24—1846.] 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE, 
389 
mention that I discovered the plant growing in great 
Profusion, a few days since, among the rubbish near the 
first bridge over the Croydon Railway, going from the 
Dartmouth Arms to New Cross. The station is close 
to a house in the occupation of a Mr. Cutbush, and 
may be readily approached by a foot-path from the 
road over Forest Hill, which leads to the said house ; 
Or, by keeping along the remaining portions of the Old 
Croydon Canal, from the Dartmouth Arms, till you 
each the above house of Mr. Cutbush. I was in the 
neighbourhood of the spot several times in the summer 
of 1841, but never met with L. Draba; I believe, 
therefore, that it had not then appeared in that place ; 
this makes me think that it owes its existence there to 
the rubbish thrown out of the line, in consequence of 
the great slides of earth 3 or 4 years since. It has 
‘been usual for botanists to avail themselves of the 
* Phytologist,” to announce any discovery of this kind ; I 
‘shall not omit to do so in the present instance, but as the 
f Phytologist” will not appear again till July the plant 
May be too far gone to be of use to those who might 
wish to collect it. I shall have plenty of specimens for 
those who may want them.—W. Ilott, Surgeon, 
Bromley, Kent. 
Cements,—In your Number for April 25, to have a 
good cement, it is directed “ to filla bottle with ising- 
Jass chips, and to pour in as much gin as the bottle will 
h I have complied with these directions, with the 
exception of using whisky instead of gin, but not the 
least perceptible solution took place, and two pieces of 
Paper moistened with the liquid had no adherence when 
dried. Neither gin nor whisky is required for the so- 
lution of isinglass. A chemical work just now before 
me says, “100 grains of good isinglass were found by 
Mr. Hatchett to contain rather more than 98 of matter 
Soluble in water.”—G. J. [Isinglass and gin formed 
the powerful cement formerly used when ladies amused 
themselves with paper fillagree work, instead of Berlin 
Wool, but we don’t know how it was prepared. ] 
American Aloe.—The great American:Aloe (Agave 
Americana, W.) being a native of tropical America, is 
ìn this country generally treated as a tender exotic, and 
Loudon, in the * Encyclopeedia of Plants" states it to 
3 e a bark or moist stove plant. Even in some parts of 
the sunny clime of Italy it is stated to be incapable of 
enduring the winter. Yet, strange as it may seem, it 
38 not the less a fact, that a plant of this Aloe has, with 
a very little protection, withstood the frosts of two suc- 
AD winters in the garden here, without suffering 
Ye slightest injury. Early in March, 1844, the indi- 
vidual plant referred to, which was then in the green- 
xl was found to be in a bad state of health, and in 
E: air way for damping off, the centre being almost 
a olly decayed, in consequence of its having stood for 
estime during the winter under the drip of one of 
e greenhouse shelves. It was then turned out of the 
e As useless, and planted on the top of an artifieial 
sockwork, merely as an ornament and without the least 
EL Eon of its survivance. It, however, soon re- 
se credand commenced to grow, and before the end of the 
ue assumed a very healthy appearance, which it has 
ae to maintain, and although a small plant when 
iunt out, has since then produced a considerable 
NE of new leaves, and also of suckers. At present 
i S the very picture of health, and has, since first 
APER out, stood the two winters of 1844-5 and 1845-6, 
ns only the little protection afforded by a Spruce 
2 ig Perhaps this plant may yet be found capable 
ae mang our winters in this country without pro- 
Nis 3 if so it will be a valuable addition to our 
ador DAS ad n an QC object for the 
Dinden awns and shrubberies.—Seafield Lodge, 
“eather Rules.—At Abergele, 1845, Sept. 21st, 22d 
fhe and eae hs wing N.E.; the two fest very wet, 
ex i, B i 
Bü vind from BSE Je. ze On the 
Botanical Curiosity.—Upon Merroe Downs, just 
beside the Guildford race-course, stands a Yew tree, 
out of whose solid stem, at 15 feet from the ground, 
grows a large wild Sorbus. The vigour of the parasite 
threatens to overwhelm the mother-tree; and at this 
season its full sheaf of whitish-green extinguishes the 
sombre Yew. I should tell you that the trunk of the 
latter is quite sound, and about 20 feet in girth at a 
yard from the soil ; and where the foster plant emerges 
from its parent, the stem of it is 4 feet round. Sup- 
posing that so large a parasite, and that in the case of 
a tree so different in nature as the Sorbus from the 
Yew, is ah unusual occurrence, I have ventured to 
send the foregoing.— M. F. T., Guildford. [This is 
a very curious case, though certainly not of parasitism, 
No doubt the Yew must have been originatiy hollow, 
although the cavity is now coneealed by the trunk of 
the Beam Tree or Sorbus.] 
