286 
THE 
GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
[ApRiL 29, 
has of abstracting frost from plants. To substantiate his 
argument, he mentions that water when thrown on his 
Pelargoniums soon froze. I beg to state that this cir- 
cumstance is, of itself, conclusive ; for the water, being at 
40°, although, in all probability, it might be higher in 
«J. M.’s”’ case, would be expanded until it fell to 32°, 
from the interchange of. temperature going on in the 
water, air, and plants; as an example of which, let 
“J. M.’’ take a cold bar of iron in his hand, and he will 
soon have a solution to the whole question. It is true 
that a degree of frost beyond what the water at 40° is ca- 
pable of counteracting must be met by other means; 
but this does not disprove its efficacy in other cases. 
«« J. M.”’ might have expressed himself more to the pur- 
pose when writing about the temperature of the body of 
the house being higher than that near the glass. If by this 
he meant the sashes, he is correct; but it is very different 
in respect to the lights, it being the principle of heated 
air to ascend; the consequence of which is, that plants 
in the latter place are seldom frozen, if even a compara- 
tively limited supply of fire-heat is applied. With respect 
to evaporation from pans of water by conduction, it is a 
tardy process of raising moisture compared with ebulli- 
tion, without the surface exposed is great, and this is not 
generally applicable in connection with Apricot-trees. 
Even if it were so, it is probable that the evil which would 
result from it would counteract its good effects.—C. 
Raphides.—In Lindley’s Introduction to Botany, Mr. 
Quekett, in speaking of Raphides, mentions a conjec- 
ture that these crystals may have an important purpose to 
fulfil in the economy of the vegetable kingdom, by being 
deposits to be applied towards the skeleton of the plant 
as occasion may require. But these calcareous bodies 
being insoluble in vegetable acids, he considered it un- 
tenable. Does the discovery of Messrs. Wiegmann and 
Polsdorff, which I lately met with in the Gardeners’ 
Chronicle, make the interesting conjecture stand good ? 
As plants are found capable of decomposing the silicates 
of the soil, can the same power act internally ?>— Wyeside. 
—[It is, we think, impossible to say to what extent the 
powers of vitality interfere with the rules of chemical 
action; and it is probable that some sorts, at least of Rha- 
phides, are soluble in vegetable acids. But upon the 
whole we incline to regard them as crystals thrown down 
in plants in consequence of their bases being in excess. 
The question is, however, open to investigation.] 
Exhibiting Pelargoniums.—The Horticultural Society 
of London now offers a handsome prize for 12 new an 
first-rate Pelargoniums, and Amateurs may reasonably 
expect to find at the ensuing exhibitions specimens of the 
varieties which appear advertised at several guineas each, 
and which, if they prove “equal in merit to the prices 
asked for them, will no doubt find numerous purchasers. 
It appears to me that Amateurs, like myself, in the coun- 
try, will look very narrowly into the report of the exhibi- 
tions under the letter A, and will be influenced by it in 
their selection; so that it behoves Messrs. Gaines, Cat- 
leugh, Pamplin, and others, to show their choicest novel- 
ties. Private growers who exhibit have great advantages 
this season over previous ones: the gold medal for 
plants of moderate size leads me to hope that they will re- 
spond to the liberality of the society by producing twelve 
of a higher class of excellence than have hitherto appeared 
at these exhibitions. Many are inclined to think the 
committee have made a mistake in offering the best prize 
for the smallest plants; it lies with the exhibitors to 
prove that they have done wisely.—X. 
Vines.—I must confess I was somewhat surprised at 
an article which appeared at p. 230, signed ‘‘ James 
Roberts.’’ It is there stated that Vines planted in 1839 
are now (1843) carrying their fourth crop of fruit, and 
that these four crops are ‘‘ not light, but heavy.’’ It 
seems to me that this statement is calculated to mislead 
ignorant persons. Does Mr. Roberts mean that he 
planted young Vines, such as any one would ordinarily 
begin a new house with, and that these, planted in 1839, 
bore a ‘‘ heavy”’ crop that year, and have continued to 
do so ever since? Although it may be true, I confess that 
I have never before heard of anything approaching to it. 
