THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE. 
[Drc. 30, 
Detonging to this tribe; some of them vegetating on the 
perpendicular cliffs ‘of Pichincha, as high as 12,000 feet. 
On the western side of the Andes they accompany the 
forest-ti to a more iderable elevation. Two zones 
seem particularly well suited for the production of Or- 
chidacez. ‘he first, and most extensive, is that just 
described, from 10,000 to 8,000 feet. The other is the 
forest land skirting the coast, and extending upwards to 
nearly 1,000 feet. In the alluvial country of Guayaquil 
there are many fine plants belonging to this family. 
From the elevation of 6000 feet downwards to within a 
few leagues of the coast, the country is a vast unbroken 
forest, forming overhead a dense leafy canopy, through 
which a transient sunbeam scarcely ever penetrates. The 
soil, perpetually deluged with rain, is strewed with leaves 
and timber in a state of decay, exhaling a peculiar vegetable 
odour, and, as in‘Choco, infested with venomous reptiles. 
Rare and beautiful Cryptogamia (Trichomanes and Hy- 
menophyllum, Mosses, and Jungermanniz) clothe with a 
mantle of lively green the trunks of these gigantic trees, 
forming astrange contrast with the naked soil underneath. 
There is, in fact, no space for the’ growth of herbaceous 
plants. The excessive moisture, with a perpetual diurnal 
twilight, are circumstances perhaps opposed to- their 
development; they would be suffocated by the luxuriant 
vegetation of the forest.’ A few plants only of Vijao 
(Heliconia Bijai) spring from the humid surface, and to 
the benighted traveller are of the most essential service, 
as forming a useful material to cover his temporary 
‘+rancho,”’ the construction of which would be otherwise 
a matter of difficulty. Nothing can be more impressive 
than the silence that reigns throughout these vast. pri- 
meeval forests. I have, on several occasions, traversed a 
space of 30 miles, in four successive days, without meeting 
with a single animated being—not even a bird. The 
traveller’s progress is indeed remarkably slow; not so 
much owing to the miry state of the ground as to the 
vast number of fallen trees he is compelled to climb over. 
At the same time he must be careful not to lose the 
path, the slightest deviation from which might be attended 
with serious consequences, in a country where it is hardly 
possible to: procure a glimpse of the sun’ or stars. At 
night he is frequently startled by the crash of falling 
trees, which may, perhaps, have existed for centuries, but 
are finally prostrated by the hand of time.—Jameson, in 
Hooker’s Journal of Botany. 
Mebiews. 
Theorie der Giirtneret, von John Lindley. (Lindley’s 
Theory of Horticulture.) 8vo. Vienna. 1842. 
(Concluded from page 847.) 
Page 147.—From the observations in the text it would 
appear that the surface of the glass in the plant-houses of 
ngland is not usually covered in winter; and hence we 
may see how great a difference there i: 
y is between the 
climate there and with us, as well as an explanation of the 
difference between the cultivation of the English and 
our own. 
Page 148.—-We cannot let pass this opportunity of re- 
marking on the injury to which plants are exposed by the 
practice of heating houses to a high temperature during 
the night. There is not a more unnatural practice in all 
Horticulture than this. To maintain a temperature during 
the night as great as that which prevails in the day is 
perfect madness, and shows the greatest ignorance’of the 
life of vegetables. During a great degree of cold, it is 
much better to increase the temperature of the house 
during the day, whilst the light is upon it, than to increase 
it at night. 
Page 151.—Plants also during growth require carbonic 
acid as well as moisture, and it is through the medium of 
damp atmosphere that they are enabled, by means of their 
leaves and green parts, to appropriate this gas. 
Page 152.—Every gardener will find it of the greatest 
use accurately to study the peculiarities of the locality in 
which he cultivates his plants. Every glass-house pos- 
sesses some important differences in relation to moisture, 
dryness, and heat. These differences should be studied in 
relation to the requirements of the various species which 
are cultivated. : 
Page 153.—It seems that there is something like the 
mania for ventilating plants in England, to which gar- 
deners in this country attach so much importance. Although 
these good people very often meet with accidents from 
such a practice, yet they still continue to repeat their 
error ; they seek an explanation of the injurious results, 
not in the draught of air carrying away the moisture, not 
in the meeting of two currents of air of very different tem- 
perature, but they ascribe it to the locality, to the 
weather, to anything but the current of air, which they 
say is necessary for the plants; and many of them do not 
know at all that a current of air is in the highest degree 
injurious for many plants. 
Page 156.—A small quantity of ‘ammoniacal vapour in 
the atmosphere does not act injuriously on plants. 
Page 156.—« We can bear testimony to the injurious- 
ness of the presence of certain kinds of gas upon plants. 
