390 THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. [JUNE 13, 
barking and scratching) routed out by tie dog, and was | daily, and found the disease making progress; in the] plant; and his hes into the 1 and 
unjustly destroyed, as generally happens to hedgehogs. 
Without hesitation, I deny the correctness of the faet 
asserted ; and I add, that if the hedgehog had unin- 
tentionally killed the rabbit in the hedge, your cor- 
respondent, according to his own account, had no means 
of ascertaining the faet.— W. Herbert, June 8. [The 
Statement was copied from a country paper, in the hope 
that it would elicit a reply from such a correspondent 
as our learned friend.] 
Potato Disease in Ireland.—I am sorry to say that 
your opinion as to the probable effects of last year’s 
disease on the present crop of Potatoes is but too likely 
to be realised. Alarming avcus2's are now reaching 
"us from various quarters. At Ballycrenane, near Castre- 
martyr, a friend of mine planted last February about 
three quarters of an acre of Turnip ground with per- 
fectly sound, whole seed ; the crop was all he could 
wish (the drills being nearly covered by the stalks) up 
to Sunday the Ist inst., when suddenly they appeared 
as if blasted, and, on examination, it was found that 
they are destroyed by the disease which caused such 
ravages last season. The stalks and young Potatoes 
are now before me ; the tops of the former are quite 
withered and spotted in different parts, and the rot is 
perceptible in the young produce ; still, strange to say, 
the seed is as sound as the day it was planted. The 
erop is so completely destroyed, that he will have to 
plough them up. A gentleman from Clonakilty informed 
me this day that he is aware of more than a dozen in- 
stances, on his own farm and among his tenantry, in 
which the disease has made its appearance on the stalks 
of the early planted crop. The accounts from Cloyne, 
Kinsale, and Kerry are equally unpleasant ; in fact, 
such is the present appearance of things, that many of 
our farming neighb ay they will not be surprised to 
hear of the total extinction of the crop this season. This is 
melancholy, inasmuch as many of the small farmers, 
encouraged by the promising appearance of the early 
crop, were induced to plant much more largely than 
they had intended after the loss they sustained last 
season.— H. H., Cork. 
Potato Disease in Portugal.—It may be interesting 
to know that my Potato crop which was a few days ago 
most flourishing, suddenly became blaek and withered ; 
ihe same has occurred to many others, both in the 
neighbourhood and at some miles distant.— An Original 
Subscriber, at Oporto, May 20. 
The Potato Crop.— You have very properly cautioned 
some of your more sanguine correspondents against 
forming too p 2 judgment respecting the pros- 
pects of the coming Potato crop. The disease did not 
commence last year till the first six months were well 
over; one ought not, therefore, to be too hopeful should 
Six weeks or more pass by without many indications of 
the malady. The specimen I inclose for you this morn- 
ing, of the base of a Potato stem exhibiting precisely the 
appearance of the decayed tubers of last year, though 
the foliage and upper portion of the stem are at present 
healthy, is no very pleasant indication of what may too 
probably be expected. The tubers are not above half 
grown, but the base of the stem is in such a state that 
the plant could not have retained its verdure for another 
week. In some parts the whole of the tissue between 
the cuticle and the spiral vessels was decayed, in others 
spotted with the peculiar brown patches which, in the 
present instance, are highly impregnated with the my- 
celium of some fungus. The cuticle itself was powdery 
with a minute fusisporium, probably identical with that 
which has been so common on the diseased tubers. J 
ought to tell you that the Potatoes from which the dis- 
eased specimen originated did not exhibit last year the 
slightest trace of disease. I am surprised to see in the 
papers accounts of healthy crops raised from diseased 
tubers. I can only say, that my own experience is quite 
against such a notion. The difference in my garden 
between two contiguous patches raised from sound and 
diseased tubers of the same heap of Potatoes, is at once 
apparent to the most casual observer; those from the 
latter having a pallid unhealthy aspect, while the others 
are most luxuriant.—M, J. Berkeley. 
Potato Disease —I am sorry to say that your fears 
are likely to be fully realised in regard to this calamity, 
Three sorts of early Potatoes were planted in my father’s 
garden—Ash-leaved Kidneys, White Quarries, and a 
very early and desirable sort ealled here Red Bottoms. 
