56 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



-1 



[ j an. 27, 



past mild we»t They will be better removed as they ad- 



varce.— J F. W. 



IV.-PINERIES. VINERIES, he 



Pinery. -\( to looking over the sueecsahm plants any are ob- 

 served t'«» be •- nut-alt > the sooner they arcdnr^bted and rtrpotted 

 the better. ch< a i I day for the operation*. They will 



•oon bcicin to make new roots in the fre»h sot', a will be re- 

 established before the sun has much power. Those plant* that 

 are in good condition at the roots, and n<- to req »ire the 



soil •<> he shaken from rhem, but merely el I h»t<» larger pots, 

 will do better if this \* deferred until the begif of Msrch. 



i wrv. — U there is ample means of obtatuii g » moist stm 

 sphere, it will be necessary to pay some attention to tins point 

 during damp close weather , as It is possible to hare more than 

 Is necessary for the health I f the Vine after it is In leaf. Keep 

 watch sticks in the fermenting material upon the borders and 

 examine them fr. en Of to see if the heat is regular i W of beat 

 will be a rood medium. 



Peach House. — A small portion of air admitted throughout the 

 day, during rhe blooming of the trees, will i r \ • >>enencial. The 

 bloom will be stronger and of a finer colour, a the fruit willst 

 better. Pes<h trees ge rally set their fruit best in houses not 



Closely glszrd, and tils affords us a lesson. 



Fig-Hamm -A* the young Figs begin to swell, increase the 

 temperature 1° - r j in a week, till it reach 6o° or flV. with a rise 

 of 5 s to IV by day, according as ttaer- may be sunshine or not. 



Cherry House — From the time the bloom begins to expand, do 

 not svr.nge till the fruit is «et , keep a steady heat of 35° by night 

 and 00° by day. Ventilate as directed for the Pcach-h >uh C 



strnwberri-t.— Bee last wo It's Calendar. 



Melon: -Prepare now a bed of well. fermented dung and leaves 

 for planting not Bpon, using faggots of brush. wood for the first 

 S feet in height.— (/. F. m „ mmmm 



V.— IIAI V KKl'IT AND KITCHEN GARDEN. 

 Planting - Prepare the ground for those fruit-tree* the 



planting of u h could not be effect. -d in Ihe autumn, bjr tno- 



roughly draining the borders and forming a substratum through 

 w ft tht roots will not easily penetrate. Ill the absence 

 paving- stone, tiles, fto., a good lubstltotS may be foi 

 coarse giavel and n..ely-aifteri quicklime, m the pro u of 



Si - ( the former to one of the l.trer, nixed well together with a 

 sufficiency of water, and laid down to the depth of four or five 

 lnche«. I i m IS to h Inches depth of soil will be sufficient for 

 Peaches and April •; much leal will do, if tt.e b lert- are 

 niul. d and ei -im. ••pi-nitd with. No manure ought to be 



mixed with the soil, , 



Cmcu m b rri. -Prepare fermenting materi>iU for their growth in 



frame Those who wish 10 hsve them early will have com • 



m« rd long ago. 



H r Management .-Dig, ridge, and turn up all empty g "d 



In this fa i r able weather re plenty of air to nil mhan g 



Crops In frames. Clean and stir the soils g all growing crops 

 in tl i garden . remove nil decaying leaves, keep the walks 



and borders to good order, and render the kitchen girdea not 

 merely an object of rcccssltjr, but nt sight snd Interest.— Jr. F. 



VI. -ARBORICULTURE 

 Old II • ds.— Proosed with the works previously pointed out- 

 such as felling trees not wanted for the bark, planting fresh 

 ones where required, relieving others from the overgrowth of 

 adjoining trees <f less value, and training any young promising 

 plants by taking off or shortening any side-branches at some dis- 

 tance from the stun, that are not over large, so as to cause 

 a wound that would not soon heal over. When a young thriving 

 tree Is near to one that should be cut down in a few years, much 

 good would result it some of the branches of the tree intended to 

 be removed were shortened in a little, to make room for the 



branches of the young one. 



