8.—1846.] 
e ` 
THE GARDENERS CHRONICLE. 
119 
Ts it likely that the L.S. Medal, as first prize, will do | sent two Pine-apples, the Antigua Queen, and an En- 
so? Ian satisfied the G.B. for 12 distinet varieties 
in 11-ineh pots, would place this Exhibition more upon 
a par with that of Pelargoniums, which has greatly ad- 
vanced under the liberality of the Horticultural Society, 
and which, I think, will be finer than ever in the 
coming season. Ihave been in days past a successful 
exhibitor of Caleeulirins, and if my suggestion be 
adopted in a future year, 1 will place a sum of money 
at the disposal of my gardener with which to obtain the 
finest varieties and best plants, and so lend a hand to 
restore them to the place I consider they ought to oc- 
cupy at our Chiswick fétes.-— Veritas. 
The Wolly.—The poet Southey asks the question : 
O reader; hast thou ever stood to see 
The Holly tree ? 
The most of the readers of the Chronicle, I will be 
bound to say, would answer yes. Well, says the Poet, 
Jelow a cireling fence its leaves are seen 
Wrinkled and keen ; 
No grazing cattle through their prickly round 
1 reach to wound. 
ey grow where nothing is to fear, 
Smooth aud unarmed the pointless leaves appear. 
Having read the poetry many years ago, and seen it 
quoted in botanical works, I thought it must be true, 
put in order to test the truth of the statement I lately 
examined a number of Holly trees and looked for the 
te Circling fence wrinkled and keen,” and found in some 
cases the leaves hanging to the ground as “smooth and 
unarmed as those of the common Laurel, and I looked 
again, * Where nothing is to fear,” even although the 
Cameleopard had been browsing in the neighbourhood, 
and found them “ wrinkled and keen,” and other trees 
had their leaves wrinkled and smooth both within and 
beyond the reach of “grazing cattle." There can be 
little fault found when he says 
Ilove to view these things with curious eyes 
And moralise ; 
sdom of the Holly tree 
Can emblems gee. a 
Bat when he begins to overstrain his subject, it is time 
that we should examine things and judge for ourselves, 
and however well such sayings may do in the writings 
of poets, I think the scientific botanist should use them 
sparingly.—P. Mackenzie. 
Societies. 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 
Feb. 17.—R. W. BarcuarD, Esq., in the chair. The 
Duke of Cleveland, Capt. F. Brandreth, and Mr. C. 
Lawson, jun., of Edinburgh, were elected Fellows, and 
the following Home Corresponding Members:—Mr. W. 
P. Ayres, Mr. J. Barnes, Mr. W. B. Booth, Mr. J. 
Brown, Mr. D. Cameron, Mr. A. Campbell, Mr. T. 
Corbett, Mr. J. Duncan, Mr. J. Falconer, Mr. R. Fish, 
Mr. D. Ferguson, Mr. G. Fleming, Mr. A. Forsyth, 
Mr. J. Green, Mr. J. Henderson, Mr. E. Law, Mr. A. 
Scott, Mr. J. Spencer, Mr. G. Vinden, Mr. R. Wilson, 
Mr. J. B. Whiting, Mr. J. M-Nab, jun.,.and Mr. R. 
Reid. Of Plauts, Mr. Robertson, gr. to Mrs. Lawrence, 
exhibited three magnificent specimens of Dendrobiums, 
two of nobile, aud one of Walliehii. Of the former one 
measured about 5 feet across and 4 feet in height, and | 
the others were nearly of equal size. Along with these 
were two small plants of Coelogyne Cummingii and tri- 
nervis. A Knightian medal was awarded for the Den- 
drobiums.—From Me. W. P. Ayres, gr. to J. Cook, 
Esq., of Brooklands, was the finest specimen of Erica 
hiemalis, for its age, possibly ever exhibited. It was 
about 3 feet in height and nearly the same in diameter, 
and thickly studded with blossoms down to the pot. It 
was mentioned to have been ‘wo years ago a plant only 
about 6 inches in height, growing ina 5-inch pot. In 
February, 1844, it was potted into an 11-inch pot in a 
mixture of Shirley and Wimbledon peat, with a liberal 
admixture of Reigate sand and charcoal in large pieces, 
intermixed with small pebbles. Until it started into 
free growth it was kept in a moist and rather warm 
atmosphere; but during the summer it was grown 
in a pit having free ventilation, and occasional 
shading in bright sunshine. On dull days and dewy 
evenings the lights were removed entirely, and during 
September and October it was fully exposed to the sun. 
