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246 
THE GARDENERS CHRONICLE. 
| (Aprin 15, 
larger one—though not so large as recommended in the 
article in question. As thereis, however, arightand a wrong 
way of doing everything, success or failure must depend 
upon which of these two opposite modes guides the opera- 
tion. Few of those persons who sift soil for their pot-plants 
will adopt the one-shift system, or allow of its being suc- 
cessfully practicable, and they are quite right. Roots, 
from their nature, diverge out horizontally, will always 
(be the pot ever so large) extend towards, and soon reach, 
the side of the pot, and that often in sifted soil, without 
making scarcely a lateral fibre or spongiole ; because it is 
only at the sides that they can receive the necessary quan- 
tity of air and moisture, and without sufficient of both a 
plant cannot do well. It is the absence of air excluded by 
the compact nature of the sifted soil ran into a mass by 
handwatering, that in a pot prevents the formation of 
roots and fibres in the centre of the ball of earth; which 
circumstance, joined to the tendency of a body of fine but 
ill-drained earth to sour when watered profusely, occasions 
the death of plants shifted into too large pots by the com- 
mon mode. But whosoever will read the article again 
will observe that instead of these evils, the best and only 
cure for them is detailed. Unsifted soil is ded ; 
book ;” and that ‘‘ Roses may be struck from cuttings, and 
budded and grafted from March to. September, if the buds, 
grafts, and stocks are in a proper state!’ Instead, how- 
ever, of any hints or directions on ‘these points, the too 
sanguine Amateur, anxious to ‘‘ try his hand,’’ is deterred 
by the preventive check,—* it is only incessant practice 
that can give this knowledge,’’—coupled with a deferred 
provisional promise to make a book on the subject when 
Mr. R. grows Roses for pleasure rather than profit. I hope 
that that time isnot far distant, and that long before the 
‘thoar frost of age sets in’ a third edition may be 
called for, in which we shall find every deficiency in this 
respect supplied with a liberality and minuteness which 
will most assuredly meet with their reward. Depend upon 
it, no nurseryman will ever be a sufferer by so doing. 
The new varieties, at all events, must pass through his 
hands ; and there are few who will lay themselves under 
obligation, either for buds or cuttings of Roses, that;nur- 
serymen need care about retaining as customers. It is 
the satisfaction of knowing how to manage and multiply 
his plants that induces the Amateur to cultivate them ; and 
there is no surer bait to allure him to the nursery than 
3 
thus providing for the admission of air, and guarding 
against the possibility of the soil running together (as it 
is called) ; moreover, pieces of porous stone are to be 
intermixed with the soil, to form reservoirs of moisture 
and air, and at the same time barriers to make the roots 
deviate and divide in their course before they reach the 
side of the pots. .To this is to be added attention to pro- 
per drainage, without which but comparatively few ter- 
restrial plants will do well. The system is worth trying 
before we condemn it.—John M‘ Donald, Riccarton. 
Top-Dressing for Orange-trees.—Last year I purchased 
a box of Oranges, many of which proved to be rotten ; 
it occurred to me that they might be turned to some 
account as a top-dressing for Orange-trees ; and I accord- 
ingly applied a number of them to a large plant which had 
been in a stationary state for two years. The result has 
answered my expectation, for nothing can exceed the 
vigour of its present growth ; it is covered with fine young 
shoots, and promises to flower freely. I am so satisfied 
with this experiment that I mean to follow the same plan 
with other Orange plants this year ; and with this view all 
bad Oranges and even Orange-peel are saved.—J. NV. V. 
[An excellent idea this.] 
Cape Corms.—Will any of your correspondents kindly 
state the very best method of cultivating Cape Corms, 
mentioning any differences in genera or species? Books 
are sadly deficient in real information on the subject ; all 
-they state is, that Cape Bulbs (including Corms) require so 
and so, and they may be increased by seeds or offsets. 
What I want to learn is, which is the best method of cul- 
tivating each individual plant—should the offsets be taken 
off or not, and if so, at what season should bottom-heat 
be employed in inducing them to root before they shoot 
ar not, (on account of the darkness produced by neces- 
sary protection during Janwary,) or for other reasons 4 
That lovely tribe,—the Tridacese—is not, as yet, nearly'so 
universally cultivated as it deserves to be ; ranking next, 
I would say, to Orcbidacee in ‘loveliness, although per- 
haps wanting their grotesque forms and delicious odours, 
—principally I believe from a want of sufficient know- 
ledge of them, We all learn some loose general notions 
of this and that order or genus; but what we require to 
know is the habitudes with regard to-locality and climate 
of each individual of the vegetable kingdom.—H. B. H. 
