- 
518 
THE GARDENERS' 
CHRONICLE. 
[Ave. 1, 
* Oh they will kill young partridges as easily as a hawk, 
and therefore I always have them destroyed." “ Ver 
well,” I responded, “ Ohacun à son gout; I have no 
partridges to preserve, but I am rather fond of my 
garden, and confess to a little weakness in favour of 
agriculture. You shoot the shrike because you say it 
will kill your partridges. I preserve it, take care of it, 
foster it, consider it one of my best friends, because it 
feeds principally, like other insectivorous birds, upon 
those insects which are destructive to the gardener’s 
hopes and the farmer’s produce, I will not dispute the 
question with you, as to, which is the most useful to 
mankind, the garden and the farm, or the young 
partridges ; but I have the evidences here of the truth 
of my assertion, yours is at best apocryphal ; for 
although I believe instances are known of the shrike 
stealing tame young partridges, which a humane sports- 
man brings up under a coop for the gratifying purpose 
of afterwards shooting in his Turnip field, I know of 
no well authenticated instance of their destroying game 
in their wild state." I then took down the cage, an 
pointed out to my friend a heap of reliquia insectorum, 
enough to satisfy the most prejudiced unbeliever. The 
wires of the cage not being very far apart, the young 
pirds had allowed many of the insects to fall to the 
bottom, where they remained as evidences of the de- 
structive character of their race. They were cater- 
pillars, woodlice, cockehafers, beetles of many varieties 
great and small, moths, sphinxes, humble-bees, &c., 
forming a layer which covered the bottom of their cage. 
* Very well,” said my friend, laughing ; “I think you 
have made out your case.” And I took my young 
friends, and amidst much elamour, and many very close 
swoops at my hat from Mr. and Mrs. Shrike, I tossed 
them into a Lime tree which stood near their nest, and 
left them to be perfected by parental care and solicitude 
in the art of destroying caterpillars, cockchafers, e¢ id 
genus omne.—C. R. Bree, Stowmarket. 
Renanthera coccinea —Nobody can rejoice more 
than I do at Mr, Basset’s success in growing the Chinese 
Renanthera. The panicle in question is indeed a fine 
one ; the largest paniele on my plant contains only 110 
blooms, which is seven less than those on Mr. Dasset's, 
but upon one of my plants there are seven panicles. 
There is one cireumstance which escaped your notice 
as well as that of your reporter, that is, upon one branch 
there are two panicles growing within 4 inches of each 
other, which, from their proximity, aj p ly 
as one, Another panicle was without any expanded 
blooms ; it therefore failed to attract attention. [agree 
with Mr. Basset that there is no difficulty under favour- 
able circumstances to grow and flower the Renanthera, 
nor is there much art required to make an egg stan 
on one end after one knows how to do it. But itis 
nevertheless gratifying to have grown it on a small lo 
of wood, 4 feet in length, to produce seven panicles of 
flowers, and to have had in three different seasons a 
first prize as a specimen of very superior cultivation 
awarded to it.—James Falconer, gr. to A. Palmer, 
Esq., Cheam. 
Spontaneous Combustion of Willows (vide p. 503).— 
Have you not somewhat hastily stamped the authority 
of the Gardeners’ Chronicle upon a paragraph that is 
going the round of the newspapers, and which is stated 
to have originated with the Cambridge Advertiser? It 
is asserted that “ this summer the banks of the Cam 
exhibit an unusual multitude of those singular phe- 
nomena, cases of spontaneous ignition and combustion in 
growing Willows !” Is it really true that a Willow or 
any other tree has ever been known to ignite sponta- 
neously? Mischievous boys used to be very fond of 
firing the rotten pollard Willows on the banks of the 
Cam, with a burning lens, or still more simple con- 
trivances, and very possibly some of the present gene- 
ration may be quite as mischievously inclined as their 
fathers were. I forget whether it is Mungo Park or 
another of the African travellers who explains away a 
fancy of the same sort that had originated from decayed 
trees having been met with apparently scorched and 
blackened by fire, but which he ascertained were only 
infested with a peculiar kind of lichen. This, however, 
will not explain the “ unusual multitude” of instances 
noticed thisyear on the banks of the Cam; since, in one 
of these at least, we are told that clouds of smoke were 
poured forth by a fine Willow in full vigour and health. 