Having grown very freely it showed butlittle disposition to 
bloom, and the few flowers that were produced were re- 
moved as soon as they appeared. In February, 1845, 
it was removed into an 18-inch pot, in which it was ex- 
hibited, and during that season was grown in the green- 
house ; placing it in the open air, however, on all favour- 
able occasions, and watering it occasionally with a weak 
solution of soot and guano in a clear state. A Banksian 
Medal was awarded.—Mr. Redding, gr. to Mrs. Marryat, 
senta fine Dendrobium nobile, Odontoglossum corda- 
tum, a Guatemala species ; a seedling Rhododendron, 
and a species of Aspidistra with curious green and 
brown flowers just peeping above the soil. A certifi- 
cate was awarded for the Dendrobium.— Messrs. Hen- 
derson, of Pine-apple Place, sent a little Coelogyne, an 
Oncidium, Hoitzia coccinea, a gay plant with bright red 
tubular blossoms, a species of Hovea, the old but useful 
Acacia oxycedrus, anda good plant of Phaius Wallichii, 
with palegreen and orange flowers, for which a certificate 
was awarded. Cut blooms of seedling Camellias came 
from Mr. Hally, of Blackheath; and Mr, Ivery, of Peck- 
ham, sent four seedling Cinerarias, named Brilliant, 
Perfection, Fairy Queen, and Colossus. From Mr. J. 
D. Parks, of Dartford, was a seedling Correa and Cine- 
Taria. Specimens of young Potatoes enme from Mr. 
Barnes, of Bieton, exbibiting the same ealamity from 
which they suffered last year. FRUIT, Mr. 
Fleming, gr to the Duke of Sutherland, at Trentham, 
vilie, each weighing 3 lbs. 1 oz. Concerning these it 
was said that the plants had been grown in perforated 
pots, a plan whieh Mr. Fieming considers excellent, as 
it admits of growing the suckers on the old stools, ac- 
cording to the Hamiltonian system, getting over th 
objection that the plants cannot be taken out of the pit, 
after they are ouce planted, without injuring them. 
When a fruit is wanted to be kept for some time after 
itis ripe, the plant is taken into the fruit room, and 
after the fruit is eut, is returned to its place without 
any material injury to the stool and its sucker, and the 
roots in the perforated pots soon emit fresh fibres into 
the material surrounding the pots. The Antigua 
Queen was stated to be an excellent winter 
Pine; along with these Mr. Fleming sent samples of 
Black Hamburgh Grapes, in order to show that good 
Grapes with skilful management may be obtained by the 
first week in February. The crop was mentioned to be 
equal to that of*last year, viz, 120 bunches to nine 
rafters. With these were last year’s bunches of the white 
Tokay, rathershrivelled. A Banksian Medalwasawarded 
miscellaneous objects, Mr. Fry, gr, Lee Park, Black- 
of shifting large plants from one pot or tub to another. 
