published a tabular list of Pelargoniums, arranged ac- 
806 
THE GARDENERS' 
CHRONICLE. 
(Dec. 5, 
have in use; the public maythen have a chance of 
judging for themselves without prejudice to any man.— 
Hydrangea. ** A Mill.owner, of Derbyshire,” or his 
London agent, is mistaken in misrepresenting the ma- 
chine. Let the registration be new or old, I claim for 
myself the merit of introducing to the publie a cheap 
and most useful machine, by which a supply of water 
may be obtained from the smallest dribble, where a fall 
can be obtained, and I hereby beg to state that for any 
infri on m i ion, the law for proteeting 
such registration will be enforced.—J. Legg, Chelten- 
ham. [Allfurther correspondence on this subject must 
be paid for as advertisements. 
Sending out Seedling Pelargoniums.—Allow me to 
call the attention of Pelargonium growers to the time 
at which the new varieties are usually delivered, It is 
not unfrequently the case that plants for which you 
are charged 1, 2, and 3 guineas, are not sent out till 
November, and even then they are such miserable 
plants, that, with the greatest care and cultivation, they 
cannot be made fit to exhibit at the blooming season. 
Why cannot a time be named for the delivery of the 
new sorts? I feel convinced that if any respectable 
nurseryman adopted the plan of delivering his plants 
early, he would find it to answer his purpose, more es- 
pecially if he was careful not to admit any into his 
catalogue that had not been exhibited at one or other 
of the public shows. On this point a reform is much 
wanted (though I hate the word) ; but under the pre- 
sent system, ‘every person who wishes to act openly and 
honeurably has no chance. For instance, he exhibits 
all that he intends to advertise, thereby giving the 
amateur an opportunity of seeing and judging of the 
new flowers. He is by this plan not only put to great 
expense, but to the severest scrutiny ; whereas, the 
greater part of the nurserymen issue a flaming cata- 
logue, with a description of the beautiful colour, shape, 
and substance of flowers, most of which they have never 
seen, By this means many are tempted to purchase 
varieties which are really worthless, and which, had 
they been exhibited, never would have been offered to 
the publie, But I cannot suffer the subject to drop 
without offering my thanks to one grower, who, I be- 
lieve, not only publicly exhibits all he offers for sale, 
but has also given to the amateur, in a short pamphlet, 
an easy and successful mode of managing the Pelar- 
onium, from the seedling to the full-grown plant. He 
as done more ; for he delivered his plants earlier than 
any other dealer. I allude to Mr. Beck, of Isleworth, 
to whom florists owe no little for some beautiful varie- 
ties of which he has been the raiser, and also for the 
very liberal manner in which he disposes of them.— 
J. Riley, Bickby, near Huddersfield, Nov. 17. 
Polmaise in Cold Weather.—I can imagine that 
“where is Polmaise now ?" is the inquiry both of its 
friends and enemies. For the comfort of the former, 
and the discomfiture of the latter, I beg to send this 
simple statement. At 11 o'elock on Tuesday night the 
external temperature was 219 Fahr. Three thermo- 
meters suspended at the same elevation at the two ends 
and the centre of the house, all indicated 58° (if any- 
thing, the one af the extreme end was half a degree 
higher than the rest). Thermometers suspended in the 
position Vines would occupy, were from 63° to 709, ac- 
cording as they approached from the eaves towards the 
ridge; the thermometer in the blast was 180° Fahr.; the 
lowest point to which the thermometer declined in the 
house during the night was 57°. The fire was suppliea 
with fuel at 10 o'clock, and again this morning at 7 
o'clock, When it is remembered that when the external 
air is at 45°, the internal usually is at 65°, namely, 20° 
in advance; while last night, when the external air 
was 21°, the house was 58°—an advance of 37°, 
It will not be denied that my prediction is abundantly 
verified “ that the colder the weather the better Polmaise 
would act,” and its operation may be considered as prac- 
tically independent of external ci T have 
no wish to enjoy any personal triumph over my oppo- 
nents ; it is my especial wish that this controversy 
should close in a different spirit from its commence- 
ment; and it is about to close, as far as great principles 
are concerned ; and as it is for these alone I have con- 
tended, having proved them sound beyond a doubt, both 
by argument and experiment, I shall leave the war of 
detail and application to others. I have only a few 
more remarks to make, chiefly of a controversial nature, 
n reply to recent communications, after which it is not 
my intention to trespass on your space, unless others 
trespass on the great principles of Polmaise, I can 
with truth assert that my chief delight arises from the 
fact that Polmaise has given us another proof that 
sound inductive philosophy never leads its student to 
defeat.— D. B. Meek, Holmesdale, Dec. 2. 