They all came up, and made as good progress as could | 
be desired. Of the third sort I was anxious to pro- | 
pagate as many as possible, being under the impres- 
sion that they escaped the disease of last season ;in 
fact, the stalks were withered before the crop was at- | 
tacked in this part of the country. A small quantity 
remained in the pit, where they had been placed for the 
winter, and sent out vigorous shoots, which I had care- 
fully separated from the parent tubers, and as carefully 
planted in a good, airy sitnation in the garden. The 
parent tubers were planted on the same day in drills in 
the same border. I observed that the transplanted 
shoots made very little progress, and aseribed it to the 
dryness of the weather before the 17th of last month ; | 
from that day to the 20th we had refreshing rain, and | 
it was then that on examining the plants I found some | 
of them showing symptoms of disease. There were | 
brown spots on the leaves of some ; in some, the leaves 
were rotting across the middle, and in some the stalks 
were turning black. My attention being thus drawn, I 
examined the other sorts, and found the same spots, 
and on the same situations as the three sorts, which were 
then far advanced, but less on the Quarries than on the 
other two kinds, Since then I have examined the drills 
ease of the transplanted shoots, the six drills of them 
almost entirely withered away, and Peas have been 
planted in the ground they occupied. Since the day 
before yesterday I see the progress of the disease in 
Red Bottoms and Quarries, and very much fear that, 
instead of having a fine crop of Potatoes (as we had 
every reason to expect), the stalks will be withered be- 
fore the end of the month.—John P. Lawless Pyne, 
Hector and Vicar of Inch, Diocese of Cloyne, June 1. 
Societies. 
LINNEAN SOCIETY. 
Anniversary Meere, May 25 —The Bisnop or 
Norwrou, President, in the chair. The Secretary, J. 
J. Bennett, Esq. rena o0. Report, when it appeared, 
that during the last year 11 fellows had been elected, 
three had retired, one had been ejected, and 13 had 
died. The following is a list of the deceased members : 
—J. H. Abraham ; H. Singer Chinnock ; Baron Field, 
late Chief Justice of New South Wales, and afterwards 
of Gibraltar; the Rev. Thomas Gisborne; Robert Gra- 
ham, M.D., Professor of Botany, Edinburgh ; Joseph 
Janson, Esq., who left a bequest of 1007. to the Society ; 
Gally Knight, M.P.; Thomas Knowton, son of the 
gardener of Sherard ; R. Latham; Dr. Lush, and 
Peter Nouaille. Of associates had died Mr. J. Main, 
aud Mr. G. Lamonelle. The following officers were re- 
elected. President, Edward, Lord Bishop.of Norwich, 
D.D.; Treasurer, Edward Forster, Esq. ; Secretary, 
John Joseph Bennett, Esq. ; Under Secretary, Richard 
Taylor, Esq. The following five members of the Council 
were recommended to beremoved:— Francis Boott, M.D. 
Bracy Clark, Esq., Professor Forbes, Rev. Wm. Hincks, 
Wm. Spence, Esq. The following five were elected into 
the Council in the room of the above :—Sir Henry de 
la Beehe, Hugh Falconer, M.D., J. D. Hooker, M.D., 
W. W. Saunders, Esq., Wm, Yarrell, Esq. 
June 2.—Epwarp FonsrER, Esq. in the chair. 
Mr. Masters exhibited specimens of Beroe cueu- 
maria, and Cydipp pomiformis, which had been taken 
alive at Herne Bay.—Mr. W. Hoit, of Bromley, 
exhibited specimens of Lepidium Draba, of Linnzeus, 
which he had found growing in great abundance near 
the first bridge over the Croydon Railway, between the 
Dartmouth Arms and New Cross. This plant has 
hitherto been a very rare plant in England, and is, pro- 
bably, after all, an introduced species.—Mr. Adam 
White, of the British Museum, read a paper entitled 
“A few Notes towards the Statistical Fauna of New 
Zealand, as far as re the Annulosa.’’ 
BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 
May 14.—This, the monthly meeting, was held in the 
Royal Botanic Garden. Professor BALFOUR in the 
chair. The following gentlemen were elected Fellows :— 
J. Duncan, M.D., F.R.C.S.E., &c. ; Rev. Dr. Fleming, 
F.R.S E, M.W.S.; R. H. Gunning, Esq.; and W. S. 
