1843.] 
THE GARDENERS 
CHRONICLE. 243 
FL ORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.— 
The last day, on which Tickets for the ensuing Exhibitions 
at the Garden can be issued to Fellows at the privileged Price of 
3s. 6d. each, is Tuesday, April 18.—21, Regent-st., April 7, 1843. 
SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 1848. 
MEETINGS FOR THE TWO FOLLOWING WEEKS. 
ad 
Horticultural... . 3 
Tuesday, Aprilig. . . Linnean . BPM. 
Leda 3 i 
2 : jcroscopical . 8 Pm 
Wednesday, April19 ~~) Royal South London = 3 
Friday, April 21 ++ + Botanical 4. 64 8 Pan 
Saturday, Aprila? . . . Royal Botanic... . 33 rat, 
Tuesday, April25 . . , Zoological, . » . « « 8h PM. 
‘ +$Geological. . 2... Bh Pate 
Wednesday, April 26,» “{ Sere nical “1, 1 Sb 
Counray Snows, April29) . 5s Limerick. 
As the department called “ Notices to Correspon- 
dents” is increasing at a rate which threatens to 
encroach inconveniently upon the space required for 
other matters, we should be greatly obliged to our 
Correspondents if they would not put questions to us 
which have been repeatedly and recently answered in 
Previous Numbers. It would also save them expense 
if they bore in mind—Ist, That names cannot be 
given to bad, or badly-packed specimens ; 2nd, That 
unknown plants must have flowers attached to them ; 
3rd, that Cryptogamic plants, not having any connexion 
With cultivation, -are 2o¢ included in the subjects to 
which we furnish replies. 
It should also be remembered that many questions 
require some consideration ; occasionally, indeed, a good 
eal of inquiry before a satisfactory reply can be re- 
turned ; and that many of our advisers upon practical 
Matters live in the country, when some time is requisite 
to obtain their answers; this is more especially the 
case with Agriculture, in which we profess little know- 
ledge ourselves, but rely upon a friend whose farm is 
ata distance from London. For it must: be obvious 
that if replies to practical inquiries are not given by 
©xperienced persons, actually engaged in the operations 
to which their answers relate, the latter can never be 
trustworthy, and would not have that authority which 
those who obtain them from us well know that they 
Possess, 
Our practice has hitherto been to answer all 
reasonable questions, however trifling they may 
e; upon the principle, that, if a man is ignorant 
of what he ought to know, he will never be enlightened 
by the “ pooh !” of those who happen to possess better 
information. Those, indeed, who are well informed on 
one subject are continually obliged to go to others for 
advice, upon what may appear to those others very 
trifling matters. 
A judge might think a man very ignorant who 
asked him the difference between the jus civile and 
Jus gentium ; but if that judge were to ask whether itis 
true that sugar is only charcoal and water, he might 
fall rather low in the estimation of a chemist ; and 
then again the chemist who should not know Barley 
from Rye would be despised by the farmer, who could 
Hot himself distinguish Epsom salts from oxalic acid, 
ne truth is, we none of us know much of anything, 
«xcept that which has from accidental circumstances 
aie’ the great object of study all our lives, even if 
ae are so fortunate as to understand that. When 
crefore wx receive trifling questions, we feel as much 
ound to answer them as if they were ever so difficult. 
© are not among those quos janua clausa juvat ; on 
an: we wish to see the gates of knowledge 
aro wide, and are quite satisfied with the humble 
we ion of their Janitor. We therefore repeat that 
Wa ay peenton of departing from the plan which 
do trust iy erto pursued ; but, at the same time, we 
will pre that the good sense of our correspondents 
which Ae their making inguiries about matters to 
ack to ey can obtain a sufficient “answer by looking 
frequently, indexes, or to the replies that have been 
Y given to others upon the same subject. 
<a anit Probable that one of the reasons why natural 
simple aie So much more valuable than any of the 
igre Gas is their consisting of many different 
crop an the So that if one does not take effect upon a 
other may. Thus we see that farmyard-dung, 
a a and compost-heaps, produce inyari- 
soda, ou effect ; while nitrate of soda, sulphate of 
tensiy, the other saline ingredients now so ex- 
mployed, sometimes succeed, sometimes 
Ways succeed best when used in addition 
Experiments show that 
being recently manured, produced 63 tons of the Red 
Don Potato, 50 bushels of Wood-ashes (which’ may 
be regarded as a simple manure) raised the crop only 
three quarters of a ton at the expense of 25s.; but 
4 cwt. of natural guano, a very compound substance, 
added more than 7% tons at the total cost of 48s. 
