272 
THE GARDENERS' 
CHRONICLE. 
[APRIL 25, 
business in the months of April and May is so great, 
that the destruction of these d d is apt to be 
neglected ; it is, however, of paramount importance. 
Lime is well known to be instant destruction to them ; 
it is, however, not always at hand in a quick state: and 
moreover, a shower of rain soon nullifies its power. I 
am in the habit of using two simple articles, which, if 
timely applied, will bid defiance to their mischievous 
propensities, viz., new sawdust and riddled cinder ashes, 
The ashes are riddled to the size of Radish seeds, all 
dust being excluded, These strewed over the young 
crop when just emerging from the ground, I find to be 
efficient. What an excellent chance is hereby afforded 
where occasion requires, for a thorough mechanical 
division of guano as a top dressing, thus effecting two 
purposes. A handful of good Peruvian guano, blended 
minutely with these ashes, would prove a ready mode 
of manuring a weak seed bed. 
ONSERVATORIES, STOVE, &c. 
Conservatory.—See that climbers and all plants of 
rambling habits have due attention in regard to stopping, 
water, &e. Camellias forced into wood should have 
a trifling check as soon as the young leaves have at- 
tained their full size; this is best accomplished by 
diminishing the supply of water at the root. Continue, 
however, to shade and syringe morning and evening. 
Stove and Orchids.—Stove plants as in last Calendar. 
See that growing Orchids have due attention in 
regard to shading and atmospheric moisture; the 
latter is still, I imagine, lamentably deficient in 
many structures; or, if of sufficient amount, of too 
fluctuating and capricious a character. Mixed Green- 
house.— As this is everybody’s structure, I may perhaps 
be excused for treating of many things under this head 
which should more properly be ranged under 
the heads stove or common greenhouse. In doing 
this, I am presuming that a climate somewhat in 
advance of the cool greenhouse, that is to say, a house 
in which artificial heat is used only to repel the frost, 
is maintained. By keeping one end of such a house 
(the end where the hot-water or smoke flue enters) 
closer, using more atmospheric moisture, and at the 
same time a greater amount of air at the other extreme 
end, it is not by any means impossible for the amateur 
to indulge in many of the luxuries of larger establish- 
ments. Repot and propagate Begonias. This is one 
of the most useful families of plants that can be grown. 
Keep up a cleanly system of cultivation, by means of 
sweet and healthful soils, and improved modes of pot- 
ting ; together with the most complete drainage, and 
the constant use of weak and clear liquid manure, 
during the growing season. Cold Pits or Frames.— 
These will be occupied now with some of the early 
struck or potted off stock, hardening for the flower- 
Any spare room may be occupied with the 
thinnings of the other plant houses. 
KITCHEN GARDEN FORCING. 
Pines.—See that good mellow turfy soil is ready 
under cover for shifting processes; as also materials 
for thorough drainage ; as broken crocks, rough bones, 
charcoal, &c. Use good and clear liquid manure, to 
swelling fruit, when necessary ; and keep up a lively 
heat, with plenty of atmospheric moisture. Vineries.— 
The late or winter Grapes, such as West’s St. Peters, 
Black Hamburgh, Black Damascus, Museats, &c., will 
be now budding fast. Let disbudding, tying, stopping, 
&e. be duly attended to, according to principles laid 
down for the earliest house. Melons, Cucumbers, &c. 
—See to a second sowing of ridge Cucumbers ; get the 
earliest hardened forthwith, preparatory to turning out, 
and let the trenches be prepared, A trench thrown 
out 3 feet wide, and 2 feet deep, and filled to a foot 
above the ground level with such materials as litter, 
Grass mowings, or leaves, with a little hot manure, all 
thoroughly blended, will make an excellent bed. 
When completed, raise mounds of soil 3 or 4 feet apart, 
to receive the hand-glasses, leaving the residue un- 
covered with soil for the present. 
KITCHEN GARDEN AND ORCHARD. 
