sese 
36—1846.] 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE, 
599 
in the next place, they appear to have been much 
e under the present gardener, who excels in, 
and consequently prefers, the cultivation of green and 
hothouse plants. The ornamental and publie portion of 
ihe garden is in excellent order, and the first thing that 
strikes one in this, as well as in the private gardens that 
Surround the country houses with which “theislands” are 
80 thickly studded, is the excessive vigour of vegetation 
of the young trees and shrubs. Long annual shoots, 
dense foliage, and the individual leaves very large ; but 
as the trees get old you see the effects of the furious 
storms to which they are exposed. The black Poplars 
planted by Peter the Great with his own hand in 1710, 
are sadly battered, and the oldest Oaks here, which 
are certainly at least as recent, have the decrepid ap- 
Pearance of ages, and most large trees have their upper 
branches broken about or dead, The European species 
that bear the climate are few in number, chiefly the | yr 
Pinus sylvestris, the common Spruce, the Sycamore, 
the pedunculate Oak (the Quercus sessiliflora will not 
bear the climate), the black and the white Poplars, a large 
Coarse-leaved Elm,which they tell me is the U. effusa, the 
Birch, a few Willows, the Ash and Mountain Ash ; but 
Several Siberian treesin the garden prove also quite hardy, 
Such as the Siberian Larch and Spruce, the Populus 
Suaveolens, allied to the balsamifera. The Weeping 
illow is replaced by the Salix acutifolia, a very hand- 
Some tree. The Weymouth Pine, the Siberian Cembra 
anda Thuya, are the only Coniferous trees I have ob- 
Served large besides the two wild ones. Amongst 
shrubs there are several Siberian ones besides the 
Caragana I mentioned before, especially the Crataegus 
Sanguinea, which makes excellent thick hedges, though 
on a larger scale than our oxyacantha, {which is too 
tender ; they have also a fine Cornus, but no evergreen 
Shrubs now occur to me except the Juniper. The 
flower-beds are many of them very gay, particularly 
with Siberian, Californian, Chilian, and Swan River 
annuals. The Brachycome iberidifolia forms every- 
where large masses of the richest colour, much finer 
than any I have seen in England ; the Schizanths and 
hlox Drummondi are also very fine ; the old Malope 
and annual Lavatera are very conspicuous. The North 
American pink-flowered variety of Calystegia sepium is 
very ornamental as a creeper. The greenhouse plants 
‘now standing out of doors for the summer, contain a 
great variety of South Russian shrubs, amongst which I 
remarked Caragana jubata, (one of the “Tartarie Furze” 
the Potato crops, the disease having broken out, asit is 
said, worse than last year. Here Potatoes are but little 
cultivated; but the disease is unknown, nor was it at all 
observed in Finland, where Potatoes are more abundant. 
Hocteties. 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Sept. 1.—R. W. BancHaRD, Esq., in the chair. 
Lady Constable, Miss Hinkes, J. Blayds, C. Druce, W. 
Maury, T. Wood, and E. Harrison, Esqrs., together 
with Mr. John Weeks, were elected Fellows, Although 
the gubjécts for exhibition on this occasion were noi 
numerous, some of them were far from being devoid of 
interest. A very fine specimen of the large white- 
flowered Dendrobium formosum, for which a Banksian 
Medal was awarded, came from the nursery of Messrs. 
Rollisson, of Tooting ; and of the same interesting tribe, 
essrs. Loddiges, of Hackney, produced a series of 
plants, consisting of the dingy brown-flowered Cymbi- 
dium giganteum, a Warrea from Guiana, the delicate 
blush-flowered Eulophia guineensis, a Galeandra from 
Santa Martha, something in the way of, but less hand- 
some than; G. Baueri, a well-bloomed specimen of which 
accompanied it, and a variety of Peristeria elata. 
From the same collection was also a Saccolabium from 
Bombay, not strikingly different from S. guttatum, 
together with Oncidium tetrapetalum, the green- 
flowered Cycnoches chl hilum, and a hand 
variety of the comparatively new Cattleya granulosa. 
