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1843.} 
THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE. 
173 
instructions are seldom of such a nature as (if rightly ob- 
served) to cause us to err. 
«Read nature, nature is a friend to truth.” 
From the observations I have made, it appears evident 
that the seed should be placed near the surface; indeed, 
if covered at all, it should be but very slightly, although 
nature always [not always; not in the Oak—d.] makes 
an effort to raise the cotyledons above the soil for the 
full benefit of light and air. But when placed at a great 
depth, it is necessarily some time before they can be raised 
to the sutface ; and consequently proper nourishment is 
denied to the embryo at the first stage of its vegetation ; 
and an injury done at that stage of growth is irreparable. 
I feel satisficd that when the seeds of timber-trees are 
treated in such a manner, it produces a great effect on the 
value of the timber, or at least on its durability; 7. ¢., 
the timber of trees planted naturally is far superior to that 
from trees artificially treated, or treated after the deep 
planting method. Forest-planters would do well to turn 
their attention to the subject, which, though trifling in 
itself, is important in its results—A. Tyro. 
ABSENCE OF TREES IN THE PRAIRIES OF 
NORTH AMERICA, 
* In North America, the plains watered by the [Illinois 
and Western streams of the Mississipi and Missouri con- 
tain extensive grass-covered tracts, the Savannas or 
Prairies, where no trees will grow, excepting in Arkansa, 
as the different species of plants indicating by their habits 
the nature of the soil in which they grow, would be desir- 
able, in order to decide the question. Much, I imagine, 
may be attributed to the icy winds which sweep over these 
plains from North to South.—C. W. 
ON THE CULTURE OF TREVIRANA OR 
ACHIMENES. 
Turs genus, like many others, has had its name fre- 
quently changed within the last few years. If this is to 
be considered a mark of distinguished merit, no one can 
dispute that it has been judiciously awarded to this tribe 
of plants, combining, as it does, neatness of foliage, regu- 
larity of branches, and a conical, uniform shape. When 
grown singly in pots and properly attended to, it amply 
rewards the cultivator in the profusion of flowers which it 
bears, varying from the bright scarlet of the old Cyrilla 
pulchella to the deep violet of the superb Achimenes 
longiflora. 
The following mode of treatment I have found equally 
well adapted to all the species : After the plants have done 
owering, and the tops die down, (generally in November), 
T allow the bulbs, which resemble the catkins of the Hazel, 
to remain undisturbed in the pots, which are laid on their 
sides beneath the.greenhouse-stage, or some other place 
where frost and wet cannot reach them. Here they 
remain until the latter part of January, when they are 
placed in a gentler heat, and watered, until the soil becomes 
fiicientl is vegetation. When the 
along the banks of the Mississippi, and other 
where woods are occasionally met with. That plains 
(alluvial?) which are represented by all who have visited 
them to possess the richest sward should not afford 
small scaly bulbs have made shoots about two inches in 
length, I plant them singly in small sixties in a mixture of 
leaf-mould and a small portion of silver sand. At the 
b shiftings, until the plants are finally in June 
growth to a single tree is a striking pl 3 and, as 
such, ought, before now, to have elicited an explanation 
from geographers. 
Flint, an American writer, divides the Prairies into three 
kinds: Ist, the heathy or bushy, which have springs, and 
are covered with small shrubs, Grape-Vines, &c., very 
common in Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri; 2nd, dry or 
rolling, generally destitute of water, and of almost all vege- 
tation but grass ; the latter are the most common and 
extensive ; the traveller may wander for days in these vast 
and nearly level plains, without wood or water, and see no 
object rising above the horizon ; 34d, the alluvial or wet 
prairies, the smallest division; these are covered with a 
rich vegetation of tall, rank grass; the soil is deep black, 
friable, and fertile ; abounding in pools without issue, left 
by the flooding of the rainy season. 
In the above description of the Prairies, as well as in 
many others which I have read, I meet with no particulars 
which in any way account for the complete absence of 
trees. Where the soil is represented to be dry, this 
would occur in the greatest degree at the surface; and 
since that is not so dry but that grass will grow upon it, 
surely a little below that surface the roots of trees would 
find support, provided the ground were deep and open 
enough. But when, in elucidating a case of this kind, facts 
are’wanting, not, perhaps, in the Prairies themselves, but 
in the writings of those who describe them, I think, that, 
by turning our attention towards the known causes which 
affect vegetation in similar circumstances elsewhere, we 
may better arrive at the knowledge of them in the case in 
question. A. Balbi, the French geographer, states that 
the plains of Rio de la Plata, or Pampas of Buenos Ayres, 
are remarkable for the absence of trees, and for the in- 
numerable Grasses which cover their vast surface ; being 
Similar in that respect to the Savannas or Prairies of the 
Mississippi, Mackenzie-plain, which they fully equal in 
extent—amounting, according to Humboldt, to 1,215,000 
Square miles. Next, Azara (a Spanish writer) says, that 
throughout the whole of this country (Pampas) there js 
neither river, lake, nor well, that isnot brackish. Eyen 
the Pilcomayo and the Rio Grande, the two greatest 
branches of the Paraguay, partake of this saltness; and 
the same author assures us that he has seen in lagunas, 
dried up by the heat, a layer of Epsom salts, above three 
inches in thickness. 
