1843. ] 
THE GARDENERS 
CHRONICLE. 
459 
R EXHIBITION must be at this office om 
TUESDAY, July 11, or at the Garden before half-past Eight 
o'clock, a.11., on the day of Exhibition. The gates will be opened 
e,P.m. Tickets are issued to Fellows at this office, price 
5s. each; or at the Garden in the afternoon of the days of Exhi- 
bition at 7s. Gd. each, but only to Orders from Fellows of the 
Society. N.B.—No TicKgeTS WILL BE ISSUED IN RVGENT-STREET 
ON THE DAY or Exn1BITION.—21, Regent-street. 
The Gardeners’ Chronicle. 
SATURDAY, JULY 8, 1848. 
MEETINGS FOR THE TWO FOLLOWING WEEKS. 
Wednesday, July 12. . . Horticultural, Chiswick. 
Tuesday, July 18 Floricultural » «+ + 8 
Poms 
Royal Botanic, Regent's Park. 
Weanesday, July 19. . {HU Aouleurals Crown and Anchor, 8 rat. 
Country Snows.—Tuesday, July 11 . Royal Cornwall Horticultural. 
Thursday, July 20. Hoddesdon Cottagers’. 
a Av the last meeting of the Horticultural Society in 
'Regent-street, some most beautiful specimens of the 
application of the Electrotype process to vegetation 
were exhibited by Messrs. Elkington, of Regent- 
street. Upon the surface of leaves a deposit of cop- 
per was thrown down, so as to form a perfect repre- 
sentation in metal of the surface of the foliage. 
Since that time we have been favoured by Messrs. 
Ikington with a sight of other leaves coated with 
gold and silver as well as copper. Among these were 
a Pelargonium-leaf, having all its glandular hairs pre- 
served with admirable precision ; an ear of Wheat ; a 
leaf of Fennel; a Fern, with its fructification ; a shoot 
of the Furze-bush, and an insect, (a Carabus,) with 
every part of it encrusted with the metallic deposit. 
_ In our opinion this opens quite a new and most 
interesting field to the application of the Electrotype 
climate well, if it is gradually inured to it, provided 
the roots are in a mois¢ soil, and there is a free circu- 
lation of air. 
It is to be recollected that when a tree is ripening 
its fruit, it is in quite a different condition from what 
occurs when it is flowering. At the latter period its 
energies are all directed to organizing itself, and con- 
solidating the parts that may have been formed ; it is 
growing, and hardening its growth. But at a later 
eriod organization and consolidation are accom- 
plished, and it is the elaboration of the fluids, stored 
up within the plant, that has to be provided for. The 
fruit of such a plant as the Vine is incessantly sucking 
fluids out of the branches ; but that fluid is little more 
than water and mucilage ; insipid, thin, and worthless. 
But after reaching the fruit it thickens by evaporation ; 
it changes by the chemical combinations brought 
about in consequence of a variety of phenomena that 
need not be here explained; the result of which is 
the conversion of acid into sugar, and the creation of 
the delicate flavours which give the Grape its value as 
a fruit. Now the evaporation that is indispensable to 
the conversion of watery sap into Grape juice cannot 
take place unless the air is dry and warm ; and it will 
take place in proportion to the dryness and heat to 
which, within natural limits, it is exposed ; for light 
and heat quicken all the chemical changes that occur 
in plants, while dryness renders the juices viscid, and 
concentrates flavour. 
No further argument, then, seems necessary to show 
driven by hunger, and then they will neither give 
much milk nor butter. It is sufficient that it is a 
useless weed, and takes up the room of good grasses. 
The weeding of meadows and pastures eannot be too 
strongly recommended ; and where the extent is only 
a few acres, and plenty of poor women and children 
can be found who will gladly work for a mere trifie, 
the grass may be much improved, and consequently 
the milk and butter. An acre of good grass, where 
the weeds are as much as possible eradicated, and 
where the growth of the best grasses is encouraged by 
an occasional sprinkling of their seed over the ground 
after it has been well scarified or harrowed, will give 
more good feed for cows than two acres of the same 
kind of soil which has been neglected in everything 
but manuring. Some of the richest land we ever 
saw, which might fatten a bullock and five sheep per 
acre, (this is the mode of valuing land in Ireland as 
well as in Lincolnshire,) was so overrun with weeds, 
that it looked like a wilderness of Thistles and Docks, 
while there were scores of men and women perfectly 
idle for want of employment ; but the idea of weeding 
grass land never entered their heads. The butter 
was very fine, for the cows avoided eating the weeds 5 
but there would have been twice as much if the weeds 
had been kept down. This was in Ireland, and we 
haveseen the same in England, although not to so great 
an extent. 