We have seen a considerable number of flower-buds dro 
off in consequence of the gases given off from hot-air 
pipes. We cannot insist too strongly on these pipes 
being kept perfectly clean, they should be washed 
over at least once a year with white-wash, and this is 
more especially needed in houses where Camellias are 
” 
a. 
Page 158.—“ It is very true that Fungi will live best in 
‘adamp atmosphere with a low temperature. But they 
are only produced when portions of decomposing organic 
matter, either animal or vegetable, or even inorganic sub- 
stances, are allowed to accumulate upon the leaves and 
other parts of the plants, When plants are kept quite 
free from such matters, and no dead or dying parts are 
allowed to remain upon them, they will always remain 
free from the attacks of Fungi. Hundred-fold experiments 
have taught us this, and we are of opinion that it is much 
better to seek the cause from whence an evil springs than 
to seek to attempt to remove the evil when it has occurred. 
But when plants are affected with mould, the thick leathery 
ones should be washed and dried between folds of linen, 
and the soft and hairy ones should be strewed with pow- 
dered chalk (Kreide), and in this way its progress will be 
stopped.” 
- Page 164.—There are seeds among the Cerealia which 
require only the zg of their weight of water to cause 
them to germinate. 
Page 166.—In a great number of seeds, we may see by 
their weight that when sown under natural circumstances, 
they can only have a small covering of earth over them. 
In other seeds again their form prevents them when they 
drop naturally from their parent plant, from sinking deep 
into the ground. Seeds are very often covered naturally 
with the leaves which fall in autumn, and which by the 
time germination takes place are formed into humus, thus 
affording the young plant an abundant supply of carbonic 
acid, and the peculiar salts which it requires for its growth, 
We believe that seeds require to be buried less deep in 
the ground, in proportion to the near approach of the time 
at which they begin to germinate. 
Page 170.—If any one casts a glance at the elements of 
the seeds of leguminous plants, it will be at once evident 
how it is that they can bear so high a degree of moist 
heat, whilst other seeds would have their vitality entirely 
destroyed by a temperature like that of boiling water. 
age 170.—The seeds of the Phytolacca decandra, as 
well us those of the Raspberry, have been known to ger- 
minate after being exposed to the heat of boiling syrup. 
Page 171.—Seeds which possess resinous and viscous 
coverings prevent the access of the air and water to their 
interior, and as it is by these agents that oxygen is intro- 
duced to the carbon of which seeds are principally com- 
posed, such seeds do not so easily permit of the formation 
of carbonic acid. 
Page 174.—It is well known that the seeds of Roses 
have the peculiarity of laying a long time in the soil 
before they germinate, and in Botanical works they are 
described as the last to germinate. It is a curious fact 
that, if these seeds be allowed to remain on the tree till 
they have experienced a temperature below the freezing 
point, they will produce twice and three times the quan- 
tity of young plants they would have done, had they been 
gathered before the frost. 
Page 176.—The failure of the seeds of cultivated plants 
may also be ascribed to other causes besides that here 
mentioned. In a state of nature a plant ceases to exist 
when all the circumstances are not present which are 
essential to its existence and reproduction. Cultivated 
plants suffer generally from the attention of the cultivator, 
and they are only supplied with the kind of soil which 
enables them to put forth green parts and leaves, which is 
looked upon as the normal condition of the plant, and 
tom this cause seeds are not unfrequently imperfectly 
developed. Again, cuttings of plants are cultivated and 
only placed in a soil in which they will readily root, and 
although they grow up and produce no seeds, inquiry is 
not made as to the reason. The fact is, plants require 
particular kinds of ingredients in the soil with which to 
perfect their seeds ; and unless these matters are present, 
the seeds are not matured, and this is undoubtedly the 
reason why cultivated plants do not oftener bear fertile 
8 
jeeds, 
Page 206.—Cuttings of the roots of Berberis aquifolium, 
all Pelargoniums, and the Monsonia, will propagate the 
plant with great certainty, provided those portions are se- 
lected which contain upon them adventitious buds. 
» Page 206.—We have seen a Cerasus Lauro-cerasus, 
whose branches grew in the direction of a damp wall, put 
forth roots in the air. This also frequently occurs in all 
the shrubby Calceolarias, and many other plants, where 
they are grown in a damp atmosphere, but only on those 
branches which are not fully exposed to the day-light, 
221.—The earth in which we usually plant cuttings 
cannot be said to be inorganic, as it not only consists of 
inorganic elements, but also of elements arising from the 
presence of organic matter. 
Page 222.—We have grafted the flower-buds and often 
the branches with half ripe fruits of the Rose, with 
perfect success. Herr Foordy, of Mihran, cultivates 
small Rhododendrons, not more than six inches high, by 
planting branches, promising flower-buds, in little pots. 
Pages 227.—It is too true that the common crown- 
grafting is still in use on the Continent. Yet there are 
many other good methods adopted, some of which sur- 
pass the whip-grafting ; and there is now generally a neat- 
ness in these operations in German gardens, that was 
formerly entirely unknown. 
