40—1846.] 
THE GARDENERS' 
CHRONICLE. 
661 
require an attentive and particular treatment, none 
Such are inserted in this list. 
Acrostichum alcicorne, Sw. Diplazium lasiopteris, Kunz, 
net concinnum, H, and | _,, 'Shepherdii, Lk. 
th. 
» Cuneatum, L. & Fis. » caudata, Br. 
» formosum, Br, » Kunthiana, Gaud. 
» Mmoritzianum, Lk. Gymnogramma ochracea, 
» pubescens, Schk. Presl. 
Allantodia australis, Br. 
Lomaria antarctica, Carm. 
» axillaris, Kaulf. att 
Gilliesii, IT. and Gr. 
» umbrosa, Br. » 
Anemia fraxinifolia, Rad. x» nuda, W. 
Aspidium coriaceum, Sw. »» Patersonii, Spr. 
» eburneum »_ procera, Spr. 
» elongatum, Sw. Nephrodium decompositum, Br 
» faleatum, Sw. 55 is, Lk. 
Niphobolus Lingua, Spr. 
». rupestris, Spr. 
Nothochlena distans, Br. 
Eckloni, Kunze. 
Polypodium aureum, W. 
» ilardieri, Br. 
concinnum, 
, decursive pinnatum 
lepidopodum, H, Ber, 
». pungens, Kaulf, 
Asplenium bulbiferum, Forst. 
» decurtatum, Lk. 
» flabellifolium, Cav. 
» Monanthes, L, 
». Planicaule, Wall. , phymatodes, L. 
Asplenium premorsum, Sw. | Pteris arguta, Vahl. 
virens, » crenata, 
Blechnum australe, L. » cretica, 
» braziliense, Desv. s falcata, Br. 
» gracile, Kaulf. a hastata, 
» n, » Kingiana, End. 
», triangula: » laeta 
Cheilanthes davallioides, W. » longifolia, L. 
Cibotium glaucescens, Kunze, s pedata, 
(Barometz). » polita, H, Ber. 
Daræa cicutaria, W. » Serrulata, 
» Odontites, W. » spinulosa, Rad. 
Davallia canariensis, Sw. » tremula, Br. 
» elegans, Sw. s» umbrosa, Br. 
». pyxidata, Cav. » vespertilionis, Labill, 
Dicksonia antarctica, Labell. ' Woodwardia radicans, Sw. 
—D. Cameron, Botanic Garden, Birmingham. 
Home Correspondence. 
Subjects affected by the Potato Disease.—I perceive 
by the Chronicle of the 26th inst. that you are not 
&ware of any other species of plant but the Solanums 
[we did not say so], being attacked with the prevailing 
blight, erroneously termed the Potato murrain. The 
following facts will, however, fully satisfy you that, be 
the disease what it may, it is not confined to any par- 
tiedlar species, as the accompanying list will testify. 
Imay just observe that I first detected its ravages in 
the last days of July and the first week of August. Ist. 
Tomatoes : every fruit set up to the Ist of August quite 
unfit for use, and scarcely a leaf left on the plants; 
dressed them heavily with caustic lime, which, in my 
Opinion, completely checked the further progress of the 
Malady, as the fruit since set areas fine as could be 
Wished for, and no trace of disease to be found. 2d. 
The Solanum crispum nearly destroyed, same time, and 
manner. 3d. The Solanum duleamara in full berry at 
the time, and almost every berry infected precisely as 
the Tomatoes, 4th, All my late planted Dahlias severely 
infected, both roots and stems, The early, and conse- 
quently more matured ones, only very slightly touched. 
5th, A crop of very luxuriant Spinach entirely cut off. 
N.B. Close by some let run up for seed, not in the least 
affected ; it had lost its sueculency. 6th. An entire 
Square of curled Endive swept away in one week. 