Copp Such stuff as Is not likely to be saleable, namely 



Hawthorns, Briars, Brambles, Honeysuckles, and things that 

 spiing Op and injure good wood, should be kept under. Pro- 

 prietors of woods are not aware of the loss they suffer by not 



atte ng to this. 



Young Plantations.— \n addition to what I advised last week, 

 when thinning and training young plantation*, a person with a 

 light ladder and a narrow hand-saw. about a foot or 14 inches 

 long, would be bent tall) I !,, taking close off some or 



all of the very strongest side-branches. Many that would have 

 been fine trees arc entirely ruined by neglecting this until it is 

 too late. Thisoperstion would prevent all future lopping of trees. 



Ihdge h s. -The same care and attention to dressing hedges 



previously mentioned should be attended to as respects maiden 



plants. Continue to plant others where necessary, if you have 

 suitable well-prepared stocky plants. When planting trees in 

 hedge-rows exposed to strong winds, give them a little inclin- 

 ation towards that point, and put a firm sod on the opposite side 



close to the stem. 



Nursery Stock.— Proceed with all necessary work in taking up 

 trees for replanting, preparing ground for seeds and plants, and 

 begin planting seedlings and cuttings of larger plants in rows in 



dry ground— W. li. 



VII -COTTAGERS' GARDENS. 

 As the weather still continues favourable, the cottager, if it is 

 not already done, should proceed with trimming and cleaning 

 out any hedges that are under his care, before the season com- 

 mences, when other things will occupy all his spare time. As 

 neatness should always be a leading feature in a cottager's gar- 

 den, everything that can be done to promote this should be for- 

 warded now, when little else can be performed. Anything that 

 appears unsightly, and that will make mannre y shonld be removed 

 to the rot heap, which should be turned over occasionally and 

 covered with a little soil ; this prevents all noxious effluvia from 

 escaping. The soil also mixes among the decaying veget- 

 ables, and becomes excellent compost. Soap-suds have a good- 

 effect on many kinds of vegetables, and should not be thrown 

 away; they act b< ieially on soils where Cabbages are infested 

 with" the club, at n some instances have been known to entirely 



cure that disease. 



Vegetables.— A sowing of Radishes may be made on a warm 

 border, but they must be protected from frost by covering the 

 bed with straw. If any digging or trenching yet remains to 

 be done no time should be lost in getting it forwarded while the 



weather will permit. 



Frwif.— In pruning Gooseberry and Currant-bushes care must 

 betaken to thin them well out in the centre, so as to admit 

 plenty of Bun and air. The same remark is" also applicable to 

 standard Apple-trees; the middle of the tree must be kept quite 

 open, taking care that all the branches lead outwards, and pre- 

 serving a regular distance from eaeh other. Pear-trees should 

 also be thinned well out, and the produce will be much better in 

 quality. 



Flowers.— Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, &c, in pots, shouldhaveas 

 much light and air as possible; they should be sparingly watered, 

 and this ought always to be done in the m ruing ; if they are 

 inclined to grow up tall and slender the points of the shoots may 

 be pinched off by the fl nicer and thumb, and this will induce them 

 to throw out side branches, and make them dwarf and bushy. 

 Anything that is likely to bo injure I by frost should be carefully 

 watched and protected from it by straw or fern.— J/c //. 



Stats of th* Weather n*ar l,nnd«n for thp w*«di en it .Tart 25, 1844, a* 



observed St thn Horticultural Garden, t'hlswlck. 



ffa f ■ jrm t\j yi"»»«l-l clear"*: b<«i»teron* at nigM. 

 mmm Clonif i ••« and dry. w«»h doiky cloud*; frotty. 

 ti7 CUrtidy ; owcaai u«bout 



• i |l.,« aaJcahB,v«ryA>- laarandfro.tr. 

 . : ^ vary timm, with eun.hine; ore- t. 



M . „ h 1 1. >ir ; axcdiiul y «m ; clear and f racy. 



1 roalT.wIn •Htrhthaaa; v-ry fine ; ehsht ahower 



jiaao i*up«raiur«of the week l»»bmeth« arer***. 



gtateof 



th« WMthtr at Chliwirk durinar the lut 1* j eart. tm the* enning 



Udk ndmsc February », IttM. 