Coping for Walis.—The best and most efficient 
Chinese Chrysanthemums.— A few weeks ago was 
acceptable to your readers, and as this has been a 
favourable season, especially for the late varieties, such 
a list may readily be made from one or more of the 
nurseries celebrated for growing these plants near 
London. Merit and not novelty should be the criterion of 
each variety, for there has been too much lauding of 
those new sorts which, to coin a word, are mere *' aste- 
roids,” and a neglect of the good old full double kinds. 
The shades of colour I would suggest, and the types, 
are pure white, as Paper White ; blush, as Early Blush ; 
lilac and its shades, as Queen; purple, as Expanded Light 
Purple ; buff or pale yellow, as Formosum or Goliath ; 
deep yellow, as Golden Yellow ; orange, as Large Quilled 
Orange; red or crimson, as Duc de Canaligniano. There 
ought to be a selection of 3 or 4, or even half-a-dozen, 
under some of the heads, where they are really first- 
rate, and a list of both early and late varieties, I may 
mention that this is the only season since 1819, when I 
first began to collect these beautiful winter plants, that 
they have flowered in the open border in this part of 
the kingdom (Northumberland), and that, amongst 
others, the old and rarely flowered Two-coloured Red 
has expanded its blossoms in that situation.— N. W.G. 
aving had a good bloom this season, I have 
been induced to measure the following 15 flowers :— 
Tasselled Yellow. . 8—13 in. in circumference, 
No. 1—15 in. in circumference, 9—12 Ditto. 
1 Ditto. Old Paper White. 
10—9 in. in circumference. 
11—10 itto. 
12—114 Ditto. 
Old Golden Yellow. 
13—11} in. in circumference, 
14—12 Ditto. 
3—1 Ditto. 
Quilled Yellow. 
4—15 in, in circumference, 
5—15 Ditto, 
6—13 itto. 
Tasselled White. 
7—15 in, in circumference. À Ditto. 
The above have been freely supplied with Potter's 
liquid guano.—G. Handley, Milford House, Derby, 
Nov. 28. 
Foreign Correspondence. 
Moscow, Sept. 2, 1846. — The comparison of the 
gardens of Petersburgh and Moscow shows plainly the 
different fates of these two capitals. In the former the 
apparently i b d by Nature, 
smoothed down and almost overcome by the efforts of 
art, the power of wealth, and of that determined and irre- 
sistible will of the man who not only founded and built a 
splendid capital in a wild inhospitable bog, but connected 
it with institutions which obliged his successors to in- 
voke his spirit and carry out his plans. In Moscow, 
the climate less hopeless yet still severe enough to re- 
quire great means to resist it, institutions already 
founded or handed down to the present time from 
remote antiquity, requiring only to be kept up or im- 
proved upon, but all the capital, all the enterprise, 
all the fashion necessary for the purpose transferred to 
the younger and more brilliant rival, and that notwith- 
Standing the national feeling which for a time did so 
much to restore Moscow after the dreadful calamities 
of 1812. Moscow vast in extent like Petersburgh, and 
full of immense publie buildings, has also within her 
circuit numerous extensive gardens, publie and private, 
but they are in general either those of the old nobility, 
which have once been splendid but are gradually aban- 
doned to weeds and. decay, or new ones founded on a 
large scale with grand intentions, but without means or 
will to keep them up. Amongst those I have seen, the 
following are, however, well deserving of notice :—The 
botanical garden belonging to the University, founded 
like most of. the kind, by Peter the Great, has been 
since found so. mui foo large that a considerable por- 
tion has been sold off, aud yet the funds do not suffice 
to maintain the remainder. With a little more support, 
however, it would be a very good one #r the purposes 
of instruction. This year, like everything else, ii has 
suffered from the excessive rains of May and June, and 
the drought ever since. 
