40 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[Jan. 20, 



Mu$hiuom*. - I am obliged by the statement*, of " J. ( ,' and 

 a " MttSbr-xmi " It i», tiowcvrr, • n very difBcul' assign a 

 reason for failure*. " J. « »tate«, "that for some time pant, a 

 ud of f » natter, having the precipe appearance of a cob- 



web, s over the > . and completely roU all the fruit it 



come* in contact with; and that changing of thr noil and the 

 site of the bed, ha* been attended with benefit ." Something 

 similar happened here last season. I attributed it to damp, and 

 having swept it clean off the b I, and introdoc d a stream • ( air. 

 ! saw no n I of it. k% " J. C.'s " beds are out of doors, open 

 bnrdles or Pea-stirks put on the beds before they are covered 

 up might be of advantage, especially if on a mild day openings 

 were made the conr.ug, so as to permit the air to circulate 

 between the hurdles and the bed. As it is likely that "J. C." 

 from being an extensive grower makes his own spawn, it would 

 also be advisable to obtain good spawn from another place, to 

 Impregnate what he may make In future v " M iroom " states 

 that his Mushrooms " appear above the soil, and then die off, tuni- 

 ng brown, and that many smalt w rms are In the soil." Lis 

 failure will sometimes happen from these causes :— Watering th 

 crop overhead and exposing them to a coll atmosphere; using 

 exhausted old s il, ox that which is stuffed with vegetable ami 

 animal matter, worms, tec . all w rev the surface of 



the bed from being solid and *n th ; keeping the surface of the 

 bed damp, while it is very dry underneath ; and perhaps chiefly 

 from spawning the bed a considerable I e before it is earthed 

 np, by which means the spawn is apt to exhaust itself so much 

 on the dun* as to prevent it penetrating the sod in a vigorous 



state.— R. t 



VI. -ARBORICULTURE. 



Old Woods.— In old woods seedling plants of timbcr-trees often 



spring up, but are destroyed want of relieving, by being 



pressed down by mow. or by being smothered \ i erns or 



Briars; the « rgrowth of other plants also renders tln-m of 



<• aratively li'tle value. A person scant cd to such work 



would be b. flcully employed in going through the woods at 



this season to iclieve these ir their oppressing ueigi- urs ; 



they might be raised and fastened upright by vari strop! 



contrivances, wrnlcn I cannot at present point out They should 



be kept DC leader. If there are two or more leading 



shoots of nearly equal strength, cut close off, or shorten the 

 least >mi-dng one ; a'.so si. sn some of the lower longest 

 aide- branches to about two or three f«et from the stem, accord- 

 ing to the size of the plant. Thousands of maiden pi in' 

 might be preserved by this simple and cheap method. I have 

 saved many u plant from destr .on by these means; but be 

 sure to reserve as many side branches as possible of a mod- 

 rate size, t the plants have become stocky (str rag) and able t 

 supp< m-elves. 



C"/'/dc*.- ■ nsldc »le benefit wou! nsue, and great increase 

 of growth would be derived, by following the direr ns here, as 

 inOld Woods, vis., by cmpli ig a pc ntofoi ie Coppice 



In the wli r or spring months, if they have not been done in 

 the sum Select a proper number of the strongest and 



best shoots from the stools, seedling plants, or sucke -r future 

 e«, and shorten the strongest lateral or n branches 

 on them, or cut any of equal strength with the leader close off, 

 but by sans divest them of the moderately weak laterals ; nor 



need ycu cut out the weak ones, only prune off their heads to 

 prevent them growing up to injure the reserved poles, rods, he. 



Young L'litnttit «.— When thinning in groups or otherwise, 8S 

 stated in the last No., and where a permanent undergrowth is 

 desired, as a blind or for shelter, particularly in narrow belts or 

 small plantations, instead of cutting clean out any that are 

 required for the good of the permanent trees, I would only prune 

 off the heads of some of the inferior kii , cutting them off to 

 a side hranch or branches— say from the height of from three to 

 five or six fe particularly on the side of the plantation n i< st 

 expose- > the v lleech ami Hornbeam may be so done as 



they re n their dead leaves in winter; silrtr and Spruce Firs 

 also are suitable for this purpose, but not the Scotch Kir, except 

 on the outsides of the plantation. Hollies, if any, should be kept 



down in like manner, and Whins or I'ui/.e when young; after- 

 wards the spade should be employed to destroy the Whins. By 

 this method a permanent undergrowth may be secured for a long 

 time. Where it i^ not designed for Cop e you need not stop to 

 take the lower tier of branches off the permanent trees, as 

 recommended by some, at regular intervals; Silure will do 

 that as the trees get up ; nor need you be afraid of exhaustion of 

 nutriment to the roots, by having a superabundance of tbemj 

 only give them light and moss In moderate compass, with regu- 

 larity of branches, and you may safely leave most kinds to Nature 



after a time. 