Mean « in 



Temp which it 

 Ruined. 



| PfWftiiing Wind* 

 Greatest I * 

 quantity . - 

 of Rain, fc , 





s 



8 

 » 



ft 

 I 



I 



0.17 in. S 

 0.:2 9 



The highett temperature during the above period occurred oath* SBth, 1843— 

 thermoroei-r 3*» ; and th* loweatontha »th. l83S-thermometer 1/ , 



Jan. 



Imin'i 

 A H*- 



9 



BAnoanren. 



TttBmMOMRTBB. 



Wind. | 



Rain. 



Max. 



■ 



Mm. 

 38.912 



Max* 1 



4B 



Alin. 

 87 



Mean. 

 42.5 



19 



W. j 







Bat. SO 



1 



M 



30.003 



48 



OT 



88 



N. 





Hun. 91 



s 



J9 955 



SO 



47 



34 



40.5 



W. 





Mon. m 



3 



29.920 



29.845 



49 



88 



37.5 



s.w. 





Toea- S3 



4 



30 100 



3009(J 



45 



.IS 



40 



N.E. 





Wed. 24 



5 



30. 942 



30.IKI 



43 



28 



33.0 



S.W. 





Than. 25 



6 



30.982 



30.183 



43 







45.1 



38 



41.0 



-.w. 



.(A 



.01 



Average 



i 1 



30.07* 



30.0'tf 



a: -i 



38.2 i 





Notices to Correspondents. 



>U. PAXTON'S COTTAGER'* CALENDAR.— At the earoett 



solicit. i >n of many of our subscribers, we have determined on 

 again reprinting Mr. Paxton's " Cottager's Calendar," in the form 

 of a small v „!ume, for general distribution, price 3d. each copy. 

 It may be ordered of all booksellers. Gentlemen wishing to dis- 

 tribute r< *ai g their cottage tenantry, may have them deli 

 erred in nrt if London, by remit! i»g a post-office order If) 



this office, at the rate of 5*. for every 25 copies. 



Ova CoHRK^roNDKNTi will oblige us by not mixing together 

 Agricultural ami Horticultural questions, and by writing them 

 on one side of the paper only. Such precautions can give them 

 no trouble, and will save us a great deal. 



CoMMVWiCATlONI from the fo. lowing C ibshonjikvts afe in 

 typS, and are only waiting till room can he found for them :— 

 Martin Doyle. Or., W. Billington, I. W. A' ., PWi#, J. Wighton, 

 A Friend to Fhl It me, (>.. J. L. on; (i. Thompson, J. Pax- 



ton. A Practical M«n. and P. Mackenzie. 



Anbmonss.— i/. if.— The unusual mildness of the season, toge- 

 thrr with the close covering applied too early, have causeda 

 prematui growth loyour roots. On discovering this disaster, 

 the better treatment would have been to have removed the lit- 

 ter by degrees, in order to harden the tender shoots gradually. 

 By their complete exposure, it is probable most of them will 

 perish j a little time will show you whether it will not be bet- 

 ter t> sacrifice the bl.iom for this season, in order to strengthen 

 the roots for another year. At present, you must cover the 

 beds with litter at night, and in severe weather ; give all the 

 air possible when the weather permits, and keep mats in readi- 

 ness as an additional covering in case of frost* 



Books.— if. V. Denny.— Mr. Loudon's contributions to" Brande's 

 Dictionary "cannot he purchased separately. His " Suburban 



Floriculturist " never appeared. One should procure " Par- 



nelPs Grasses of Scotland." We are not carpenters, and cannot 

 answer the other question. He who expects to learn to cut 



out wood by books will be very likely to cut his fingers. 



pruning Knife. — Mr. Loudon's "Suburban Horticulturist" 

 probably contains the information you want. Some day, when 

 we have not so many other things to do, we will give a scries 

 of articles on the subject. The first principles of pruning will 

 be found in the "Theory of Horticulture." but, we confess, 

 treated too concisely, even as a matter of theory. 