Roses.—1 wish your correspondent who writes the 
interesting articles entitled “The Rose Garden” would 
give us a pretty full and explicit account of the propaga- 
tion, &c., of the various kinds of Roses, as now classed in 
the best catalogues—say that of Mr. Rivers for this year. 
He would thus concentrate this very material department 
of Rose-growing, so as to admit of ready reference ; for 
although he gives many excellent hints in his papers, yet 
of necessity they are so scattered as not to be easily turned 
He should treat of each division separately, e. g., 
Provence, Moss, French, Hybrid Provence, Hybrid China 
Roses, &c., detailing the most suitable soil and situation to 
grow them in, the time and manner of propagation—whether- 
by buds, layers, or cuttings—and their various manage- 
ment ; pointing out any peculiar treatment required by 
any of the varieties ; the proper mode of pruning, and the 
season for it, noticing any particular variety which is an ex- 
ception to the general rule; and the best mode of protecting 
the tender sorts during winter. Such a paper would, in 
fact, obviate any necessity for entering into these details 
when writing upon the varieties themselves. When Mr. 
Rivers first published his Rose Amateur’s Guide, I, know- 
ing his celebrity, was most desirous to possess it, con- 
sidering that when a nurseryman quits his grounds and 
takes up his pen as an author, he is bound to furnish 
every information on the subject on which he writes, and 
that the expression ‘‘ modes of culture,” in the title-page, 
included the whole process of inserting the bud, making 
the layer, and putting in the cutting. You may therefore 
judge of my disappointment, when I found not one wor 
on this part of the subject in the whole book ; I afterwards 
bought the second edition, and hoped that the idea con- 
veyed by the saying of a late nurseryman of my acquaint- 
ance—who amassed a large fortune in his business, and 
who was most communicative on all matters about the 
treatment of plants—that “the day was gone by for secrets 
in gardening, and that he never solda plant less for telling 
all he bmew,’’ would have occurred to Mr. R., and that 
the omission in the former edition would have heen sup- 
es Not so, however. True it is we have some excel- 
lent directions as to raising seedlings, and are gravely 
assured that “ instructions for budding, grafting, and other 
modes of propagating Roses, are given in every gardening 
0) to his success in such matters. Once make 
him a successful Rose-grower, and he must prove a good 
customer. | Meanwhile, until Mr. R. unlocks the trea- 
sures of his skill, J hope your correspondent will favour us 
with the result of his experience as a Rose propagator, 
&c., and add to the obligations he has already conferred 
upon all lovers of the * Queen of flowers,””—S. 
Destroying the Eggs of Insects on Roses.—Mr. Beaton 
has suggested (p. 176) the application of the mixture 
which is used for destroying the ova of insects on Vines, 
Peach-trees, &c. tothe shoots of Rose-trees as soon as 
pruned. Eggs of the ordinary ‘‘ worms i’ the bud,’ 
which prey on these plants, are deposited by the females 
in the autumn of the previous year on the bark, and espe- 
cially around the buds; and I should say that it is in this 
stage of their existence they should be attacked. As, 
however, the application must necessarily be subject to 
the vicissitudes of the weather, I would recommend that it 
be made as adhesive as possible. Probably glue or size 
would answer, but I hardly know how the soft soap and 
these substances will agree.—S. 
Forcing Roses.—It is generally asserted that Roses do 
not succeed, if forced, two years successively. This I find 
from practical experience to be an erroneous opinion, as 
I have forced the same plants five consecutive seasons. 
They have been treated as any other potted plant would 
be, namely, shifted as they increased in size, and this 
year they have bloomed more profusely than they did the 
first season: in fact, they have annually improved in the 
number and beauty of their blossoms. My collection 
consists of Moss, Spong, Cabbage, Unique, Wellington 
(Hybrid China), Crimson Perpetual, and Smith’s Yellow 
Noisette, which succeeds much better as a forced than as 
a Garden Rose. J am induced to mention these circum- 
stances respecting forced Roses, from the failure which I 
perceive in that department, in many gardens where there 
is every facility for procuring them ; and there is no flower 
so highly appreciated, even by non Amateurs, as a forced 
Rose.— Perseverance. 
