` possible, if the:o} 
ü 
THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE. | 
[Dzc. 19, 
sp ciosa proves to be much more tender than | 
eipated. A plant trained against the front wall 
of a greenhouse and covered withfiowers, had all the bark 
on the branches split-in a remarkable manner, after 
encountering two or three degrees of frost. I expect 
this winter will test the hardiness. of some of our 
Mexican Oaks and Firs;as well as-other things.— Wm, 
B. Booth, Carclew, Dec. 14. 
Death of Mri Girling.—l& is: with. deep. regret, I 
have to state that Mr. Girling, nurseryman, was taken 
in a fit in his garden yesterday, ‘at 4 o'clock, and. died 
instantaneously—I may say— without a/struggle. He 
left his counting room in good health, and in less than 
20 minutes was taken in a eorpse.— T. Barnes, Dane- 
croft Nursery, Stowmarket, Dec. 17. 
Polmaise Heating.—Your correspondent “ Lusor,” 
in supposing that means for supplying external air are 
requisite for the plan of Polmaise heating, forgets that 
from the revolving eurrent. of air in: the house, the 
moisture as well as any gases which. may escape 
from the respiratory organs of the plants are in part 
arrested each succeeding time the air comes in:contact 
with the heating apparatus. The-air after passing the 
latter rushes into the house with a fresh supply of both 
heat and moisture ; the air in the drain being exactly 
the same as that of the whole house. -Ehe stove has:no 
power to make any selection of its supply, any: more 
than the roots of plants have the power of making 
choice only of the essential parts of the-soil by whi¢h 
they are surrounded, and external air being admitted 
freely into the house through the laps of glass, &e., ren- 
ders I think his dation quite y5 
the whole body of air throughout the house being ever 
changing and equally diffusing itself, it can: hardly:be 
Oxi es of bustionare effec- 
lv excluded, for the heated air t9 have any in- 
jurious effects whether the temperature be at409 or 80°; 
‘but in structures heated by hot water, and smoke flues 
without air drains, the reverse takes place, heated air 
in the cases having to rise and fill its alloted space -by 
breaking up some other part of their land in the mean- | the kinds being Queen of Gypsies, Theresea, Annie 
time, till some years’ rest will enable them to return to 
the same spot, and this is much more frequently done 
than the alternate years of grain and fallow, which.are 
more the custom farther north. Considering this very 
great waste of the productive power of the land, the 
further diminution.of the crops by careless. cultivation 
and the profusion of Thisiles and other weeds that ex- 
haust the soil, the loss of grain during the process of 
harvesting, storing, and threshing, and the vast extent 
of excellent steppe not yet brought into cultivation, one 
can easily imagine the immense increase which might 
be given to the quantity of grain brought, to Odessa for 
Salter, Hardy, Princess Maria,Queen Minerva, Orlando, 
Campestronii, Formosa, Vesta, and Victory,—For a 
well-grown plant of Torenia asiatica, in fine flower, a 
certificate of merit was granted to Messrs. Carstairs and 
Kelly. The thanks of the meeting were voted to Mrs. 
Haig, for sending for exhibition splendid plants,of Epi- 
phyllum truneatum, with Erica Lamberti rosea, and 
other winter flowering Cape Heaths ; likewise to J. 
Hog, Esq., for sending a rich collection of Chinese 
Chrysanthemums, consisting of 21 named varieties, and 
to Messrs. James Dickson and Sons, for exhibiting a 
magnificent specimen of Erica hiemalis, 9 ft. high, 
covered with flowers.—In the class of Culinary Vege- 
exportation, were the prices sufficiently remunerating 
to tempt further enterprise, and that, independently o: 
improvements in the mode of transport which would 
bring a greater extent of country within the range of 
the port of Odessa. At present, with average prices, it 
is scarcely brought more than 200 to 250 miles, but as 
prices rise the range of Odessa market, extends to. 300, 
or 400 miles, or in some instances even further. 
