Sie 
1843.) 
THE GARDENERS 
CHRONICLE. 
573 
opinion, viz., that Larches are most liable to this disease 
when grown upon a sandy soil. I believe that Tam the 
first person who observed the decay of the red wood in 
the Larch-tree, now more than thirty years ago 3 having 
planted many thousand Larches on the estate of Close- 
burn, in the county of Dumfries, upon a sandy soil, with 
a subsoil of gravel or red sandstone, and also upon a 
slaty rock, I have found a great proportion of the Larch- 
trees upon the sandy soil begin to decay at the root in 
the course of ten or twelve years ; and at the age of thirty 
or forty years the decay is found to extend three or four 
feet up the stem of the tree. ‘The Larch-tree, planted 
Upon the sides of hills composed of Greywacke, or slaty 
Tock, so common in the south of Scotland, 1 have always 
found to succeed best, and not at all liable to the disease 
which affects it when grown upon a sandy soil, which I 
Consider too dry for the healthy state of this tree. The 
Opinion I entertained, that a sandy soil was not congenial 
to the Larch, was completely confirmed by observations 
which I made in a tour through Switzerland (the country 
tom which the Larch-tree was imported into Great 
Britain) about twenty-five years since. In the valleys of 
Switzerland not a Larch-tree is to be seen; the Spruce 
ir is the prevailing tree upon the limestone or sandstone, 
Which are the common subsoils in the lower parts of that 
Country ; and it was not until I came to the Slaty moun- 
tains that I observed the Larch-tree growing upon the 
Sides of the hills. The Larch is not found to thrive wel 
when grown upon limestone or chalky soils. Ina planta- 
tion, near Ferrybridge, in Yorkshire, upon a magnesian 
Subsoil, I found the Larch-tree liable to a similar disease 
in the heart wood of the tree: in this soil the Oak also 
suffers from premature decay. From my own experience, 
I should say that Larch-trees, when grown upon sandy 
Soils, should be cut down by the time they have arrived at 
Orty years of age; and though the Larch is found not to 
arrive to a great age in a healthy thriving state, yet Tcon- 
Sider it a profitable tree to plant in a sandy soil, as it 
becomes useful when 12 or 14 years old for many agri- 
Cultural purposes, such as the division of fields by a 
temporary paling, and hurdles for feeding sheep upon 
turnips ; and if allowed to stand till forty years old, it 
becomes very good timber for roofing and flooring farm- 
houses, for boat-building, &c. It is known to be a very 
durable wood for all purposes in which it may be employed, 
Containing much more heart wood than any other Fir 
8rown in this country. I have found the Scotch Fir, at 
a considerable age, in a much more thriving state in a 
Sandy soil than the Larch-tree, but much worse upon a 
slaty subsoil ; it is much less compact and hard when 
grown upon a slaty than upon a sandy soil. The wood 
of the Scotch Fir is made much more durable by soaking 
it in lime-water, when cut up for boards or the roofing of 
houses. This I can attest by having employed this plan 
for more than forty years, and I-find the wood of roofs 
rected with Scotch Fir treated in this way at that period, 
to be perfectly sound ; whereas roofs which had not been 
subjected to this process, require to be renewed in little 
more than’ thirty years. The effect produced by submit- 
ting Scotch Fir to a soaking in lime-water, is to destroy 
the eggs of the worms which destroy the white or sap 
wood of Scotch Fir by feeding upon the saccharine matter 
contained in it. This the lime-water is found to neu 
lize or absorb, and it thus renders our home-grown Fir a 
valuable substitute for the more expensive Baltic timber. 
—C. G. Stuart Monteath. 
Rot in Lareh—Seeing in your Paper some remarks 
On the Larch, where the opinion seemed to incline to the 
belief that a wet subsoil was the cause of this tree rotting 
M1 the heart, I beg to state what I know of the tree in 
this quarter. 1st. When planted on very dry and very 
Sandy land, it begins to rot after fifteen or twenty years, 
and to the extent of one half or more of the number. 
