THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 299 
ticle. 
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1846. 
MEETINGS FOR DRE MO FOLLOWING WEEKS. 
H Societ; Art; . " . . Me 
‘Wrorrspay, — 20—Royal Botanic Gardens . 4 
TnonspAv, —21—Royal South London . . + 1 Pat, 
The Gardeners’ Che 
"COUNTRY SHOWS, 
Tonay, May 12—Stamtord Hill Horti 
altura], 
THURSDAY, 14—South Essex Horticultural and Floricultural. 
Amone the other pleasant companions with which 
we are likely to be favoured in the ensuing summer, 
we can confidently rely upon the Wasrs. "They 
have had a charming winter; are now, in May, as 
vigorous as in June, as plentiful as in July, and 
will certainly take care to help themselves to a lion’s 
share of the good things which it is to be hoped 
that a fine summer will bring us. 
We have not yet heard of any philanthropic 
‘persons having taken these marauders under their 
protection. That is a stage of civilisation at which 
we have not at present arrived; though, consider- 
ing how far sickly sentimentality is going just now, 
there is no knowing what may happen. In the 
hile, until w tchi becomes penal, 
either legally or socially,we would advise those who 
are likely to have anything eatable next autumn, to 
look sharp now. It is quite time for them to open 
their eyes, forlegions of wasps are preparing for a 
descent; theirscouts are fully occupied in recon- 
noitring the country ; and if we are not to be mar- 
tyred,we must exterminate the scouts at once. Every 
one of these is said to be the author of a nest ; and, 
therefore, every scout. that perishes now will save 
us all the perils of turpentine, fire, gunpowder, and 
stings hereafter. Common wasp-traps will not, at 
present, be of much service ; a far better contrivance 
is a pair of entomological forceps, which we see are 
advertised to-day, for with them it will be very easy 
to teach children to catch the wasp on the wing. 
We have just killed two within these five minutes. 
“Therefore, friends, 
Forthwith a power of English let us levy, 
To chase these pagans from our budding fields.” 
‘Ture is one cause of Canker in fruit trees to 
which we only incidentally alluded last week, and to 
which we would now draw more particular atten- 
tion. We stated that it may be a temporary 
disease induced by local causes. Probably it is so 
in more instances than are suspected ; possibly it is 
always thus brought about in the beginning, even 
when it becomes hereditary. 
Let us suppose a delicate plant, some tender 
variety of the Pear, for instance, raised at Paris, 
cultivated there for many years, then bought for the 
English market, and suddenly distributed through 
the country gardens of England. Such a plant will 
be removed from a warm, dry, chalky soil, a hot 
summer, which renders the wood as hard as Oak, 
and a steadily cold winter, which absolutely arrests 
all vegetation, to a cold damp clay or loam, half 
drained may be, a cool damp summer, and cloudy 
sky, which leave the wood as soft in autumn as at 
Paris it is at midsummer, and, to crown all, a fitful 
winter, mild and severe by turns, now bringing the 
sun of May in February, and replacing it by De- 
cember nights in May. 
Under such circumstances what will happen to 
the Parisian Pear? Its wood will be alternately 
frozen and thawed ; its watery texture will render 
it peculiarly liable to damage in time of frost ; parts 
will die or be so injured as to be unfit to carry on 
their offices when spring returns; and every shoot 
will contain dead points or foci, which, however, the 
eye fails to detect at the time. When growth 
returns, the naturally vigorous constitution of the 
Pear tree makes a struggle to overcome the 
disasters of winter ; new wood is deposited over the 
old internal sores, and all seems healthy. But the 
Season is again unfavourable; the diseased foci 
cannot act as Nature meant them; watery and 
highly azotised sap collects in them, and runs into 
astate of incipient putrefaction ; then the sore is 
established : out of sight, perhaps, but certainly 
Eueohuneib and the seeds of canker are effectually 
own, 
a RM n 
t position, and which he names 
the “exciter” added to a mixed fluid in which its 
Constituents are contained, can reproduce itself in 
that fluid. And he refers to the well-known fact 
that the putrid matter of a decaying animal body 
laid upon the fresh wound of a living animal wiil 
ring on vomiting, debility, and even death, as 
happens to students in dissecting-rooms. 7) eor-|* 
nection with his views ou this subject that great 
chemist has the following striking passage, the 
bearing of which upon the case before us is of the 
first importance :— 
* In order to explain the effects of contagious 
matters, a peculiar principle of life has been ascribed 
to them—a life similar to that possessed by the 
germ of aseed, which enables it, under favourable 
conditions, to develope and multiply itself. It would 
be impossiblé to find a more correct figurative re- 
presentation of these phenomena ; itis one which is 
applicable to contagions as well as to ferment, to 
animal and vegetable substances in a state of fer- 
mentation, putrefaction or decay, and even to a 
piece of decaying wood, which, by mere contact 
with fresh wood, causes the latter to undergo 
gradually the same changes, and become decayed 
and mouldered ” 
We believe this to be so often the first cause of 
canker, that perhaps every other symptom is but 
secondary. And it is quite conceivable that the 
most inveterate condition of this disease, even in 
a hereditary form, may be referable to the seeds 
of the virus of decay, distributed in all directions 
through the vegetable fabric. 
