678 THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONI 
eis. [Ocr. 10, 
Sweet Basil and Marjoram.—After repeated sowings 
of these, I was only able to procure a few plants; these 
were well nursed, and had become strong by the middle 
of May, when they were planted out in highly-manured 
soil. The hot summer being very favourable for their 
growth, when in flower in July they were eut down to 
a few green shoots at bottom ; these were stopped, and 
a second supply was the result.— W. Brown, Merevale ; 
Sept. 7. 
The Nonpareil Cabbage.—1 would advise everybody 
having spare land to plant it immediately with Non- 
pareil Cabbage. If the Cabbage is not wanted for 
human food, it is a profitable crop for cattle, coming in 
early and forming a second erop of good hearts in the 
autumn, if allowed to stand till then.— NV. Q. 
Fruit-Tree Borders.—Some years ago I had occasion 
to root out some old trees from the walls here, to make 
room for good kinds of Pears. I had the soil taken 
out about 5 feet wide and 24 feet deep ; broken stones 
were then put into the bottom 1 foot deep—1 foot 6 ins. 
deep was then left for soil, which was procured in the 
following manner :—The turf was pared off part of the 
park, the soil was then dug out about 14 inches deep ; 
this soil was, therefore, little inferior to turf. It was 
afterwards mixed with lime rubbish, old briek-bats 
broken, and, when lime and bricks became scarce, 
broken stones were added. The soil being retentive, a 
little leaf mould was mixed with the whole. The border 
was then filled up with the compost. The trees, maiden 
plants, three years trained, were then taken up care- 
fully and placed upon the surface; the roots were 
spread out and covered with some of the finest of the soil, 
which was well mulehed with half-rotten dung, and 
watered, the mould being dry at the time. Trees could 
hardly suceeed better than they have done. They pro- 
duce fine crops of fruit every year. The Pears which I 
send for inspection (Gansell’s Bergamot) were grown 
upon an old tree that was lifted eight years ago, and 
covers a space 24 feet by 10 feet. It was planted in the 
same soil as above, and annually bears a fine crop. The 
soil and subsoil are very stiff, but the border is tho- 
roughly drained, so that no water can lodge either in or 
on it. The park from which the soil was procured 
must now be put to rights. This was effected by filling 
up the space with the old soil from the border, making 
it level, and relaying the turf pared off. ‘The soil from 
the old border produced a fine erop of Grass, so much 
80, that anybody can tell where the dressing was applied 
by its great luxuriance compared with that of the rest 
of the park ; so that, by this plan, neither Peter nor 
Paul are robbed, but on the contrary, both have been 
improved.— W. Hutchison, Eatington Park, Shipston- 
on-Stour, Warwickshire. 
Potatoes grown on Peat.—A few days ago I took up 
my principal crop, which extended to about 2 acres on 
an open clay soil, and yielded scarcely more than 2 tons 
of Potatoes sound, with about half a ton diseased, all 
the rest of the crop having completely rotted away. I 
eut over the haulm of a few rows in the end of July, 
from which I had a little better crop than where it was 
left. I yesterday took up those planted in moss, and 
found them decidedly better than the others; indeed, 
the number of diseased roots was very small, not above 
a basketful in a cart load. They are a very large 
crop in point of numbers, but small in size, many not 
larger than a marble. I may mention that the haulm 
had long since completely fallen down ; indeed, it began 
to show the appearance of disease as soon as the others 
in the clay soil. They were all the kind of Potato 
called * Cups" here. The moss land never had Pota- 
toes, nor indeed any other erop on it before, having been 
only drained and covered with gravel last- year.—.4 
Kirkcudbright Farmer. 
Aralia japonica (variety maxima).—A plant of this 
is now in full bloom here. It flowered with me last 
year, and this year it has been an object of universal 
admiration. It stands 12 feet in height, with a stem 
7 feet clear, and a very large head of leaves 3 feet long. 
Above the leaves it has eight umbels of fine large prim- 
rose-coloured bloom, divided -into nine racemes or 
branches, about 2 feet long. Some are now producing 
black berries. It has been in bloom about two months. 
I planted it out of a pot about four years ago.—Joseph 
Wood, Brentwood Nursery, Essex. 
