1843. ] 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 737 
together, as this is a most important point of inquiry in so 
good and cheap a plan.— W.B.H. [As these points interest 
a great many persons, instead of answering them ourselves 
we refer them to the kind assistance of our correspondents. 
We can only say that, as far as our experience at present 
goes, good cement, without sand, quickly and skilfully 
applied, will stand all the heat communicated by a hot- 
Water apparatus. With regard to earthen pipes, they are 
about to be employed in the garden of the Horticultural 
Society, jointed with cement, by way of experiment. The 
pipes there employed are two feet long, of the red earth 
from which common chimney-pots are made, and formed 
with a shoulder at the smaller end, so that when they are 
fitted together, the edge of one rests upon the shoulder of 
the other, We cannot conceive that such an apparatus 
as W.B. H. has constructed can fail of holding water. 
What we do not perceive is how, by its means, heat is to 
be made damp or dry at pleasure ; the walls will probably 
be always damp enough to affect the air of the house, 
though they will not leak.] 
Clover Dodder.—In your last Number, Professor Hens- 
low has pointed out a character in the flowers of the spe- 
cies of Cuscuta which he supposes to have been hitherto 
imperfectly noted. I would, however, refer Professor 
Henslow and your readers to Mr. Babington’s Paper on 
the Structure of ‘‘ Cuscuta europea,’ in Vol. XVIII. 
of the ‘‘ Linnean Transactions,’ in which the cha- 
racter of the scales and their accompanying corona are 
fully described, and figures of the corona in the various 
species of Cuscuta are given. These figures, and the 
descriptions of the species, were copied into the ‘‘ Phyto- 
logist”’ for July, 1842. It is also to Mr. Babington, in 
conjunction with Mr. G. S. Gibson, of Saffron Walden, 
that we are indebted for the past notice of the Clover 
Dodder, which Mr. Babington described and named in 
the February Number of the “ Phytologist’’ of the pre- 
Sent year,—E. Lankester. 
Speculative Manures.—It has struck me that prussiate 
of potash ought to be a very powerful manure—of course 
Ido hot suppose that so expensive an article could be used 
except in flower cultivation, but I think it worth trying in 
that ; it has all the elements which, according to Liebig, 
are the most necessary for the growth of plants. There 
on many plants, particularly bulbs, which are very diffi- 
ee t to manure in any way, and I think it probable that by 
wae Some of these organico-chemical compounds, we 
th y find the means of promoting their growth without 
e risk of killing them, which there certainly is from 
applying manure, Did you ever hear of watering Orchi- 
aceous Epiphytes with soap and water? I have experi- 
enced great benefit from it in New South Waies.—J. F. 
Bidwiii, 
New Food for Sheep.—Whilst I was at Geneva in the 
autumn of 1837, I observed every one collecting carefully 
the fruit of the Horse-chesnut, and on inquiry I learnt 
that the butchers and holders of grazing-stock bought it 
readily at a certain price per bushel. I inquired of my 
butcher, who himself kept a very extensive grazing-farm 
and he told me it was given to those sheep in particular 
that were fattening. The Horse-chesnuts were well 
crushed; something in the way, so I understood, that 
Apples are, previous to cider being made. They are 
Crushed or cut up in a machine kept solely, in Switzer- 
land, for that purpose ; then about two pounds’ weight is 
given to each sheep morning and evening. Sheep eat it 
greedily ; it must be portioned out to them, as too much 
would disagree with them, it being of a very heating 
ature. The butcher told me that it gave an excellent 
Tich flavour to the meat. The Geneva mutton is noted 
that name. Itis a good bearer, generally, but the fruit is 
extremely liable to be shaken down by the wind. The 
merit of the Pear consists in its being the best baking Pear 
in Christendom : baked in a slack oven till soft, or till 
slightly—very slightly—dried, it makes quite a sweetmeat. 
Tn this country, where baked Apples are sometimes the 
only out-of-doors ripe fruit, it deserves to be known,— 
Este. [The Coreless Pear which we have cultivated under 
that name is of a reddish russet-brown colour. It is fre- 
quently destitute of seeds, but always contains the cells. 