It has been a matter of much dispute whether the 
steppes of South Russia ever, were or were not wooded, 
and whether they might not now be planted, ‘There.is 
certainly every appearance of the black soil never 
having borne trees, and of its being particularly ill 
suited to bear them. ‘There are nowhere any remains 
of natural woods, and on the northern limits.of the 
steppes, where patches and strips of wood are seen, 
these. are sure.to indicate à change in the soil, and do 
not appear ever to spread of themselves into the black 
soil. Great efforts have been made in the neighbour- 
hood of Odessa, in some of the military. colonies and 
other places, to form plantations, but as yet.very few 
trees have succeeded except Acacias, and to a.certain 
degree Ashes, and even these suffer much in. dry 
Weaiheisàivor uie ursi sew years, It is generally said 
there to be owing to their roots getting inio the stiff 
clayey subsoils but in that doctrine I-cannot agree. I 
should much rather attribute it tothe nature of that 
radiation, all remains p ively still and 
hence arises the two great evils, unequal diffusion, at a 
maximum expense, Some ‘idea may be formed of the 
advantage'of exchange of air by taking into consideration 
the immense currents required to feed 'the number of 
fires constantly in use in the metropolis, and to which 
much of its healthy atmospl may be ibuted ; in 
fact, any power that will create or enforce a change of 
atmosphere, so as to render it more wholesome, is of the 
utmost importance both to the animal and vegetable 
kingdom.— Chimera. 
Coping for Garden Wails.—In reading your article 
on the coping of garden walls, an'idea which has often 
occurred to me before of a moveable wooden projection 
to let up and down, according to the state of the weather, 
forcibly recurred to my mind. In Fig. No.2, suppose 
the stone coping to project an inch, by driving in at 
each corner a common iron hook, such as is used to 
suspend doors upon in the country, and the corre- 
sponding eye rivetted on'to a board a foot wide, and the 
whole length between the piers ; this would aet as a 
kind of swing-door, save that the inch of stone-coping 
would prevent its sinking down much beyond its own 
level ; by fixing a small light iron crane on the top of 
the wall between the two piers, with a pulley at top and 
one at the bottom, with a cord or string to the upper 
side and centre of the wood board, drawing it through 
the upper pulley and returning it through the lower one 
and bringing the string back through a hole in the 
wooden shutter, it may be pulled up straight so as to 
lie against the iron crane in fine or showery weather, 
and let down in an instant in case of a storm. This 
would insure a narrow or large covering to the fruit 
tree below while in blossom, and to prevent drift or to 
keep out frost, small brass hooks may be fixed at in- 
tervals along the edge of the board so that when down 
in its place by attaching brass rings to the edge of large 
mats or a sheet of calico sufficiently long to reach to 
the ground, it may be hooked on to the board in a 
moment and fastened by the two bottom ends to small 
posts driven in the greund, and there would be no 
chance of rubbing off the buds or ‘blossoms, as in the 
usual way of fixing protection there usually is if it is 
done in a hurry, intend to try the experiment my- 
self this year, and hope it will succeed, but am not 
certain.—F. N,, Ludlow, Nov. 23. 
Foreign Correspondence. 
Constantinople, ‘Oct. 24, 1846.—I was obliged to 
finish off my last letter from Odessa in a/great-hurry, 
and I fear I gave but a very imperfect account of the 
gardens I saw on the south coast of the Crimea, nor can 
I now make up the deficiency. I am anxious, however, to 
add a few words relating to the culture of the steppes of 
South Russia, the result of further inquiries. Although 
I saw uo signs of improving the ecorn-lands either by 
direct manuring or by alternation, of crops, I could not 
quite believe that no manure ever was laid upon the 
ground till I was positively assured that such was the 
fact by every one I inquired of about it. The fine black 
soil which. covers the ground to the thickness of from 
one to two or three feet, here called humus (the nature 
of which I am not geologist enough to tell; but which 
has all the appearance of the black mud deposited by 
stagnant waters), although so unfavourable to the 
growth of trees of any size, will yield several crops of 
Wheat in succession, and. the owners of large estates 
after having temporarily exhausted a portion by three 
or four years’ cultivation abandon it for some years, 
subsoil p: g the roots from spreading at a suffi- 
cient depth to screen them from the scorching éffects 
of the summer sun on this fine soil, entirely without 
stones. Some persons have attempted-to form planta- 
tions ‘at a ‘great expense, by digging out the soil to a 
considerable depth in trenches, and filling them u 
with made soil ; but even these have been disappointed, 
probably from a very different cause, one which 
operates more frequently with us. The trench thus 
made.in a stiff soil retains the water in wet weather till 
it becomes stagnant, which searcely/any trees can bear. 