Along with these were likewise a lovely specimen of 
the bright fi 1 Dendrobium ch hum,and 
the larger-fi re d variety of Epidend sperum. A 
Knightian Medal was awarded.—Mr. Glendinning, of 
the Chiswick Nursery, sent Torenia concolor, a lovely 
blue-flowered species introduced from China by Mr. 
ecies 
Fortune, It has a trailing habit, and, in the present 
instance, was comparatively bare of blossoms ; but when 
the plant shall have become better known, and more 
care bestowed on its culture, we have no doubt it will 
prove a worthy associate of the lovely T. asiatica, 
excelling the latter in beauty ; for the flowers are 
nearly of as fine a blue as those of Salvia patens. 
—Messrs. Veitch and Son, of Exeter, sent ZEschynan- 
thus radicans, another handsome addition to that beau- 
tiful genus; and a soft-wooded Gesneraceous looking 
plant, from Java, named Tromsdorffia speciosa. It is 
an erect growing plant, with large opposite obovate 
leaves, from whose axils spring clusters of Chirita-like 
f 
set), Corylus Mongholica, Quercus t &e 
WO very fine speci of Rhod rboreum, 
bought from Knight’s, ‘are in vigorous health, and the 
tubs being buried in the ground and laid over with turf, 
the trees look as if they were growing in the open air. 
‘his is very much done with greenhouse trees in the 
Private gardens, especially with the Clethra arborea, a 
Very favourite tree, of which I have seen beautiful spe- 
Cimens, When the trees so planted have been carefully 
Prepared and not allowed to be too much drawn, it is 
impossible to tell whether they are in the ground or in 
ubs. In Count Nesselrode’s garden I was particularly 
Struck with the good effect produced, the whole garden 
being moreover beautifully kept. The principal private 
gardens that I have seen have all considerable green 
and hothouses for ornamental plants ; but no kitchen 
gardens or foreing-houses, they being merely pleasure 
grounds attached to the suburban villas in which they 
ive for about three months in the year." Prince Wia- 
zemsky’s houses are extensive, and contain many valu- 
able plants, and several new ones from Columbia col- 
lected by Moritz ; the others chiefly bought in England, 
A kind of garden very much in fashion here, and which 
to my eyes has a very pretty effect when kept neatly 
and arranged with taste, may be called the in-door or 
‘awing-room garden; that is to say, creepers and 
flower-pots intermixed with the furniture in the sitting- 
rooms. The creepers are chiefly the common small- 
leaved Ivy, aud the Cissus antaretica ; they are gene- 
rally planted in mahogany boxes lined with lead, with a 
false leaden bottom piereed with holes, under which isa 
Tawer for receiving the refuse water. To this is 
attached a trellis, sometimes in the shape of a bower, 
round a work-table, or of a folding screen in front of a 
recess, or half dividing a long narrow room into two, &c. 
t other times the climber twines round some portion of 
the piece of furniture itself. A very pretty one I have 
Seen, is a round work-table, with a column of Ivy rising 
out of the centre, and at the height of about 6 ft., hanging 
down in the shape of a parasol, the root and its box 
heing concealed under the table. The other plants in 
pots are such as have a good foliage, such as Olea fra- 
grans, Ficus elastica, small Dracænas, a good many of 
the smaller and neater Scitaminese, which instead of 
being merely put in. pots with saucers under them on a 
Stand by the window are placed here and there amongst 
the furniture in boxes of mahogany or whatever other 
Wood ponds with the furnit ftheroom, When 
arranged with taste and not overdone, the effect at 
leastin the country houses at this time of year, is very 
good. With the open verandahs, in which they sit a 
good deal, the house and garden are almost brought into 
one. I say nothing of fruit and vegetable gardens till I 
have seen some of the imperial forcing-houses, I have 
also deferred till I have been to Peterhoff and Tsarskoé- 
Slo any account of the grounds attached to the large 
Tnperial palaces. I hope also to see some more of the 