The flesh is apt to decay at the core: or, if this does not 
take place, as it softens it becomes mealy—at least this 
Was found to be the case in 1836. The specimens 
received are yet hard, and may be different. They cer- 
tainly bake well in the manner described. ] 
Something Remarkable.—A short time ago a person 
Was cutting down an Ash-tree in the neighbourhood of 
Ratlana, and having observed an excrescence on the 
trunk, proceeded to cut it off with an axe, when he was 
Surprised to find a quantity of moss in the centre, which 
a every appearance of having been the nest of a wren. 
1 n taking out the moss from the hollow of the tree, a 
tee toad crawled from the middle of it. The reptile 
ana very lively at the first, but in a few minutes 
ee sickly and powerless, but did not die. The 
% Crescence was twelve feet from the ground when the 
es Was growing, and on examining the timber there 
Ppeared to be twenty years’ growth round the hollow 
Part.— Facile, 
Goon Seeds.—It is a common test of the excellence of 
ees and Melon seeds, to place them for a few 
To ae in water, and reject all that float as being bad. 
. et degree may this test be relied on? I will confine 
Yee f to Melon-seeds. A few years ago I had some of 
eae me from Egypt, they all floated when tested as 
» and yet I found not one in ten bad on actual expe 
my Egyptian seeds, they would prove good after all, But 
here is a case of the same seeds tried twice within three 
weeks, sinking in one case and floating in the other. 
should be much gratified to see an explanation of this, if 
it be of sufficient general interest to deserve nolice.—4. 
Spirits of Tar. —As requested, I beg to state the result 
of my experiments with Spirits of Tar, to preserve Peas 
and Beans from the attacks of Pheasants. As soon as my 
first crops of Peas and Beans began to break through the 
soil, they were, as usual, voraciously attacked by the. 
Pheasants. I procured some Spirits of Tar, and having 
diluted it with water in the proportion of one gallon of the 
Spirit to 24 gallons of water, I poured it over the rows of 
Peas and Beans with a watering-pot and rose: the Phea- 
sants never touched them afterwards. I should add that 
the solution appeared rather too strong for the Beans, as 
some of them turned black after the application, although 
they afterwards shot up three or four stalks to a root, I 
do not think that the Spirit acts asa manure; on the 
contrary, I purposely watered only half of my second crop, 
and I observed that for some time after those watered 
had a sickly yellow appearance, and did not grow so fast 
or look so well as those left unwatered, although they pro- 
duced equally as good a result. Finding my first crop of 
Dwarf French Beans to come up very sickly, I examined 
the roots and found the cotyledons full of a small species 
of maggot, Thinking that the Spirit of Tar might do good, 
when IJ sowed again, before covering in the rows, I watered 
them with a strong solution of it, and the result was that 
they came. up very strong and healthy, and the produce 
was enormous; whilst the first crop gradually dwindled 
away, and d.ied a premature death.—J. W.c. 
Turnips—1 have sent you a Swede Turnip, being a 
fair sample from a 7 acre field of poor strong Loam, 
which was thoroughly drained in the spring, 4 yards apart 
and 30 inches deep, with tiles and stones. The Swedes 
were sown early in May, the land was in avery rough 
state, having only received one ploughing and harrowing. 
No farm-yard manure was used, but 4 cwt.of Guano and 
1 sack of common salt were distributed broadcast per acre, 
The mildew attacked them about a fortnight ago, and 
since that time they have grown but little. They were 
drijled on the ridge 27 inches apart, and about 9 inches 
between each Turnip ; the intermediate ones were thinned 
out by hand, so as to have them at uniform distances. It 
may be stated that this crop is the wonder of the neigh- 
bourhood, on account of its being produced on land 
hitherto considered far too poor to grow either Swedes or 
Barley. The last year’s crop was Wheat, and of course 
jn common rotation the present would have been a 
fallow. The expense of manuring, cartage, labour, and 
sowing, was 55s. per acre, and J apprehend the crop will 
be from 25 to 30 tons per acre,—but this will be exactly 
stated when sold and weighed. About 20 other acres, 
similarly treated, have produced abundant crops of Oats, 
Potatoes, and Yellow Bullock Turnips, on land which 
(before drainage) only yielded last year 6 sacks and 2 
bushels of Oats per acre.—J. M, [This was a green 
topped Swede Turnip, having considerable resemblance to 
the variety raised by Mr. Skirving, and was of a globular 
shape, with a clear smooth skin, quite free from carbuncle 
or rust. Its greatest diameter was about 7% inches ; it 
was very firm and compact, and weighed 5} lbs. without 
either top or tail.] 