A Certificate was awarded for a very excellent new 
Hygrometer, for the purpose of indicating the amount 
of humidity present in the atmosphere of hothouses ; it 
was shown by the inventor, Mr. Simmons, of Cole- 
man-street, City.— From the Garden of the Society were 
Epidendrum Stamfordianum, à speeies remarkable for 
its fragrance ; Oncidium Cavendishii, having a strong 
spike of yellow flowers ; Spiranthes cerina ; three species 
of Begonia; Inga puléherrima, with numerous gaudy ta 
sels of long silky stamens; Selago distans, a neat winter 
flowering plant, a Cineraria, a Cape Heath, and Pri- 
mula dentieulata, a hardy Himalayan species, which 
flowers early in spring, and which, when potted and 
placed in the greenhouse, where its beauty is unim- 
paired by the weather, is very ornamental for a long 
time at this season. Cuttings of the following frui: 
trees were distributed to such Fellows as wished to 
receive them, viz.—The Royale Hátive Plum, a very 
early variety, h and sugary, and as large as an 
Orleans; it deserves a wall, but bears and ripens well 
as à standard; requiriug, however, to be well guarded 
from wasps, which prefer it even to the Greengage ; 
E 
generally repudiated, and their place is taken by turfy 
soils, which are found by experience to be far more 
ptible of atmospheric infi 8, as also sufficiently 
rich for general purposes. Everybody who aims at 
high cultivation should have a potting shed, in which the 
soils should be kept for immediate use, in a mellow but 
not dry state. The moment they beeome dry, they 
should he removed to a general mixture in some open 
shed, and kept for purposes which will be described herg- 
after. Much depends on the state of soils at potting 
time, also on the state in which they are collected and 
housed. September, in my opinion, is the most eligible 
time to collect them, for various reasons ; they should 
on no account be collected or moved iu a wet state, tlie 
drier the better, and they should be piled up in sharp and 
narrow ridges to prevent rains from entering. Conserva- 
tory.— Dispense with fires here as much as possible ; a 
temperature of 55? by day and 44? by night will þe suf- 
ficient for general purposes. Do not allow the heat to 
increase much by sunshine. There is as much skill 
displayed in retarding certain flowers as in hastening 
their flowering in the first instance ; and to this end a 
canvass scree `, of a thin character, should always be at 
hand to throw on the roof during the mid-day hours 
of very bright days. Stove and Orchidaceous-house.— 
Continue repotting such Orchids as need that operation. 
Stanhopeas, Acroperas, Dendrobiums, &e., suspended in 
baskets or on blocks, will now either require syringing 
occasionally, or watering by some means. Many of 
these will have received little water since the end of 
October, and wili have become excessively dry. Blocks 
may occasionally be soaked for a few minutes overhead, 
in tepid water ; also baskets if very dry. If syringing 
is resorted to, choose a bright sunny day for the pur- 
pose, and batter them well early in the morning. O 
such oceasions keep a brisk fire-and give air freely until 
the afternoon, for fear of the moisture lodging on the un- 
folding bud, which, in some cases, would prove fatal. 
ome of the winter flowering stove-plants, as Geisso- 
meria, Eranthemum, Plumbago, Justicia, &e., &c., now 
exhausted, should be cut back a little, and left to 
“break” awhile, when they may be disrooted, and 
placed in smaller pots; these wil make large and 
early specimens for next autumn ; whilst cuttings from 
them, struck immediately they break, will furnish suc- 
cession plants of a smaller size, for dressing front 
shelves. The temperature should now be allowed to 
rise freely on bright days in the early part of the after- 
noon— remembering that a rise by means of solar heat 
alone can do no harm for a few hours, even at this 
period, provided it does not exceed 80°. Mixed 
Greenhouse.— Be sure to sow a little Cineraria and 
the Early Purple Guigne, a fine early sort ; Werder's 
Early Heart Cherry, a Prussian variety, earlier than 
the May Duke, and about the size of a Blackheart, but 
better in quality; and Knight’s Monarch Pear. It 
was stated by order of the Council, that in future the 
wives of Fellows would be admitted to the garden and 
house exhibitions without orders, upon signing their 
names in the book provided for the purpose, and that 
the issue of tickets for the garden exhibition, at 3s. 6d. 
each, will be discontinued after the second meeting in 
April, 
a 
LINNASAN SOCIETY. 
Tuesday, Feb. 17.—X. Forster, Esq, in the chair. 
Dr. Kelaart and Major Cautley were elected Fellows. 