The Imperial gardens here are under the manage- 
ment of Mr. Poelzel; the only one I saw, that of 
Orlofskoi, at Neshkushno, in one of the suburbs of 
Moscow, is large and very well kept. It is in a very 
pretty situation on the high bank of the river, a little 
below the Sparrow Hills, and attached to the Alexan- 
drian palace. It was originally the property of a Count 
Orloff, who gave it to the late Empress. It was laid out 
by an Englishman with a good deal of taste ; it contains 
considerable plant-houses, filled chiefly with plants for 
the decoration of the palaces when the Emperor comes 
here, and amongst others there is a fine collection of 
Orange-trees. The view from the baleony of the 
palace over the flower-garden, and thence down to the 
river winding under the Sparrow Hills on the left, with 
a portion of the town to the right, is one of the best 
about Moscow, where there are so many fine views. 
The Horticultural Society of Moscow has a large 
garden in afine situation near the Three-hill Barrier. 
It must once have been very beautiful, having the ad- 
vantage of a large piece of water, and having been ap- 
parently well laid out. It was given to the Society by 
the Empress, who contributes 1000 rubles a year to its 
support, but unfortunately there is but little besides. 
The president’s health does not allow of his attending 
much to it, the Director and Secretary do not appear to 
be much of horticulturists, the members very seldom 
are to be seen there, and the greater part of the garden 
is overgrown with weeds, the bridges and buildings 
falling into decay. That part, however, which is kept 
up shows how much can be done by the zeal and activity 
of the gardener (Mr. Jansen, of Lubeck), under so 
many discouragements. He is now planting a large 
stock of Camellias in a new house built for them ; he 
le obstacl. 
cording to their shades of colour. A similar list of 
Chinese Chrysanthemums would, 1 doubt not, be equally 
has a considerable collection of fruit trees and orna- 
mental stove and greenhouse plants ; and a set of fruit 
trees is more difficult to maintain than with us, as even 
andtaken in in winter. 
very pretty striped-leaved variety of the Cunninghamia, 
which he had raised from seed. In general the collec- 
tion of the garden is well cultivated and well named, 
whieh makes one the more regret that the gardener has 
not the means of maintaining the ornamental part. The 
Pine-apple collection is also good ; but the finest set of 
Pine-apples I have seen here is at Mr. Aderbejanoff’s, 
who grows them for the market, and sells every year 
about 800 fruits, generally above 3 lbs. and from that 
up to 5 Ibs. (according to his account), and I can well 
believe it, for his plants were very vigorous and healthy, 
and the fruits now ripening larger, with smaller crowns, 
than any I have as yet seen on the continent. 
There are also many private gardens well kept, with 
houses, often extensive, chiefly for fruits and for plants. 
for decorating rooms or those large kinds of balconies 
or verandas in which it is so much the custom to dine 
and drink tea in summer. Those immediately about 
the town belong chiefly to the rich merchants; a 
little further off you find them at the country seats of 
the nobility. Prince Serge Gagarin, at his seat at 
Jassenova, has extensive and well laid out grounds in a 
pretty situation, a great deal of glass, chiefly for fruit, 
a very good German gardener, and the only really fine 
Oak I have yet seen. It isa Q. pedunculata, aged, but 
stem measures about 22 feet in circumference at 5 feet 
from the ground. 
Societies. 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Dec. 1.—F. G. Cox, Esq. in the Chair. J. B. Favell 
and J. Wheble, Esqs., were elected Fellows. Of plants, 
the principal novelty came from the nursery of Messrs. 