A sloping bank should now be prepared, and planted 
with nice runners of the Alpine Strawberry, for fruiting 
in September and October; plant three in a patch, at 
intervals of 15 inches; the ground between should be 
covered with slates when the plants are established. 
Transplant Cl ile; sow ion of round 
Spinach in a cool aspect; and let all Beet, Scorzonera, 
Salsafy, &c., be got in, if not done, Secure plenty of 
good Parsley in highly manured beds, at the nearest 
end of the kitchen garden, and examine and remove 
the herb plantations." Sow a bed or two of herbs for 
next year's planting ; this should be done every second 
year in all gardens—such as pot Marjoram, Winter Sa- 
vory, Thyme, &c. &e., as the old plants are liable to 
wear out. Thin suckers from Raspberries, leaving 
four or five to each stool. Take care to tl hl 
not exposed to the too powerful action of the sun, If 
the seed gathered last season has not been previously 
sown, now will be found a good time. Sow in shallow 
pans or boxes, in light vegetable soil ; it is only requisi 
ite 
to press the seed on the surface, and cover lightly with 
fresh Moss. They will,when placed in a cold frame, be 
up in a few days. Ranunculuses.—Take great care 
that the soil is close round the neck of the rising plant ; 
remove all weeds as they appear, and if the beds are 
infested with worms, pour lime-water in the holes which 
they make on the surface. — T'ulips.—'The unusual pre- 
cocity Of these noble flowers has rendered them more 
liable to injury from the late spring frosts which we 
have had, the consequence is that the bloom generally 
this season will be unsatisfactery. When the flowers 
begin to show colour, the top cloths of the awning may 
be put on. Carefully examine all diseased foliage (of 
which, unfortunately, there are great complaints this 
season) and expose the affected parts as much as pos- 
sible to the air. Carnations and Picotees.—Put down 
the sticks as soon as possible ; if delayed, the roots will 
be injured by their insertion. 
OTTAGERS' GARDENS. 
Mangold Wurzel should be sown forthwith, if needed 
for the cottager's cows. If his land be light, deep, and 
sandy, this crop will pay him better than Swedes ; and 
will both keep and answer as well as they. Prepare a bed 
for a few of the February sown Cabbages ; they will 
succeed the autumn plants as well as give the latter 
time after the head is eut to make bold sprouts. A 
bed of Swede Turnips should be sown by all means; if 
the Potatoes should miss, these will do to fill up all 
blanks. Let the cottager dress well his flower-beds, 
and endeavour to replenish his lost stock. It is to be 
hoped the higher order of gardeners are always ready 
to lend a helping hand in this respect to those who are 
industrious and civil, 
FORESTING, 
Look to new plantations ; the season here, however, 
is very rainy, and this in all probability is rather gene- 
ral; if so, this will be a good spring for late planting. 
Keep a vigilant eye upon the nursery seed-beds. 
State of the Weather near London, for the week ending April 23, 1846, a& 
obser vedat the Horticultural Garden, Chiswick. 
|| Moon's] uE WSRHOMWEHR. | Wing, | Raine 
Apel Axe | Min. | Mean || 
Frid. 17 | s 505 | SW. | .09 
Sat. 18 [d 48.0 N. 
un, 19 | 23 43.5 
Mon, 30 | $4 40.5 ES 
Tnes. 91 | 25 43.5 
ed, 38 | 36 47.0 
Thurs. 23 | 27 | 47.5 27 
Average 99989 | 29.920 | 54.8] 45.8 al 
Apnl17— ; densely overcast; rain at night * 
18 - Rain; densely clouded 
19—Overcast; cloudy and cold; clear at night 
$0—Clear; cloudy; showers, partly hail; frosty at night 
21—Frosty ; f pgy; fine; clear and cold at night 
22—Fopgy; overcssr, with dry heze 
38—Lighs clouds; dense white and dark clouds; uniformly overcast; 
rain at night. , 
Mean temperature of the week 9} deg. below the average. 