Polmaise Heating.—Three or four years back, in 
answer to a query respecting the admission of cold air 
by a pipe into a small hothouse, you replied, * Can you 
not warm the air before you admit it.” The house 
being placed most inconveniently in the angle of a build- 
ing, I was obliged to sink the boiler house nearly 5 feet 
below the surface of the ground, and carry the flue in 
the direetion of the dotted line. Instead of filling the 
hole up with rubbish, I determined to make an air- 
chamber (B) over the flue,3 feet square,and about 5 feet 
in depth. A zine pipe carries the air from the outside 
to the bottom of the chamber. The top of the chamber 
is covered with thin Yorkshire flag, and an aperture 
2% inches in diameter ad- 
mits the hot air. I can 
now, With confidence,speak 
most highly of the results. 
We have always a stream 
of pure fresh hot-air in 
the house. During the 
A early part of the year, we 
have never let down a 
light for weeks, and every- 
thing has grown with the 
lue. reatest luxuriance ; nor 
have we ever had the slightest damp, or smell. If 
at any time we want a moist heat, a can of water 
poured down the hole produces a nice moist air. I do 
not, of course, give this plan as one to be followed, but 
merely as illustrative of the value of the Polmaise 
system, which I am convinced is the true one. — Clericus. 
Disease in Conifers.—1 fully coincide with your re- 
marks respecting the cause of disease in Conifers, from 
the facts which have come under my own observation, 
Since the second week in July last many plants and 
trees have been much affected, especially in the latter 
end of summer and autumn, with disease similar to 
that in Potatoes, and no family of plants suffered more 
than Conifers. The Scotch Firs (Pinus sylvestris) and 
Larch (Larix europzea) suffered very much indeed with 
mildew and swarms of green fly, so much so that the foliage 
of the Larches was quite seared and fell off very early 
last autumn ; and the Scotch Firs looked all this spring 
very brown, even as if scorched, more particularly on 
west aspects. They have been smothered all winter 
with swarms of a very small light pea-green aphis, 
which attacked them immediately after they had been 
infected with mildew, there being no weather this last 
winter to destroy these pests. ‘The following are the 
kinds that have suffered the most at Bicton :— 
Tank. 
A. Fireplace and Boiler. 
B. ITot-air Chamber. 
D. Dotted line, direction of 
Pinus sylvestris uncinata Pinus insignis ** 
"i 9 rigensis » Teocote 
E: 5 Mughus 5, leiophylla ** 
,, halepensis Strobus * 
» i 5 Lambertiana 
, excelsa 
5 palustris 
species from Armenia 
rigida Jaricio (a variety of) 
, Sabiniana s» apulcensis 
Those marked thus * * have suffered most, though I 
am happy to say the whole now are doing well, and 
making most excellent strong young wood. Some of 
the varieties of Abies have suffered very much indeed, 
more partieularly by the ravages of green fly, which 
pest seems now to have entirely left them, and the trees 
are all now doing much better than I had expected. 
Three or four of the varieties having lost the whole of 
their foliage, and having the appearance of being dead, 
are now making pretty wood all over the plant, so that 
to all appearance now we shall not lose a plant. The 
following kinds of Abies have suffered to the greatest 
extent :— 
Abies orientalis ** 
, alba 
khutrow 
Menziesii 
canadensis ** 
” 
| Abies Clanbrasiliana** 
ea ** 
» Smithiana 
pygmiea ** 
ee eee variety from New 
» | 
Picea Pindrow is the only variety that has suffered 
out of 13 varieties.—James Barnes, Bicton Gardens, 
Devon. 
Drainage of Pots.—Almost' everybody who writes on 
growing plants in pots recommends good drainage ; 
but how this is to be effected, and of what sized mate- 
rials the drainage is to be composed, is seldom men- 
tioned. Now, as the health of the plant in a great mea- 
sure depends on the free circulation of water through 
the soil, it is essential that the strictest attention be 
observed in the formation of drainage. The materials 
for this purpose should be perfectly dry and free from 
dust, whether these be erocks, charcoal, or sandstone ; 
they should be broken into different sizes, each size 
being placed separately by itself ; thus, if I were using 
3.inch pots, I should first clean the pot well inside if 
required, then place a piece of crock at the bottom, 
nearly as large as will cover it, but concave, so as to 
allow the water free egress ; on this I would place a 
layer of broken crocks, or other material, about the 
size of Beans, and on this again a slight layer about the 
size of Peas. And when I used pots of a larger size, I 
would use larger pieces, always keeping the coarsest at 
the bottom and the smallest at the top, and, with very 
few exceptions, the plants will be benefited by placing 
a thin layer of turfy loam or peat over the drainage, as 
this keeps the smaller particles of earth from being 
carried down among the drainage. Although there is ne 
fear of the drainage being impaired, if properly con- 
structed, yet, to make doubly sure, let each pot be 
eroeked as regularly as possible, one having no more 
drainage than another, so that in the next shift each 
may get the same proportion of soil as well as drainage. 
