, oval, purple 

 Plum, of excellent flavour, early, having been grown as a standard. 

 It was awarded a first-class certificate, and was named Dry's Seedling. 

 Mr. Fenu, The Rectory, Woodstock, sent twelve sorts of Gooseberries, 

 to show that some or the largest size are not so deficient in flavour as 

 it is generally supposed they are. The whole of the varieties sent 

 being rather over-ripe, the Committee could not form any judgment 

 on their merits. Messrs. Lee. of Hammersmith, sent fruit of the 

 Royal \'ineyard Fig, a medium-sized, long, grizzly Fig. The flavour 

 was good, but it was recommended to allow any opinion upon it to 

 stand over for a fortnight, when the collection at Chiswick ivill be in 

 fruit, and a comparison can be made. Mr. W. Bull, of Cihe'sea, sent 

 fruit of a scarlet-fleshed Melon, called Nonpareil, wh ch did not 

 possess suSicient merit. 



Messrs. Standish. of Ascot, sent a dish of Gloede's Perpetual Pine 

 Strawberries, from runners planted in May. Mr. Mclndoe, gardener 

 to the Archbishop of York, sent a dish of large and very fine fruit of 

 St. Ambroise Apricot, which were highly commended. It is a large, 

 handsome Apricot, inferior in flavour to Moorpark, but is a fortnight 

 earlier. Mr. Fairhaim, gardener to W. Death, Esq., South Lodge, 

 Bishop Stoi-tford, sent a splendid fruit of Enville Pine Apple, weigh- 

 ing 9 lbs. 5^ OSS. It was awarded a special certificate for superior 

 cultivation. Mr. Carmichael, gardener to H.K.H. the Priuceof 

 Wales, sent a bunch of Muscat Champion Grape, the berries of which 

 were of very large size, nnd the flavour excellent. Alexander Scrutton, 

 Esq., of Blackheath Park, sent three very fine bunches of Black 

 Prince Grape. Mr. Goode, of Melchet Park, Romsey, sent three 

 large bunches of Duchess of Buccleuch Grape. Mr. Melville, of 

 Dalmeny Park, sent fruit of a seedling Grape, which was so much 

 damaged as to destroy the flavour. Mr. Pearson, of Chilwel!, brought 

 several varieties of seediijig Grapes, three of which were considered 