State of the Weather at Chiswick during the last 20 years, for the 
nauing Week ending May 2, 1846. 
Prevailing Winds. 
No. of be: E 
Rees. Amets rof | Greatest | 1. STET 
April | Highest} Lowest | Mean) Years in| quantity | - à da 
T owent (Temp which it | Tee Sty |Z g| 
mb petii PHRDISd, | : z 
Sun. 96 i 0.12 In. | $ 32 
Moz. 27 0.12 6 - 
Tues. 28 7 0.10 l —| 2 
Wed, 29 7 0.75 2) 4 
Thar. 30 8 0.81 E 1| 2 
ay | 
Fri. 1| 648 | 423 | 63.5 8 0.51 1| a 
Sat. 2 65.6 43.1 54.3 6 0.72 1 21 
"The highest temperature during the above period occurred on the Süth, 
18410—therm.81? ; and the lowest on the 26th, 1835—therm. 25°. 
Notices to Correspondents. 
AURICULA Sxep—Philo—Ist. When the flower-stems of your 
Auriculas assume a yellow or faded appearance, they may 
then be cut off; after tying them together the heads may be 
inserted in a small thin paper bag, and hung in a dry place 
till the period of sowing arrives, 2d. All the varieties of 
grey, green, and white-edged may be obtained from the seed 
of the sorts. 3d. It is usual to sow the seed early 
They may be sown in 
d in a cool frame. The 
equally moist, and insures its rapid and certain germination. 
This Moss must bi i 
above-ground. They do npt by any means require heat, and 
V. 
GnreEnnousrs—Villager—No plants will flower well if always 
muc 
clean all Strawberry plantations before the runners 
come out. 
FLOWER-GARDEN AND SHRUBBERIES. 
, l'horough-dress all beds and borders ; prepare sta- 
tions on lawns for extraordinary specimens of orna. 
mental plants, as large Fuchsias, &c., viz., drainage in 
the bottom, and good turfy and mellow compost above. 
Trim and prune all climbers on out-door trellises, or 
conservative walls; and prepare stations to fill up 
blanks. 
- FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Auriculas are now blooming ; theamateur may ex- 
periment in cross fertilization to obtain new varieties, 
In growing for exhibition, the pips which are misshapen 
should be removed with a shar) -pointed pair of scissors, 
and care must be taken that the trusses of blooms are 
keptinag screened from the sun; but they 
will grow there. You may, however, force bulbs, &c., in it: 
d so also Pelargoniums, provided you can let them have the 
benefit of the summer's sun in the open air. 
HEATING — Henry — Your plan is out of mind. It does not 
matter how the drain runs provided it passes from the frames 
into the lowest part of the cellar, — 7 D W—The Polmaise 
heating was first applied to churches, It is so stated, with 
many details, in a Leading Article, in our last Number. Mr. 
Haden's address, who put up the apparatus in St. Verner's 
church, has been given in our advertizing columns, See 
page 95, and he would no doubt be glad to enter into com- 
Insects—Z C H—Th i 
probability injure your Cabbage plants, vide the Gard. Chron., 
vol. 4, p. 765. R.—J C— The beetles infesting your Peach- 
trees are the Curculio picipes and Anisoplia horticola, which 
you will find described and figured in the Gard. Chron., vol, 1, 
p. 292, and vol. 4, p. 700. R, —A B D—No. 1 is a foreign 
is probably as destructive as our own. 
/—It is the Ptinu: 
amongst the Indian Corn. Can you ascertain if the beetles 
had fed upon it? if so, please to send us a few of the nibbled 
grains, 
KITCHEN GARDEN Oroprine—@ B asks for information as to 
anner in which the cottager in Norfolk, mentioned at 
p. 292, raised four crops of Potatoes in one year on the same 
iece of ground, 
MANURES— We have received from Mr. Darke, of Birmingham, 
wo pots of his “ Stimulating Compound." We have not 
tried its effect upon plants, but as he has communieated to 
us confidentially the ingredients of which it is composed, 
we can say that, if honestly compounded, it promises to 
an excellent material for gardeners. We shall give it a trial 
and report more particularly on the subject hereafter. 