In some parts of the botanie garden and some nursery 
grounds about Odessa, where the ground is occasionally 
ug, the ‘trees look much more vigorous ; the operation 
of digging by leaving the surface much more rough pre- 
vents the sun's rays from penetrating so deep, and 
enables the ground to imbibe better the moisture from 
dews. 
I spoke in a former letter of the flourishing state of 
the military colonies, and of the benefit they were to 
the country. I said this from. the indications which 
strike the passing traveller, and from the opinions I 
heard from persons in whose knowledge of the subject, 
and whose correct judgment I had confidence ; but I 
find they do not meet with any favour.in Odessa. It is 
there said that.these colonies are a dead weight on the 
country, and that they consume all they produce, and 
export nothing. I ean easily conceive that a given 
number of dessiations occupied bya large military colony, 
pporting a, population of some. th ds, should 
export less though producing much more,- than the 
same extent of territory belonging to one landowner, 
and worked by less than as many hundreds of peasants; 
but I should consider ithe former as contributing much 
more to the prosperity and natural strength and riches 
of the country than the latter. -Many parts. of the 
steppes would:be much sooner brought into. good eulti- 
vation were they divided into very much smaller estates. 
E] 
B 
Societies. 
ROYAL CALEDONIAN HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY, 
Dec. 3.—W..Cravrurp, Esq., of Cartsburn, in the 
chair, There was an excellent display of fine Pears 
and Apples, and retarded Grapes, with many beautiful 
flowers ; and in the kitehen-garden department the 
Specimens were of first-rate quality. For the prize 
offered for the best four sorts of Pears, there were six 
competitors. A. first premium was voted to Mr. Thom, 
(gr. to A. Trotter, Esq. for Beurré Diel, Napoleon, 
Crassane, and Glout Morceau; and a second premium 
to Mr. Lang, gr. to the Countess of Dunmore, for 
Beurré: Diel, Napoleon, Glout Moreeau, and Duchesse 
d'Angouléme, For the best six kinds of table Apples, 
there: were also six competitors. A first prize was 
awarded to Mr. Weir, gr..to R. Bruce, Esq., for 
Golden Reinette, American Peach-Apple, Grey Leading- 
ton, Alfriston, Ribston, and Lewisham Pippin; and a 
second to Mr. Buchanan, gr. to W. Forbes, Esq., for 
Grange Apple, Stirling Castle, Baltimore Pippin, Lee's 
Nonpareil, Hardy's ‘Nonpareil, and Searlet Winter 
Nonpareil—For producing excellent clusters of re- 
tarded Grapes two premiums were awarded ; the first 
to Mr. Forgan, gr. to. L. Buchan, Esq., for White 
Museat of Alexandria, and Grizzly Frontignan ; and 
the next to Mr. Baxter, gr. to Sir J. G. Craig, Bart., 
for White Tokay and Syrian.— For the finest specimens 
of Chinese Chrysanthemums (12 varieties), the medal 
was assigned to Mr, Addison, gr. to the Earl of Wemyss, 
f | tables, 
p were this year offered for Leeks, 
Celery, and Onions. Ten cultivators competed jg 
Leeks, each producing six stems, and all bep. welk 
blanched. A first premium was found que. to Mr 
I'Anson,the kind being Scotch Flag ; à second to Mr. 
Pousty, gr. to J. Giles, Esq., for Musselburg Flag ; and 
a third to Mr. Blair, gr. to J. C. Renton, Esq., for 
common broad leaved.-—HFor the best six stalks of solid 
Celery, 3 red and 3 white, there were 7 competitors, 
A first premium was awarded to Mr. Pousty, for Man. 
chester White and Red ; and a second to Mr. Goodall, 
gr. to the. Marquis of Lothian, for Manchester Red, 
and Goodall’s Broad White.—In Onions there were- 
several-competitors, each producing three sorts. A 
first premium was assigned to Mr, "thomson, gr. tov W. 