Page 234.—In the year 1841, an experiment was per- 
formed under the direction of the Royal Horticultural 
Society of Berlin, in which a branch of the Cosmea bipin- 
nata was grafted upon the root of a Dahlia, and it not 
only grew well, but it also brought forth blossoms and 
ripe seed. 
Page 246.—One of the cheapest kinds of grafting clay 
consists of three parts of common clay, two parts of cow- 
dung, and one of barley beards (Gerstenkranen), which 
must be thoroughly well kneeded together. 
Page 251.—In the case of the Camellia branch placed 
in water, the water is only a means of maintaining the 
existence of the plant, and not a means of nourishing the 
plant in the same manner as it would be if the roots were 
placed in natural circumstances. How long plants would 
vegetate, and how much they would grow on water alone, 
need hardly be brought to any one’s recollection, - 
Page 269.—The planting trees against a wall is an 
operation requiring great care, and the circumstances of 
climate, &c. should be taken into consideration... There 
is frequently a very barbarous practice adopted in our 
gardens; the trees are planted so close to the walls that, 
the roots can obtain only half the nutriment they ought. 
Such a position can only be remedied by planting the trees 
further from the wall, and not allowing the roots to pene- 
trate the earth parallel with the stem. 
THE NATURALISTI’S CORNER. 
(Continued from page 880.) 
70. Pleasures and Advantages of Rural Labour.— 
The ancient Romans were greatly addicted to husbandry, 
and are known to have held that art in the greatest esteem. 
Cato mentions, as an instance of this, that they thought 
they could not bestow a greater praise on any good man, 
than by calling him a good husbandman. Cicero, in his 
oration for Sextus Roscius, observes that their ancestors, 
by diligently following Agriculture, brought the common- 
wealth to the flourishing condition in which it then was. 
Columella observes that Quintius Cincinnatus, who was 
called from the plough to the dictatorship, laid down his 
ensigns of authority with greater joy than he took them 
up, and returned to his bullocks and little hereditary farm 
of four acres ; that C. Fabricius and Curius Dentatus—of 
whom one had driven Pyrrhus out of Italy and the other 
had subdued the Sabines—cultivated the seven acres which 
they shared with the rest of the people, with a diligence 
equal to the valour by which they had obtained them ; 
that the true offspring of Romulus were hardened by rural 
labour, to bear the fatigues of war when their country 
called for their aid; and that they chose their soldiers out 
of the country rather than out of the city. Pliny observes 
that Italy produced a greater quantity of corn in former 
ages, which he ascribes to the land being cultivated by the 
hand of generals, and of ploughmen who had triumphed. 
71. A true Epicure.—No man’s memory has been more 
traduced than that of Epicurus.. He has been repre- 
sented as a person wholly given up to luxury and intem- 
erance. is name is become a proverb, to express a 
voluptuous person, whose whole pleasure was in eating and 
drinking. And yet it is certain that he was a great 
pattern of temp » and ded it to his fol- 
lowers. Epicurus himself, in his epistle to Menceceus, 
says, that when he speaks of pleasure, he does not mean 
the pleasures of the voluptuous and intemperate, as some 
have misinterpreted him ; but tranquillity of mind, and a 
body void of pain. Hear what the poet Cowley calls being 
a true epicure :— : 
“‘ When Epicurus to the world had taught, 
May there find cheap and virtuous luxurie.” 
72. Wise Saying.—You may. admire, says the Latian 
poet, the splendour of a large vineyard, but you had better 
cultivate a small one :— 
———___ laudato ingentia rura, 
Exiguum colito.” 
The labour of cultivating Vines is so great, that the 
master cannot extend his care over a very large spot of 
ground. Columella relates a story from Grecinus, in 
confirmation of this. A man had two daughters, and a 
large vineyard, of which he gave a third part with the 
eldest daughter in marriage; and yet he gathered as much 
fruit as he did before. Afterwards he married the younger 
daughter, with another third for her portion; and still he 
found that his remaining third part produced as much as 
the whole had done, which could arise from no other cause 
than that he was able to cultivate a third part better than 
the whole vineyard before it was divided. The same 
author mentions this precept of the poet with great com- 
mendation, and says it was taken from a saying of one of 
the seven wise men, and that it was a proverb of the Car- 
thaginians, that ‘‘a field ought to be weaker than the 
husbandman.”’ 
CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS for the ensuing week. 
Havine now “ rounded the revolving year,”’ and brought the 
third annual series of these weekly Calendars to a close, I beg to 
in which a writer not favourable to the interest of gardeners is 
vainly endeavouring to injure the stability of the Gardeners?’ 
ers, placed this Institution on a firm basis by expelling improper 
See the Report of the Proceedings of the London Floricultural 
Society in last week’s Chronicle,—The most respectable gardeners 