Hedge rows and Hwrwtff Work.— There will not be space this 

 week to say much under these heads, or I had intended to de- 

 scribe the means I use with success to preserve young Apple or 

 other trees from the depredations of hares and rabbits. I must 

 defer it to another time, and as the weather centinues opcu they 

 will not do much damage. - W. B. 



8tai« of the Weather near London for the week ending Jan. 18, 1844* at 



oWrved at the Horticultural Harden. Chitwick. 



Baromktra. TrteaMOMirraft. Wind I Rain 



\ 



Mat. 

 30*37 

 S0.0I3 



3O.M0 



30.107 

 30 190 



m 57 



Min. 



19.949 



30. \ 1(9 



90.317 

 90.133 

 90. 1») 

 90.150 





Mas. 



44 



41 

 40 

 40 



99 

 45 

 41 



Min 

 3* 

 95 

 98 

 90 

 3/ 

 99 

 3H 



90*195 443 39.1 



Mean 



39.5 



99.5 



33.0 



300 

 955 

 42.0 

 41.0 



;i;T7 



s.u\ 



N. 

 N.B. 



N.I 

 N.I 

 V. 

 N.W\ 



.7" 

 .01 



Jan. 19- Foggy; rnnaOint rain throughout the day and iw^ht. 



1 ^litfht drizxle; heavy clouds ; »qualiy , and at intervale quite calm, 



with eiight rain at night. 

 14. Haiy and d.isiijr ; fine, with strata oi it and d irk doudi ; denaely 

 overcast. 

 I 15. Clear and troety ; cloudy and cold ; dear and f'roetr. 



> 16. Hharpffoatj nne, with bright «un; densely overcast. 



17- Slightly overrnt : cloudy; overcast at night. 



18. Overcast; cioudy and sunless throutfli'-nt , densely overcast at night. 

 Mean temperature of the week 3}" below the average. 



State of the Weather at Chiswick during the last 18 yearn, fcg the ensuing 



Week ending January 91, 181*. 



Jan. 



Aver. J Aver. 



ihest, Lowen 



Temp. Temp. 



No. Pt 

 Mean Years 



Temp; which it 

 Rained. 



91 



Sun. 

 Mon. 99 

 Tuesv Si 

 Wed. 94 

 Thurs.85 

 Fri. 98 

 91 



42.5 

 433 

 43.9 

 43.0 



43.7 



44.'» 

 4 3.4 



83.9 



U.O 



33.8 



99.9 



99.1 



9M 



99.8 



97.8 

 89.6 



ae.7 



379 

 37-4 



986 

 38.1 





8. 



9 



7 

 7 

 8 

 6 



6 



Greatest 



quantity 

 of Kain. * 



0. • in. 

 0.57 



0.1 i 

 0.51 

 0.90 

 0.34 



0.91 



Prevailing Winds. 



The hlgheil temperature during the above period occurred on the 23rd. 1034— 

 thermometer 59»; and the lowest on the 27th, J6*7 -thermometer |7\ 



Notice* to Correspondents. 



Communication's from the following Corri^ondkvt^ are in 

 type, and arc only waiting till room can be found for them — 

 J. Paxton f T. Berry, J. Sdsby, W. G., I. li'. K., Vites, J. & w t 

 C. % J. Wightan, G. Thompson, Btmboo, A. Dawson, A Practical 

 Man, P. Mackenzie, Or., W.Biltington, G. Fleming. 



Asphai.tk RoortNQ.—E.S. L.-Wc believe this to be a very 

 good kind of temporary covering and one that will with care 

 last a long while. 