C. Hope Vere, Esq., for Globe, Strasburgh, and James’s 
Keeping ; and a second to Mir, Goodall, for Strasburgh, 
Pale Red, and James's Keeping.—Among the extra 
articles exhibited o7, this occasion some very large. and 
well-ripened specimens of the Beurré d'Aremberg Pear 
sent by Mz, Gardiner, gr. to the Earl of Stair, were 
considered as meriting an honorary award. A. certifie 
vate of merit was voted to Mr. Sinclair, for a brace of 
excellent Cucumbers, grown against the back trellis of 
a Vinery. The same cultivator exhibited a bunch of 
Early Horn Carrots, as young and tender as those, pro- 
duced in spring; the seed had been. sown in July last, 
on ground from which a crop.of early Cabbage had 
been taken. Very large samples of the. tuberous roots 
of Oxalis Deppei were sent by Mr. Clark, King’s Grange. 
Mr. M*Naughton exhibited Potatotubers of 1845,which 
had been placed. in shallow boxes, in-September, 1846, 
slightly covered with dry mould (without any watering), 
in a house kept between 55°,and 60° Fahr., now pre- 
‘senting a fair crop of young Potatoes. Mr. Baxter 
sent from Riccarton Garden four very large Uvedale 
St. Germain Pears, weighing together 53.lbs. Mr, Lang 
communicated specimens of a seedling Pear, a;cross 
between the old Grey Auchan,and the Chaumontelle ; 
it was regarded as promising well, but: not being. fully 
ripe was remitted to the committee for after considera- 
tion. Messrs. Dickson and Co. sent.a package of. Cuba 
Bast. Seven new members were admitted, and office 
bearers for 1847 were elected. 
Reviews. 
Outlines of Structural and Physiological Botany. By 
A. Henfrey, F.L.S. 12mo, Parts 1 and 2, Van Voorst. 
This little book is a useful manual for students. It 
is rendered more especially valuable by the knowledge 
which the author possesses of the views of the most re- 
cent German vegetable anatomists, and the skill with 
which he has condensed and arranged them. It is not 
indeed in the minute details of structure alone that Mr. 
Henfrey has shown himself a master of his subject ;- 
his views of higher matters are lucid and judicious. 
Take, for example, his account of what is called mor- 
phology, which has -so much alarmed the sapient Dr. 
ohn Murray and his silly followers :— 
* Looking at vegetables in their generality, we may 
say that a plant consists of three parts, the leaf, the 
stem, and the root; although in the lower classes it is 
often the case that one or even two of these are wanting. 
Advancing again, asin the case of the cell, we find that 
a plant may be composed of one of these individuals, or 
phytons as they have been called, producing its like, the 
progeny immediately obtaining an independent exist- 
ence; or the new individuals may remain attached 
almost to an unlimited extent, constituting highly com- 
pound plants, the different organs or phytons of which 
undergo very various modifications of form and acquire 
very distinct functions. Thus in a flowering plant, or 
as a stronger example in a forest tree, every leaf is to 
be considered as essentially a distinct individual; buf. 
as a member of a compound body, working for the 
general benefit of the whole.» -In obedience to.the re- 
quirements of this, they undergo modifications to fit 
them to execute distinct offices in the economy of the 
plant; some are destined to the nutritive functions, 
others to the reproductive ; and among these latter we 
find them still further losing their individuality, and 
becoming blended in all their parts with their fellows, 
until almost all trace of their zeal origin is lost. ‘This 
is the substance of the doctrine of morphology, the most 
important generalisation in the whole science of botanys 
as affording a clear and systematic view of the vege- 
table kingdom as a whole, in addition to the important 
relations it establishes with zoology.” 
he first Part includes Elementary Struclure, the 
second the Organs of Vegetation, the third, which is to 
contain the Organs of Reproduction and General Phy- 
siology, was promised five months ago, but hasynot yet 
appeared. 
Mr, Gowers Scientific Phenomena of Domestic Life 
(Longmans) having been formerly noticed favourably 