I cannot, therefore, forbear expressing my surprise, and 
wishing that Mr. Roberts would give us some idea of the 
peculiar treatment, by which the loss of time incurred in 
the erection of new Vineries may be so pleasantly avoided. 
If the Vines were old ones, or some that had been in 
bearing, and were merely removed to a fresh border, their 
producing fruit the same year would not be wonderful. I 
know that Mr. R. Crawshay did the same thing, although 
his Vines were carried upwards of 100 miles. It would 
be as well if Mr. Roberts would favour us also with his 
system of spurring, by which he gets six bunches from 
one eye.— dA Subscriber, a Grape-grower, butno Wizard, 
—[Our correspondent will find these questions fully 
answered in Mr. Roberts’s Treatise on the Vine.] 
Grafting-Wax.—I do not find, in the way I use it, any 
inconvenience from the stock or scion being moist. J 
have always applied a good deal of pressure in tying the 
grafts, and I found brown paper would not bear it; nor 
did calico or any other material answer when stretched, as 
the wax was injured by so doing. I therefore apply bast 
as usual, to tie the graft ; then wrap spirally the waxed 
paper, cut about an inch broad, and in order to make all 
tight, I tie the whole round with bast. If any one should 
be puzzled how to make waxed brown paper a substitute 
for dirty clay, and at the same time bind sufficiently tight 
the grafts, perhaps this might not be unacceptable.— 
Discipulus, 
Fruit- Trees.—The “Shade of Napoleon,” now at Penryn 
will feel obliged if an Amateur ee furnished an Mic. 
able Paper in your Gardeners’ Chronicle some time ago 
headed, ‘‘ General Principles applicable to the Manage. 
ment of Fruit-trees,’”’) will explain what he means by the 
following—‘‘ As soon as the shoots intended to produce 
fruit-spurs or buds at their base have become furnished 
with five buds, the extremity may be pinched off.” Now 
there are three buds at the base, nearly circular ; does he 
include these three, and pinch at two buds above them, or 
at five buds above them ? 
Aucuba Japonica.—~The fruit of this plant, according 
to Kempfer, is a red oblong drupe, like a Laurel berry, 
with a white sweetish pulp, and a kernel with a bitter 
taste. In the abridged edition of Loudon’s “ Arboretum 
et Fruticetum Britannicum,” p. 511, it is stated that only 
the female state of this plant is in British gardens, and 
that its berries, which ripen in March, have not yet been 
seen in England. You have also made a similar state- 
ment at p. 161 of the Chronicle, which induces me to 
send you a sketch made last season from a plant which 
has borne fruit at this place for several years past. The 
berries are considerably smaller than Keempfer describes 
them to be, but in other respects they correspond with 
his account, The skin is red, like that of the Berberry ; 
the flesh is dry and mealy, rather insipid, scarcely to be 
called sweetish, and of a yellowish white colour. The 
kernel is roundish oblong, tapering to both ends, and 
somewhat paler than the pulp. The inside is waxy, and 
bitter to the taste.— Wm. B. Booth, Carclew. [Wehave 
added a sketch of this fruit, with which we have never 
before been acquainted. It is all imperfect, the pericarp 
only being formed. The abortion of the seed, in conse- 
quence of the absence of the stamen, accounts for the 
fruit being so much smaller than it is described to be by 
Keempfer.] 
Guano,—Having noticed with some interest your valu- 
able remarks on the cultivation of the Potato, I was last 
year induced to make some trials, which have resulted as 
follows :— 
1 row of each, of 140 yds, (rows 22 inches apart.) 
Common cut sets (say a 
Potato cut into 2 or 3, -planted in 13 bushel gypsum. 18 
according to size). 
do. 
lifted, st. 1b. 