Bonbs.— A great small Ga'dener.—Thcre is no cheap machine 

 that wc know of for crushing bones. Your only way is to 

 smash them with a sledge hammer, and dig them into your 



border. We have not forgotten oar promise about Figs, bat it 

 Is not easy to find a good man. 

 lSoOK*.— ir. /?.— Newman^ "History of British Ferns" will 

 possibly salt you.— —J Friend in the Br tzi!*.— RaddiVs book 

 on Braz lian Ferns may be had througn the Italian booksellers. 

 No other has been published. The other questions are beyond 



our limits. 



Broccoli.— W. M. II — m Showing flower" in the Calendar means 

 when the ptants begin to show their head-, and therefore your 

 plan's that are not likely to do this before April, cannot be 

 safely removed in the way there directed.: 



Canker iv Fruit-treks.— Abdal»nymus.— Similar instances of 

 Canker to that exhibited by the »ho:>tsof your Pear and Apple- 

 trees are too frequently to be met with. It is the same disease 

 both la the Apple and Pear-tree. Some varieties are more 

 subject to It than other-, and in some soils it is induced on 

 almost every variety planted in such. Wood that is produced 

 in cold wet seasons is apt to canker in succeeding years. If it 

 be owing to the variety, this may be easily changed ; if the so. I 

 be the cause, endeavours must be made to make it better. 

 Lime will probably do good. Shoots produced in a bad summer 

 should be well shortened in. 



Conifkba..— A Xurserymnn.— Cone* of the Deodar cannot be 

 had in this country at all; they must he procured from the 

 Bast Indies. So also, in general, must the cones of rare Pines 

 be had from their native countries. The Deodar will take on 

 the Larch ; grafting must be performed while the wood is soft. 



CoNsaaVATORias.— A Subscriber of 1843.— A conservatory, pro- 

 perly so called, is a place in which plants are preserved during 

 winter without being forced. In such a building the thermo- 

 meter may fall as low as 8tt*j but it is better to keep it to 40° as 

 a minimum, if possible. Even a few degrees of actual fro^t 

 will not harm hard-wooded conservatory plants, but it b better 

 to avoid the risk. 



Foncan PKAcnmn.- Inquirer semi* "a few defective blossoms of 

 Peaches and Nectarines, of which he wishes to know the 

 cause, and how to re ly it. The defect consists in a total 

 or partial absence of the female part of fructification. The 

 trees are in a favourable condition as respects strength of 

 wood, which was well ripened. The fruit last season was ripe 

 in June and July. The trees were attended to, by syringing, 

 &c, but the sashes were not completely removed, though 

 plenty cf air was given. The border lies low, and cannot be 

 raised, bat was defended from wet early in the autumn. It h 

 now defended from cold, and is in a favourable condition as 

 respects moisture. The house is not favourably constructed, 

 but though it rtquirta more care after the crop is more for- 

 ward, I do not think it could have any influence upon the 

 b som. The trees have been brought on very gently; the 

 temperature ranging from 4> D to 55 3 at night, according to the 

 weather, and about 1<> higher during the day. Some trees In 

 the house have scarcely any defective blossoms, others are 

 quite the reverse; the same treatment has been given to all. 

 The oldest and most valuable tree is the worst, though the 

 blossoms on it are so thin that the greater part of them would 

 be required for a crop. The wood is in a good heavy con- 

 dition." [We find all the blossoms sent us to be males— a very 

 singular circumstance, for which we are unable to account. 

 Can any of our physiological friends assist us?] 



Qarokn Walls.— *-i Subscriber*— Wl are not aware of any 

 reason why a wall built in cement should not be as good as one 

 constructed with mortar; especially if copper wire is used for 

 fastening the branches. 



Heating.— Anonymous.— Hot- water is a much better heating 

 material than hot air In flues. The cheapest boiler you could 

 got would be the best, for all that are now manufactured are 

 sufficiently good for so small a house as yours. If you use 

 pipes employ those four inches in diameter. One row above 

 the other will be enough, and the ne irer the floor the better. 

