6 THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE. 
[JAN. 7. 
Pears.—M. Busby, Gardener to S. Ricardo, Esq., Tit- ) 
ness Park, 
Eleagnus reflexa, a new hardy Bvergreen.—I possess 
a shrub from Japan, which MM. Decaisne and Morren 
have named Eleeagnus reflexa, and characterize as follows. 
«¢ B. foliis oblongis acuminatis coriaceis supra glaberrimis 
subtus lepidoto-ferrugineis, perianthii segmentis suberec- 
tis.”’ It is well deserving of cultivation, since, of all the 
species which have proved hardy in this climate, (of 
London, ) it is the only evergreen. The large and elegant 
shaped leaves (4 inches long by 14 broad, average size) 
with the upper surface of a dark shining green, contrast- 
ing beautifully with the bright silvery scales of the under 
side, would alone secure it a distinguished place amongst 
the hardy evergreens belonging to other genera. But 
this shrub recommends itself besides, by its ample pani- 
cles of small yellow flowers diffusing around the fragrance 
of the Violet and Pink combined. It was introduced 
into the Jardin du Roi, at Paris, in 1834, from the Bota- 
nic Garden of the University of Ghent. At the first of 
these places I have known it to flower freely 12 ft. high, 
in a bed of heath soil, exposition N. E. In my garden 
in Suffolk, it grows vigorously in a mixture of loam and 
heath mould, and would probably succeed in any open 
soil.—C. W. [We are unacquainted with this plant. 
No such name is to be found in books, nor does the 
plant occur in that part of Siebold and Zuccarinis’ Flora 
Japonica which has reached us. The leaves resemble 
those of E. conferta. Can you let us have a plant ?] 
Tree Guards.— Of the various contrivances for protect- 
ing newly-planted trees from being barked, or otherwise 
injured by horses or cattle, &c., perhaps there are none 
so simple, and at the same time so perfectly effectual, as 
the one invented some years ago by C. Lawrence, Esq.,' 
of Cirencester, of which a sketch and description are given 
in the Gardener's Magazine,” vol. xiii, p. 166. As many 
of your readers, however, may not possess that work, I will 
transcribe Mr. Lawrence’s account of his invention, as I 
believe its merits are such as to render it deserving of 
being better known. I haye had ample proof within the 
last five years of its utility, and am therefore enabled to 
recommend it as one of the best protectors of young trees 
that can possibly be employed. Besides its cheapness 
and durability, which are not the least of its recommenda- 
tions, it has altogether a much neater appearance thanthose 
which are so frequently seen fixed around trees near a gen- 
tleman’s residence, and which in too many instances only 
disfigure and render unsightly the trees that were planted 
for ornament. From the following description and sketch, 
any labourer may soon understand the way of construct- 
ing the tree-guards, that have led to these remarks. 
Proeure stakes of Ash, or Larch, on thinning young 
plantations, or cutting down coppices, 6 feet in length, or 
more if requisite, and about two inches in diameter; and 
bore holes through the tops and bottoms, about one foot 
from each end, Get a similar hole drilled up the centre 
~ of a stake, and saw it off in lengths of two inches, or rather 
less; pass a strong wire or thick tarred string through 
one stake, by the holes, at the top and at the bottom; then 
pass it through the hole made in one of the two-inch pieces 
at each end, and then through another stake; separating 
each stake at top and bottom by a piece of wood, until 
you have enough to surround the tree loosely, leaving 
plenty of space for growth. Place it round the tree, and 
fasten the ends of the wire or string. This guard is much 
the same as the 
evadle put round 
the neck of a blis- 
tere:l horse, to pre- 
vent his gnawing 
the irritated part. 
The stakes merely 
rest on the ground, 
and should be cut 
quite flat at the 
bottom, to prevent 
their sticking into 
the ground. At 
the upper end they 
should havea sharp 
slanting cut with 
a bill-hook, and 
threaded with the 
slope towards the 
tree. The motion 
of the tree will not 
in any degree be 
impeded ; and the 
bark cannot be in- 
jured, let the wind e= 
blow as it may, for 
the guard moves 
freely with the tree 
in every direction, 
@ represents the 
tree; 5 the small 
stakes which form 
the cradle; ¢ the 
pieces which are 1 
placed between the stakes at top and bottom.—_M. E. H. 