Yeast Plant.—1 send you a drawing of a seed (natu- 
ral size), in the hope that you may tell me to what it 
\\\y,. belongs. It was brought from America by a 
WZ friend, who, when at Wisconsin,’ about 200 
miles from New York, found the inhabitants of 
a cottage making bread, and using the dried 
leaves of a plant on which this seed was found, 
instead of yeast! As it was in winter, he could not ob- 
tain a fresh specimen, and all the flowers had been cut 
off and the stalks thrown away; but after a diligent 
search among the withered store that was hung up for 
use, he found one capsule that had been left on by chance, 
and it fortunately contained seed. e was not sufficient 
botanist to ascertain the correct name, but he thought it 
was a Scabious. I should be glad to know if you or any 
of your readers were aware that any plant possessed the 
property of yeast, as, in remote parts of any country, 
it would be worth cultivating for this alone. After 
such seed as this has been committed to the soil, is it 
usual for the pappus to become elongated? I had but 
two given to me, and having occasion to disinter one of 
them, J found to my great surprise that the pappus had 
grown nearly twice as long as it was when put in about 
seven days previously. Lady, and constant Reader.— 
[We do not recognise this. Itis, however, to all appear- 
ance, the fruit of some composite plant allied to Verbe- 
sina. 
Kitchen Garden Economies, No. 1.—A very delicate 
vegetable, quite equal to Seakale or Asparagus, and of a 
taste intermediate between the two, may be easily raised 
in any quantity by any one who has a few square yards of 
garden ground, at several different times during the winter 
and spring, according as the succession of crop is required. 
Plant ten or twelve Turnips (any delicate kind) as closely 
as possible, and cover them with a box or Seakale pot: 
heap fermenting stable litter over and around, as for Sea- 
kale ; and in about the same time or a fortnight more, @ 
crop of blanched Sprouts will make their appearance. 
The crowns of the Turnips should not of course have 
been removed too closely. In dressing them for table, 
when they are about half done, pour away the water and 
give them some fresh; when cooked, serve them up with 
melted butter on toast.—Sprouts. 
Preserving Fruit.—In answer to ‘ Quercus,” p. 190, 
T beg to state that good Currant jelly may be made from 
wet Currants. I think the objection is to their being 
packed wet in baskets and having to stand some hours in 
market. They may, if desired, be strewed on a dresser, 
with a cloth uponit, in a warm kitchen, for an hour, to dry. 
Strawberries and Raspberries are more objectionable when 
gathered wet; but boiling the pulp five minutes, previ- 
ously to adding the sugar, is the best remedy. Pine-Apple 
jelly would be an expensive article, as it would require 
4 lbs. of Pines to make 1 1b. of jelly; nor do I think it 
would jelly freely, on account of its powerful acidity. The 
jelly of Pine-jam never partakes of the firm character of 
other jams.—Z. 
Cydonia japonica,.—I have tried the fruit of Pyrus, or 
Cydénia, japonica, mixed with Apple in a tart, and I find 
it a very good substitute for Quince.—C.G. [It is a 
sort of Quince. 
Bees.— Stocks of Bees should nowbe carefully examined, 
by lifting them up gently from their stands, for the pur- 
pose of clearing away any filth or dead Bees, moths, &c., 
which have lodged there during the winter; and where 
they are light and the population numerous, it is requisite 
to give them a liberal feeding. It has often been found 
that a single pound of good honey, given at this season of 
the year, as the population is now increasing, and when 
it can only be obtained by them in the field in small 
quantities, will save them from starvation. When the 
spring is wet, cold, and unfavourable, they may be fed 
with great advantage even until the middle of May, by 
mixing a pound of the best honey in a wine-glass of pure 
soft water, and incorporating them together by a gentle 
warmth. This can be given to them in a flat plate or 
saucer in their hives, and the liquid can be covered with 
a piece of perforated paper. If “ J.T. A.” will take the 
pains to plaster her old straw hives with Roman cement, 
or even with common mortar, they will last for many 
years. They may be made ornamental, and will do well 
as stocks to swarm in. The Bees and combs should by 
no means be taken from the old hives.—W. Savage, 
Swaffham.——I observe in the Quarterly Review, in the 
article on ‘* Bee-Books,” a dation to paint the 
inside of straw hives, with a view to save the Bees the 
trouble of smoothing them. Will Dr. Bevan kindly say 
if he approves of this suggestion ?—A Bee-keeper. 