From this account of the Pampas, and those given by 
other travellers, all tending to corroborate the fact that 
the soil is highly impregnated with salt, T think we 
May fairly infer that one great cause why trees will not 
thrive in these plains (Pampas) is owing to the presence 
of a salt, which, whether a sulphate of magnesia, a muriate 
of soda, or a carbonate, still, by pervading the soil in ex- 
cess, must, independently of other causes, rather check 
the growth of trees than that of certain herbaceous plants ; 
amongst which, many might no doubt be found to be 
benefited rather than harmed by their presence in certain 
quantities, and whose roots, penetrating less deep, are 
Confined to the surface-soil, which, no doubt, is less im- 
Pregnated with saline particles, owing to the heavy rains 
Which visit these countries and carry off the greater 
Portion, 
From these statements it will be seen, that, although no 
_ travellers have as yet collected any particulars within the 
territory of the Prairies tending to show that, like the 
aaa of South America, the waters which penetrate the 
ee are brackish, yet the case may be suspected to be the 
ere both instances. Several rivers which cross the 
oe of North America from West to East flow, not 
i eos at shy source, through an upland district (Desert 
Mal uttal, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, extendin, 
ween the superior Arkansa and the Paduca), ‘“ re- 
Th aes Says Balbi, “for its rich mines of rock salt. 
ey Tous parts,’” observes the same writer, ‘“ but more 
Pecially: along the borders of the Great Plain, in Ar- 
™sa, Missouri, and Illinois, salt is found.” 
wate mowledge, then, of the nature of the subsoil and 
8 comprised within the limits of these plains, as well 
placed in sixteens, the compost consists of light rich 
turf-loam and peat, or leaf-mould when peat cannot be 
procured, in equal proportions, and on no account sifted. 
The pots are thoroughly drained, a point which forms the 
basisof all good culture bothin pots andinthe open ground. 
For growing several plants in one pot, I prefer the 
No. 12 size, into which I turn five of the plants previously 
kept in sixties, placing one in the centre and four round 
the edges, These form a noble mass when in bloom, but 
never assume the uniform conical shape of a single spe- 
cimen. The main stem and side branches are neatly 
sticked and tied out as they advance in growth. 
The temperature of an early Vinery is well adapted for 
these plants untilthe end of May, at which period they 
should be taken to a cool pit, where a steady moist heat 
can be maintained. They should be shaded in hot days 
between I] a.m. and 2 p.m. to prevent the sun from 
scorching the foliage, and they should never be watered 
overhead. The pots should be placed upon others in- 
verted, and the bottom of the pit should be kept moist, 
closing up early in the afternoon and giving air in clear 
weather about eight in the morning, so that the damp may 
disperse before the rays of the sun fall directly upon the 
plants. By pursuing the above course of treatment my 
efforts have always been crowned with success. 
It is to be regretted that this genus is not more gene- 
rally placed amongst the list of articles for competition at 
the various Horticultural exhibitions.—D. R. [The ob- 
vious reason is that they travel badly.] 
TRELLIS FOR CLIMBERS. 
——— 
AMATEUR’S GARDEN.—No. XI. 
Anruouew much has been said and written relative to 
the importance of arranging plants in flower-gardens 
according to their complementary colours, but little 
attention, ina practical point of view, has been paid to 
the subject. his is the more to be regretted, because 
the theory of colours is not an imaginary one, but is 
founded on nature ; and therefore as nature demands that, 
to'produce an harmonious whole, certain colours must be 
properly blended, we ought not to distribute plants at 
random, but to place them so that, by mutually enhancing 
each other, the tout ensemble will be more harmonious 
and agreeable than it could be under any other circum- 
stances. “Every decided colour, (observes Géethe,) does 
certain violence to the eye, and forces the organ to oppo- 
sition ;’’ thus, let any one fix his eye intently on the 
brilliant scarlet flowers of Verbena ignea, and in a few 
seconds the colour becomes oppressive to that organ ; but 
no sooner does he remove it to the green foliage that 
surrounds the flower than the pain ceases, and the observer 
experiences relief.—And why is this? because green is 
the opposite or complementary colour of red ; and in the 
same manner yellow demands purple ; orange—blue ; and 
vice versa; and so on throughout the whole range of 
colours, as all the intermediate gradations reciprocally 
demand each other, the simpler colour requiring the com~ 
pound, and the contrary. 
