1844.] 



FUCHSIAS, VERBENAS, PETUNIAS, and 



ANAGALLIS. 



QUELL & Co. beg to announce that their Catalogue 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



83 



Y 



r , r fhr* above^ with prices, will appear in the «*«*"«* 

 L of the ab «7' 7 k p , t will be found to contain every 



™£*J1 AwW "of "culttvattan. M4 is particularly 

 ,velty and variety - fnr . he ensuine season. -Great 



^nmmend'ed'to "those selecting for the ensuing 



^5Ie's TANK 



HE ATI Mi. 



SYSTEM of 



S^nd EdTiion?-A few copies only remain unsold in the 

 *Ti ~r thp Publishers ami Author. 



hand ioT.don Lonomav, Bnowm «rkkv, and I,»n».ma»». 



R 



^ sA TURDAr ^FEBRUA Hr 10, 1844. 



MEETING FOR THE T"<> FOLLOWING WEEKS.. 



WMMHft* *eb. 14 . S~-i«lyof Art. . . 8 • •-. 

 TiiuaiDAV, Feb. 1A . Mlcro.cpl1.-4l . . 7 m. 



_ . „„ r H»rtlci 



Tvmdat, Feb. 20 '^Llnne* 



a 



Tkeue is considerable difficulty to be overcome in 

 any attempt to teach Landscape Gaiidkn.ng as an 

 art -because it is scarcely a thing to be taught, >n 





be an inward impulse 



tion of form, colour, and relative position ; of magni- 

 tude ' and of the harmony of things in general ; and 

 all this is no less necessary in the teacher. Besides, 

 according to our idea, Landscape Gardening is not a 

 thin* to be taught, even to those possessing the 

 necessary talent, without a direct appeal to Nature. 

 A certain amount of materials is given to be worked 

 upon, and the question is how to make the most of 

 it But unless the materials be present to our senses, 

 it is impossible to point out the various means by 

 ■which they may be made available to the utmost 

 extent. We have the dead flat — the undulating 

 surface — the hilly, the mountainous, and rocky 

 country, and endless mixtures and modifications of 

 these, and of land and water. We have not merely 

 one window to look from, but many, having various 

 aspects; and innumerable points of view out of doors, 

 to consider. The matter which requires the greatest 

 skill is to contrive to make one tiling serve many 

 purposes— one tree or bush to fa]l in with advantage 

 to many points of view. It will be asked who is to 

 judge of the propriety of arrangements suggested by a 

 teacher? How is a pupil to know and feel that his 

 master has good taste ? It is obvious that the arrange- 

 ments, when made, indicate the taste of only one 

 individual in the first instance, and that the result of 

 his labour can be valued only by those who are simi- 

 larly constituted by Nature ; so that it is possible the 

 pupil may despise the taste of his master, justly or 

 unjustly. Fortunately, those who have no generality 

 of taste, so to speak, learning from others that such and 

 such things are admin <l, get into a habit of taking for 

 granted that all similar, or nearly similar things arc tsj 

 be admired ; that every domain belonging to a Peer 

 or wealthy Commoner must be magnificent ; that 



wherever big trees stand— wherever there is water, still 

 or noisy 



their Author. He should draw well, so as to be able ' 

 to accumulate examples, which he may transfer, as 

 his judgment may direct, to any portion of country he 

 mav be called upon to adorn. It is a duty to the public 

 to be performed by every proprietor of land who is 

 conscious he does not possess talent for rendering a 

 district agreeable to the eye, to look out for some one 

 who does possess it, and whose assistance he should 

 require. We can only advise those who have country 

 residences and good talent to look well about them, 

 and to direct operations themselves. Unhappily, we 

 cannot exhort against self-conceit, which is too often 

 present, and in the way of talent. Happily, we have 

 in our country the display of a vast amount of fine 

 taste. Good examples are so numerous in every 

 stjle, that no one need travel far to find them. One 

 thing, however, has often annoyed us — viz., the shut- 

 ting out of beautiful views by plantations along the 

 highways: there should be an Act of Parliament 

 against this. 