{Although this method of protecting trees differs but 
slightly from that recommended by Mr, Bowers, at 
p. 365, of the Chronicle for 1841, we have, nevertheless, 
inserted it, as the accompanying drawing will render 
it more intelligible.] : 
Cerulean Willow.—In the climate of England, few 
trees grow with equal rapidity to the Cerulean Willow, 
which is supposed to be a variety of Salix alba. Some of 
these trees were planted eighteen years ago, on the New 
‘Walk, by the side of the River Ouse, at York, Their 
tops have twice been cut to prevent them from being 
blown over by high winds, attended by the flooding of the 
river. Several of these trees exceed five feet in circum~- 
ference, at five feet from the ground ; one of them is five 
feet six inches, and contains thirty-four cubic feet of 
timber.—J. B. 
Mildness cf the Season.—From the garden at Orwell 
Hall, Suffolk, the following flowers were gathered on the 
Ist of January, 1843. Salvia fulgens, Verbena Thomps6- 
nia, V. Tweediana, V. Aublétia, V. Sabina, Fuchsia 
globosa major, F. Virgata, Trope’olum peregrinum, 
O’xalis versicolor, Cinerdria cruenta, Senécio élegans, 
Pi ianoi Phlox Dri di, Erysimum 
Perofskianum, Silene pendula, Lupinus liteus, Antirrhi- 
num majus, A. caryophylleum, Sapondria ocymoides, Chi- 
monanthus fragrans, Mignonette, purple and white Stocks, 
Ten-week Stocks, Russian Violets, Wall-flowers, Pelargo- 
niums, and China Roses.—A. C. 
Martagon.—This inquiry has been left at p. 790 of 
your Chronicle, by yourself and. your intelligent ‘cor- 
respondent, with the question ‘* Why was the Philoso- 
pher’s Stone called Martagon ?’’ In the absence of more 
positive information, I venture to offer the following con- 
jecture :—It seems that with our older gardeners and 
botanists, Martagon was the generic name of a group of 
liliaceous plants, one of which in particular was called by 
Lobel and others, Lilium chemicarum or chemistarum, and 
Martagon because of the golden hue of its bulb. This 
appearance, when the wits of all the world were turned 
toward the acquisition of the ‘ great secret,” naturally 
suggested the association.with the object of every man’s 
desire. Gardeners were always full of the ‘ conceits’’ of 
nomenclature, and are so still, as evinced by our Golden- 
drops, Pheasant’s Eyes, Bishop’s Thumbs, Flemish 
Beauties, Lady's Fingers, Délices des Dames, Cuil de Jour, 
Glout Morceau, Cuisses-Mesdames, &c., &¢.—an innocent 
indulgence of the poetic fancy, from which men of graver 
sciences are not always exempt. Not having it in my 
power to refer to the systematic writers on Alchemy, I 
looked into Ben Jonson’s ‘well-known drama, thinking 
that so grandiloquent a word would certainly find a place 
in the jargon he puts into the mouth of his pretended 
adept ; but I do not find it there. Unless, therefore, it 
can be shown to come directly from the Arabic, I think 
that Martagon must be one of the mystifications of Para- 
celsus, the inventor of much of the jargon of the alchemy 
of the 15th century, or of some other fanatic of that time. It 
seems not unlikely that the above-mentioned worthy coined 
it out of Magisterium or Magisterion, the realunadulterated 
red-precipitate-philosopher’s-stone powder. Or, it may 
have been used as a convenient contraction of Magistefion 5 
and if any of your readers find it difficult to trace the 
similitude, I recommend to their notice, to help their vision, 
the following exemplary case of our excellent friend 
Jonathan Oldbuck :—“ Tam clear we should read Salmon- 
length for Shathmont’s-length ; Shathmont, Salmont. 
You see the close alliance of the sounds ; dropping out two 
h’s anda #, and assuming an J, makes the whole difference.” 