Supposing these views to be just, it is quite clear 
that the only courses which can be taken advanta- 
geously in order to secure ourselves against canker 
are two: the one not to plant such delicate varie- 
ties as no skill and care will ever reconcile to our 
climate ; the other to compensate for an ungenial 
climate by scientific practice. We cannot make 
sunshine ; we have no control over atmospheric 
temperature ; rain will fall in spite of us; and it 
would be hopeless to struggle against a capricious 
winter, even if timber and glass were as cheap as 
brown paper. The evil must be arrested by other 
means. 
The reason why wood does not ripen in an English 
summer is that the light is insufficient to cause an 
adequate amount of perspiration from the leaves 
and branches, so that they become water-logged as 
it were. The cure for this is to give the roots less 
water, for then the leaves and branches will have 
less need of relief by evaporation. In order to get 
rid of the excess of water, mere drainage is not 
enough, althoughindispensable. It is desirable that 
the earth in which the fruit trees are growing should 
be so raised above the surrounding level as to be 
maintained continually ina warmer and drier state 
than the level itself; for then the heat absorbed 
from the sun will be radiated back into the air, and 
maintain the atmosphere of the trees in a milder and 
warmer condition than would be otherwise possible ; 
and the main fact of thus raising the usual tempe- 
rature around the leaves and branches, will assistin 
promoting their healthy evaporation, which results 
in ripeness if carried far enough. 
We would ask all those who have cankery gar- 
dens to consider how far these remarks apply to 
their own cases, after they have left out of the in- 
quiry such tender and incurably diseased varieties 
as many of those which we named in a Leading 
Article last week. 
Ir is along time since the Turr Growers, of 
this country have experienced a more unpropitious 
season than the present has hitherto proved; for, 
with all the care and attention directed towards 
their collections which experience could suggest, 
many cultivators are doomed to suffer disappoint- 
ment, and in many instances, heavy loss—loss in fact, 
which cannot even be replaced by money. Last 
December, towards Christmas, Tulips generally 
were a month in advance of their usual growth at 
that period, both in the northern and southern 
countries ; fears were then frequently expressed 
that disastrous results would ensue ; unfortunately 
these gloomy forebodings have in many cases been 
too sadly realised. 
The mischief is attributed by some to a want 
of sun-light last season, and to improper elabo- 
ration of the sap ; others attribute it to the 
open and moist winter, imagining that the roots 
became after planting overcharged with moisture. 
From reports from various parts of the country it 
appears that collections are similarly affected in dif- 
ferent situations. Beds which have been carefully 
covered and sheltered from prevailing winds and 
frosts, have suffered equally with those which have 
been exposed to the vicissitudes of our varying 
ates : 
jg again, have had many bulbs which did 
not make their appearance above ground, and on 
examination vroved. to be perfectly decayed and 
mouldy, whilst of those which have thrown up 
flower stems, the ‘buds are, in the majority of cases, 
malformed and dis, esed. A first-rate grower, who 
has a splendid assorti X ent of most of the best varie- 
ties in cultivation, writin from Lancashire, says, 
~ Tulins tha 7 
J dare scarcely allude ird Tulins. for very 
mention of them is painful. My best bed is a miser- 
able wreck, there is not afourth part in a healthy 
condition ; whether to attribute it to the open and 
wet winter, or to the soil, or both conjoined, I know 
not, but one thing is certain, I never plauted so fine 
a bed of bulbs. Most came up very promisingly, 
but. soon began to show signs of disease, which has 
been most fatal and extensive. Even of kinds 
which I grew in quantity, I shall scarcely have any 
left." 
From Leeds, Sheffield, Derby, Nottingham, &e., 
we have similar complaints. The stock of several 
fine seedlings in the latter neighbourhood being 
wholly lost. We are glad, however, to record, from 
the same counties, that some have escaped, at least 
comparatively so ; for even beds that looked well a 
month ago are rapidly deteriorating, and consider- 
able dismay appears to pervade the fancy. Can any 
of our friends give any information as to the pro- 
bable cause of the malady ?— W. 