Architecture is, in an intimate degree, connected 

 with Landscape-Gardening. Into this department, 

 however, we do not wish to venture far. We may re- 

 mark that style should be adapted to situation, and 

 also to what is sadly neglected — to time. It is surely 

 incorrect to associate our peaceful days with strong 

 towers and battlements — with the appearance of de- 

 fences against weapons no longer in use, and which 

 the meanest of the modern implements of war could 

 prostrate in a moment. Still more preposterous is it 

 to connect such things with modern windows, and 

 every means of easy access. Modern architecture has 

 run wild in attempting to mix different styles, and to 

 accommodate them to each other. Fancy has 

 extended her skill to the abodes of the brute creation, 

 and rendered them as classical as those of men. Not 

 having been rich enough to build more than a cottage 

 on a large scale, we felt, on approaching our rather 

 nretty domain with a stranger, somewhat queer when 

 he asked, " Are these your stables? " Not a word 

 was said of the fine landscape that burst upon his 

 view. Nevertheless, our friend got reconciled to the 

 accommodation afforded to him in the supposed sta- 

 bles ; and so we had to thank him for giving us an 

 additional example of variety in human idea and 

 human perception. We decline going farther into this 

 part of the subject, which looks too like a labyrinth ; 

 and we have no desire to be the cause of our kind 

 readers losing themselves. — G. 



HOW best tO PRESERVE THE VITALITY OF SEEDS 



in long sea- voyages is one of those problems which 

 experience alone can solve, but which is of such very 

 great importance that it has already received some at- 

 tention at our hands (p. 787, for 1843). Lately, a new 

 idea has occurred to Mr. James M'Gall, a young man 

 who was sent out to the Bermudas a few years ago 

 as gardener, ami who is now in the employment of 

 ( olonel Reid, the Governor, to whom we are indebted 

 for his observations. 



In the Bermudas there are sudden and violent 





. changes of climate, caused by the dry winds of the 



wherever rocks and hills — cxtasy ought to north shifting to hot southerly winds, bringing an 



be expressed; and thus the multitude comes to believe 

 itself pleased and delighted, and the owner of the 



fine things chuckles at the thought of his being lord 

 over all. 



We have seen (according to our own notions) very 

 good artificial landscapes made out of indifferent sub 

 jects, and tolerable subjects made hideous by attempts 

 at embellishment. We have aeen admirable subjects 

 spoiled, others rendered splendid. Though we have 

 had to deal with some of the best subjects in Nature, 

 and found our work admired (whether the admiration 

 was real or feigned matters not), we are not so con- 

 ceited, nor so ignorant of the constitution of human 

 nature, as to set our taste up as a standard. We have 

 often had to revise our own work, and to make 

 corrections and additions; and some painful necessity 

 nas occurred to us in our time (which has not been \t ry 



th \r 8Uch as tnat of felnn R a fine tree > taw"- 

 SJW" *' l »le young, it performed an important part, 



wnad grown too large for its station in the landscape. 



is 11 i e 8ai(1 enolI fih, perhaps, to show that what 

 called Landscape-Gardening cannot be taught in the 

 se t; and, though rules have been laid down on 



atmosphere loaded with moisture. In consequence of 

 this there is a great difficulty in preserving seeds, 

 which, although they spring luxuriantly before the 

 middle of summer, immediately afterwards lose their 

 germinating power. 



Bottles carefully sealed, and thick brown-paper 

 packages are generally employed for their preserva- 

 tion, and are kept in a cool and well-aired room. 

 But although this preserves them very well from 

 insects, yet the advantage does not appear to extend 

 further. In the beginning of May last, Mr. M'Gall 

 was induced, from the evenness of the temperature 

 there, to put a bottle of Onion-seed, carefully sealed, 

 which had arrived at Bermuda from Madeira in the 

 beginning of February, into the bottom of a cistern 

 of rain-water five feet below the surface of the earth. 