When grass-land is so infested with weeds 
and inferior grasses that weeding is out of the ques- 
that the condition of the atmosphere in which Grapes 
are to ripen is the reverse of that which is required 
when the Vines are making their growth, flowering, 
and setting their fruit. In the latter case, they should 
have high temperature by day, and be cooled down con- 
siderably at night, while a moist atmosphere is care- 
fully preserved at all times. In the former, a high 
temperature night and day, and a dry atmosphere 
should be substituted. So says the climate which the 
Vine loves best,—so says theory,—so saysthe practice of 
Process. The ornaments required for the decoration 
of plate may thus be furnished by the unerring hand 
of nature herself instead of the unskilful tools of a 
workman; flowers and leaves for the hair or the 
dress may be prepared with all the lightness and 
finish of reality ; and we sce no-reason why ladies 
Should not to-day send their favourite flowers to the 
silversmith to be silvered or gilt for the evening, and 
then return them on the morrow, in order that 
the metal may be reduced, and again employed in 
encrusting other things. But it would lead “us too 
far from our subject if we were to speculate upon 
the possible application of this most curious process. 
Some weeks ago we called the attention of our 
readers to the importance, or rather the necessity, of 
keeping down the temperature of their Vineries at 
night; and our correspondence tells us that the warn- 
ing was not given too soon. As Grapes are now 
generally ripening in forcing-houses we resume the 
subject. 
It will be remembered that our reasoning on the 
former occasion was partly founded on physiological 
considerations, and partly on an examination of the 
climate of those countries where Grapes are finest. 
‘oth those sources of evidence may now be employed 
to show that when Grapes are ripening, the night 
temperature should be nearly as high as that of the day. 
In its favourite regions the Grape ripens its fruit at 
the hottest and driest period of the year. In Corfu 
the Grapes are ripe in September ; now it appears 
from Dr, Davy’s observations that the range of the 
thermometer in that island, day and night, is in August 
from 77°to 84°; and in September from 74° to82° ; that 
18 to say, it is never colder at night than 74° in 
September, or than 77° in August. 
lowest temperature observed in August was 74°; and 
in September 69°. In Candahar, Mr. Atkinson found 
Grapes ripe in June, and at that time his paper 
curled up and became perfectly crisp while he was 
Writing on it. The night temperature of Candahar in 
ay and June is not given; but we may be very sure 
that in a country like that, where a burning sun has been 
shining for three months, and the ground is excessively 
heated; there must of necessity be a very high tem- 
Perature at night. In fact, in Persia, which is nearly 
the climate of Candahar, the midnight temperature of 
August has been known to be as high as 108°; and it 
is certain that in all such countries the difference 
between the temperature of the day and night, at the 
ot season of the year, when Grapes ripen, is incon- 
We may, therefore, assume that a night 
temperature of from 70° to 80° ought to be secured 
When Grapes are ripening, and that the temperature 
siderable. 
of the day should be something higher. 
At that period of their existence much atmospheric 
those who know how to ripen Grapes as well as grow 
them (and there are not too many gardeners of that 
sort); and what nature, theory, and practice, alike 
point out, the gardener may be sure he ought to believe 
implicitly. 
There is only one cause which can render a very 
high temperature and dry air injurious while Grapes 
are ripening, and that is dryness at the roots. Of 
course, under a high temperature and dry air there 
will be a great loss of water from the surface of both 
leaves and fruit; that loss must be abundantly sup- 
plied by the soil; and to that end water must be 
ensured at the roots. Perhaps in such a climate as 
England-there is not much to fear under this head, 
for we are apt to have too much rather than too little 
water in our soil. Nevertheless, now that the import- 
ance of draining Vine-borders is so well understood, it 
is by no means impossible that they may become too 
dry, if incessantly acted on by the numerous roots of 
a strong Vine, loaded with fruit, in a hot and dry. air. 
In such a case water must be applied abundantly to 
the border. In the dry climate of Persia Vines are 
regularly irrigated ; so they are in the Ionian islands, 
and in all the best vineyards of Europe the roots of 
the Vines have free access to moist and cool strata. 
The famous Vine at Hampton Court probably owes 
its vigour to the proximity of the Thames, and we 
shall always find that the finest and best-flavoured 
Grapes are obtained under similar circumstances. 
On a future occasion we shall endeavour to show 
air is necessary to Grapes. 