 Hut you will probably find it worth* your while to use iron 

 troughs instead of pipes. We never give prices; for them you 

 must apply to the advertisers, of whom many are to be found 



in our columns. In/uirer m — It appears that you have 270 



feet of four-inch pipes, heated by one small saddle-backed 

 boiler, placed 30 feet from your pits, and communicating with 

 them by means of a main pipe buried in earth. If this is so, 

 your enormous loss of heat and the impossibility of obtaining 

 warmth, with even an expenditure of one ton and a half of 

 coals per week, are accounted for. If the pipe that connects 

 the boiler with the pits were carefully inclosed in a well-con- 

 structed tunnel, there would be no great loss of heat. But it is 

 far better that the boiler should join the pits; even then 2/0 

 feet of four- inch pipe are more than a small saddle-backed 

 boiler will heat. In all probability, both the boiler and its 

 situation require changing. In such a case you will find the 

 advice of a skilful architect by far the cheapest purchase you 

 can make before beginning alterations. 



Hkrai.dic Gardening.— J. D. — It takes more time than we can 

 possibly spare to answer questions relating to this subject; and 

 moreover, answers are of little use in matters where much 

 depends on climate, soil, and the means at a man's disposal. 

 Nothing, in fact, is more difficult than to do well that which 

 you are required to effect. If we understand you, no flowers 

 will do except what are easily procured, easily propagated, 

 totally hardy, dwarf, and capable of flowering in succession for 

 some time. Your family shield is cut out in Grass, and must be 

 constantly filled, spring, summer, and autumn. The device is 

 3 bars wavy gules, on a field or, with an escallop argent in the 

 middle of each bar. The following may be kept dwarf by peg- 

 ging and topping, or are so naturally; but they must be grown 

 in pots, so that they may be planted when in bloom : — 



[Foa thk Field Or.] 



Summer. , Autumn. 



Dbl. Yellow Wallflower Oenothera macrocar. 

 Shby.Yel. Calceolaria 

 Chryseiscrocea 

 Yellow Heartsease 



[Foa the Bar Gulks.] 

 Summer. 

 Verbenas 



Frogmore Geraniums 

 Scarl. Ten-week Stock 

 Clarkia pulchella 



Spring. 

 Yellow Crocus 

 Double Jonquil 

 Adonis vernalis 

 Alyssum saxatile 



Spring. 

 Dbl. Red Hepatica 

 Red Anemone 

 Red Hyacinth 

 Arabis rosea 





Shrubby Calceolaria 

 Chryseis 



Sphenogyne speciosa 



Autumn. 

 Verbenas 

 Geraniums 

 Pentst. gentianoides. 

 Dwarf Fuchsias. 



Spring. 

 Snowdrops 

 White Hyacinths 

 White Crocus 

 Arabis grandiflora 



[For the Escallofs Aroext. ] 



Autumn. 

 White Verbenas 

 White Petunias 

 White (Enotheras 

 Oxeye Daisy 



Summer. 



White Candy Tuft 



White Clarkia 



White Nemophila 



The Queen Verbena I 

 Hotbkds.— Sm/oM\— Small as your hotbed is we cannot advise 

 you to heat it with hot water. You will have too much power 

 for a very little work. It is hardly possible to get a boiler 

 small enough not to be too powerful. It will be better to 

 make up a good foundation, three feet high, of old roots and 

 refuse wood, secured by four stout stakes at the angles, and to 

 obtain your heat from hot dung and leaves mixed. For a 

 larger pit your arrangements are good, except that two inches 

 of water- wav are not sufficient; four inches would be better. 

 Issuers.— W. n\ t;.— The bodies on the Oak-leaves are Oak- 

 spangles, described at p. 52, 1843. The other appearance on 

 the branches of the Fir, produced by an Aphis, has also been 

 mentioned at p. 505, 1843. An Inquirer's Cocoons will pro- 

 duce in the spring a Sawtly called Tenthredo (Trichiosoma) 

 f..„..,.,™ *# i: n Northumbriensis having found 



Lucorum of Linnreus. II 



specimens of an Aphis amongst the leaves of the Rosafragrans 



I conclude that is the insect which causes the curling of the 



leaves. If such be the case, fumigating with Tobacco will be the 



best remedy. R. /„. J. v.— The insect living in the Beans is 



* Bruchus, whose history is given in the Gardeners' Chronicle, 

 Vol. iii. p. 188 ; but the specimens having been destroyed from 

 not being protected in a quill, it is impossible to determine 



the species. We will attend to the suggestions i 



dpeetfag ^ 



House flies.— R. 