grat private gardens before we leave this place, and 
Pape to hear something of the progress of agriculture 
to'l © neighbourhood. In the meantime I am grieved 
i Ne that very distressing accounts have just been 
ved from various parts of Germany of the state of 
P 
blush, with the tube shaded with violet ; 
the plant had been grown in a stove, but in a specimen 
from the greenhouse, sent along with it, the tube was 
much deeper coloured. The ample and somewhat 
coarse foliage, however, will always hide much of the 
beauty of the blossoms. A Certificate was awarded.— 
From Messrs. Henderson, of Pine-apple-place, was the 
pretty bright red tubular flowered Cuphea platycentra, 
a half hardy plant, which answers well for bedding out; 
and Satyrium aureum, a Cape Orchid, which was stated 
tune met with on the granite mountains of Hong Kong, 
together with Tochroma tubulosum, a half-hardy shrub 
growing from 4 to 5 feet high, which was found by 
Mr. Hartweg on the mountains of Yangana, near 
Loxa. Notwitl ding its hat rambling habit 
and coarse grey downy foliage, it promises to be a plant 
of much importance, producing clusters of long flowers 
of a deep porcelain blue colour. From the same collee- 
tion was also Mr. Fortune’s Abelia rupestris, a 
spreading bush, with bright green leaves, and white 
flowers, ded by a slightly-stained loured 
calyx; being sweet-scented it will be a valuable autumn- 
flowering greenhouse plant, if it should not turn out to 
be hardy, which is probable. Along with it was a new 
pale yellow blossomed Clematis from Chinese Tartary, 
which, being hardy, will no doubt form a valuable ad- 
dition to the arboretum wall. 
BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
July 3.—A. GERARD, Esq., in the chair. Donations 
of British plants were announced from Dr. Dewar, 
Rev. G. W. Sandys, Mr. Alfred Greenwood, Mr. A. 
J. Hambrough, the Rev. R. Cresswell, Mr. James 
Lynam, Mr. F. Russell, and Mr. O. A. Moore, Mr. T. 
H. Cooper, F.L.S., and Mr. H. Taylor, were elected 
members. Read “ Notice of a variety of Cnicus arven- 
sis? found in Fifeshire,” by Dr. Dewar. Its habit, 
when growing, is very different from the C. arvensis, 
The leaves are sinuated rather than pinnatifid, not 
crisped and curled, but nearly flat, and sharply spinous, 
with a decurrence of spines from each leaf. The invo- 
luere 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, 
46. SaxtrRacRa THYSANODES, The coarse-fringed 
Indian Saxifrage. Hardy Herbaceous Plant. (Saxi- 
frages.*) 
This was sent from India as the true S. ciliata. But it 
cannot be that, because its inflorescence is compact and 
nearly simple, its leaves hirsute on both sides, and its 
calyx perfectly smooth. It is in reality a plant of 
which dried specimens were distributed from the India 
House, before the return of Dr, Wallich, under the 
name of S. ligulata. But it differs from S. ligulata in its 
short petals, more diminutive inflorescence, and hirsute 
crenated leaves, which are by no means cordate, as 
those of ligulata always are. 1t is a pretty robust hardy 
perennial, growing not more than six or eight inches in 
height, and flowering in April It is increased by 
dividing the old roots when the plant is at rest, and 
grows freely in any good garden soil.— Bot. Reg. 
Garden Memoranda. 
Louvain Botanic Garden, July 7, 1846.—This garden 
to flower freely in peat in a cool well-aired g 
Of Frorisrs’ Frowrers: Mr. Turner, of Chalvey, sent a 
stand of Pansies, and a collection of Dahlia blooms, 
among which were some of the best and newest 
varieties. Of Fmurr: Mr. Barnes, of Bicton, sent 
three dingly hand ueen Pine-apples, which 
were, however, insufficiently ripened, two being quite 
green near the top. They weighed respectively 63 lbs. E 
5 lbs. 14 oz. ; and 5 lbs. 11 oz. The heaviest, especially, 
was a fine fruit, forming a regular pyramid, a foot in 
height, and 18 inches in circumference, surmounted by 
a rather small crown. It was mentioned that they had 
been grown in a very inexpensive manner, and that 
they were not shown as specimens of superior cultiva- 
tion ; but to indicate what could be effected under dis. 