(reckoning guano at its present price). But when 25 
bushels of Wood-ashes were added to 4 cwt. of guano, 
the crop rose about 14 ton further at the additional 
cost of 12s. 6d. So that, where wood-ashes were used 
alone, the small quantity of Potatoes obtained by them 
cost 33s. 4d.a ton, while, in combination with guano, 
the same substance furnished Potatoes at the expense 
of only about 8s.a ton. 
This strikes us as an important fact, and one upon 
which it would be well to experiment further in the 
present season, But it is rendered still more remark- 
able by another experiment. To the guano and wood- 
ashes 20 bushels of charcoal were added, at a cost of 
7s. Gd., and the effect was to add 1% ton more to the 
crop; so that now the additional crop cost scarcely 
more than 4s. a ton. 
This may be stated a little differently in the follow- 
ing manner :— 
Where wood-ashes (a simple manure) were used 
alone, the Potatoes, obtained beyond what the land 
would yield without any manure whatever, cost 
1d. 13s, 4d. per ton, 
But where wood-ashes were used in addition to more 
complicated manures the crop was largely augmented 
at an expense in manure amounting only to from 
6s. 3d. to 6s. Sd. per ton of extra produce. 
These things seem to prove conclusively that the 
best way of using saline or simple manures for the 
Potato-crop is to apply them in addition to common 
manure, and not on any account to trust to them by 
themselves. 
Probably influenced by a conviction that the true 
way of preparing artificial manures is to compound 
them of many different substances, Mr. Fleming was 
led to try two other experiments, with the view of 
determining how far economical mixtures may be made 
to supersede farm-yard dung in the growth of Potatoes. 
The first was as follows :-— 
aa Cc f 
Quantity intended 
No. INGREDIENTS, Seo ces 
ete, four Acres. 
cwt. qrs. Ibs. | 5. d. 
T |)-Rape-dust’ ss Saeed Toa 110 0 
Bones dissolved in Mu. 
2 1\ wviatic Acid. by xiParat 8.43, 30, 
3 | Sulphate of Magnesia. 0 2 24 0 6.0 
43} Carbonate of Lime. ee as 0 On 1, 6, 
5 | Nitrate of Soda shea jie 010 0 
6 . . 2 Pax 0-2 3 
7 | Sulphate of Soda. . 1 2 0 09 0 
8 | Sulphate of Ammonia . 0 aa 010.0 
9 | Sulphur? ee Ore 010 
10 | Dry Moss-Earth . 6 2 210 ey 
20.0 «26 419 
Remarxs.—The above mixture was sown in the drills at the 
rate of about 5 cwt. per. imperial acre, at a cost of little more 
than 1/. sterling, and produced a fair crop of potatoes of a re- 
markably fine quality: 43 bolls per acre of imperial Renfrewshire 
measure, weighing 5 cwt, each, upon a poor and light, although 
new soil, but not worth more than 25s. per acre. Great caution 
is required in using this mixture, as it is very apt to burn the cut 
sets if laid directly upon them. A little earth should be put 
between the cut potato and the manure. 
In this instance the crop was 10% tons an acre, and 
the cost of the manure was rather less than 2s. a ton 
of produce. 
The other case was the following :— 
Quantity Cost of 
Noe INGREDIENTS. mixed to Substances 
manure one or 
Acre, one Acre. 
jewt. ars, 
1 |Saw-dust, mostlyfrom Alder . SES ty pd <3 be 
2 | Potash & Limemixed, 14 mon, old; 10 Daun G 
3 |Common Salt. . 7 Als § 2 (pute aes 
4 |Sulphate of Ammonia r 1 0 1 0 0 
5 {Sulphate of S . C i) 2 OFLS 6 
6 {Sulphate of Magnesia . 0 2 0 40 
7 {Coal Tar, 20 gallons, say , er 0 10 0 
ods aehi80 27 3 
kept dry. 
Here the crop was 14 tons an acre, at the expense 
of Qs. 11d. a ton, ' 
All this seems strongly in favour of mixed manures, 
and especially of that which is naturally compounded. 
It seems too to show that the best way of using simple 
but little impr i b 
wh le improved by simple 
oe they can get nothing else, and that it is onl 
and sin Fil in which they grow has been manured, 
iitroduced, that th 
Th Advan tageous. 
‘S18 to some ext ified i 
ex ent exemplified in the valuable 
We lat Coy Mr. Fleming, of Barochan, to which 
eek alluded. On a soil which, without 
saline sul is not alone, but as an aid to those 
in common use. We trust that many of our friends 
will investigate this point and communicate to us 
their results. 