We announce, with great pleasure, that Mr. 
Fortune has just reached England, from China, in 
good health. His collections, in 18 glazed cases, 
ave arrived in beautiful condition ; and we have 
no doubt that the final result of his great exertions 
will be among the most important of the important 
measures which have been brought about under the 
auspices of the Council of the Horticultural Society. 
Letters from Mr. Harrwee have also come to 
hand by the last steamer. He was still at Tepic, 
but was about to start immediately for San Blas, 
en.route to Mazatlan, his baggage having just come 
up. Some new seeds and plants are on their way. 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BROCCOLI AND 
CAULIFLOWER, 
A CORRESPONDENT inquires what is the exact differ- 
ence between Broccoli and Cauliflower? Many varie- 
ties of Broceoli are easily distinguished ; such are all 
those having purple or sulphur-coloured heads. However 
much they resemble Cauliflower in other respects, if the 
heads are not white, they must be considered Broccoli; 
and likewise those that do not form one compact regu- 
lar. corymb, whatever their colour may be, as in the 
case of sprouting Broccoli; Again, if a variety is so 
far different in constitution as to endure a degree of 
cold that would kill the Cauliflower, that variety is 
termed a Broccoli. There is, however, no very distinct 
line of difference between some of. the white Broccolies 
and the Cauliflower. In the time of Miller, there ap- 
pears to have been only two varieties of Broccoli culti 
vated, which he distinguished as the Brassica Italica 
purpurea, the Purple Broccoli; and. the Brassica 
Italica alba, the White. ` In treating of them, he says, 
«The two sorts of Broccoli I take to be only varieties 
ofthe Cauliflower," Professor de Candolle, in a me- 
moir of the different. species, races, and varieties of the 
genus Brassica, &e., ** T i of the icul J 
Society,” vol. 5, first series, also states that the Broccoli 
and Cauliflower are only varieties of the same race, 
namely, Brassica oleracea Botrytis, flowering Cabbage ; 
and which he describes as having a very peculiar or- 
ganisation. “ The bunches of flowers, instead of being 
loosely spread into a pyramidal form, like those of a 
panicle, are close from their basis, and form a kind of 
regular corymb ; to which is added a. second character 
that may be considered as a natural consequence of the 
first ; the pedicles, from being tightly kept together be- 
fore their time of blossom, lose their shape, grow fleshy 
from adhering to each other, and, in general, produce 
nothing but the rudiments of abortive flowers, so that, 
contrary to all other varieties, where the. leaves and 
stalks are alone taken for culinary purposes, in this the 
floral footstalk is the only part eaten. This race com- 
prehends two varieties, viz. the Cauliflowers and the 
Broceolies. 
“ 1. The Brassica cauliflora (Cauliflower) has generally 
a short stem, white-ribbed oblong leaves, the pedicel 
uniting at the head of the primary branches into thick, 
short, irregular bundles, in. the shape of a corymb : it 
appears to be a. degeneration of the Brassica oleracea 
costata, Chou à grosses côtes, or Portugal Cabbage. 
«The second varietyis the Brassica cymosa (Broccoli); 
iis stem is more elevated, the leaf-nerves less pro- 
minent, the pedicels altogether less thick and close ; they 
re also longer, so that on becoming fleshy they 
resemble in shape the young shoots of Asparagus 5 
hence the name of Asparagoides given by ancient bota- 
nists to the Broccoli. The Broccoli seems to be a dege- 
neration of some variety of the Chou Cavalier, tall or 
open Cabbage. It is divisable into two sub-varieties.- 
Ist, the Common or White Broccoli; 2d, the Purple or 
Maltese Broccoli ; and each of these are again divided 
into several kinds by the practical gardeners,” 
The above are correct deseriptions of Cauliflower 
and Broccoli as they were grown at the time ; but since 
then great improvements have taken place as regards 
ihe varieties of Broccoli; some of whieh are now as 
close headed as a Cauliflower, and others have stems 
y dwarf. 
M pred oleracea, on the high authority of De 
Candolle, has given rise to Cabbages, early and late, 
red and white; Savoys green and yellow; other Greens 
plain and curled; Turnip-rooted Cabbages; Couve 
Tronchuda or Portugal Cabbages; as well as to 
Broceoli and Cauliflower. If, therefore, the Wild Cab- 
ge 
