S 
46—1846.] 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE, 
759 
warded in February and March, they bloom the latter | 
end of March and in April, and again in September.— 
J. L. Snow, Swinton Park, Bedale, Yorkshire. 
Gardeners’ Education.—In the present day, when 
gardeners are not only required to act, but also to think 
and examine, I have often thought that you might 
render them a great service if yon would point out to 
their employers the necessity of furnishing their gar 
deners with the instruments requisite to enable them 
to prosecute their studies and investigations. I allude 
to useful books, the globe, and microscope. I need 
hardly mention that the majority of gardeners are too 
ill-paid to be able to procure such things, although they 
may have sense enough to use them if they had them, 
and would feel grateful for such helps, whether they 
were bestowed on them as rewards, or only supplied to 
them during the time they continued in their situation. 
Iam satisfied a word or two would do much good.—C. 
[If masters would do this, they would not only confer a 
direct benefit upon their men; but an indirect advan- 
tage upon themselves.] 
‘Silk- Worms, &c.—At p. 709 you allude to the intro- 
duction of silk-worms, by Mrs. Whitby, of Newlands. 
The writer of this being in Paris in the year 1837 or 1838, 
heard the late M. Audouin, professor at the Jardin des 
Plantes, state that after repeated attempts, he had at 
last succeeded in procuring from the southern parts of 
the United States, a gigantic species of silk-worm 
(averaging six or seven inches French in length), at 
thattime unknown in Europe, much hardier than the 
common silk-worm,—particularly as to its food, Could 
you inform me if any attempt has ever been made to 
introduce it into this country? Might I also ask if any 
attempt has been made to introduce the Vicugna? for 
the writer of this recollects well hearing M. St. Hilaire 
express himself strongly on the great superiority of its 
wool to that of the Alpaca, and his ini 0 
ing at ld. and 14d. a piece, and excellent Melons at | 
proximity of the south coast vineyards, few ard not 
good ; Cabbages the principal vegetable. 
arity in the market was the enormous quantity of cart 
wheels in pairs, with their axles. We had passed the 
day before long trains of them, a pair of oxen drawing 
each a little waggon, in which sat, or rather lay, the 
driver, and each cart dragging after it from four to ten 
pair of wheels, rudely attached with wooden poles and 
pegs. No iron enters into the construction of either 
wheels or carts, the parts all being connected by wooden 
pegs, tle tire not of one piece, as in the greater part 
of Russia, but of about half a dozen felloes, neither ac- 
curately shaped nor well put together, so that few 
wheels are an exact circle, and, altogether, lines of 20 
or 30, or more, of these carts, with 100 to 150 pair of 
wheels, all squeaking on their ungreased axles, bad a 
most singular effect. They come mostly from Kokkoz, 
a village in the wooded part of the mountains, said to 
contain 300 wheelwrights, who make above 18,000 
wheels per annum, and in the whole village is but one 
blaeksmith's forge. : j 1 
The higher parts of the chain of mountains, though 
very abrupt to the south, and buta few miles broad to 
the north, are in many parts densely wooded, and 
| where the trees are not mutilated by the destructive 
| manner in which they are cut for use, they attain a 
considerable size. The Oak is considered as of very 
| superior quality for shipbuilding, when it can be pro- 
| cured large enough. 1 was surprised when I heard 
this at Sevastopol, for I was told it was the south eoast 
Oak, which is all Q. pubescens, but on further inquiry 
I found that what was used for shipbuilding eame from 
the woods of the Tehatir-Dagh, and on going through 
them ly, I found the Oak there to be entirely 
doubt of the possibility of introducing it to Europe. 
Lastly,—you stated some time since, that Mr. Barker 
had sent to this country from Suaedia (I believe at the 
mouth of the Orontes), a kind of Peach (Nectarine) 
entirely unknown in this country, the peculiarity of 
which appeared to be a total absence of hydrocyanic 
acid in the pulp or seed, Is it possible that our com- 
mon Peach might have originated in the bitter Almond, 
and this Peach in the sweet?—Kepmogidos, Nov. 
[We must trust to our kind correspondents for answers 
to these enquiries. ] 
ow 
Foreign Correspondence. 