Cy 
. in 9ewt. goodstable-yd. manure 58 11 
Do, do. . glbs. guano with 3 peck charcoal 4 
Small Potatoes, set whole 14 bushel of gypsum +2 
Do. wt. stable. yard manure es 54 9 
do, 0. mixed wil 
2 do, {1 hushelof gypsum. 
Small Potatoes, with all ) 
the eyes except 1 taken 
out, but not otherwise 
cut. . 
14 bushel of gypsum * .18 2 
o 
Gs Do. 4 io 4 9 ewt. stable-yard manure » 51 
Do. do: { do, do. do. mixed 
with 1 bushel of gypsum . » 59 13 
The soil is light and Sandy, on a gravelly bottom ; and the 
gypsum used was calcined. The Potatoes were American 
Natives, planted from 10th to 15th May, and were lifted 
in the early part of November. The three rows where 
gypsum only was used in planting had twice a top-dressing 
with gypsum after showers of rain; they came up last, 
were always bad in colour, and stunted in growth. The 
guano row came up first, grew the most top, was best in 
colour, and appeared to be growing until November. 
There was so much top to this row, and the colour S0 
distinct, that it might be perceived as far distant as the 
field could well be seen; and my impression is, that the 
weight of root would have been much greater if 8 inches 
more room had been given to the width of the row, it having 
been literally choked up with top. Of gypsum I used at 
the rate of about 3 tons per acre, costing 5/., which gave 1n 
weight of crop at about the rate of 7 tons per acre, costing. 
14s. 3d. per ton. Of guano and charcoal, about 43 cwt. of 
the former, at [6s., and about 7 bushels of the latter, at 
3s.=41. 13s., gave 16 tons, at 5s. 10d. per ton. Of stable- 
yard manure, about 25 tons, at 8s.=10/.; gave 20 tons, 
at 10s. per ton. And where to the latter about 2 bushels 
of gypsum were used to cut the sets into, at an extra cost 
of say 3s. 6d., the weight of the crop was at the rate of 
about 21 tons per acre, costing 9s. 6d. per ton. The 
stable-yard manure was of course much more expensive 
to get on to the land than the guano, for which i have 
made no extra estimate above. These experiments, 
therefore, give an immense advantage in favour of guano ; 
but whether the succeeding crop (Oats) will be equal to 
the stable-yard manured part remains to be seen,and is an 
important part of the question. Gypsum does not appear 
to do any good to my soil when applied as a tillage, having 
tried it on other crops; and I have never been able to 
perceive the slightest effect from it. Insets I shall adhere 
to the old custom of cutting the good-sized Potatoes into 
two or three, according to the number of eyes and the size 
of the Potato. The application of dry gypsum on the cut 
part prevents its bleeding, and may, I think, preserve it 
from the attack of the worm. It neither takes up much 
time, nor is it costly, and I shall follow this practice in 
future; setting Potatoes whole, or with the eyes burnt or 
cut out—leaving one only, does not answer.—One of your 
Readers, Cookridge, near Leeds, April 25, 1843. 
Ammoniacal Liquor.—On the 1st of May, last year, 
I caused two holes to be dug in a large heap of chalk, and 
the one was then filled with fresh Tanners’ Bark, wet from 
the pit ; the other with that tongh Sea-weed which grows 
on the mud in Langton Harbour, which, though drier than 
the tan, was still moist. Both pits were now filled with 
strong ammoniacal liquor, and closed. On the Ist of 
November, both pits were opened ; both appeared nearly 
as full of ammoniacal liquor as when first made, and the 
Bark and the Sea-weed were in the same state as when put 
in six months before.—H. §., Bedhampton. 
Bees.—In answer to the inquiry of ‘‘ a Bee-keeper,”’ 
with respect to painting the interior of straw-hives, Dr. 
Bevan entirely disapproves of painting them either within 
or without. Straw hives are, in some degree, pervious, 
and so far as they are so, admit the escape of moisture, 
which constitutes one of the few advantages which they 
possess over wooden boxes; of this advantage painting 
would deprive them. The same objection will apply to 
coating a hive with Roman cement, as recommended by 
Mr. Savage, with whom, from some communications which 
he has received from Sir Charles Clarke, Dr. B. would 
be happy to open a correspondence.—Llanferry, 17th 
April, 1843. 