Wuen a proprietor is inclined to benefit the 
labourers by letting them have small allotments of 
land, he naturally considers what fields-can be most 
conveniently spared from his farms. These are 
generally the most distant from the farm-house. If 
the cottages of the labourers are scattered, as is fre- 
quently the case, it may be difficult to find a situation 
which shall be central, and not too far from the cot- 
tages. Unless very great inconvenience should arise 
to the farmer from being deprived of a field very near 
his farm-house, where he cultivates green crops to feed 
his horses and cows, the convenience of the labourers 
should be first consulted. Every farmer reluctantly 
gives up a convenient field, and fears trespasses, if the 
allotments lie amongst his fields ; but an easy access 
from a public road is essential to an allotment-field, 
and if this be secured there will be little fear of tres- 
pass. The field should be well fenced in, and the 
occupiers of the surrounding fields should have the 
care of the hedges and ditches, for which a proper 
allowance may be made to them. We shall suppose 
a field of 10 acres, abutting on one sideon a high road, 
and centrally situated, not too far from the village or 
most populous part of the parish. This may have a 
road laid out through the middle of it, entering from 
the high road by a double-paled gate. The width of 
this road should not be less than 15 feet. It may be 
ploughed lengthways, and the top earth thrown up on 
each side in a long ridge, leaving a firm bottom to the 
road. When this has been trodden for some time it 
will be sufficiently hard to bear the wheels of a light 
cart occasionally, when the crop is taken off or the 
manure carried on the land. If the field is a rect- 
angle, the road will divide it into two equal parts, each 
nearly 5 acres; and by dividing the length of the 
road into 20 equal parts, and making a narrow path 
at every division at right angles to the road, we shall 
have 40 allotments of nearly a quarter of an acre each. 
The soil should be at least of a medium quality, natu- 
rally dry or well drained, so as to be worth, to let toa 
farmer, about 25s. or 30s. per acre: adding to this 
10s. per acre for tithes and all other burdens on the 
land, the gross rent will be 35s. or 40s. per acre, or 10s. 
per allotment ; but as some expense is incurred in the 
road and paths, we will set them at 12s. each. The 
earth heaped up on each side of the road is intended 
to be mixed with manure into a compost, and wheeled 
over the allotment adjoining, or it may be used at 
once to fill up any low places to lay the whole level. 
The paths should be at léist two feet wide, and a foot 
below the surface of the allotments, so that these shall 
have the appearance of a long raised bed. They 
should then be trenched as deep as the soil is good, and 
alittle of the subsoil may be brought to the surface. 
The mode of cropping must be left to the judgment 
of the occupier of the allotment—with these restrictions 
only, that no Potatoes shall be planted without manure 
of some kind, to the amount of three wheelbarrow 
loads per square rod, at the least, and that two white 
straw crops shall not be taken in succession. All other 
details to be perfectly free. 
When the field has been prepared, as before 
described,a general notice may be given that applica- 
tion may be made for allotments ; and when a sufficient 
number of applicants are found, the allotments should 
be distributed by drawing lots, each having its num- 
er. A set of regulations should be drawn up, and 
read to the men, to which they are to assent by sign- 
ing their name or making their mark. 
The Ist and indispensable condition is, that the rent 
shall be paid on a certain day. 
2d, That the allotment shall be cultivated by manual 
labour only, except the carrying of the crops or oi 
manure. 
8d, That any occupier convicted of a misdemeanour, 
or higher offence, shall lose all right to the occupa- 
tion of his allotment, and to all the crops upon it. 
4th, That any tenant of an allotment shall quit pos- 
session at any Michaelmas-day, on having notice 
three months taste. 
5th, That any trespass on another allotment shall 
cause the immediate forfeiture of that which the 
trespasser occupies, the value of the growing crops 
being paid him by the landlord, deducting the rent: 
the fact to be proved to the satisfaction of the pro- 
prietor and of three indifferent occupiers of 
allotments. 
6th, That any infringement of the rules agreed to 
shall cause a forfeiture of the possession and of all 
the crops on the land. : 
These are some of the rules which have been found 
ractically useful, and to which the labourers willingly 
toe agreed, in most cases which have come under 
our notice.—/. 
———__ 
DESCRIPTIVE. LIST. OF PICOTEES. 
(Concluded Sronp. 207.) 
‘ RED PLCOTEES. 
Nulli secundus (Mansley’s)._White very pure, and the 
edging remarkably neat ; petals well formed; much too 
thin for growers in the south, and certainly not having 
a petal to spare in this part of the country; it is never- 
theless a vatiety that will be much grown. 
Bloomsbury (Clegg’s).—A large and coarse flower ; petals 
much serrated ; only fit for borders. 
Mrs. Judson (Wheatley’s).—This variety has two serious 
drawbacks : viz,, it is late in blooming, and has a short 