Odessa, October 6, 1846.—Since our arrival here, we 
have made a 10 days’ excursion to the south coast of 
the Crimea, so celebrated in this country as the * Italy 
of Russia.” Landing from the steamboat at Yalta in 
the centre of the most beautiful part, we proceeded 
first to the westward, visiting Prince Woronzow’s gar- 
dens at Aloupta, and along the new post road, cross 
the ridge to Baidar Balaclava and Sevastopol, thence 
eastward behind the mountains through Bagtchisarai to 
Sympheropol, then turn ng southwards round the Tcha- 
tir-Dagh, came down upon the coast again at Aloushta, 
and back to Yalta, passing the government botanic 
garden of Nikita ; a tour of about 180 miles through all 
the different varieties of soil, aspect, and climate of 
south Crimea, except perhaps that farther to the east- 
ward the valleys are said to be rather more open, The 
mountains which border the south coast form a narrow 
ridge of bold rocks, rising to the height of 2000, 3000 
and 4000 feet, or in some places to above 4700,* mostly 
calcareous, but often also sehistous or porphyritie, with 
a very steep slope towards the sea, and sinking rather 
more gradually to the north, first into rocky wastes, 
like the garrigues of the south of France, but soon pa 
ing into steppes, like those of the main land. All this 
country behind the mountains is cold, barren, and un- 
interesting, either in an agricultural or horticultural 
point of view, however rich some parts may: be to the 
geologist. The Tartar inhabitants, though a fine race 
of men, picturesque in their dress, healthy in their 
looks, with many really handsome women; yet in idle- 
ness, ignorance, and filthiness of habits and habitations, 
are to the Little Russians what these are to the true 
Russian mujiks. If the Russians possess these quali- 
ties in a positive degree, the Little Russians enjoy them 
in the comparative, but the Crim Tartars in the super- 
lative degree. 
universally heard, and we could 
Such atleast is the report of them we | natura 
not but believe it, | and 
Q. sessiliflora, a very smooth variety, with long foot- 
stalks to the leaves, ‘his is the first time I had seen 
that species in Russia. The Polish Oak, much used 
in south Russia, but reckoned very inferior to the Cri- 
mean, is all Q. ped lata. The Q. pubescens of the 
south coast is generally a stunted tree, or (from fre- 
quent cutting) a mere bush ; I saw one tree of some size 
at Nikita, and they say that the wood of a large tree is 
so hard that no axe will penetrate it, There is a con- 
sideratle quantity of Pinus sylvestris on some moun- 
tains, but I did not see them. On the south coast, but 
at a considerable elevation, there is a good deal of 
Pinus Pallasiana, growing out of the chinks of the rocks 
exactly as it does near Vienna, where it is the P. aus- 
triaca or nigricans; I have no doubt the two are the 
same : the wood is not much esteemed, but not much 
is known about its qualities. There is on the south 
coast another tree which, on account of the excessive 
bardness of its wood, is considered by Mr. Upton as 
capable of supplying very good sheaves for blocks, in 
place of Lignum vitæ ; it is a istacia, very much like 
the P. terebinthus of the south of France, but forming 
a tree instead of a bush, and having some other botani- 
eal characters upon which Fischer has distinguished it 
as P. mutica. The Ash of the mountains is F. exce 
sior, which lower down towards the coast is mixed with 
Fraxinus oxycarpa, as in the south of France. There 
is also towards the coast a great quantity of Carpinus 
orientalis, generally a stunted shrub. On the whole, 
if the mountain woods were taken any care of, they 
might furnish much valuable timber. 
Ssoctetics. 
STAMFORD HILL, CLAPTON, AND STOKE 
NEWINGTON GARDENERS’ 
FOR MULUAL INSTRUCTION. 
Oct. 26th.—Mr, C. Taner in the chair, The Rev. W. 