—P.P. [We have taken the trouble to look through 
the old folios of Paracelsus, and the collection of 
alchemical books formed by Salmon, without finding any- 
where this word Martagon. We are, however, reminded 
by them that iron was called by the alchemists Mars, and 
it is not impossible that the word; Martagon may 
come from ago, to act on anything, and that it may 
really refer to the hoped-for power of the Philosopher’s 
Stone in acting upon iron so as to change it into gold.] 
Shakspeare’s ‘* Pale Primroses.’—Your Correspon- 
dents ‘‘ Florizel” and a ‘* Foreigner’’ have been, perhaps, 
more successful in pointing out the distinction between 
the Poet and the Physiologist than in explaining the pas- 
sage in question. The very general and remote resem- 
blance which may be fancied between a young damsel and 
the pale Primrose seems quite insufficient to demand the 
specific words, ‘‘ A malady most incident to maids.’”” The 
matter is, however, not worth pursuing, or at all events 
had better wait for some new light, Your Correspon- 
dents, as is now the fashion, reject with indignation the 
idea that Shakspeare could possibly step beyond the pro- 
per boundaries of his own art. This is an excess of 
idolatry, which must be injurious ‘rather than otherwise 
to Shakspeare’s fame, and will, eventually, cure itself. 
Shakspeare’s reputation can well afford to concede quite 
as much fallibility as can be fairly urged against it; and 
probably his most yulnerable place will be found in an 
occasional tendency to a minuteness, more than is con- 
sistent with true poetry, though it may not always be 
good physiology. One instance at this moment occurs to 
me, though I cannot refer to it with precision. He talks 
somewhere of the “gnarled and unwedgeable-oak,’? Now, 
though gnarledness is an allowable poetical character, 
unwedgeableness is, I think, quite the reverse; because it 
is a quality not discoverable by any inspection of the Oak 
in the landscape, and becomes evident only to him who 
follows the tree to the faggot-shed, and watches its con- 
version into logs of fire-wood.— M. 
Bees.—Having some pretensions to a knowledge of the 
management of bees, I will endeavour to solve the diffi- 
oulties of your fair correspondent, who writes at p. 837 of 
your last volume. Her first complaint that her bees made 
but little honey in the summer of 184] is an unreasonable 
one; since in consequence of the unfavoutable season it 
was quite impossible for bees to make much honey. 
There was no great error, I imagine, in not feeding them 
during the autumn, as they probably made enough honey 
for their own sustenance. Upon this point I would re- 
mark, that when bees require to be fed, it ought to be 
done at once, at the rate of 2lbs. or 3lbs. per day for a 
week or ten days together in fine weather, during the 
month of October; after which, they should not be dis- 
turbed, as unnecessary interference with them always does 
mischief. The bees will increase in weight according as 
they are fed. 1b. of honey or good sugar mixed with lb. 
of boiling water will answer well. It is a mistake to sup- 
pose that bees in boxes always die in winter from cold, 
especially when constructed as Nutt’s and Taylor’s are. 
That your correspondent erred in wrapping hers up in 
mats is pretty evident, from the bees having in December 
been as strong and brisk as they would have been in 
June. It is desirable, for obvious reasons, to haye the 
inmates of a bee-hive torpid rather than brisk in December. 
Instead of stopping the mouth of the hive with a piece of 
perforated zine when the frost begins, I prefer darkening 
the front with a piece of board, so placed, as entirely to 
exclude the sun-beams, or even the rays of light. The 
sad condition of her bees in January appears to have 
arisen from too much anxiety to secure their comfort. 
The bees were thus (artificially it may be said), rendered 
so brisk in January, that it was most proper to feed them 
if they required it; but, probably, that would not have 
been necessary, had no extraordinary efforts heen made to 
prevent their torpidity (the natural state in this climate) 
in winter. The high temperature of the hive complained 
of might have been prevented by giving air to the side- 
boxes, and by removing and cleaning the tubes daily. 