Fumigating Greenhouses.—In Mr. Ayres’ directions to 
the amateur, at p. 189, he speaks of a plan adopted by 
him for fumigating greenhouses. I have used a similar 
one for many years, and would refer him to a description 
of it by me, in p. 49, vol. viii., of the “¢ Ploricultural 
Cabinet.’”’ I merely light the tobacco with paper placed 
under the stand.—C. W, F. 
PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND. 
April 5.—P. Pusey, Esq., M.P., in the chair; 16 Members were 
elected. Col. Challoner presented the Monthly Report of the 
Finance Committee, showing that the receipts during the month 
of March had been 1,130/., and that the current cash balance on 
‘he Committee 
ce, of Berwick, near Lewes, and that 
the Essay would appear in the next part of the Journal. Col, 
Meeting, connected with the 
Show Yard, Dinners, Trial of Implement Field, &c. Mr. Colville, 
M.P., chairman of the Committee, stated that the Directors of the 
ly any number of 
It was resolv: 
half-yolumes twice in the year, containing the same amount of 
matter as heretofore,” Dr. Lyon Playfair was elected Analysing 
Chemist to the Society. Mr. Pusey stated that Dr. Playfair was 
engaged in establishing at Manchester a chemical laboratory for 
the purposes of his scientific investigations, connected with the 
would receive all 
business referred by them at the mere cost of manipulation, and 
i i t charge, to their letters of consultation ; indi- 
certain scale of charges, which would be left with the Secretary 
for the information of Members. ‘The following gentlemen were 
appointed a committee to examine Sir F i 
for establishing m 
Spencer, Earl of Euston, Earl of Ducie, Mr. Browne, Mr, Burke, 
Hobbs, Sir F, Mackenzie, Rev. Mr. 
Messrs. T, Gibbs and Co. presented specimens of the Bokhara 
Clover, Lucerne, spotted Chiccory, Pastel, and Swiss Chard 
B Mr. H. Gibbs stated that the specimens were intended to 
illustrate the comparative earliness of Bokhara Clover, Lucerne; 
&c., and had been grown on a sharp mould on a gravelly sub- 
soil, at their experimental garden at Brompton: the Lucern 
appearing from this trial to be earlier than the Bokhara Clover. 
He further stated that he had offered some fresh Bokhara Clover 
0 a horse which was at hard work, but upon good keep, and 
that it had refused to eat it; that he then offered to the same 
horse a portion of the Lucerne, which was taken with avidity; 
the two being mixed, the horse picked out the Lucerne, and only 
ate two small portions of the Clover.—Mr. 8. Brittain, secretary 
of the Chester i 1 Society, i a memorial 
from the chairman and committee of that society, soliciting that 
the annnal country meeting of 1845 should be held in that city. 
LINNEAN SOCIETY. 
April 4.—E, Forster, Esq., in the chair. Mr. Sutter, of Para~ 
matta, New South Wales, was elected a Fellow. A collection of 
plants, procured during a journey through Nordland and 
Finmark, was presented by Mr. N, Lun Cuming 
presented several specimens of fruits and seeds from the Philip- 
pine islands; amongst others the true St. Ignatius Bean, or Col- 
Jeolonga seeds, which are used by the natives as a remedy in 
cholera; also Acorns from a species of Quercus, unknown. 
Parkinson presented a specimen of the Ambigo, or Navel Orange, 
brought to this country from Pernambuco, where it is cultivated 
in considerable quantities ; it is seldom seen in the British 
ma re , Forbes presented a specimen of Goniaster 
abbensis, a new British Starfish, discovered by Mr. Maclaurin* 
A specimen of Walnut-tree wood was presented by Mr. Wallis- 
Acontinuation of Mr. Griffith’s paper on the Oyule of Séntalumy 
&c. was read, 
BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
Fi —J. E. Gray, Esq., President, inthe chair. The follow~ 
ing donations were announced :—British Plants from Dr, Streete?» 
Donations to the 
wett C, Watson, V.P., and 
very large variety of Lastriea filix mas, found by hi 
Cliff Valley, near Bridgewater. Mr. G.H. K. Thw: 
cated a paper upon the discovery of Grimmia orbicularis, a Moss 
new to Britain, which was fot “upon St; Vincent’s 
und by him? 
Rocks, Bristol. ‘The foliage is not distinguishable from that of 