Hinks, F.L.S., delivered a Lecture on Vegetable Tera- 
tology. He commenced by observing that many present 
might not understand from the subject announced to 
what branch of botanical science he intended to call 
their attention. He explained that Teratology (discourse 
concerning wonders or anomalies) is the name now 
| given to the science which explains the nature and 
| causes of abnormal developments, and applies them to 
| the explanation of peculiarities regularly occurring in 
| certain tribes. He noticed the mistake of the Linnzean 
lists in despising and neglecting monstrosities, 
ance, 
ASSOCIATION 
gave some instances of their manifest impor 
whether we saw the townspeople sitting on their shop- | He then laid down the theory of thé flower as consisting 
boards cross-legged, or squatting smoking 
: hës sge SASIA 
in the Tartar capital of Bagtchiserai ; 0 
people lazily crawling to the Sympheropol market in 
their rude oxen carts, in the construction of which no 
iron is used, and of which the wheels are never greased, 
or beating out the corn for the day’s gruel with a | leaves 
wooden kind of club. In the great works carrying on 
or the country | veloped according to their position ; 
their pipes | of several circles of transformed leaves, differently de- 
showing that each 
| part had been found in particular cases changed into a 
| leaf, and into each of the other parts, and that each of 
the parts had been found imperfectly produced from 
when not in a proper flower. Je observed that 
inerease or diminution of the number of cireles, and of 
for the dockyard and arsenal at Sevastopol, when the | parts in each circle, and of the circles in respect to 
soldiers who worked at them were wanted for the Cau- each other, and equal or unequal distribution of the 
casus, and the completion given out by contract, the | nourishment,with the primitive distinctions of structure 
contractors 
Tartars of the country 
large body of Little Russi; 
ans. 
found it hopeless attempting to employ the | and number of parts whieh mark the great classes of 
as labourers, and imported a) the vegetable kingdom, explain 
With such a population, | among flowers, and anomalous cases constantly occur- 
all the differences 
and nothing in the Crimea north of the mountains to | Ting illustrate the tendencies on which these differences 
induce proprietors to fix their residence there, it will | depend. Mr. Hineks then exhibited and commented 
probably be very long ere the rich soil of these steppes | upon a portion of his collection of monstrosities, and 
will be made really productive. In the market at Sym- | illustrated the structure of some curious and beautiful 
pheropol, which is a very large one, the quantity of, 
flowers by reference to the principles they estab- 
Water Melons, much as I had heard of them, exceeded | lished.— W. Sherwood, Hon. Sec. 
* The Habouon, very near the sea, has been ascertained 
CU PAM rid nee es EC. 
by EnnATUM.—It was omitted to be mentioned in the report of 
d 
Engelhardt and Parrot to be 787 fathoms, or 4722 feet, but the the Horticultural Society last week, that a Banksian Medal 
| was awarded to Mr. Smith, gr. to the Hon, J, Norton, for his 
| Cannon Hall Muscat Grapes, 
works I have with me do not tell me what feet; probably Rus- 
sian, which are nearly the same as English, 
RMebicws, 
Report on the Disease of the Potato Crop in Scotland, 
in the year 1840. With an Appendix. 
Tuis is a pamphlet of 112 pages, and consists of 
various letters on the Potato disease of 1845, obtained 
by the Highland Society from its correspondents. It is 
a very valuable collection of data, and forms an exam- 
ple of the manner in which such an enquiry should be 
condueted by a publie body. The secretary of the 
Society, by whom the capital analysis of the eontents of 
the letters has, we presume, been prepared, has 
executed his task with such skill, as to give much 
additional importance to what would in its absence be 
but an indigesta moles. The pressure of other matter 
prevents our adding, for the present, more than that 
the conclusions deducible from the Scotch evidence is 
not in any essential respect different from that which 
has been gradually collected by ourselves. 
New Garden Plants. 
52. LESCHENAULTIA ARCUATA. Drooping Leschenaultia. 
Half-shrubly G h plant. — (Goodeniad *) 
Swan River. à 
A singular and truly handsome species, exceed- 
ingly different from every other known one, having 
copious, spreading, decurved branches, with innu- 
merable branchlets, almost every one of which is ter- 
minated with a large red-purple and yellow flower. 
Raised by Messrs. Lucombe, Pince, and Co., of Exeter, 
The flowers have a good deal the appearance of 
those of the large shrubby Polygalee of South Africa. 