2nd. When on the sides of steep hills, although wet at 
S0me seasons, we rarely find any of them rotten—say one 
Inahundred. 3d. When growing on low situations, by 
the sides of rivulets, a rotten one is rare indeed. But if 
ere be any stagnant water it kills them in the course of 
avery few years. 4th. If we wish the trees to become 
timber, then we give them as much room as we would 
Sive to any hard-wood tree; we allow the branches to 
luxuriate on every side, just as they please. 5th. If they 
ate wanted for poles, &c., then we plant thickly, never 
Bi ing out any but those that are killed by their neigh- 
Ours overtopping them.—Doolly, Stonehaven. 
Diseases of Tares.—The crops of Tares in this neigh- 
bourhood have suffered much from the united attacks of an 
Insect and a fungus, the latter probably the consequence 
f a weak and depraved state of the plant induced by the 
lormer. You will observe in the specimens which accom- 
pany this note, that the development of the shoots has 
een suddenly arrested, their extremities presenting a 
Mass of abortive flowers and deformed leaves. The peti- 
Oles of the leaves at the lower part of the mass are thick. 
hed and incurved, and in their axilla you will find a few 
pate grubs, probably belonging to some Curculio. Of 
ne however, [ am not competent to give an opinion. In 
. Ost cases, afier a time, these masses wither, and are 
Bae’ with Botrytis vulgaris ; sometimes, however, one 
i pore shoots are developed, which flower, and are again 
‘able to be attacked, and even if this be not the case, the 
Beoduce is not only injured by the destruction of the first 
Ante it terminal flowers; but in case the others proceed 
* ads maturity, the pods in the upper part of the plant 
IN while those below are ready for the scythe, 
the a at least an inconvenience. his is not, however, 
Below. ne of the injury, for the portions of the plant 
he parts attacked by the grub, not excepting even 
tice are invested with a little red fungus, which is 
ently very injurious, I have not at present found speci- 
mens of the parasite in a perfect state, so as to enable me 
to ascertain the species. It is, I believe, a form either of 
Ascochyta Vici or Visi, of Madam Libert, the latter of 
which—pointed out to me, many years ago, by Captain Car- 
michael—in damp seasons destroys many a crop of Peas ; 
but without the inspection of the reproductive bodies, it 
is impossible to ascertain this. The parenchyma beneath 
the red spots, is gorged with a gummy substance, of a 
beautiful red or lilac, in which all trace of chlorophyll is 
lost. The hairs with the coloure/ bases afford sometimes 
a pretty object under the microscope. The main strength 
of vegetation is evidently diverted in great measure from 
the seeds towards the coloured spots, and I have little 
doubt that the produce will be very much diminished in 
consequence, aud probably few of the grains will be well 
developed. , It is not unfrequent for parasitic fungi to be 
imperfectly developed. The red fungus, which is often so 
conspicuous on the leaves of the Sloe, is abundant in 
America, but, I believe, never perfect; and this is by no 
means a solitary instance, and is analogous to the fact, 
that in certain countries many species of Mosses and 
Lichens never fructify. I do not find any special mention 
of the disease either in Wiegman’s or Meyen’s Work* on 
the diseases of plants. —/. J. Berkley. 
Disease in Pans Our Pansies here are dying 
with almost incalculable rapidity. The disease is by no 
means uncommon, but having never met with any person 
who could satisfactorily gna reason, I purpose to lay 
the case before your practical readers, in order that they 
tay assist me in finding out the ca If a reason for 
their decay cannot be assigned, perhaps some one may be 
able to name a preventive,—as a remedy is out of the 
question, because the first symptom of disarrangement is 
the sudden drooping of the leaves and young shoots, as if 
from want of moisture. Some of them have completely 
failed in wet weather, wher we daily experienced falls of 
rain, averaging 4 of an inch for a whole week, so that it 
is evident it does not procecd from drought. The first 
appearance of it Unis season was observable during the 
dry tract of weather, which preceded the wet months of 
May and June; at that period weak plants appeared to 
be the first to suffer, but now weak and strong are alike 
subject to these ravages. The plants, when examined 
after death, generally present a mass of dead roots, partly 
decomposed 5 but on examination, we find that those parts 
Of the stem below ground are the first attacked. Some- 
times (but seldom) the infection attacks the stem imme- 
diately above ground, and the happy consequences are, 
that a fresh supply of young shoots fills up the vacancy ; 
we have only to regret the rare occurrence of the latter 
circumstance. Our plants have been procured from 
Cambridge, Edmonton, and elsewhere ; some of them pro- 
pagated hundreds of miles from these places, but all are 
alike susceptible of the disease. ‘The whole of our plants 
are already half dead, and only those plants which have 
been glationary for two years are healthy; that is, the 
disease is wholly confined to those plants which have been 
kept in small pots through the winter, and planted out in 
spring. In all our investigations we can observe no in- 
sect, unless in one solitary instance, which turned out to 
be a small maggot—but was this the cause or effect? It 
may further be necessary to mention, that we have plants 
in two separate parts of the ground, growing in different 
soils, but the disease is alike in both places ; when there 
are two of a sort, if one dies, the other immediately 
follows. Thus, two plants of Countess of Orkney both 
died together ; of three plants of Major’s Bridegroom, two 
are dead, and the third is sickly; two plants of Ultra 
Plora Superb, growing at least four yards apart, died 
during the last fortnight —2. Z. 