1 i About the middle of 
August, 1845, the suckers were taken off and planted 
in -inch pots, in rough turfy loam and charcoal ; they 
were placed on bricks, and some old half worn-out 
tan was forked up among them. By the middle of 
September they had become well-rooted, and were 
removed into 11-inch pots, using the same material as 
before, and placing them again in the same situation, 
but thinner; they then grew away rapidly. In the 
second week in Jan., 1846, they were finally shifted 
into 15-inch pots ; and by the second week in March 
they were good plants, and started for fruit early in 
May. They never received any fire-heat ; but always 
had abundanee of air given them night and day. A 
in s or similar places, until was 
repaired, A  Banksian Medal was awarded.— 
Mr. Mitchell gr. to E. Lawford, Esq., sent large 
bunches of Black Hamburgh Grapes with finely 
swelled berries, but hardly sufficiently coloured. They 
were stated to have been produced in a greenhouse, 
without the aid of fire heat. A Certificate was 
awarded them, and a similar award was also made to a 
seedling Grape, sent by Mr. Josling, of St. Albans. RU 
is an excellent variety, rich and sugary, with a Frontig- 
nan flavour, and deserves extensive cultivation.—From 
the Garden of the Society were Achimenes grandiflora, 
and a large mass of the old A. coccinea, the useful 
Niphza oblonga covered with chaste white blossoms, a 
large Cuphea pubiflora, Mussenda frondosa, with 
singular large white bracts and yellow flowers, Onci- 
dium microchilum, the pretty yellow-flowered Bletia-like 
Spathoglottis Fortuni, one of the first plants Mr. For- 
appeared pretty well kept, and in good condition, bemg 
much freq las a place of publie promenade. In 
the stoves (which I thought too dry), was a fine spe- 
cimen of Pandanus odoratissimus, with its stem care- 
fully wrapped up in Moss ; there was also a fine plant 
of Bonapartea gracilis, its fine long spiny leaves droop- 
ing gracefully over the sides of the flower-pot—a hand- 
some plant. There were a number of plants in pots 
made with a handle to hang on the wall, a hint worth 
adopting in some of our English greenhouses. Many 
air-plants were growing on frames of boards, fastened 
on to them by a small thin sheet of cork, about twice 
the length of a hand, nailed over them. In the garden 
is a large tree of Sophora japonica,” And here, also, as 
in many other places in Belgium, I noticed neat divi- 
sions or hedges in the garden, made by planting long 
single stems of Privet close together, and tying them to 
very slight sticks placed horizontally at proper inter- 
vals, thus oceupying scarcely any breadth of ground, 
Sometimes pollarded Acacias are planted at distances 
of 15 or 20 feet, producing a good effect.—R. J. B. 
Calendar of Operations. 
(For the ensuing. Week.) 
pater Seo cae 
Storing Potatoes.—lt is at this period a most im- 
portant consideration how to preserve Potatoes for 
another year, more especially those for seed, To this 
end three principles would seem to be of paramount 
importance, viz., low temperature, dryness, and a free- 
dom from fermentation ; the latter being in my opinion 
of greater import than all other considerations together. 
Where fruit-room shelves are likely to remain un- 
occupied by fruit, I would recommend them to be given 
up to the prime seed Potatoes for garden planting. 
They may be placed several layers thick, provided 
some tolerably dry material is sprinkled in alternate 
layers between them. No two Potatoes should be in 
contact, if possible. The very soundest alone should 
have this care ; the rest may be pitted on a similar 
principle, taking care to select a cool, airy, and shady 
situation ; and to bave the bottom above the ground 
level, instead of below it. In both these cases, dark- 
ness and exclusion of air are essentials ; and the pits 
must, therefore, be well covered up at the top. I have 
no doubt whatever that when the causes of the present 
murrain shall be ascertained, that accumulated abuses, 
through fermentation, will be found to bear a most im- 
portant share in the matter. I have recommended 
persons in this neighbourhood to pull their decaying 
haulm, then to soil the Potatoes over 3 or 4 inches 
* See Lindley's * Vegetable Kingdom ” for an explanation of 
these terms. 