-B. This crop was highly manured with stable-dung 
and guano ; another plantation on poorer land not in 
the least affected. 7th. Every Lettuce (and there were 
Several thousands), on the first week of August, all but 
destroyed. 8th. All the late-sown Windsor Beans, not 
a pod left. 9th. Almost every plant of the common 
ite border Tris greatly affected ; the semi-tuberous 
Toots, many of them quite gone, just like the Potato. 
And 10th, and lastly, the most remarkable of the 
whole, viz.,the Vine! This occurred in an old Vinery, 
Avery late house. The fruit is just now stoning, and 
Thee among gardeners as the Grove-end Sweetwater. 
"lere are three or four bunches affected precisely 
similar to the Tomatoes, and as the Berries get more 
Pellueid, it is most interesting to watch the progress of 
€ brown taint—plant our worthy friend Mr. Moore 
Natl call it. The above will establish the fact that 
E e disease in question is not confined to any particular 
aoe consequently, the doctrine of the dying out of 
GB. Potato falls to the ground.—J. Walker, Viceregal 
of any other sort could have done it. 
Any. One doubts: the carnivorous propensities of the 
S. Y. 
ieee o Josephing.—This fine bulb is much more 
friend E 18 generally imagined. Some time since, 
thrown over it; this filled with Moss or straw would, 
of course, be still more effectual; but here it is not 
required, The neck of the bulb was left just level with 
the surface.— H. D., Guernsey, Sept. 22, 
Potato Disease.—It has struck me that the following 
fact may be of some value to some of your correspond- 
ents who talk about the necessity and desirableness’of 
getting Potatoes anew from the original stock in South 
America! I have a considerable quantity of this much- 
to-be-desired stock, obtained in the following manner. 
In the spring of 1835 (the autumn of the S. hemi- 
sphere) Mr. Darwin collected some seeds from ripe 
tubers, in the Cordillera of central Chili, in a most un- 
requented district, many miles from any inhabited 
spot, and where the plant was certainly in a state of 
nature. These vegetated under Professor Henslow's 
care in the year 1836 or 1837, and in that year or 1838, 
a tuber was given me by Mr. Darwin. It was either 
three or four years before the Potatoes from it became 
eatable. "They are now good both for eating and keep- 
ing, and good bearers. I had them growing last year 
among many other kinds ; and as they are a late va- 
riety, they had not ceased growing when the disease 
appeared in Cheshire. They fared exactly the same as 
other kinds, having the blotch in the leaf and a few 
tubers decayed. This year the haulm was destroyed 
totally, in the same manner as all my Potatoes were ; 
and on taking up the tubers I find about the same 
number diseased as in other kinds. I fear this decides 
the point as to the uselessless of procuring seed from 
even the fountain head—the wild stock itself. As I 
have intruded thus far, I will add a few words as to the 
result of my own experiments and observations last 
year and this, 1 felt no doubt last year that the disease 
was communicated from the south of England—for this 
reason: when I first observed it in the south, we had 
not a speck upon the leaves, nor an unsound Potato. 
This continued long after grievous complaints in the 
south, until at length it seemed to gradually creep to 
us, and kept proceeding northward, but did not work 
very far in Scotland. None of my early Potatoes, 
and scarcely any second earlies, were touched, 
being raised before the disease came us 
the second earlies were, however, spotted in leaf. 
The produce of those early Potatoes this year was little 
injured in the tubers ; but the haulm was destroyed. 