Dougall, Esq. The followin ications wereread : 
—1. Biographical Sketch of the late Professor Graham, 
by Dr. Ransford. Robert Graham was the third son 
of the late Dr. Graham, of Stirling, (afterwards Moir 
of Leckie), and of Mrs. Anne Stewart, daughter of the 
late Charles Stewart, Esq., of Appin. His early educa- 
tion was obtained at Stirling. He was apprenticed in 
1804 to the late Mr. Andrew Wood, F.R.C.S., Edin- 
burgh, and became a licentiate of the College of Sur- 
geons in 1803, and graduated at the University during 
the same year. Dr. Graham then studied for 12 months 
in London, at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, and after- 
wards commenced practice in Glasgow. In 1812 he 
was appointed physician to the Infirmary of that city 
and lecturer on Clinieal Medicine, and published an 
essay on the continued fever which at the time was 
epidemie in Glasgow. Dr. Graham succeeded Dr. 
Brown as a lecturer on Botany ; and in the following 
year, having been appointed by the Government Pro- 
fessor of Botany in the University of Glasgow, he 
succeeded, in conjunction with some other gentlemen, 
in getting a Botanical Garden established, and 
took the principal share in its formation Dr. 
Graham married the youngest daughter of David 
Carrick Buchanan, Esq., of Drumpellier and Mount 
Vernon. On the decease of Dr. Rutherford, he 
was appointed by theCrown Regius Professor of Botany, 
and Keeper of the King's Garden, and by the patrons 
to the Professorship of Medicine and Botany in the 
University of Edinburgh. Soon after his appointment, 
and principally through his exertions, the present Bota- 
nieal Garden was formed ; and with the able assistance 
of Mr. William M'Nab, all the trees, shrubs, and plants, 
were removed from the garden at Leith Walk to their 
present situation. He also prevailed upon the Govern- 
ment to increase the annual allowance to the institution 
(which is still insufficient, and only half the sum which 
is given to a more private one in Dublin), and expended 
considerable sums from his own resources to maintain 
its efficiency. Dr. Graham’s character as a clinical 
physician and private practitioner, was distinguished by 
unbending integrity and honour. He succeeded in 
greatly interesting the students in botanical science, by 
giving many prizes, and making botanical excursions. 
Dr. Ransford then noticed his plan of conducting the 
course, gave some anecdotes of his journeys, and alluded 
to his annual descriptions of new plants flowering in Edin- 
burgh ; the great interest he displayed in the welfare of 
the Botanical Society, of which he was an original mem- 
ber, and thrice President ; the history of the formation 
of the society, and his ibuti i i 
his papers read tothe Royal Society on the Gamboge 
botanieal sources of the articles of the Materia Medica. 
He was most attentive to the interests of the University, 
and supported all the measures of reform in medical 
education carried into effect between the years 1822 and 
1836. In 1840 Dr. Graham was elected President of 
the Royal College of Physicians ; he was a member of 
most of the scientific societies in this city, and President 
of many of them. From over-taxing his strength 
during one of his botanical excursions in 1843, he dated. 
the commencement of his last illness. His case was an 
obscure one. The Town Council, at his request, ap- 
pointed Dr. Joseph Hooker to be his assistant. 
Although in a very weak state, he introduced him to 
the class on the morning of the 5th of May, 1845. This 
was the last occasion on which he visited the gardens. 
Dr. Ransford then gave anecdotes of his generosity, 
and resignation during his illness. He was removed to 
Coldoeh, in Perthshire, on the 24th of July, and expired 
on the 7th of August. The disease was ascertained to 
be a malignant tumour resting on the dorsal vertebree,. 
and pressing upon the thoracic duct, vessels, and nerves. 
He was buried on the 13th in the private burying- 
ground of Leckie, belonging to his brother Charles 
A. Moir, Esq. Dr. Graham’s whole life was distin- 
guished by upright of conduct, cl of dis- 
position, combined with real kindheartedness. He was 
very energetic and industri most ientious in 
the discharge of every duty, and beloved by all who- 
were acquainted with him. 