To assert the utter impossibility of a decayed tree spon- 
taneously igniting might be hazardous; but where is 
there to be found any satisfactory proof that such a fact 
was ever witnessed ?—J. S. Henslow, [We hope we 
haye not been mistaken for the authors of this story. 
Tt rests on the credit of the Cambridge paper. ] 
Lycium Europewm.—t have found Lycium Europeeum 
growing abundantly on the sand and shingle at Ald- 
borough, Suffolk, between that town and the fort. Why 
is it called the Tea tree? I also observed a white- 
flowered variety of Cichorium Intybus.—N. S. Hodson, 
Bury St. Edmunds. 
Black Swan.—aAt page 503 is copied from the Scots- 
man 2, note on the shooting of a female specimen of the 
black swan, on the river Eden, in a creek near Niddie 
Mill* by Mr. Philip, Kineaple. It is therein stated :— 
** We believe this to be the first black swan, shot in a 
wild state, in Great Britain, if not in Europe.", I did 
not myself see the bird either before or after it was 
shot, although the place where I at present reside is 
within a short distance of Niddie Mill; but have good 
reason to suppose that it was not a wild specimen ; for 
Ee] 
* In the note referred to, this is spelt **Niddry Mill :” it 
should, however, be ** Niddie Mill," a 
on an evening previous to its being shot, the noble bird 
was seen on the river at Clayton, perfectly tame. It is 
not improbable that it may have strayed from some 
Zoological garden, or from the pond of some gentle- 
man's pleasure-ground. Itis a pity that it was shot, as 
it might possibly have been caught alive, few specimens 
being in the country.—A Fifeshire Ornithologist. 
The Potato Crop.—I cannot refrain from addressing 
you on the subject of the sad calamity befalling us in 
the return of the Potato disease of last year. I left my 
home here a month ago, congratulating myself on the 
flourishing appearance of my Potato field; in fact, 
nothing could exeeed the promises of a good and healthy 
crop. I had taken the greatest pains in selecting seed, 
planting in hot lime, with every precaution recom- 
mended by your correspondents. The first question I 
asked my man on my return on Saturday was, * How 
are the Potatoes?” ‘Just as they were at taking up 
time last year." And indeed they are a pitiful spec- 
tacle ; the leaves are entirely stripped from the blotched 
and fast-deeaying stems, and the tubers near the sur- 
face discoloured with this strange disease. I have 
ordered the haulm to be cut off immediately, which I 
hope will save some of the early varieties for present 
use; but the winter sorts are so little advanced that 
I fear they will bea total failure. However, the haulm is 
so far gone that it is useless to leave it. I believe my 
crop is the most affected yet in this neighbourhood, as 
my ground is earlier, and I plant sooner; but there 
are sufficient indications in every field and garden that 
the destruetion will be general and far worse than last 
ear. I wasin the neighbourhood of London last week 
(Tottenham, Edmonton, and Hornsey), and admired the 
appearance of the crop thereabouts, particularly at 
Edmonton workhouse and the fields around it. There 
has been more showery weather here than about Lon- 
don ; but I begin to think, notwithstanding the conjec- 
tures of the Chronicle correspondents, that the cause, 
origin, and progress of this disease are totally inexpli- 
cable ; that climate, soil, or situation have very little to 
do with it, and that it is a constitutional decay of the 
Potato in some wonderful manner beyond our compre- 
hension. The above is the confession of one to the 
truth of your prognostications, who has long thought 
the * Potato disease" an overdone subject of alarm, 
and I have often suspected much of last year’s outcry 
to have been to a great degree political argument for 
Corn-law repeal. My eyes are open now to my own 
mistake, and to a great danger impending over our 
poor population, and it is a truly great object for one 
and all of us to consider how we shall best meet the 
failure of this staple food.— W. M. Rowland, Bishop 
Castle Vicarage, July 27. 
Autumn-planting Potatoes. — Last year my Ash- 
leaved Potatoes were very much infected with the pre- 
vailing disease, full one-third being unfit to eat, which 
portion I ordered to be laid out in the garden and ex- 
posed to the sun ; in October last I planted 8 bushels 
of these, some cut and some whole, according to the 
Size. The situation was a warm one, being sheltered 
from the north wind. I commenced digging them about 
the 20th of May, and since that time have had an abun- 
dant yield of Potatoes, perfectly free from disease, and 
much more mealy than those planted in March, besides 
being much more prolific. I yesterday saw a heap of 
about five sacks, in the garden of a friend, of equally 
fine Potatoes of the same sort, and planted from the 
same description of seed in N last. These were 
put in as a forlorn hope, being unfit for food ; they wer 
Societies. . 
"BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
July 3.—A. GzRARD, Esq., in the chair. Donations 
of British plants were announced from Dr, Dewar, the 
Rev. G. W. Sandys, Mr. Alfred Greenwood, Mr. A. D. 
Hambrough, the Rev. R. Cresswell, Mr. James Lynam, 
Mrs. F. Russell, and Mr. O. A. Moore. Read— 
“Notice of a variety of Cnicus arvensis (?), found in 
Fifeshire,” by Dr. Dewar. “ Its habit when growing is 
very different from the C. arvensis. The leaves are sinu- 
ated rather than pinnatifid, not erisped and curled but 
nearly flat and sharply spinous, with a decurrence 
of spines from each leaf. The involucre differs in 
nothing from the C. arvensis and C. setosus ; the florets 
are shorter, and not so remarkably fragrant as those of 
C. setosus.” A specimen was presented. 
Country Shows. 
Slough Floricultural Show.— Carnations, private 
growers: Istprize, Mr. Alleway, Sonning, with Conquering 
Hero, Puxley’s Princess Royal, Wilson’s William IV., 
Puxley’s Prince of Wales, Lady of the Lake, Prince of 
Wales, Squire Meynell, Duke of York, Lord Anson, 
Paul Pry, Duke of Leeds, and Prince Albert. 2d, J. 
Edwards, Esq., Holloway, with Marquis of Chandos, 
Holmes’ Mary Ann, Hales’s Prince Albert, Puxley’s 
Queen, Hepworth’s True Briton, Chadwick’s Brilliant, 
Robert Burns, Bishop of Gloucester, Puxley’s Prince 
Albert, Prince of Nassau, Sharp’s Defiance, and Wil- 
son’s Harriet. 3d, Mr. Atkins, Edgware-road.—Car- 
nations, open class: 1st prize, Mr. Keynes, Salisbury, with 
John Wright, Brutus, Smith's Mrs. Betts, Sealey's 
Princess Royal, Callcott’s Juba, Jacques’ Georgiana, 
Flora’s Garland, Beauty of Woodhouse, Puxley’s Sir 
. Peel, Marchi of W i Achilles, Duke 
of Bedford.— Picotees, private growers. lst prize, Mr. 
Hall, Enfield, with Crask's Victoria, Willmer's Prin- 
cess Royal, Mrs. Bevan, Wildmann's Isabella, Matthews" 
Enchantress, Lady Peel, Joan of Are, Nottingham 
Hero, Miss Campbell, Mrs. Fenton, Purple Perfection, 
and Sharp's Duke of Wellington. 2d, Mr. Atkins, with 
Willmer’s Princess Royal, Mrs. Barnard, Green's Vic- 
toria, Burroughes’ Beauty, Matthews’ Ne Plus Ultra, 
Wildman’s Isabella, Sharp’s L’Elegant, Matthews’ 
Enchantress, Tolworthy’s Isabella, Miss Jane, Crouch’s 
Ivanhoe, and Lady A. Peel. 3 r. Alleway.— 
Picotees, open class : 1st prize, Mr. Keynes, with Cor- 
nelius, Diana, Miss Hennell, Red Rover, Ely’s Grace 
Darling, Masterpiece, Mrs. Bevan, Matthews’ Enchan- 
tress, Sharp's Cleopatra, Mrs. Barnard, Willmer's 
Princess Royal, and Sir W. Middleton.— The display of 
seedlings was good ; lst class prize to M. May, Esq., 
onning, for a heavy-edged purple Picotee, Portia, very 
fine; also for Julia, light purple. Mr. May exhibited 
12 seedling Carnations, all distinct varieties, to which a 
prize was awarded ; the best of them were, Orlando, 
S.F., fine; and Edgar, C.B.—Mr. Costar exhibited 12 
distinct seedling Picotees, the most striking a heavy 
edged purple, Trip to Oxford. This stand was also 
favourably noticed, anda prize awarded.—Numerous 
other productions were shown in good order, Fuchsias 
predominating, the most striking of which were Sir H. 