The second earlies of last year, of which the foliage 
only was slightly specked then, have been this year 
almost totally destroyed, after yielding an abundant 
erop, but of which the tubers almost alldecayed. I 
have this year crops of seedling Potatoes— autumn 
sown, earlyandlate in the year, with'and without manure, 
and I can see no difference in them. Some crops rather 
better than others in the tubers ; but of all, the haulm 
totally destroyed, and most rapidly in the best growing 
crops. Isee that some of your correspondents state 
that in crops of which the haulm was destroyed, they 
could see no disease in the tubers. May not this have 
arisen from the diseased tubers being quite rotted 
away? I have seen this the case, so that you could not 
discover them without a very diligent examination, and 
the remainder of the crop was to all appearance quite 
sound. That the disease is sometimes communicated 
by the air I have no doubt is the fact. Adjoining 
my Potato-field I had some Dahlias, and when the dis- 
ease attacked the Potato-haulm so virulently as to make 
the air for a considerable distance most disagreeable, 
blotches appeared upon the Dahlia-lenves which could 
not be mistaken. They began similarly, had the white 
appearance under the leaf, and soon had the same 
scorched black look. They, however, outgrew it, and 
it appears quite gone. Whatever may have been the 
cause and origin of this destructive agent, about which 
all seem as yet about equally in the dark, does it not 
seem, weighing all the evidences on the point from 
your numerous correspondents, that both parties are 
right—those who say it comes, or rather is promulgated, 
from within—and those who say it comes from without. 
This is the conclusion I have come to after carefully 
watching it last year and this in a great Potato-growing 
country, and from numerous experiments. 
asserted, I think, at one time your conviction that the 
spot in the leaf never came till decay had commenced 
in the stem just above the tubers. In many instances 
I find this correct; but in many more I could not 
detect the least discolouration or decay in any part of 
the plant or tuber when the blotch first appeared of a 
palish hue above, and a mildew look underneath the 
leaf. I believe this is after the real commencement o! 
disease in the plant, when communicated through the 
medium of the air; but I imagine that after that the 
plant is tainted, and its tubers the following year have 
the seeds of death within themselves.—W. D. F. 
Horticultural Society's Prize-list for 1847.—Observ- 
ing that a Silver Gilt Medal is offered for hardy hybrid 
a | shrubs, at the Exhibitions in 1847, allow me to suggest 
the genus Erica as a subject for hybridising. Would it 
not be possible to raise hybrids between our hardy 
species and some of the Cape species, which might pro- 
bably prove as hardy as the splendid hybrid Rhododen- 
ing, the head of blossom 
es ; and, I have but little doubt, if 
a fortnight longer, it will ripen 
The soil of my garden is a sound 
ng loam, and the onl, i iv 
Ni a y protection that has been given 
du; i 
ring winter is a common hell glass with a Russia mat 
drons.: pe. - 
Thunbergia Chrysops.—By the following treatment 
this beautiful speeies has been induced to expand daily 
from 20 to 60 of its delightful blossoms. It was re- 
potted from a 5-ineh pot in April 1845, using a compost 
of turfy peat, loam, and sand into a 12-inch pot, and 
placed in the plant stove, where it soon commenced 
growing very fast; it was frequently stopped with a 
view to induce it to flower, but without effect. 
treatment, however, caused the shoots to become short- pease was identical with that on the 
This | quence no more fungi were nourished. 
jointed and somewhat woody, which proved to have had 
a great tendency in inducing it to flower. As the win- 
ter approached, no signs of its flowering having exhi- 
bited themselves, water was gradually withheld, just 
enough being given to prevent it from losing its foliage, 
and it was removed to the coolest part of the house, 
where it remained until spring, when it was brought 
from its winter quarters and placed in a situation as 
much exposed to the sun as possible, a liberal allow- 
ance of water being now given it. About the beginning 
of May it showed signs of flowering from the axils of 
almost every leaf, and from that time it was occasion- 
ally watered with some good clear liquid manure, 
which caused the flowers to expand much more freely. 
It will thus be seen that although a plant does not 
bappen to bloom the first season, success must not be 
despaired of ; for by treating it through the winter as 
above, the labour will be amply repaid in next season,— 
James Grant, Bowood Gardens. 
Potatoes shaded by Indian Corn not diseased.—At 
Waltham Abbey, Essex, a person of the name of 
Wright has, growing, some fine Indian corn ; it is now 
11} feet high, and the distance between the rows in- 
duced him to plant Carrots and Potatoes, both of which 
are remarkably fine and free from disease ; but further 
on he continued the same Potatoes, where there is no 
corn, and these are diseased and bad. Does this not 
prove that the influence of our late scorching sun must 
be the cause of failure !— Waltham. 