Again, colours are divided into two classes, viz., warm 
and cold; the warm colours are red, orange, and purple, 
and their shades ; and the cold or complementary colours, 
green, blue, and yellow, in their various gradations ; while 
white, which for gardening purposes takes the place of 
green, may be considered complementary to the whole of 
them ; as all colours are improved by being brought in 
contact with it, with the exception of pale pink or yellow, 
to which it gives a rather dingy appearance. 
‘Where the flower-beds are surrounded by grass, it is 
not advisable to introduce cold colours, as yellow and 
blue, to any great extent ; but, on the contrary, warm 
colours, as red, orange, and purple, should prevail; and 
the opposite when the beds are on yellowish brown gravel, 
which is a warm colour. For this reason it is that some 
persons object to certain colours in their flower-gardens ; 
but if, when cold colours are placed on grass, the beds 
are surrounded by a narrow margin of the complementary 
colour, the effect of the flowers will be much enhanced ; 
and the same will occur when the beds are on gravel. 
These remarks are offered at this time with a view to 
the arrangement of colours in sowing spring or planting 
autumn-sown annuals, which must be got into their per- 
manent quarters as soon as possible. Good lists of 
annuals and perennials will be found in previous Numbers, 
especially at page 105 of this volume. In arranging the 
plants, I would particularly insist upon a due proportion 
in their height, as well as in the colour of their flowers. 
The best way to sow annuals is first to loosen the 
earth where it is intended to place them, avoiding raking 
the beds at present, unless the ground is very light; 
then make a slight drill, by pressing the rim of a 32-pot 
upon it ; sow the seeds very thinly, and cover with loam 
and leaf-mould finely sifted, and in about equal propor- 
tions. In borders that are viewed in the length and 
breadth, the colours should be arranged in the following 
order: red, white, yellow, purple, orange, blue,—re- 
peating the same colour or some shade of it at regular 
distances throughout the length of the border. But in all 
symmetrical flower-gardens, by which is meant such as 
have a centre or centres, the colours should be arranged 
symmetrically ; or, in a word, one half of the platform 
should reflect the other. For those disposed to follow this 
subject further, excellent directions will be found at 
p. 291 of the vol. for 1841; but before the time arrives 
for planting out, a plan will be given with the colours 
arranged as they will look best.—W. P. Ayres. 
HOME CORRESPONDENCE. 
Bees.—Your columns have occasionally been occupied 
with the subject of Bee-keeping ; and judging from what 
has been said by the expert, of their various practices, 
and by the inexpert of their many disappointments, one 
might suppose that nothing certain was yet known of the 
proper treatment of this useful little insect, and that 
nothing had been written that could be relied on, although 
so many authors lie open for consultation, from Virgil to 
Huber, and from Huber down to Triptolemus Yellowly.* 
That great success, however, does attend the nurture of 
Bees is pretty evident from the large quantity of honey 
annually brought to market; and that there can be no 
great art required in the ‘‘ keeping ’’ is as clear, from the 
exhibition of so many straw-thatched hives in the cottage- 
gardens of our southern counties, whose owners have 
neither opportunity nor leisure to bestow much care upon 
them. T'wo objects are alternately made most prominent 
in Bee-keeping—the amusement to be derived from ob-~ 
servation of their habits, and the profit of their honey : 
the curious Bee-keeper will take advantage of both. But, 
for whatever purpose Bees are kept, whether for pleasure 
or profit, success must mainly depend on & management 
or a manipulation (if I may so speak), which can only be 
acquired by practice and observation, with a due regard 
to the natural habits of the insect. The case is the same 
as in gardening ; much may be learned from a theoretical 
study of the subject, and much from books; but the 
power of using the knowledge so acquired to the best 
advantage can only be learned by practice. It is on. this 
principle that we must account for the various fortunes of 
Bee-fanciers, in their attempts to follow i 
methods. Slight differences in the time choses, geese 
mode of performing little offices about the hive; constitute 
the essence of success or of failure. The best summary 
on Bees and Bee-keeping which I have lately met with, is 
to be found in the articles “Bee”? and “ Apiary,” in the 
tee edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica ;’’ these I 
Be TN eos of your correspondents. It fs 
aie y object in this communication to lay down rules for 
iv Management; but I have a word or two to say in 
favour of the vulgar method of keeping Bees, as now 
practised by our cottagers, if they are to be kept’ for 
profit. In this method, indeed, all the prominent features 
of their economy, and their most interesting habits, may 
* Vide Scott’s “ Pirate.” 