J.S. Ralph, Esq., read a paper on the axial and 
abaxial position of carpels. After referring to the fact 
of Leguminosee and Rosacem, Serophulariacez, and 
Gentianaccæ, being distinguished by the relation of their 
carpels to the axis, he pointed out that this distinction 
existed generally in the vegetable kingdom, and might 
be applied to all forms of fruits, except those which were 
solitary and terminal. He divided fruits ou this basis 
into four groups, two. definite, and two indefinite, To 
the first group belonged Serophulariaceze, in which the 
carpels were placed axial and abaxial; to the second, 
Gentianacece, in which the earpels were placed right and 
left of-the axis ; to the third, Rosaceæ, in which the odd 
eatpel was axial; and to the fourth, Leguminosee, in 
which the odd carpel was abaxial. Of genera and 
orders with earpels axial, the author recorded the fol- 
lowing Umbelliferze, Saml: several lace: 
Lychnis,Silene, Philadelphus, someMalvacece, Sterculia, 
&e. Those with abaxial earpels, Legur see, CEno- 
thera, probably Labiate, Serophulariacese, Boragi- 
nace, Ericaceæ, &e. The author recommended that in 
all illustrations of genera, diagrammatic representation 
of the position of the carpels should be given. A paper 
was read from Dr, Boott, deseriptive of several new 
species of Carex. Mr. N. B. Ward exhibited speci 
mens of Chondrus crispus in. three states, from differ- 
ence of locality. 1. Iu the water; 2, washed by the 
waves of the sea; and 3, out of the reach of the water. 
The first had its fronds finely divided ; the second, less; 
whilst the last were perfectly flat. Dr, Kelaart pre- 
sented 70 species of plants from Spain. Captain Shep- 
perd presented pods of Port Royal Senna (Cassia obo- 
vata), from Jamaica. J. Ralph, Esq., presented 
specimens of the fruit of Butea frondosa. Drs. Streeter 
and Ogden, who were elected at the last meeting, signed 
the obligation, and were admitted this evening. 
CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS. 
(For the ensuing Week.) 
CONSERVATORIES, STOVE, &c. 
Composts.—This title was given in former days to 
certain empirical mixtures, which were supposed to 
contain amazing virtues. — "These ave, however, no 
Chinese Primrose seed as scon as you can; this, with 
another good sowing in April, will furnish a ly 
through the next autumn and winter, if high eulisa- 
tion be carried out. Keep an eye on the directions for 
stove plants. Many of the processes described under 
that head will bé necessary here. Attend to your or- 
namental trellis plants, they should be always in high 
dress, and to aecomplish this daily attention is neces- 
savy. Forcing bulbs, as Hyacinths, Narcissi, &e., 
should, after blossoming, have their leaves tied up, 
and should be transferred toa cold frame, and, when 
the most severe weather has passed away, they should 
be turned out of their pots to feed in prepared beds. 
Cierodendrons may now be disrooted, and potted in 
smaller pots in a fibrous soil, and started in a mild 
bottom-heat, Forcing Pit.— Continue to increase atmo- 
spheric heat and moisture at fitting periode. Attend 
to things for succession ; watch the worm in the bud of 
Moss Roses; fumigate for thrips, &c., and see that 
the plants are duly watered with tepid liquid manure. 
Cold Pitsor Frames.—Some little water will now be 
required here, Give plenty of air—all night in safe 
weather ; and propagate’stock for bedding out. 
KITCHEN GARDEN FORCING. 
Pineries.—Although I bave said much about the 
spring shifiing of Pines in previous Calendars, let no in- 
magine that Pines are obliged to be 
In former days the roots were 
m 
wil be as well left until they have filled their pots 
with fresh white fibres; then you may shift them. 
They will, however, require a renewed bottom heat ; 
859 must now be secured for them, and they should 
have a watering with warm liquid manure.  Vineries. 
—In thinning your bunches, take care not to overload 
the Vines; those who do this will find their fruit inferior 
both in flavour and colour to that from Vines fairly 
cropped. I find by a note from Mr. Fleming, that he has 
again succeeded, to his entire satisfaction, in getting good 
forced Grapes in the early part of February. It is 
now, I think, quite clear, that with improved prin- 
ciples of forcing, and (above all) root management, 
not only Grapes—but good, ripe, and well coloured 
hothouse Grapes, may be secured all the year raund by 
those who are willing to secure all the points necessary 
to carry out such views. Peach-house.—Attend well 
to disbudding ; make up your mind to remove every 
superfluous shoot; but be sure to do this slowly. If your 
trees are over luxuriant, pinch the point out of every 
gross shoot assoonas itis 3 or 4 inches in length. By a 
due attention to this, the winter pruner’s business will 
be almost reduced to a sinecure. Mushrooms.—Sprivg 
beds should be made forthwith ; these will produce 
| until the early part of June ; after which they will not 
be good until September. A little more mois! n 
be allowed to the dung at this period ; the evaporations 