Tropavlum canariense,—In the new long garden-walk 
jn Kensington Gardens the zeal and ingenuity of Mr. 
George Davidson, one of the gardeners, have prompted 
him to train five plants of Tropeeolum canariense or pere- 
grinum upon dead skeleton trees, about seven feet high, 
the foliage and bloom being equally disposed and dis- 
tributed in a graceful shape, by twine attached from the 
extremities of the boughs, the whole being just now literally 
covered with a profusion of beautifulyellow trusses, emanat- 
ing from the refreshing pale green of the foliage, doubly 
agreeable in the autumn, when the leaves of the shrubs and 
trees assume so dark a hue, as by contrast to display the 
vivid tints of this valuable creeper to the greatest advan- 
tage, reminding the beholder of the Laburnums with which 
we part with such reluctance in spring, and for which we 
have now presented to us a very cheap and efficient sub- 
stitute—six pennyworth of seed being enough to procure 
100 artificial trees, covered with flowers of incessant 
renewal throughout the entire months of July, August, 
and September. Two plants to each skeleton tree will 
ensure a most profuse mass of bloom, and the stems at 
the bottom being trained behind the tree, will diminish the 
artificial appearance of the treatment of the plant. As 
the seed ripens freely in the open air, this plan, once com- 
menced, may be annually continued by the poorest cottager 
free of allexpense. The seed also makes an excellent pickle, 
and I have met one gardener who daily improves his bread 
and butter at tea-time by the young leaves, which havea very 
agreeable flavour. Profuse watering has stimulated the 
plants, which literally surround the lodge of Mr. Sapp, the 
keeper of the Kensington Gore Gate, Hyde Park.— 
es Mangles. 
seeded ‘for Seedling Pelargoniums.—I feel obliged to 
« One of the Judges” for bis courteous reply to the 
observations I made at page 542 of the Chronicle, and for 
his explanation of the principles upon which the certificate 
of merit was awarded to the Pelargonium named Psyche. 
ERIE SEH 
* Die Krankheiten der Pflanzen. 
raunschweig, 1839. ‘ 
Brawiianzen- Pathologie, yon F, 1. F, Meyen, Berlin, 1841. 
Von Dr, A. F. Wiegman. 
That Seedling Pelargoniums excite much interest, is 
proved by the crowded state of the tent in which they are 
exhibited at Chiswick, and it is for the Horticultural 
Society to determine whether the public taste shall be 
gratified by encouraging the exhibition of them. But if 
they are to be ranked below the common out-door frnits 
of the season, or if it be necessary to exhibit the same 
seedling two successive years before a medal can be 
awarded to it, few gentlemen will, I think, take the 
trouble of sending their seedlings for competiti To 
your correspondent “ F.H.S. of more n 25 years’ 
standing,’’ I will now offer two or three observations. In 
the first place, I did not impugn the decision of the judges 
in the fruit department; they could not be responsible for 
the awards to flowers. In the next place, my remarks 
amounted to this: if there be as muck merit in raising a 
good Seedling Pelargonium as in producing a dish of good 
Cherries, is there not an apparent inconsistency if the 
Horticultural Society should reward chem with cifferent 
prizes? With regard to the degree of skill required to 
produce good Cherries, I will observe his admission, that 
there ‘is as much skill required’’ in the production of 
one as the other, is quite sufficient for my argument. 
