538 Summaty View of the Progress of Gardaiingi 



ing plants as will not be eaten by hares or rabbits iiave been 

 made by Mr. Frost of Dropmore (see p. 498.); and Mr. Caie 

 has directed attention to the very important subject of the culture 

 of certain of the most beautiful of our hardy annuals ; which, 

 when sown in autumn, will endure our most severe winters, and 

 come into flower earlier in spring that they would by any other 

 mode of treatment. This, as we have elsewhere shown, will 

 afford to those who cannot go to much expense, a very cheap 

 mode of making a fine display in a flower-garden; and, as many 

 of these annuals thrive under the shade of deciduous trees, they 

 will admit of producing a fine show of flowers in situations in 

 woods and among groups of trees, where no art of the gardener 

 can make flowers in general thrive. 



Horticulture. — We refer to Mr. Thompson's interesting 

 report, by which it will appear that the present year has been 

 singularly unfavourable for judging of the character and merits 

 of different kinds of fruit. A fair estimate of the merits of the 

 coiling system of vine culture has been made by Mr. Grey 

 (p. 500.), who thinks that it requires too much expense and 

 attention for general use; which has been our opinion from the 

 first introduction of this mode of training by Mr. Mearns. (See 

 Vol. X. p. 141.) Mr. Paxton informs us that the Musa Caven- 

 dish// still continues to answer his expectations ; and he is of 

 opinion with us, that it will soon become one of the most 

 valuable hot-house fruits for small suburban gardens; because 

 it may be grown in a pit, heated either by dung or fire heat; 

 because, like other scitamineous plants, it does not require an 

 intense light; and because a single plant will produce at least 

 ten times more fruit than a pine-apple plant, which would occupy 

 the same space, and require the same, or a longer, period to bring 

 it into a fruiting state. 



The advantage of using a sloping trellis for training pear trees 

 has been pointed out (p. 259.); of disbudding, instead of cutting 

 (p. 203.). Various facts have been brought forward respecting 

 the shriveling and the rust of grapes ; and improved methods 

 have been detailed of bringing forward early melons, forcing 

 strawberries, and raising salads of chicory, fbr which we are 

 indebted to Mr. Cuthill. Several culinary vegetables, which are 

 either new, or worthy of being better known, will be found in 

 our Olitorial Notices (p. 33.), and in an article by Mr. Whiting 

 (p. 499.). To these might be added, a new pea, of the tall mar- 

 rowfat kind, of which there is yet only a small stock in the 

 Hammersmith Nursery; and a new field turnip, sold by Mr. 

 Forrest, which will be hereafter noticed. A new oil plant, said 

 to produce oil equal to that of the olive, and in immense quan- 

 tities, has been brought into notice by M. Bosch, the curator of 

 the Botanic Garden at Stuttgard ; for which he received the 



Id medal of the Stuttgard Agricultural Society, and a present 