There is no reason for believing that clustering about the 
foot-board always precedes swarming. The bees of your 
jpondent finding th uncomfortable from the 
high temperature of the hive, and their crowded con- 
dition, naturally took a sudden and unceremonious leave 
of their kind and over-anxious patroness. I have only to 
add further, that if ‘a Despairing Beekeeper’’ will make 
another attempt,“and attend to the hints I have given for 
her guidance, she will not find her bees ungrateful. In 
conclusion, I beg to mention that from a box constructed 
on Nutt’s plan, I last year obtained two side-boxes, and 
two glasses of honey; one of the boxes weighed 464lbs. 
net 5 the other 35lbs.} and the two glasses 10Ibs. ; total, 
918lbs.; which was allowed to be equal to any that Italy 
ever produced. For the former I received an honorary 
medal from the Exeter Horticultural Society. If your 
correspondent wishes to have a glass filled with honey, she 
may easily accomplish that object by cutting a hole two 
or three inches in circumference in the top of a common 
straw-hive, and by placing over it a glassin April; in that 
way I took one this year which weighed 13} lbs., and got 
a fine swarm also.—C. 8., Beacon House. 
Gold and Silver Fish.—\ beg to inform a Correspon- 
dent that the following plan of preserving Gold and Silver 
Fish has been pursued with success. ‘wo years ago, I 
lost all my Gold Fish, which were Dutch, although I was 
very particular in breaking the ice every day around the 
basin. I afterwards procured a quantity from Montrose, 
where they are bred in the reservoirs attached as con- 
densers to thelarge engine of the Flax Mills; and instead of 
breaking the ice allround, I broke three small holes about 
9 inches in diameter, which were covered with old bee- 
hives or boxes to keep them from freezing up. As soon 
as the ice was sufficiently firm, I baled out the water 
through these apertures until a large bubble'of air ap- 
peared beneath the ice; continuing to do so until I had 
in fact formed a frozen shutter, which covered the pond 
and preserved the fish in good health. The bottom of 
mine is formed of mud, originally puddled with clay and 
cow-dung ; it is 4ft. Gin. deep, with a cemented rim 2ft. 
wide, and 18in. deep. » Its diameter is 18ft., with a small 
fountain in the centre, which requires about a hogshead 
pet day to keep it playing. I have found that large Fish 
will never travel nor bear handling; they are also essen- 
tially a pond-fish, and require but little change of water. 
The temperature of the reservoirs where they breed in 
such numbers, averages, I am told, from 60 to 70 degrees. 
I would advise your Correspondent to return his fishes.into 
the pond, and endeavour by all means to keep up the tem- 
perature of the water, and to allow plenty of air beneath 
the iceif the pond should become frozen.—J.G., Sé. John’s. 
Gold Fish.—In the county of Somerset, Gold and Sil- 
ver Fish live and thrive in ponds, without any other care 
being taken of them, than to break the ice so frequently, 
as not to permit the pond to be entirely covered with ice 
for many hours.—H. D. 
Poultry.—Seeing in last week’s Chronicle, an inquiry 
as to which is the best sort of Poultry, I have, after the 
experience of 4 years, no hesitation in recommending the 
half-bred Malay, as being beyond al! comparison the best, 
both-for the table and as good layers. They are, perhaps, 
rather careless sitters, being large and heavy, but as 
sitters, they may be ‘termed tolerable, and one must not 
expect to find perfection even in a Hen. Though an 
enthusiastic amateur gardener, I am also very fond of my 
Poultry, and by the system I pursue in their management, 
IT always succeed in obtaining @ superabundance of eggs 
and yery fine Chickens. Between January and Decem- 
ber, 1841, I obtained from 25 Hens, 3,894 eggs ; and a 
Chick hatched in March, weighed in September, when 
trussed fit for table, 4 lbs. My secret, is to keep the 
Hen-house at a regular temperate heat, by means of a 
small Dutch Stove kept burning for about 2 hours in the 
afternoon, and to give my Hens a warm breakfast of 
boiled Potatoes the first thing in the morning. By this 
means, I get plenty of eggs during the whole winter, and 
indeed, throughout|the year ; my Hens cease to lay only 
for about 6 weeks in the autumn, A mixture of Malay 
with Spanish or Dorking, I consider the best.—d. H, 8. 
Horse-Chesnuts for Pigs.—If “A, P., Cheam,” who 
tried to feed his pigs on pounded Horse-Chesnuts, had 
steeped the latter in lime-water without pounding, they 
would have been eaten yoraciously, nor would the lime- 
water have prevented them from vegetating. The farina 
of Horse-chesnuts, prepared like Potato-flour, is equally 