Names or PLrants—@ W—Ornithopus perpusillus we believe ; 
but it is not in flower. It is not a Clove: G J—Nidularia 
campanulata, the Bird’s-nest Peziza.—J € Whecler—An 
Acacia new to gardens. You shall have the name nex! 
week,—. ? D—Y our plant is unknown to us. i 
require two or three hours to determine its name. We 
will endeavour to satisfy you next week. It is some tro- 
pical Cinchonad.—D Murray—Crassula imbricata. 
Porators—A Q Z—We do not know to what you allude, We 
can find nothing editorial on the subject. ‘Certainly do not 
use fresh lime with ammoniacal manures for this crop. 
Heavy losses have already been sustained by the practice. 
We are trying a modification of Mr. Forsyth's “ active bed, 
(See his pamphlet)—something between it and the Irish 
ed—well dressed with charcoal dust and wood ashes. 
We have nothing to say in favour of tan. you have it you 
may find it worth employing in the manner you propose; but we 
cannot advise you to buy it, —. l—The Azores Potatoes 
were advertised by Messrs. Keeling and Co., of Monument- 
yard, at p.246. New Grenada and Neapolitan Potatoes are on 
sale in Liverpool, and may be heard of among the merchants. 
Ts—Beta—Phosphorie poison does its work so effectually 
and quickly, that there is no object in trapping rats. e 
are not aware that the mousetrap can in action. The 
following is the substance of what was formerly said about 
i It consists of a box with two sides open at the ends, 
aving a false bottom, which is in two lengths hung by pivots. 
Each piece of board forming the swing bottom is made to 
taper at one end in the form of a wed, 
» 
IL] 
xz 
A cert 
heat properly. Perhaps, moreover, you have rammed it down 
oo hard. It is a material that should be expelled from gar- 
Tanxs—Yolla—Cover your tanks with gravel or coarse cinder- 
h its mouth 
itis driven off; but your covers should ; jd 
render this necessary. Soft brick-pavings will always be 
amp. 
Wan n Sub—We have not the address of any of the people 
who bore Artesian wells. An advertisement would perhaps 
discover them. 
Misc.—G J—The. Paper is stamped at Somerset House; we 
cannot interfere.—— G J—We are unacquainted with the 
roots called Cara and K) 
and if we ean learn 
anything will again mention it, There 
is no hope of its i in i ds.—-F @ 
G 
drought. ——V— The atmosphere of your hothouse being 
damp is the cause of your Vines emitting numerous root-like 
hollow iron. Youwill find the account of it at p. 862, 1845.—— 
r Fuchsias, those bred from F. fulgens and cor- 
difolia ave tender ; those from discolor, conica, gracilis, and 
multiflora are the hardiest.[—— Lyston— The fumigating your 
house strongly with Tobacco might possibly have the effect of 
causing your Fuchsias to suddenly drop their leaves ; it is 
probable also that drought had something to do with the 
evil, The Fuchsia is a thirsty plant, and when grown i 
high temperature, and in a luxuriant condition especially, 
should have plenty of water.]- i modes oj 
raising Potatoes from seed have been given in our columns ; 
e most recent account appeared in an extract from & 
80.$ 
L,— Various 
e disk, which give the flowers a rough ap- 
*,* As usual, many communications have been received too lates 
and others are unavoidably detained till the necessary inquiries 
can be made, e must also beg for the indulgence of those 
numerous correspondents, the insertion of whose interesting 
contributions is still delayed. 
EzRATUM—In last week's Paper, under the head Garden 
Memoranda, line 36 from top col. a, for “heated air" read 
‘ air.” 