Gardeners’ Advertisements.—I presume that the 
persons who advertise for places wish to obtain them. 
May I enquire of them whether they seriously expect 
gentlemen to trouble themselves about writing to them, 
when they invariably avoid stating the wages they 
demand? I am employed to find two or three gardeners, 
and upon looking over your advertising columns I do 
not find a single advertisement that I can answer.—G. 
[We wish very much that gardeners would for their 
own sake attend to this hint. 
Soot a Preventive of the Potato Disease. — Last 
year, in November, I planted some seedling Ash-leaved 
Kidney Potatoes upon a gravelly soil. Trenches were 
made about 7 inches deep, and the tubers were planted, 
whole, in them, and a liberal quantity of soot was 
thrown over. I commenced lifting them in the latter 
end of July, and finished on the Ist of August, when 
I found the sets were encased in soot, and nearly all as 
sound as when planted. The tops were a little attacked 
with the disease, but the tubers appeared sound and a 
ood crop. I placed them, according to custom, upona 
gravel walk in my garden to dry for planting, and in 
about three weeks I found them severely attacked with 
the disease. I had them sorted over and placed in an 
out-house with the doors left open, and have continued 
to sort them over up to this day, and out of 10 bags I 
have three only left apparently sound.—R. M. S., 
ept. 29. 
Abies Douglasii at Dropmore.—The following are 
the height and dimensions of our best plant of Abies 
Douglasii: — Height, 48 feet 6 inches; diameter of 
branches, 38 feet 6 inches; girth of stem 3 feet from 
the ground, 4 feet. The seeds of this splendid tree 
were sown in March, 1828, and the tree was planted 
out in the following year on a very poor soil, with very 
little fresh earth added to it ; or if this had been the 
case, the tree would have been still finer. On two or 
three occasions, two or three leaders have been formed, 
which I have removed ; and the same happened this 
season in the shape of a second leader, which Llave 
taken off, If removing contending leaders was more 
universally attended to, we should see much finer 
trunks to our finest timber-trees than are often to be 
met with. I have some seasons had excellent seed 
from Douglasii; but it is not to be depended on. 
There are but few cones this year, and the seeds are 
mostly abortive. When I sent the height of the Arau- 
caria imbricata (see p. 479), it was 22 feet 6 inches: it 
is now 23 feet 3 inches, and will be several inches 
higher before winter, as the tree is growing very fast.— 
Philip Frost, Dropmore. : E 
Solanum laciniatum affected by Potato Disease.—Y ou 
mention that you are not aware of the Potato disease 
having attacked any other of the Nightshade family ex- 
cept the Tomato and Egg-plant To these I can add a 
third, the Solanum laciniatum, which was growing in 
great vigour and beauty in my nursery in the open air 
on Sunday the 25th of July, and its development was so 
singularly beautiful and perfect, that my sons with 
Uu 
f | myself remained about it, examined it, and pronounced 
jt one of the most interesting of its tribe, when grown 
from seed in the open air, as this plant was, and not 
confined to a pot as we usually see it. Between 10 and 
11 the following morning, in passing the same plant, I 
observed a change had taken place, the whole of the 
plant on the south-west side appearing to droop. Upon 
closer examination, the branches with their membranous 
angles, as well as the leaves they bore, were blotched 
over with dull purple, and upon removing the epi- 
dermis the tissue was disorganised and discoloured, the 
walls of the cells were broken, and the watery matter 
they had contained was diffused. At this time I saw 
no symptom of mouldiness, but by two o'elock on the 
same day nearly the whole of the infected parts were 
covered with minute white hair-like fungi, that had 
pierced the outer integument, and whose rootlets had 
inserted tl in all directions in the diseased 
matter. Ina few days the peculiar havoc and brittle 
stage of the disease became apparent, and as a conse- 
That the dis- 
Potato there is not 