Flowers in August.— Botanical Magazine. 
53. SCUTELLARIA INCARNATA. Flesh-coloured Skull-cap. 
Greenhouse Plant. (Labiates.*) Quito. 
From Messrs. Veitch. Iwas led on the first inves- 
ig 
tion of the plant to consider it the same with the 
. coccinea of Humboldt, but a stricter comparison 
soon convinced me of this error; and I now refer it 
with little hesitation to S. iucarnata of Ventenat. lam, 
however, disposed to think that author has confounded 
the S. coccinea, or some other species, with this. 
S. incarnata differs from S. coccinea in its narrower 
aud more membranous leaves, borne on short foot- 
stalks, in the larger appendage to the calyx, deep-rose 
(rather than flesh-colour), with a shorter tube of the 
corolla, more dilated upwards, and in the almost entire 
upper lobe of the limb. It is readily inereased by 
cuttings, and will doubtless be a great ornament to our 
flower-borders, if an entire bed is devoted to it. Flowers 
in July and August.—Botanical Magazine. 
Calendar of Operations. 
(For the ensuing Week.) 
Planting and Selecting Fruit-trees for ihe Kitchen 
Garden.—In a late Calendar, I promised to give a 
few words of adviee on this head to those not well 
versed in the subject. In the first place, I consider it of 
great importance so to prepare the soil that the trees 
shall be as far as possible independent of extreme sea- 
sons, whether of moisture or drought. In the second, 
to take care that they do not make superfluous wood, 
thereby giving much extra trouble to the pruner, in- 
ducing an immature condition, and choking the sur- 
rounding vegetables or flowers. To accomplish this, I 
find, by long experience, that limitation of the root 
is absolutely necessary, more especially as to depth. High 
planting also tends to the same purpose, but this in it- 
self is not complete, inasmuch as it cannot provide 
against the vicissitudes of climate, which provision, as 
I before observed, should be the key-stone of the arch. 
Thorough draining, 1 need scarcely say, is the first 
step, provided ihe soil harbours moisture. This being 
properly accomplished, some good sirong loam should 
be provided if possible, be the soil what it may (unless 
a new garden and of a loamy character), in order to 
mix with and refresh the old soil, which, in the majority 
of gardens, is what we term effete or worn out, how- 
ever imposing its colour or cousistence may be. lam 
no friend to concrete, or other impervious bottoms ; 
however, I have never used them, and therefore cannot 
be regarded as fair evidence. I consider 18 inches of 
sound soil, for the average of fruit-trees, better than a 
greater depth, provided top-dressings are made use of 
in very dry and hot periods. This with me is placed on 
a mound, 6 ieet square, of brickbats or broken stones, 
covered with a coating of cinders or coke, to keep the 
drainage perfect. The limits of a Calendar will not 
allow me to say more on this head; I will, however, 
enumerate a few of the most useful fruit-trees accord- 
ing to my experience, and which ought to find a place 
in small as well as large gardens, merely premising that 
the list is not to be considered complete in itself, but 
merely as furnishing a few hints, Of Pears procure 
the Jargonelle, Dunmore, Marie Louise, Aston town, 
Althorpe Crassane, Fondante d’Automne, Passe Col- 
mar, Winter Nelis, Glout Morceau, Ne plus Meuris, 
Beurré Rance. Peaches— Pourprée Hative, Royal 
George, Noblesse, Bellegarde, Late Admirable. Nee- 
tarines:—Eiruge, Violette Hative, Old Newington, Apri- 
cos:—Breda, Royal, Shipley's, Moorpark. Plums: 
—Précoce de Tours, Orleans, Reine Claude Violette, 
Washington, Ickworth Imperatriee. Cherries :—May 
Duke, Downton, Elton, Bigarreau, Late Duke, Morello. 
These stand nearly or quite in the order of their ripen- 
ing. In addition to these, of Apples procure the Early 
Harvest, Kerry Pippin, Hicks’ Fancy, Ribston Pippin, 
* See Lindley’s ‘ Vegetable Kingdom” for an explanation of 
these terms, 