The New Bast exhibited by Mr. Ayres at the July 
Show of the Horticultural Society is, if I am not mis- 
taken, the bark of the Lagetta lintearia, the lace bark 
$ ree, a native of the West Indies, and called in Jamaica 
Lagetto ; it is a plant familiar to botanists, from the 
peculiar lace-like appearance of the dried inner bark,— 
J. W. Lawrence, Royal Gardens, Windsor. 
Legg’s Hydraulic Engine.—When comparing this 
machine with the ram, I did not mention any trades- 
man’s name. I alluded to rams I had seen in opera- 
tion in Wales and other places, which, considering the 
fall, and quantity of water required as a moving power, 
were far inferior. I must refer your correspondent 
(p- 662), to Mr. Legg for information relative to the price 
of his engines on a large scale. The one he has erected 
for me I will again deseribe for the satisfaction of those 
who may be interested in the matter. The cost of 
Legg’s hydraulic engine, put up on my premises, was 
under 30/., including brickwork, conducting pipe, labour, 
&e., &c. With a stream of water running through a 
2-inch pipe, and with a fall of 2 feet 6 inches, m. 
engine will produce about 2000 gallons of water in the 
24 hours, driven to a distance of 100 yards, and to a 
height of 60 feet (the top of my house). T had intended, 
some years ago, placing a ram in the situation now occu- 
pied by Legg's engine ; but on application to a person 
in London, I was informed that a ram must have one 
foot fall for every 10 feet perpendicular rise in the pipe 
for conveying the water. Not having this force at com- 
mand I was obliged to give up the idea, The great 
advantages of Legg’s engine are simplicity, durability, 
and the power of supplying a sufficiency of water from 
a very small stream, with a low fall, and last, though 
not least, its cheapness. Mr. Legg has permission to 
show my engine at any time ; persons may therefore 
easily satisfy themselves as to its real merits.— 
Hydrangea. 
Pelargoniums.— Perfection is what the -ardent 
amateur ought continually to aim at; nothing short of 
this satisfies the enthusiast in plant growing. For 
many years I have-selected the Pelargonium as my pet 
flower, and have attended to it. carefully, but.still when 
I visit some of the principal nurseries near London in 
the spring, the difference is striking. A few inquiries 
relative to the minutiæ of its culture, will, perhaps, 
elicit some useful information. Ist. After striking 
slips in the open ground, or otherwise, and potting them 
in small pots, is it customary with the skilful growers 
to leave them out exposed to the showers that-may fall 
in August and September, or do they house them 
immediately ? 2d. In watering this year’s slips, that 
may be in frames or the greenhouse, is it customary to 
water over the leaves as well :as the roots? 3d. Slips 
that are now nice bushy little plants, is it usual to 
encourage them in their growth all the winter, or to 
keep them like the older ones rather dry. Every 
spring I generally purchase a few plants of the supe- 
rior kinds, and. happening to be in. one of the London 
nurseries, during the close of the day, last April, I 
remarked that all the plants had been freely watered 
over the leaves. I stated that I had not yet.begun to 
syringe mine over the leaves; the answer surprised 
me. We never water Pelargoniums at any time of 
the year without watering them over the leaves.” This 
makes me suspect thateommon gardeners and amateurs 
are not yet in the seeret of managing these plants, 
especially in the winter. 4th. What would be the 
effect of treating slips of this year’s growth as.above, 
viz., watering them all through the winter over the 
leaves, with a fine rose ?— Philo, Camberwell New-road. 
o 
objects produeed, more especially the. Pine-apples, some 
of which have hardly ever been equalled. Mr. Wilmot, 
of Isleworth, as was intimated in our advertising 
columns last week, sent a collection not only remarkable 
for fine growth, but also for novelty. It contained two 
Moscow Queens, the heaviest weighing 5 lbs. 6 02.3 a 
Montserrat, weighing 5 lbs.2 oz. ; two smooth Cayenne 
Pines, a variety much eultivated in France,* the heaviest 
weighing 6 lbs. 11.oz. ; a Ceylon, a juicy-looking lemon- 
coloured variety, weighing 4 lbs. 10 oz. ; a Ripley Queen, 
43 Ibs.; an Antigua Queen, 4 lbs. 7 07.5 an Enville, 5lbs. 
207.5 variety named Buck's Seedling, measuring 13 ins. 
in length ;.and, finally; à. Maranham, weighing 63 lbs. 