Pottinger and Hector, in Mr. Butler’s six, which ob- 
tained a Ist prize ; Duchess of Sutherland and Andro- 
meda in Mr. Stewart’s 12 plants, which were finer. 
Mr. Cutter had Liliums, Gloxinias, Statice arborea, a 
collection of Cacti, and cut flowers. Mr. Bragg, 
Gloxinias and Pansies. Mr. Turner, Pansies, Dahlias, 
Fuchsias, and Verbenas. Mr. Holder, Verbenas and 
Cape Pel i Mr. Butler, gr. to the Rev. Mr. 
planted ,under fruit trees, where they were ly 
exposed to damp. I have written this to show, in the 
first place, that Potatoes planted in the autumn will 
produce quite an equal quantity of tubers, and of better 
quality than those planted in spring ; and that we are 
guilty of great waste in throwing away the diseased por- 
tion of the crop.— Edward Compton, Water Newton, 
Wansford, July 20. 
Storing Potatoes.—Last year I allowed my Potatoes 
toremain in the earth till very nearly the usual time 
of taking them up, that is, until I believed them to be 
quite ripe. I had them then taken up in fine dry 
weather ; women followed close upon the men who 
were forking them up, and separated the diseased from 
the sound Potatoes immediately. I then put the sound 
Potatoes into sacks as soon as I could, and carted them 
home and pitted them, always the same day on which 
they were taken up. lI sprinkled some dry sand over 
them as I pitted them ; eovered the pit up as I went 
on with a rather thieker than usual layer of earth, and 
never opened them afterwards, except now and then in 
places to see how they were preserving their soundness. 
When we finally opened the pits, and sold the Potatoes 
in spring for seed, they came out as sound as possible, 
and were as good a sample as I ever saw. I tried a 
different plan with some others and with a very different 
result. I took them up early, and exposed them to the 
air to be well dried, but carefully preserving them from 
rain. I spread many of them on the boarded floor of a 
granary, which stands over an open cart shed, thinking 
that the airing they would thus get would be of service 
to them ; but I lost all that were so treated. The re- 
sults of my own experience and of my observations of 
what my cottage neighbours did with their Potatoes 
last year, lead me to believe that it is the best plan to 
leave the Potatoes in the earth till they are ripe ; to 
take them up in fine dry weather ; to be very careful to 
separate the sound and unsound as effectually and as 
quickly as possible ; and to expose the ripe sound tubers 
to the air but very little. —W. H. 
Champness, Salt-hill, had Ist prizes for cut flowers, 
Verbenas, and Roses ; and Mr. Stewart prizes for Roses, 
Pelargoniums, &e. 
Botanical and Horticultural Society of Durham and 
Northumberland.—This Society held a grand exhibi- 
tion of flowers, fruits, &c., at Newcastle, on Tuesday, 
July 21, which was kept open till Friday, in the Bull 
Park, near the exhibition of the Royal Agricultural 
Society. The show was held under a marquee, or 
rather series of tents, radiating from a central erection 
80 feet in diameter, and occupying tents each 100 feet 
by 20, except the large one, which was about the same 
length, but twice the breadth. The whole was covered 
with waterproof canvas, which was rather severely tried 
by the heavy falls of rain that took place on each day, 
but not a drop fell on the plants, or at all annoyed the 
visitors. The scene was truly animating, and in every 
respect worthy of the improved gardening skill of the 
North of England, many of the productions equalling in 
beauty and perfeetion of growth those shown at Chis- 
wick, During the four days upwards of 20,000 persons. 
were present, and the children from nearly all the 
private and publie schools in the neighbourhood were 
admitted free of charge. Not a plant was lost or 
damaged. Upwards of 6007. was taken at the door in 
shillings and sixpenees! A large number of plants 
were exhibited and some excellent fruit, and numerous 
prizes were awarded ; but we have only been furnished 
with a list of the rewards without the names of the ob- 
jects for which they were given. 
New Garden Plants. ; 
42, PRIMULA INVOLUCRATA. "The ruffed Primrose 
Hardy Herbaceous Plant. (Primworts.*) Nepal. 
This is a neat and very desirable sweet-scented little 
hardy alpine perennial, which grows freely in a 80 
composed of sandy loam and leaf-mould, It attains a 
—— d ved "imr aet er ~- f 
* See Lindley’s ** Vegetable Kingdom " for an explanation of 
these terms. 
SE 
oBiee mter cen 