Pieces of sandstone mixed with the soil are very useful 
in drainage for hard-wooded plants, as are also pieces of 
charcoal and bone-dust for soft-wooded ones ; in either 
ease the roots will be found closely adhering to these 
lumps. There are many'gardeners who say, “I have 
no time to attend to such a routine of breaking and 
layering ;” but erocks do not spoil by being broken and 
sorted in the coldest day in winter, nor yet if done in 
wet weather, when nothing can be done out of doors. 
The different sizes may be placed in large pots, and put 
somewhere out of the way, where they will be dry until 
the crocks are wanted for use, which is generally in 
spring and summer seasons, when work is pressing 3 
thus time is saved by having crocks previously prepared, 
and plants are benefited by judiciously arranged drain- 
age, which is sure to be effectual.— JV. Moody. 
Wire-worm and Mustard-sced.—1n a recent Number 
a correspondent desired to know the most efficient 
means of getting rid of wire-worms, and stated that he 
read somewhere that the sowing of Mustard-seed 
effected the object completely. The article to which he 
alludes is, probably, to be found in “ Loudon’s Gar- 
deners’ Magazine.” The quotation is as follows :— 
* I have dcmonstrated to my own satisfaction that the 
wire-worm may be prevented by sowing the ground 
previously with white Mustard-seed. On a field of 50 
acres of fallow, half an acre was sown with white Mus- 
tard-seed, The field was much subject to wireworm, 
and when it was laid down with Wheat after fallow, it 
suffered much, excepting the half acre that had been 
under white Mustard. In another field of 45 acres, 3 
acres were laid down with white Mustard-seed, with 
the same beneficial result as regarded the wire-worm, 
while at the same time the crop of Wheat was better in 
that portion. Encouraged by this success, I next year 
sowed a whole field of 42 acres, which had never repaid 
me for 19 years, owing to the ravages of the wire-worm, 
and not one of which could be found the following year. 
My crop was superior to any I had grown for 21 
years." The above article was written by Mr. Tal- 
land, Little Houghton, Northamptonshire, and was in- 
serted in the Country Times, Sept. 1831, from which it 
was copied into * Loudon's Gardeners’ Magazine." I 
add another quotation regarding wire-worm :—* At the 
last meeting of the Entomological Society, Mr. Spence 
described a plan successfully adopted in the west of 
England for the destruction of wire-worms, which had 
greatly infested the Turnip-fields. He employed boys 
for picking them up, at the rate of ljd. per 100 ; in 
the course of a few days they obtained upwards of 
11,000, the expense of clearing 1 acre being 1/. 25. 6d.” 
See Mark Lane Express for Jan, 8, 1838, page 7— 
G 
Vitality in Shrubs. —The following is a curious in- 
stance of the power of shrubs to preserve vitality 
though to all appearance dead. In September 1844 a 
Wistaria was moved and laid in by the heels from that 
month till about the middle of November, when it was 
lanted in a north-east aspect and not in very good soil. 
It endured the whole of that severe winter unpro- 
tected. In May, 1845, on seeing no signs of life in it, I 
examinedzthe root, and found it had been buried to a 
very great depth. I moved it close to the surface, still 
it remained all the summer and autumn to allappearanee 
dead, so much so that people inquired why it was 
allowed to remain. In February of the present year it 
began to show signs of life, and is now coming into leaf. 
A friend had a white Jasmine, which grew near a cess- 
pool ; the cesspool was offensive to it, and it appeared 
dead for two years, when the cesspool being removed it 
showed signs of life, and is now flourishing.—4. M. D.s 
May 25. 
Hedgehog v. Rabbits.—It is desirable to come E M 
rescue of calumniated and persecuted animals. 
gardeners ignorantly and erroneously destroy the little 
insectivorous birds, which are amongst their best 
friends. In last Number appeared an absurd story 
abouta hedgehog killing a rabbit in a hedge. Your 
correspondent adds “ that hedgehogs are Known to be 
very destructive to game and poultry by carrying away 
and devouring their eggs ;” and he has now discovered 
that “they manage to destroy live rabbits !” Why did 
he not add the equally authenticated fact, that they 
suck the cows? advise him to watch by moonlight, 
and try to surprise à goatsucker and a hedgehog 
téle-a-téte at the udder of his best Alderney, The so- 
lution of his marvel is very easy. A weazel had, ac- 
cording to custom, sprung upon a rabbit, which, as 
rabbits always do upon such occasions, cried out. The 
weazel, as weazels usually do, got out of the way before 
the dog reached the scene of action, and an unfortu- 
nate harmless hedgehog, who was lying rolled up in the 
long Grass and taking a quiet nap, was (after much 