Veitch and Son, of Exeter, in the shape of Lysionotus 
longiflorus. It is a Java plant, nearly related to ZEschy- 
nanthus, with large brilliant red flowers, which were, 
however, little expanded and somewhat damaged by 
travelling. It was stated to be a free bloomer, suc- 
ceeding weil in a moderately warm stove. It appears 
to be new to gardens, and when better flowered will 
prove very ornamental. A Banksian Medal was 
awarded it.—From Mr. Munnock, gr. to the Rev. C. 
Pritehard, was a very pretty Centropogon fastuosum, a 
gay looking plant, with long curved tubular pink blos- 
soms, A certificate was awarded it.—C. B. Warner, 
Esq., sent beautifully coloured and well bloomed speci- 
mens of Epidendrum Skinneri and Lycaste Skin- 
neri, for the former of which a Banksian Medal 
was awarded; and from Mr. Vernon, gr. to Earl 
Cornwallis, came an Epidendrum, not different appa- 
rently from id From Mr. Rol s gr. to 
Mrs. Lawrence, was a noble bush of Veronica speciosa, 
and along with it Barkeria Lindleyana, and Saccolabi 
dentieulatum, which were both exhibited at the last 
meeting, and were again brought to show the length of 
time they remain in bloom. From the same collection 
were also Brassia Lanceana, the rare Angraecum bilo- 
bum, the little ge-bl d Sophronitis cernua, 
Cypripedium venustum, the larger variety of Oncidium. 
papilio, together with cut flowers of Amicia Zygo- 
meris, and Laplacea semiserrata. A  Knightian 
medal was awarded the three firs& mentioned 
plants. — From Mr. Dunsford, of Chingford-green, 
Essex, was a bit of Ipomoea Nil, raised from Chinese seed; 
and Dr. Daubeny, of Oxford, produced a drawing 
of a specimen of Furercea cubensis, which has been in 
bloom at Oxford during the latter part of the present 
year. Like Littza geminiflora, or the American Aloe,- 
io which it is related, it throws up a tall flowering stem, 
with the top half ornamented with green blossoms. 
Some idea of the height it attains may be formed from 
the fact that a lantern had to be erected on the house 
in which it was grown, to afford room for the top.— 
Specimens of what are called Prickly Pears were shown 
by Mr. Coates, of Monument-yard. They are the fruit 
of a species of Opuntia, common in the hotter parts of 
America, and whose fruit is eatable.—Mr. Tillyard, gr. 
to the Duke of Bucki sent speci: of Oxalis 
Deppei, one of those Mexiean Wood Sorrels whose 
large fleshy fangs form an inferior, but, under some cir- 
cumstances, a useful accessory to a table. Of the pro- 
ductiveness of the root, it was mentioned that 18 square 
yards had produced 980 roots, weighing 217 lbs, This 
weight had been obtained from a piece of ground which 
had at one time been a walk—the gravel and sand, with. 
the addition of some leaf mould, being trenched up toge- 
ther. The sets or little roots were planted on the 2d of 
May. A Certificate was awarded.—Heads of Sweet 
Indian Corn were exhibited by Mr. Hudson, of Chob- 
ham, Surrey, and various other sorts were contributed: 
from the Society’s garden, Of these the chief value 
consists in their interesting appearance, for although: 
many of the smaller sorts were as good as could be ob- 
tained in Maize growing countries, yet the larger sorte: 
were hardly thoroughly ripened and even although we 
could calculate on a continuance of summers like the 
past, it is improbable that they would ever produce 
crops sufficiently profitable to render Maize worth cul- 
tivating on an extensive scale. The heads are, never~ 
theless, very interesting in appearance, and as objects, 
of ornament worth growing in a garden, where space: 
can be afforded for such things, —Early Jewess Cucum.. 
bers came from Mr. Mills, of Gunnersbury, and. 
two Hybrids were shown by Mr. Dunsford.—. 
y 
G. Crawshay, Esq., of Colney Hatch, long famed for 
Cherries, Pears, and Plums must all be grown in tubs- 
Amongst the Conifers was a- 
scarcely showing that it has passed its prime, and the- 