 Larc .'iks. — Corresp.— For a narrow belt, upon a chaikr so0 w 

 Selby cannot recommend the Larch to J., as it is not p»u!!lJj' 



not. 

 under such circumstances to repay him, either by itstiib^^.^. 

 ornamental qualities. Beech, a few Oak, and Birch are * 

 likely to answer his expectations. These must be seat 

 thinned from an early period of their growth. If the b** 

 wanted for shelter, or as a screen, a thick undergrowTU 

 Thorn, Birdcherry, Holly, Laurels, &c, should be put iniitu 

 same time with the Fore • trees. *■• 



Maclira aurantiaca.— J. W. — This plant seldom bboa* 

 until it is very old. If it is growing vigorously, ^toppinrthHS! 

 shoots in spring, so as to encourage laterals, might ^^ 

 induce it to form flower-buds. It succeeds best in 

 poor soil, as where this is rich the plant becomes tool 

 riant to bloom freely. Your plant of Camellia jaea! 

 nica, that was in a sickly state from being too long in a drew 

 ing-room, but upon being shifted has recovered and meSt 

 healthy young shoots, is the result of the good treatment! 

 have given it, and is only what might have been expected!: 



Mildnkss of the Season. — We thank our correspondent! |» 

 their continued communications on tins subject : but we tab* 

 it hardly desirable to publish further details at present. Let« 

 see what happens in February. 



Myrtles, Sic— A Reader.— We are not aware of an easier • 

 better way of cleaning Myrtles and Oleanders of Brown-icalt 

 than by washing them with water and a sponge. CameSM 

 may be plentifully supplied with water when they are comj 

 into bloom, if the drainage is perfect j but too much water 

 well as too little, will cause the buds to drop: an imperfect 

 drainage is olten the cause of the buds dropping. A remedy 

 for the club in Cabbages is given at p. 825 of the vol. for I8444 



Names of Plants.— S. W. — Your packet is addressed to tbe 

 Post-office, Bishops Waltham, you having forgotten to fivt 



your address. A Young Gardener. — 1, Quercus Ilex ; 2, PML 



lyrea latiiulia ; 3, Quercus Ballota ; 4, Thuja orientalis ; 5, J*, 

 minum revolutum; 6, Rhamnus alatemus, gold-blotched;; 



Phillyrea obliqua. /. C. L.— Hexadcsmia fasciculata. T|| 



plants will be sent when the frosts are over. C. D.—A$ % 



as we can guess from the drawings — 1, Orobanche caerulet; 1, 

 Lactuca saligua ; 3, Azalea procumbens. You will find Kochi 

 " Flora Germanica " an excellent book for European plants. 

 If you cut out the news part of the Chronicle, you will hare the 

 same quantity of matter left as has been hitherto furnished. It 

 is hardly possible for the news-agents to fold it properly. 

 Everyone should damp it and re/old it himself, when he wffl 

 find that the pages arc very carefully arranged for future bind. 



ing. Orwell Park.— Your Hippeastra are to al! appearand 



hybrids, for which no recognised names have been given, lit 

 nearly the pure pulverulentum ; 2 is probably a cross betweea 



that species and reticulatum or Johnsonl. Wyeside.—Cltn- 



ria muscoides, Hypnum proliferum, Marchantia polymorph? 



Philanthus.—Borrer& ciliaris.§ A Lady.— E.ymus arena. 



lius. E. R.— ■ Camellia maiiflora. 



Oaks.— Acacia.— It was the Quercus sessilifiora, advertised by 

 Mr. Rogers, of Southampton, that we recommended; at least, 

 we imagine that to be what you are inquiring for. 



Passion-flowers.— J. 67.— The hardiest Passion-flowers are the 

 following — Passiflora cserulea, Colvilli, Mayana, and incamati 

 — but they are apt to get injured if planted in the open air, 

 even in tolerably mild winters, and particularly if the situation 

 is not a very dry one. They strike readily from the slenderer 

 shoots after Midsummer, if the wood is a little hard. Tbi 

 cuttings should be put into white sand, covered with a bell, 

 glass, and placed where there is a pood bottom-heat 'either in 

 a dung frame or hot-water pit). When struck they should be 

 potted singly into small pots, and returned for a few days to 

 the frame or pit; afterwards harden them off by degrees.f 



Payment of Rent. — Noticb to Quit.— G. W. T.— If the pre- 

 mises were let at the rent of 10/. a year, and no mention was 

 made as to when the rent should be paid, the landlord cannot 

 demand any part of it till the end of the year. If the tenancy 

 commenced at Midsummer the notice to quit must expire at 

 that time of the year, in the absence of any express stipulation 

 to the contrary, and the notice to quit in March is invalid. 