Bees,—I perceive that ‘' Pettigrew” has made some 
remarks on my communication of 18th March, respecting 
Bees’ eggs being transmutable. I mentioned that Bees 
may have eggs in store that produce queens, though it is 
not likely. To this ‘ P.” observes, “ I might have added, 
that the Bees could not sit upon them without hatching 
I think that the last word in my sentence shows 
that no addition was wanted. Bees do not hatch their 
young by incubation ; the warmth of the hive alone brings 
the larvee forth from the eggs, but if they were kept from 
the proper temperature, it is uncertain how long they 
would retain the principle of life. Huish, I think, says a 
whole winter, but I consider this to be very doubtful, for 
such tender substances would soon decay ; indeed I found 
they did so, in one instance, in four days. ‘‘ P.’”’ says one 
experiment will suffice to show that the change of gender 
takes place from something added to the eggs or grub by the 
Bees. If it were an egg or grub that ought to produce a 
male or drone Bee instead of a working one, then we 
might talk of changing the gender. The experiment of 
putting a headless swarm into an empty hive to make the 
Bees create a queen by changing the gender, shows, I 
think, that ‘* P.’”’ does not quite understand the subject he 
has taken up. It would be better to study the subject 
seriously, and at the apiary, before pointing out “ the great 
advantage Bee-keepers may derive from the knowledge of 
the transmutation of eggs.’’? However interesting the 
subject may be to the curious naturalist, the practical 
Bee-keeper may be assured that the knowledge of it will 
neither add to nor diminish the produce of his hives.—J- 
Wighton. 
Bees.—The effluvia arising from the dirt collected in 
Bee-hives during the winter having been pronounced by 
Bee-masters to be most prejudicial to the health of the 
little honey-makers, often causing destruction to the whole 
family, it may be worth trying the following plan as @ 
means of clearing away the refuse, without disturbing the 
inmates. Let a drawer be attached to the ordinary wooden 
hives, (about an inch in depth,) which may be removed, 
when required, for the purpose of cleaning : to prevent 
the comb being cemented to the drawer, a light frame- 
work may be constructed and placed over it, with aper- 
tures about an inch square.—W. W. 
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE, 
6 The Niger or Quorra River.—At the entrance of this 
river the banks were covered with a rich vegetation, con- 
sisting of Palms and a great variety of majestic trees; bu 
after advancing a short distance up the stream, thesé 
tribes of plants disappeared, and their places were usurped 
by the Mangrove. ‘This tree covered the banks for about 
ten or twelve miles, after which it was accompanied by 
other kinds of trees and shrubs; while the Blais guineensi8 
and a species of Areca began to be plentiful. The branches 
of the large trees are covered with Orchiddcem and Ferns 
Of the latter tribe, the genera Polypdédium and Acrésti- 
chum redominate. As we proceeded onward, large 
timber-trees became more abundant, which in many in- 
stances were covered with beautiful climbing plants. The 
margin of the river was clothed with rank vegetation of 
grass ; while, at intervals, near the villages, this herbag® 
was cleared away, and the ground was found to be culti- 
vated with Plaintains, Bananas, Yams, Cassava, Ground- 
nuts, Goora-nuts, Eddoes, Indian Corn, Dourrha, Cap- 
sicums, &c., and in many places Cocoa-nuts were plev- 
tiful. The river at this part is a comparatively narrow 
Stream, with numerous collections of huts or villages 0D 
its banks, which are, to all appearance, densely populated 
by an inoffensive race of people, who flocked out in hun: 
dreds to look at the vessels belonging to the expedition 
They were easily persuaded to come on board by the offer 
of presents. At most of these viilages, the people @P- 
peared to be employed in making canoes, an operatio? 
performed by scooping out the trunk of a tree, and 8°. 
dually bringing it narrower towards each end; some © 
these canoes we observed to be ornamented with flag* 