Should, however, his life be spared to the Society another 
year, and should he cast his eye into the fruiterers’ shops 
in the month of July, he will see such an abundance of 
fine Cherries, as may make him doubt the correctness of 
the opinion which the experience of an F.1H.S. of more 
than a quarter of a century has led him to adopt, that 
the skill necessary for the production of that excellent 
fruit is such as to require the Horticultural Society to 
encourage it by giving two silver Knightian and two 
Banksian medals.—F'.H.S.—[Now that each party has 
made its statement, we may be allowed to remark, Ist. 
That the Society does not offer medais for Cherries, and 
that such as have been awarded have been conferred by 
the judges, by virtue of that authority which enables them 
& {9 confer additional silver medals if they think it neces~ 
sary todo so.” 2d, ‘That silver Knightian and Banksian 
medals are specifically offered for seedling florists’ flowers ; 
and, therefore, if the judges do not award them, it is 
by virtue of that other authority, which enables them 
«to diminish the number and value of medals,’’ if they 
think it necessary to do so. Tt will be obvious to 
« FUELS.” that the Society has done all that he desires, 
and that blame, if there is amy, lies with the judges. All 
that the Socicty can do is to offer prizes; it is impossible 
for them to control the judges in their decisions. Tt has 
been alleged, inceed, that they have done so; but that 
statement was destitute of the smallest foundation. ] 
Vines.—In a leading article, at p. 443, you have ad- 
vanced a doctrine which segms to startle many Grape- 
growers, and to many it will be impracticable on account 
of haying Pines growing beneath the Vines. For my part, 
I think your doctrine is wrong, and my reason for think- 
ing so is this. In the xvth chap. of John, ver. 2, we find, 
‘«Fivery branch in me that beareth not fruit, be taketh 
away ; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, 
that it may bring forth more fruit.’ This is my system, 
which I have acted upon for many years ; my Grapes are 
good, and the fruit is full-sized. I take away all barren 
shoots, and I purge all fruitful branches ; thatis, | remove 
all laterals, and stop the shoot at the eye next the fruit, 
or one above it. Now if the Saviour cultivates his church 
upon this principle, I don’t think we can follow a better 
example in the cultivation of the Vine, whatever philoso- 
phers may say to the contrary.— A Subscriber. 
Vines.—I have planted my Vinery four years, and have 
since had three full crops of Grapes. The first year, the 
plants were turned out of 48-sized pots, in February, and 
made rods of strong, good wood, 20 feet long. The second 
year 200 large bunches ripened, and I cut off 150. The 
third year there was a greater crop. This year there is 
a still larger quantity, and excellent wood for the next 
year. I am persuaded this success may always be ex- 
pected with proper management and a proper situation.— 
Verax. [Will you state your management, for the benefit 
of those who are less successful ? 
Pines.—I have just teken up @ quantity of Pines from 
a bark pit and planted them in a bed of virgin soil, with 
a bottom-heat obtained from a fiue (not water). They 
were in a wretched state when in the bark, but they are 
now looking well and growing fast. They are planted in 
the soil, and I expect to have full-grown Pines with much 
less expense and trouble than by the old method, than 
which I can conceive nothing worse or more unscientific. 
—Veraz. 
Mulberries.—I am no great gardener, but I will tell 
you something about a Mulberry plant. TI got a top 
shoot from a Mulberry-tree carried through the bottom 
hole of a garden-pot, and filled the pot with mould, 
leaving the shoot a few inches above the sur’ This 
was cut off when it had struck in the pot. It was put in 
the vinery, and next year bore two fruit :— what became of 
it afterwards I don’t know. Mr. Knight, of Downton, 
once told me that by striking cuttings or taking plants 
from the upper instead of the lower branches of the 
Mulberry, the period of fruiting was hastened seven or 
eight years.— Seward. [We are aware of this practice, 
which is a very good one.] 
The Shaddock.—In the vicinity of Ingleton, Yorkshire, 
a beautiful specimen of the Citrus decumana, or Shad- 
dock, has this year borne flowers. It is only three years 
since it was raised from seed ; it does not usually bloom, 
even in the genial climate of Italy, before the seventh or 
eighth year. The above-named plant was raised ina sit- 
ting-room.— Facile. 
Treatment of Strawberry Plants for Forcing.—Mr. 
Murdock’s paper, at p. 542, on preparing Strawberries for 
forcing, is good, and many excellent crops I have seen 