[x is a very common notion that nothing is required 
put good landand regular manuring to ensuregood pas- 
At Malta the | ture and fine hay ; but this is a greaterror. The richer 
the pasture or meadow, and the more it is manured, 
do not mean Nettles, Docks, and Thistles, or the Wild 
Carrot, which grows under trees; these are so 
obvious that they are generally noticed and pulled up ; 
but there are weeds which have the character of being 
excellent food, and to which names are given, indica- 
ting good qualities; such are the Buttercups, which 
are various kinds of Ranunculus, the juices of which 
are acrid, and which no cattle will eat if they can get 
better food. When a meadow looks green, with 
plenty of the yellow flowers of the Buttercup, it is by 
many thought to be a very rich pasture. It is true 
that these Ranunculi are only found in good moist 
ellow flowers found there are Potentillas, and other 
ants, which thrive in poor soils. But observe a cow 
feeding: she will eat all around a plant of Buttercup, 
and leave it standing alone; or if by accident-she 
at what time, and for what reason, a free circulation of 
the more weeds will be mixed with the grass: we 
meadows, and seldom or never in poor pastures. The 
has got it into her mouth, and it is not too much 
tion; the best way to have a clean pasture is to pare 
and burn the surface, plough and pulverize the soil— 
the deeper the better ; take one crop of Oats, which 
will be luxuriant, and therefore would smother all 
Clover or grass-seeds sown in it; then let it lie rough 
from the plough the winter after the crop has been 
harvested, and in the spring pulverize well, and sow 
the best picked grass seeds, with some white Clover 
and Trefoil ; weed carefully, and you will soon have a 
pasture worth double of the old. The manure in the 
tank and the compost-heap are not to lie useless, but 
to be carried on with judgment as a top-dressing. 
Should your soil not be mellow and rich, the same 
plan may be followed—only in spring it must be 
well manured, and then inoculated with tufts of good 
grass cutinto small pieces and scattered over the sur- 
face ; a heavy roller and a few rainy days will secure 
the rooting of the grass. When you have a good rich 
pasture filled with the most nutritious grasses, keep it 
so by careful weeding and a frequent application of 
liquid manure. 
We say nothing of the artificial manures which 
are offered for sale everywhere, because we have 
not yet a sufficient experience of their value ; 
besides, those for whom we are now writing 
ought to be entirely independent of extraneous 
help in this respect—that is, if they have followed 
our instructions. Experiments, however, may be 
made with various substances ; and, provided we come 
to no hasty conclusions, but patiently observe and 
calculate the cost and produce, and repeat our experi- 
ments year after year, we may throw some light on 
the expediency of substituting these manures for our 
tanks and compost-heaps, which, at all events, are 
much less expensive. i 
When we have got our grass in a perfect state, the 
hay will be betterin proportion. It may be as well to 
warn young hay-makers that the richer the grass, the 
more it must be made—that is, not only freed from 
moisture, but the juices dried up and reduced to a 
solid extract ; or it will heat in the stack, and either 
burst out into flame, or at least be so carbonized as to 
be unfit for horses. The finer the weather the more 
danger there is of carrying the hay too soon. Every 
oceupier of 20 acres of grass has a rickcloth as a 
matter of course; if not, the sooner he buys one the 
better. There is no better outlay in our changeable 
climate than the price of a rickcloth.—Z. 
We trust that the last Meeting in the Horticultural 
Society’s Garden on Wednesday next will include a 
display of fruit worthy of English Gardeners. We 
cannot say much in favour of the previous Exhibitions 
this year, which, although they, contained some fine 
things, were, upon the whole, strikingly inferior to the 
produce of the flower-gardeners. The fine weather 
of the last three weeks has been favourable to the 
tation of forcing-gardeners will now be upheld without 
blemish. We may as well add that the Society 
returns all fruit to the growers without expense to them. 
Ws learn with great pleasure that his Royal High- 
ness the Duke of vambridge has presented ren. 
Guineas to the funds of the Garpeners’ BENEVOLENT 
InstituTIoN. May we be permitted to suggest once 
more to our numerous wealthy readers that this is a 
entangled in the other grasses, she will drop it out. 
Thus instinct as well as taste teaches her to avoid it. 
Some fanciful men have ascribed to the Buttereups 
many of the diseases of cattle, and even of men, from 
using the milk and butter of cows fed on them. This 
js absurd ; for the cows will not eat them unless 
Moisture is unnecessary, or rather injurious to Grapes, 
‘or it will inevitably cause the Vine to break into a 
Mhultitude of little branches to the impoverishment of 
the fruit. In the Vine countries the air is parching ; 
ir. Atkinson’s paper curled up in Candahar while he 
Was writing on it; and the Vine will bear such a 
good charity, well administered, for go 
and that contributions to it would be 
substantially benefitting old Gardeners of respectabi- 4 
ity, now worn out in the service. On former occa- 
sions we have appealed to Gardeners rather than to” 
ripening of fruit, and it is to be hoped that the repu- i 
‘purposes 5 
means 0! 4 