Camellias.— /' It.— Camellia alba-plena and C. fimbriata alba 

 are perhaps the most delicate varieties in cultivation. The 

 reason tl are so apt to drop their nower-buds is owing to 

 too many being left on the plant. It is not uncommon for 

 some Camellias to produce twice as many flower-buds as they 

 have strength to expand ; then the consequence is (if not 

 picked off at sn early period), they will drop off, and those that 

 remain will very often be deformed or diminished in size. This 

 may also be the reason why your C. cximia has not proved 

 true to its character this season. If we wish good blooms we 

 cannot have many on a plant. Wherefore Camellias' sport is 

 uncertain. It is owing to the presence or absence of colouring 

 matter secreted in the cells of which the petals are composed ; 

 but the agen's upon which these phenomena depend are un- 

 known. We not unfrequcntly see on C.Donckelaen on the same 

 twig one flower pure red and another blotched with white, 

 without any apparent cause. § 



Charcoal.— J. A.— Add to the soil of your Pelargoniums one 

 quarter of charcoal in coarse pieces. We do not like the fine 

 powder. We have, however, never seen this substance tried 

 on Pelargoniums. If you want to make them grow very large 

 strew the top of the soil with burnt bones, and moisten tne 

 bones with oil of vitriol just when they are beginning to grow. 



Commbmna crr.LKSTis. — Flora. — The roots of Commelina 

 coelestismay be planted out into a tolerably-rich bed about the 

 middle of April ; they may either be taken up in autumn or pro- 

 tected by covering the ground with ashes, leaf-mould, or 

 sand; but to take them up is the best way to insure their 

 safety. Paronia tigridia will succeed planted out in the open 

 border in summer. t 



Fruit-trues.— II a nf shire— The cheapest and only way of clear- 

 ing your " Benie bushes and Apple-trees" of lichen is, 

 thoroughly draining your land, which will produce other ad- 

 vantages besides. We do not know what the Corn grub is. 

 The Gooseberry Caterpillar may certainly be killed by White 

 Hellebore powder, if it is fresh. The transformations of the 

 latter are described at p. 5 15 of is 41. Morley.— Peach, Necta- 

 rine, and Apricot trees, round which a trench was marie and 

 filled with rotten dung unmixed with soil, will be apt to gum 

 in consequence, jj 



Gloxinias.— M.A. G.— These cannot be raised in a greenhouse, 

 as they require a temperature of about 60°; but by starting 

 them about the beginning of March, and growing them in a 

 hot-bed until they show signs of flowering, you might perhaps 

 be able to bloom them in a warm corner of a greenhouse 

 during the summer months. While they are in the frame great 

 care is required to keep them from damping off, they must not 

 be overwatered, and air should be regularly given them when 

 the weather will allow, t 



Heating.— Amateur No. 1 .—Water will not shrink in gutters, but 

 it wastes by evaporation and insensible leakage. If you don't 

 want to use your pit in winter you may lay your slates on the 

 gutters without bedding them in cement ; but if it is to be 

 used for winter purposes the slates must b« bedded in either 



cement or mortar, or the pit will prove too damp. Amateur 



No. 2.— We see no objection to such a boiler as you mention, 

 but we are unacquainted with it. In consequence of your 

 having mixed up other questions with this, we had overlooked 

 the latter, and must defer answers till next week. Azaleas and 

 Rhododendrons do not like dry banks, they prefer moist situa- 

 tions ; they may, however.be made to grow by the use of 



abundance of cow-dung. Suffolk — We should say that a pit 



8 or 4 sashes long would be the smallest to which any hot- 

 water heating can be advantage nsly applied. However, if 

 you can adapt an iron saucepan to the gutters in the little pit 

 you wish to build, ami don't mind some waste of fuel, you may 

 perhaps get the beat you want without much trouble. Or if 

 you can get an old iron manger with square sides it would be 

 easier to fix the flow and return pipes to if. Or an iron 4-inch 

 pipe, closed at the end in the fire, and slanting upwards into 

 your gutters will do, without any return-pipe at all. Ingenuity 

 will vanquish many difficulties. 