Pelargoniums.— J. fl.-Two or three of the flowers in your Bit 

 we have not seen; but the four first put down, although not 

 answering completely to the qualities mentioned, will please, 

 from their novelty and goodness.* 



Picotees.— J. C— There is no particular names for the hardy 

 border Picotees. They are generally raised from seed, and any 

 florist can furnish the old double kinds of border Carnations. 

 One of the best is Cuthill's Nosegay, or Prince Albert.* 



Temperature.— S. A. S.— The thermometers made by Mr. New- 

 man for registering the temperature in the Horticultural So- 

 ciety's Garden at Chiswick are quite correct. There is frequentiy 

 as much as 10° difference between the minimum as obserred 

 in London and Chiswick at night. On the night of the 2nd,ot 

 morning of the 3rd inst., to which you particularly allude, the 

 temperature indicated by thermometers in the Society's^Gtr- 

 den and by others in Chiswick was 14° ; at Rochester, 18 ; « 

 Thwaite, Suffolk, 24°; Walworth, 10°; Brighton, 26° ; and IK 

 Uckfield, Sussex, 11° j whilst with you, in London, it was W.\ 



Miscellaneous.— Ins.— We are sorry we cannot help yoa» 



get lamp-oil out of paper. Priapus.— The price of floW J* 



pots varies with the makers and local circumstances— a^ 



example, the distance they have to be carted. A ConsUM 



Reader's request is unreasonable. We cannot fill our colnawi 

 continually with lists of plants which it is desirable to ony. 

 Many such lists have already been given in former > T J m ~™ 

 which can be consulted. Didymus.- We always print the Pro- 

 ceedings of the Bot. Society when they are sent us by the Secre- 

 tary . We cannot obtain them through any other channel.—— 

 0. P. I. —You may fill your Melon and Cucumber pit up over r£ 

 flues with rough gravel or brickbats until within two feet w 

 the glass. Over this it will be necessary to put a layer of tun, 

 in order to prevent the soil from getting down among «■ 

 bricks; this material will answer the purpose better tnw 

 rough dung, which you are anxious to save, as the dung cT ~^, 

 an impure atmosphere, which is apt to injure the pla nts 

 this season, when very little fresh air can be admitted, 

 temperature of the pit may be kept at from 65° to /» \ l 

 front and back part over the flue should be watered, to swg 

 up a moist atmosphere. Spanish Broom may be mere 

 either from seeds or by lavers. Your Cacti in a 6Tj^™L 

 should be kept dry until they begin to show their W °JJ" w 

 buds, when water may be more liberally supplied. In ora 

 have them In flower by the end of March or the o e 6 m,jin s 

 April, they should be removed early in February to some v ' & 

 where they would have a higher temperature than tnai 

 greenhouse. If your Vines are weak they may be cu 5 ^ 

 to three eyes; but if strong, leave six or seven, and auow 

 top shoot to run up the rafters. If the weather keep nana J ^ 

 Verbenas may possibly survive the winter in a bea 

 flower-garden; they must be closely covered up in _ mgte . 

 weather, with Spruce branches or some other protect in s 

 rial. The usual way is to strike cuttings of these in »« ^ 

 and keep them in a pit or on a shelf in the S rccnU '"~< be 

 spring. W r e have answered these questions, but wc ca ^^ 

 supposed to instruct persons so entirely ignorant of « ^ 



ments of their business.* W. D. will find air ^_j //flP . 



making charcoal given in detail at 478, vol. 1843.: ^ 



gate.— You Jiay now prune any of the evergreens >%. han n 



removed, e^ept common Laurels. Mr. Hunter. ^^ 



for your suggestion, to which, however, there is a p 



difficulty. Thanks also to Mr. Durant, for the sa . m £ to e 



gestion. A Seedsman.— It will take time to obviaw 



inconsistency. olate 



*»* As usual many commuicationshave been received t 

 for answering this week. 