Bees. —Mr. John Richmond, of Scorton near Garstang, 
took a hive of Bees on the 26th September, 1843, the 
combs and honey of which weighed 92 lbs. The Bees 
were only put into the hive on June 12, 1843.—Facile, 
Observations made at the Lytham Agricultural Asso- 
ciation, Oct. 3, 1843.—Mr. Lauder, of Salwick Hall, sur- 
passed all competitors for the greatest length of drainage ; 
the extent of his draining measured 22 miles. On the 
whole of Mr. Clifton’s estate, 182,615 yards or 103 miles 
of draining have been last year completed. This is a 
farther proof of what M. Saul has stated at p. 519, re- 
specting peat drains. Here men of experience are adopt- 
ing what Mr. Smith condemns, because they find it just 
the reverse of Mr. Smith’s opinion ; perhaps the peat 
here is of a different texture to any Mr. Smith has had 
the opportunity of seeing. Lytham is about 20 miles 
from Nateby, and in the county of Lanark. This meeting 
has surpassed any other in this part of the country. A 
Mr. Fair bas introduced a new kind of draining turf, 
called tile turf. It appears from the description he gives, 
to be well calculated for draining purposes, and to be more 
available and permanent than the wedge-form turf. Mr. 
Ward, of Westby Hall, gained the first prize for Beans 
grown on land which previously to being drained was of a 
swampy wet nature, and scarcely worth 10s. anacre. The 
Beans this year grew six feet in height. Mr, Ashcroft, 
of Halsall, near Ormskirk, had some Bokhara Clover, 
which he sowed in the middle of April and mowed at the 
end of last August; this plant emits a rich aroma, and is 
much used, it is said, in the adulteration of green tea. 
Some ears of the Egyptian Wheat which Mr. Ashcroft 
showed, attracted great curiosity ; they were the produce 
of afew seeds which had been jnclosed with an Egyptian 
mummy 3000 years ago. The ears have a few awns on 
H 
the upper end, and are very open and distant between the | 
grains. The seed has been in his possession three years 
and this year he hag reaped three sheaves of the corn. 
Mr, Fair stated the powers of various manures, and some 
results of experiments tried on land at Lytham—the 
crop was Turnips. Upon two statute perches tilled with 
farm-yard manure he had obtained 55 stone of Turnips, 
and 15 stone of tops: the same quantity of land where 
guano had been used prodtced 473 stone of Turnips, and 
20 stone 6 lbs of tops. He wished to call their attention 
to the following facts regarding the difference between 
farm-yard manure and guano: farm-yard manure pro- 
duced more Turnips—the most valuable part, but guano 
more tops; with gallaxoide (? ?) he had 51 stone 3 lbs. of 
Turnips, and 19 stone 8 lbs of tops; nitrate of soda, 39 
stone 7 lbs, and 20 stone of tops; with compost, a mix- 
ture in which Moss copping formed a part, he had 49 
stone 7 lbs of Turnips, and 42 stone of tops. From 
these results he was of opinion that farm-yard manure was 
the best.— Facile, 
Weeds in Ponds.—In answer to “Aliquis,’’ p. 721, you 
say “there are no means of keeping down Weeds in 
ponds except very frequent cutting them.’ This is very 
true, and the most simple thing you can make use of to 
cut them with isa pair of swans. At this place, three 
years back, the lake was so crowded with weeds that it 
was almost impossible to get a boat across it, but a pair 
of swans were turned upon it, and they with their broods 
in the following summer so completely routed the weeds, 
that the water at the present time is as free from them as 
could possibly be desired. It is considered, I believe, 
that five swans will eat as much grass as a horse, and as 
aquatic weeds are more natural to them than grass, it is 
easy to conceive how soon a quantity of them will rid a 
large pondof weeds. I mention this fact, knowing it will 
be of use, and from the conviction that it is not generally 
known, at least I was ignorant of it until I came to reside 
here—W. P. Ayres, Brooklands, 
Snails.—I have found decaying blooms of Sunflower 
to be the best traps for Snails.—C. 