jsects.— H. H.— ine animal* attacking your greenhoosa 

 Cabbages, fee, are the Snake Milipedes. They were 

 and figured in the 1st vol. of the Gurd. Chron., p. ig$ ^^ 

 means for their destruction was suggested. A* their k 

 will shortly be given in the " Journal of the Royal Africa 

 sn/MPtr." anv information r< eardinethem wi 



jncaaW 



Millipede, called Julus terrestris or an allied species; s\Zl 

 wireworm— the property of increase by division n entirely |J 

 lous; 3 is the chrysalis of a Noctua, but of wh at * species ita 

 im-^ossibleto determine without hatching the moth, saay!! 

 pupa has been killed by pressure ; 4, Curculio (Sitona, lii 

 is one of the Weevil tribe ; 5, pupa of some fly, iu e H 

 domestica, and generated in the dung of animals, or 

 bones. The last animal alluded to by you may be a 



but without seeing specimens it is not in my power to sm* 

 with certainty.fi. If Lactuca will forward some oTS 



infested seeds and insects to 

 answered ; but without these 

 investigate this important sul 

 of the remedies. R. 



correct 



posubie. 









Ln.ii'M lancivolium album, Sec—A. B. D.— I have growntfc 

 in the open air for two years, and consider it quite ha* 

 Last season I had a bed containing about 150 floweriig^B 

 which bloomed much better than the common kinds of L 



and had it not been fortheunfavourableweatheroflasts| 

 they would have been excellent, but on this account were.^ 

 paratitcly short ; and some of the foliage and a few of tk 

 flowers were injured, but not so much so as the coqbms 

 Orange Lily. The bulbs lifted quite well both seasons, and 4| 

 not lose a single root from frost. L. lancifolium punctata \ 

 have not tried in the open air, but no doubt both that soar*, 

 brum would do equally well. L. eximium and longiflurum«| 

 very much alike in general growth, and the treatment tht 

 would suit one will suit the other. They will grow u< 

 bloom well in the open air, but the foliage is sometimes 4. 

 maged by wet and spring frosts ; they appear to be earlg 

 than L. lancifolium album, and not quite, so hardy; but tssi 

 may arise from their coming above ground earlier in ipriac 

 The principal injury is done when the plants first begin too- 

 pand their foliage, occasioned by wet lodging between tit 

 leaves nnrt becoming frozen, by which their vessels are ns> 

 tured, and disease is the consequence. This shows itsel* 

 brown blotches on the foliage. A light sandy peat mould 8 

 the best soil for these bulbs.— H. Groom. 



Melons.— Rwicola.— We are at all times willing to ssssv 

 reasonable questions, or even unreasonable ones, if it ispoMO*, 

 but we cannot print a treatise upon cul ivating every sorts* 

 plant that our correspondents may inquire about, nor ro, a 

 these notices, into long discussion about questionable points tt 

 physiology. There are moreover certain things which all met 

 interested in gardening are expected to know, and we can si 

 more undertake to explain such matters than we can teach thi 

 A B C of reading. You had better consult some book n 

 the cultivation of the Melon, unless you find an exctlktf 

 article in to-day's Paper sufficient for your purpose. Astotsi 

 causes or supposed causes of disease, we trust you will get 

 some information upon that point in leading articles donaf 

 the present year. The mode of destroying Thrips nicntioMl 

 at p. 649 of our last volume is this: dust the leaves ofyo« 

 Melons over with flowers of sulphur, and let it remain for tfet 

 days ; then give them a good washing with the syringe. 



Names of Plants.— A Rector.— Epidendrum viscidum. — /./ 

 — Starjelly is probably the Nostoc commune, a gela 

 plant allied to Laver, the green slime of ponds, and siou* 



% productions. We cannot, however, answer your inquiry poa- 



tively without seeing the substance. A. K.— Hypnumsav 



ceum, notcurvatum. We cannot undertake to occupy ounelm 



in naming Crvptogamic plants. A Constant Render. -Ira 



bicolor. W. Billington— Pelexia tiiloba. 0. Thomp**- 



1, Gesnera Douglasii ; 2, 3, 4, Gesnera bulbosa. 