2. Notice of the veget: in the neig hood of 
Lisbon, in a letter to Dr. Neill, from W. C. Trevelyan, 
Esq. In this letter, whieh is dated 11th March, Mr. 
Trevelyan writes—* It was a delightful change of 
climate we made in six days’ sail from Britain, landing 
on a quay here, with a border in which Bananas were 
flourishing, with lofty bushes of Heliotrope covered with 
blossoms, and Geraniums in full flower; an avenue of 
young Phytolacca dioica, and other symptoms of a 
warm climate. ‘The first crop of Peas we find is over. 
Beans are now in perfeetion, Strawberries in fruit, 
sweet Roses in blossom. The wild plants are comin, 
forward rapidly, the limestone hills are covered wit 
the beautiful Iris sysirhynchium and sambucina, though 
the latter is not so abundant; Ophrys vespifera or 
lutea, arachnites, and Orchis morio ; several Antirrhi- 
nums, Cistuses, the delicate Ulex australis, several 
Rutas, Cerinthe aspera, or a variety with purple blos- 
soms striped with white (that I got in Italy and Greece 
was tinged with yellow) ; several species of Calendula, 
ellis annua, sylvestris, and perennis, the last the least 
common ; the beautiful Narcissus bulboeodium, Orni- 
thogalum umbellatum, Vinca major, in great profusion 
and beauty; Cynoglossa, Lupinus, Illecebrum paro- 
nychia, Arum arisarum, and maeulatum (or one which 
comes very near it), Aristolochia longa, Asphodelus 
ramosus and fistulosus, Oxalis tuberosus and cornieu- 
latus; Genista tri } Anemone loid 
and many other plants, are now in perfection, as is the 
delicate annual Fern Gymnogramma leptophylla, In 
the hedges, Rubus fruticosus, Smilax nigra, and aspera, 
are abundant, the two latter in fruit. Ficaria ranun- 
culoides is very large ; Urtica membranacea and urens. 
both abundant. I have not observed any other species 
of this genus. One of the most showy plants in the 
gardens at present is Antholyza æthiopica, which grows 
in large beds in damp shady situations ; Calla zethiopiea. 
is also in great abundance, and very fine. Palms, Bam- 
boos, Draezena Draco, and other tropical plants, also 
flourish in the open air.” 
Ina subsequent letter to Dr. Neill, Mr. Trevelyan 
gives a full list of the plants in flower on 28th March, 
in this letter, Mr. Trevelyan writes—“ The Cynomo- 
rium coccineum, formerly known in medicine under the 
name of Fungus melitensis, is a very common plant (?), 
very showy, and in great abundance on the roots of the 
shrubby Cistus. (Does not the author here mean the 
Cytinus?) I hear that a company has been formed in 
Spain for the cultivation of the Sug: Many 
things might be cultivated, were it not for the indolence 
and unenterprising nature of the people. No railroad 
has been commenced or determined on, and searcely 
any improvements are going on in the country.” 
Dr. Balfour read a letter which he had received from: 
Dr. Cleghorn, a Fellow of the Society, dated Teer- 
thully, 27th March, in which he states that since the 
end of ,October he had made a tour through the north- 
western division of Mysore, and collected a great num- 
ber of interesting plants, especially in the western 
Ghats. Colcured drawings of most of them had been 
executed by a native (Mahratta) draughtsman who ac- 
companied him. Specimens of many of the plants he 
purposes to send to the Herbarium of the University of 
Edinburgh, under the charge of the Botanical Society. 
Dr. Balfour also read a letter from Dr. H. Giraud, 
also an active member of the Society, dated Bombay, 
26th February. In this letter Dr. Giraud gave an ac- 
count of the Horticultural Society’s Garden at Bom- 
bay, of which he is Secretary, and alluded generally to 
the naturé of the vegetation in the neighbourhood. He 
also notieed the mode of instruction adopted in the 
Medieal College at Bombay, in which he lectures on 
Chemistry, Materia Medica, and Botany.—4'rom the 
Edinburgh Evening Post of 27th May, 1846. 
Country Shows. 
Bolton Floral and Horticultural Society.—This was 
the second meeting for the season. The Calceolarias 
attracted universal attention. Of Tulips there was & 
goodly muster of choice sorts, but the unusual heat ope 