The Grey Waytail.—I am inclined to think the fol- 
lowing anecdote of one of the feathered race may not be 
unacceptable to some of your readers whose tastes agree 
with my own, and if so, I certainly owe some return 
which Iam quite willing to pay. The bird in question 
is the Motacilla boarula, the Grey Wagtail :—'‘ Before I 
had left my bed on the morning of the 28th ult., I heard 
acontinuous knocking, which at first I attributed to the 
servants, and thought nothing particular of it; but hear- 
ing it again repeated as I was dressing, I went out of the 
room to ascertain whence it proceeded, when I imme- 
diately found by the sound, that it was the noise of rap- 
ping outside a window. Was, then, some one knocking 
for admission? Soon I discovered my visitor, in the 
aforesaid pretty little bird. Tap, tap, tap, went its bill 
against the glass of a window over the staircase ; and then 
it retired a little way up the tiling of a roof which slopes 
down by the side of the window, and shortly came back 
again, sometimes flying lightly against the upper panes. 
I learnt from the servants, that this was the second 
morning of its visit; and one of them remarked, ‘ Poor 
thing | it is terrifying itself sadly.” There was some rea- 
son for this expression ; for, in truth, if one may use such 
language in Ornithology, the elegant little creature looked 
sadly careworn, having really an appearance of over- 
anxiety about it; its neck, in particular, being very thin 
and pinched. Why and wherefore I cannot say, unless 
with a correspondent of the ‘ Zoologist,’ last August, I 
believe that the poor bird is a disconsolate widower, and 
seeing himself in the glass, ‘mistakes his own mould of 
form for the person of his lost mate.’ In this manner 
his emaciated appearance would be accounted for; but I 
fear me,. the facts of the present case are against so 
romantic an explanation ; for, to this window there is no 
blind (as there was in the other instance,) to show to the 
bird the beautiful plumage of his consort or himself. 
And I should rather be inclined to agree with Mr. 
Doubleday, in another number of the same periodical 
(No. V., for June,) who remarks, in reference to a simi- 
lar instance, that he has no doubt the bird fancies 
it sees insects, a much more vulgar thought. But I 
cannot feel quite satisfied with this explanation. For why 
should the bird in so many places make the same mistake ? 
(for we have four separate instances of the same kind,) 
and why persist so continually in a useless search when it 
might find plenty elsewhere? Has the bird been to 
school and learnt “Non sine sudore dulcis est cibus?”” 
There is one circumstance, especially, which - militates 
against this supposition, viz., that several wagtails of the 
common pied kind (M. Yarrellii, till lately supposed the 
same with M. alba of Linnsus,) have been on the roof 
at the same time with Monsieur Boarula, and even have 
come down to the window-sill to see what engaged his 
attention, but none of them have made the least attempt 
to peck at the supposed insects zand yet there were young 
birds, too, among them, (readily known by the straw- 
colour tint of the white parts), and surely some of these 
were likely to fall into the same error—or in all likeli- 
hood they would have imitated, like all young things, the 
action of their elders, if this were not, as it appears to 
me must be the case, some peculiarity of the species. I 
have thought the glass may have the appearance of water 
to the bird, and in the morning, when covered inside with 
dew, this would not be altogether a delusion, and that this 
might be the attraction, but the same objections lie 
against this explanation as against the other, Iam bound 
in fairness to state that the window is rather spotted with 
dirt, which may look like insects, but then it would look 
the same to the other wagtails. I would have had the 
window cleaned before this, to-see if the cleansing of the 
panes would make any difference, but the window is very 
difficult to get at on the outside, neither will it open, that 
i I might try to tempt my visitor to walk in. This was my 