In addition to these. Mr, Wilmot also sent two fruit 
of the Cayenne raised froma crown taken off a fruit 
exhibited ‘about two years ago; it was planted and 
threw up two stems, united at the base, each stem pro- 
ducing a large and well-ripened fruit of handsome form. 
The collection was, altogether, a magnificent one, the 
smallest of the fruit weighed being 4 lbs. 6 oz. ; being 
composed, however, of so many different sorts it must, 
in.a great measure, stand on its own ground, no other 
collection of a similar kind having been produced with 
which to compare.it, It was rewarded by the highest 
medal in the power of the Society to give at ordinary 
meetings, viz. the Silver Gilt,—Of Queen Pines, two 
magnificent fruit were exhibited by Mr. Hewitt, gr. to 
J. Purday, Esq., of Bayswater. The; heaviest weighed 
6lbs. 1107., being only 4oz. less than the largest Queen 
ever exhibited under the auspices of the Society ; the 
other weighed 5 lbs. The former measured 11 inches 
in height and 18 inches in cireumferenee, the number 
of pips was ll. It was well formed, finely swelled, and 
in all respects must be regarded as a fruit of first-rate 
excellence. A large Silver Medal was awarded.—Of 
Providence Pines, Mr. Povey, gr. to the Rev. J. 
Thornycroft, sent a fine looking fruit, weighing 9 lbs. 
14 oz, ; it measured 9} inches in height and 22 inches 
in eireumference ; the number of pips was 10. A 
Knightian Medal was awarded, the value of which Mr. 
Povey desired. tobe paid over to the Secretary of the 
Hailstorm Fund, to assist the unfortunate sufferers by 
that disaster.—Another Providence, weighing 7 lbs. 
13 oz., and measuring 11 inches in height and 21 inches 
Potato Disease.—My Potatoes showed p 
disease'in the first week in August. Assoonas I ob- 
served it I had the haulm pulled up, with the excep- 
tion of two rows, which I left for trying the experi- 
ment of dusting them with hot lime as soon as I should 
observe the disease.make its appearance among them, 
for which I had not to wait long, for the disease soon 
made its appearance. [But the disease had appeared 
previously it seems, t understand .this. 
in was sent by Mr. Henderson, gr..to 
Sir G. Beaumont, Bart. ; and finally, Mr. Jackson, gr. 
to-H. Beaufoy, Esq., sent an Enville, weighing 4 lbs. 
lloz;for which a Certificate was awari ed. — Various 
Grapes were produced, and. many of them from the open 
wall, the warm summer having beenfavourable to the out- 
door ripening of this sort of fruit. A series of seven. 
sorts, consisting of Black Cluster, Black Prince, Black 
Hamburgh and White Hamburgh, Grizzly Frontignan, 
no i 
I then applied lime to them, hot from the kiln, 
twice a week. The disease was stopped, and the 
haulm was kept green for three weeks, whea I had 
it pulled.up. During these last two days I have had 
all the Potatoes taken up, and, I am happy to say, 
there were not above 20 diseased tubers among them, 
and these were mostly found where the disease was 
first observed, The crop was first-rate, both in regard 
to quantity and quality. At the time it was planted I 
had.the sets plunged into water,and put into a.sack 
with a quantity of sulphur, rolling them about until 
they got besmeared all over with the sulphur. They 
were then planted with the sulphur adhering to them. 
But, whether it.was the sulphur or the pulling up the 
haulm, that has been the means of preserving the 
tubers.from the malady, I leave to others to judge. As 
the.time is fast approaching for autumn planting, I beg 
the experiment may be tried. It has.so far succeeded 
with me that I intend to try it upon a larger scale this 
autumn than I did last.—4. M. 
Effect of Chemistry on. Farming and Gardening 
Operations.—Uhe efforts which are making towards a 
diffusion amongst agriculturists of a sound ti 
Sweetwater, and a variety called the Fox Grape, were 
produced by P. D. Cooke, Esq., and being grown against 
a south wall without protection, near Doncaster, were 
rather remarkable, Beautiful bunches of Black Ham- 
burgh, raised in a greenhouse, without fire heat, were 
sent from the Marquess of Winchester’s garden, by Mr. 
Holmes, and fine bunches:of the same variety, from, the 
open wall, were sent by Mr, Hally, of Blackheath. 