Potatoes.— W. H. thinks that because gardeners are oflj 

 blamed for the bad quality of Potatoes which unskilful cm 

 cannot dress, therefore gardeners ought to be allowed to cai 

 Potatoes themselves. We submit this proposition to the Ma. 

 sideration of " W. H.'s" brother gardeners, who Y 00 '"^ 

 doubt, be greatly flattered at being transferred from tnersrto 

 to the kitchen. It strikes us, however, that it would be 

 to tell cook not to boil them in too much water, to give 

 a little salt, and when they are boiled enough to P our ?* 

 water, cover them with a cloth, and leave them on tiesw 



to dry a little. — 



Preserving Cut-Flowers Fresh.— /I curious Observer caw 

 do this beyond a very few days, by any process. To P«JJ" 

 in a close tin box cannot have any other effect than u»» 

 rotting them. The water that was found when the Doxwa 

 opened resulted from the decay of the specimens. 



Rats.-U a Caledonian will give us the information heoflw^ 

 shall be obliged. It is not worth discussing questions « ■» 

 sort. Facts, and facts alone, are useful. ra »nJt 



Root-prunino.— A. li. D.— This must necessarily answeresuw 

 well with all over-luxuriant trees, if not overdone, as is ^ 

 times the case. As for the Fig, in a climate like this, u sw- 

 be so treated every year or two. • r ^a 



Vermin.— Poor Robin.— Your plants are infested with ^TJJ 

 which you must kill with tobacco- smoke, xou ma J*^iSf 

 gas water on those which are hard-wooded, in l, J®.JJrJi 

 described at p. 545, 1843; but be cautious, for some ,D,n *\w 

 not bear it. Blackbirds are easily caught in ia! ; tra - p n ,tZ 

 with Beans or Peas ; that is the best mode of destroy "J ^ 

 It is of no use to waste time in popping at them, forinei 

 get too cunning to be had in that way. ^^ 



Vinery.- J. J.- We would try a good top dressing • o] JF 

 phosphate of lime, applied just when the buds are oegiw 



Vines.— John. i bet.— The Muscat E>cholata is the same as 

 White Muscat of Alexandria The Escholata superoa r- 

 haps the Black Muscat of Alexandria. || ^j 



Miscellaneous.— -4 Correspondent.— A list of t th * "^arT.-* 

 Society may be had upon application to the h !r, lie8 po* 

 A Subscriber.-You may head down Yews and mou ^ 

 The difference between Charcoal-dust androush P ,eL dert « 

 that the latter keeps the soil open, and the forme _ Ip0 p«l 



compact-a very Important distinction. Juve n ] V Jits*- 



Learii will answer your purpose. Moles are oim dQ ^ 

 tageous in compact soil which wants loosening- _^ 



know what good they can do on light weil-drainea > ^ 

 Subscriber.— In the centre of a pit in your conser ^^ 



may plant Luculia gratissima. Anonymous as a . i ^ 



which require much time to answer, and therein 



have patience, till we can find time to consider n-a ^fg 



R. T. B— More warmth and less watir al l {L dra iDii* 



restore your Geraniums to better health : look to n* it * 



W. R. C— We fear you have no remedy. Jj hrno trrfJ 



not in London that the remedy can be found. >> - .^ «0 

 your seedlings vourself ? It is the only way ■ .-— -" / diM i»l» 

 find a list of plans suitable for a flower-garden, » t .^ 



and ahnwy, given at p. 681, vol. 1813. X ^'ovrhan^ ** 



Voiov.— We do not know any one who would excu^n 



for your Number. • 



*** As usual many commuicationshave been recti 



for answeriug this week. 



.# 'it 



ved too * 



d of "v* 



ERRATA.-Tn the article on Bees, p. $?t «°1. J J*|?X »!**£ 



struck hive," read " the sticked hive"— or hive y*. j.^vg- 



it. In the paper on Colour of Carnations, p . * » fl yiojP 



stead of "The flowers were evidently attract'.v l, „ ^f * 

 visited the garden without pausing before tuci , 

 Florist " &c. 