Both these exhibitions contained large bunches with 
finely swelled and well-coloured -berries, and were each 
rewarded by a certificate. Black Hamburgh Grapes 
from the open wall were also sent from Mr. Driver, gr. 
under glass, but without fire heat, was shown by Mr. 
Mitchell, gr. to E. Lawford, Esq. i 1 
Wilmot's Blaek Hamburgh, grown under glass, weigh- 
ing respectively 231bs., 24 lbs., and ljlb. were pro- 
duced by Mr. Davey, gr. to G. Smith, Esq. to whom a 
Banksian Medal was awarded, and the same -variety 
of Hamburgh (?) from the open wall, came from the 
garden of Sir J. Rowley, Bart. From Mr. Glen- 
dinning, of the Chiswick Nursery, was a Melon 
which was tioned have been raised from seed 
of the value of chemical knowledge as applied to agri- 
culture, will, ere long, produce the most salutary effects 
upon.the practice of that science. A correct knowledge 
of chemical agencies, and their respective values in the 
production of food, is open to every man who will avail 
himself of the publications of chemists, who teaeh how 
praetice may be guided by science ; and how wild and 
wasteful experiments may be avoided. Floriculturists 
look to the Gardeners’ Chronicle for an application of 
these agencies to floricul he nitrog ma 
nures, so indispensable for vegetable productions 
destined for thei t of animal organization, ar 
hostile to the florieulturist's aspirations, who caters for 
his eyes and not for his stomach, The ordinary pre- 
scriptions for the manuring of flower plants are as 
vague.as they are various, and have not yet assumed 
any fixed principles whereon to take their stand. 
Perhaps the first two inches of an old upland pasture 
will be found to.be the -best possible soil for Pelargo- 
niums, and other such plants; but-has it yet been pro- 
nounced upon authority, whether this soil should be 
used fresh or decayed, riddled or unriddled ; how it 
shouldbe piled or otherwise laid together for keeping t 
In other words what should be its preparation and con- 
ditions for use, if any beyond chopping into small pieces. 
C., Lincolna - 
Societies, 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 
October 6.—R. W. BARGHARD, Esq., in the chair. 
J. J. W. Rigley, S. M. Peto, W. F. Cooke, L. Place, 
C. R. S. Murray, and A. Oswald, Esqrs., were elected 
Fellows, The exhibition was remarkable not only for 
the quantity but also for the excellence of many of the 
to 
sent from Sierra Leone, by Mr. Whitfield. It was.a 
large, oblong, yellow fruit, which upon being cut proved 
to be tolerably wellflavoured. Sion House Cucumbers 
were produced by W. Everett, Esq., of Enfield, and. a 
remarkable production, called a Boa Constrictor Melon, 
twisted and measuring about 32 inches in length, was 
sent by Messrs. Hardy and Son, of Maldon, Essex. It 
was stated by Messrs. Hardy to possess the flavour of 
a Cucumber when green, and that of a good Melon when 
-|ripe; also that it was a great bearer. It had been 
grown in the open air without artificial heat. Concern- 
e | ing its.origin it was said to have been raised between 
the Snake Cucumber and some Melon. We believe 
that a similar production is in the mar- 
kets on the Continent, where it is said to have been 
raised.from seeds obtained from South America 5 but 
whether this is the same thing or not, without, a flower 
or a leaf, it was impossible to judge. Of Orchids there 
were several collections. Mr, Rae, gr. to J. J. Blandy, 
Esq.,of Reading, sent the lovely lilae-flowered L:elia 
Perrinii, with deep purple-edged lip ; Cattleya Loddi- 
gesii, and the rare C. Aclandise, a beautiful species, but 
whose flowers are rather scantily produced ; also the 
white bl d Dendrobium f together with 
Lyeaste eruenta, and the pretty little chocolate spotted, 
buff flowered Maxillaria Rollissonii. From. the same 
collection were also Miltonia candida ; the shiteigged 
pi- 
ite. 
Zygopetalum rostratum ; the small white-blossomed: 
dendrum 'multiflorum ; Oncidium papilio ; the whit - 
lipped Trichocentron fuscum, and the chaste white- 
flowered Phalzenopsis amabilis : a large Silver Medal was 
awarded, Another remarkable group, came from the 
* This is one of the best of the juicy Pines in cultivation, 
and is certainly the most worth growing of that class, 