 The cistern was c; d with Roman cement, and had 

 a free circulation of air above the cement, about seven 

 feet from the bottom. On the 1st of November, 

 about the usual time of sowing, this bottle was taken 

 out and its contents sown, together with those of four 

 other bottles of the same package, which had been 

 kept in a cool warehouse during the summer, and of 

 three oth 



because, if further experiments confirm Mr. M 'Gall's 

 experience, it may possibly be found that the best 

 plan for seeds on board ships bound to distant 

 countries, is, as Col. Reid has suggested to us, in 

 bottles plunged in ships' tanks, where they may be 

 exposed to a more uniform temperature than can be 

 otherwise secured. 



We throw this out for the consideration of the 

 importers of seeds. 



BEES —No. VI. 



{Continued from p. 6g.) 



The Pasturage of Bees, and the Transporting of them 

 to it, — Some counties abound in honey more than others. 

 The three counties, Lanark, Ayr, and Middlesex, in which 

 we have lived, are u flowing with honey." Other coun- 

 ties may be compared with these. Bees will thrive where 

 most of the following plants are found : — Sallows, Goose- 

 berries, Plums, Apples, Pears, Planes, Limes, Furze, 

 Broom, Field Mustard (Sinapisarvensis), common Bird's- 

 foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), greater Bird's-foot 

 Trefoil (Lotus major), Beans. Dutch (white) Clover, 

 Ling (Calluna vulgaris), and Devil's-bit Scabious (Sca- 

 biosa succisa). There are many more honey-producing 

 plants, but they are either not native, or not allowed to 

 flower extensively in the counties which are mentioned 

 above. If honey-plants do not grow in the immediate vici- 

 nity of an Apiary, the Bees therein will not — cannot, gather 

 much honey ; for they have not only a greater distance to fly, 

 but are sometimes on their journey overtaken and de- 

 stroyed by sudden showers. In many parts of Scotland, 

 and I dare say of England too, Bees are transported from 

 one pasturage to another. This cannot be too highly 

 recommended, and I think I cannot do better than men- 

 tion how, when, and whither, the Bees at Carluke are 

 removed. Carluke is situated three miles north of the 

 Clyde, which runs through the centre, and drains the 

 greater part of Lanarkshire. About three miles to the 

 north-east of the village there is a large track of land 

 densely covered with Ling, or Heather,as it is there called. 

 About the 1st of March the stock-hives are removed on 

 very light hand-barrows to the banks of the Clyde, which 

 abound with Sallows, Gooseberries, Plums, &c. At the 

 swarming season many are taken back to Carluke, and 

 from the 1st to 12th of August all are removed to the 

 Heather. In removing Bees it is necessary to ventilate 

 the hives by raising them off the boards with thin wedges 

 orpenny-pieces,and by placing hair-combs or pieces of per- 

 forated tin on their mouths. Those Bee-keepers who say 

 that ventilation is necessary at any other time do not 

 know much about the habits of the Honey-bee. Wm. Petti- 

 grew'sbest top swarms gathered, as we haveheard, 50 lbs. 

 each in the month of August last year ; that is to say, while 

 they were on the Heather. In answer to a question, he 

 sa vs — " I do not believe that they would have gathered 

 20 lbs. if they had not been taken to the Heather." And 

 in a letter of Sept. 12, 1843, he says — " A friend has a hive 

 that gathered lolbs. on the 5th, 6th, and 7th of this month : 

 and during the last seven days one belonging to another 

 person gathered about 28 lbs. or 30 lbs." None of mine 

 have gathered so much — only one has gathered 22 lbs. 

 during the same time. The honey is now mostly collected 

 from the Blueheads (Devil's-bit), which are not very 

 plentiful where my hives are ; but I will remove a few of 

 them on the first opportunity. The month of August 

 this year was unfavourable here ; but I never saw Bees 

 collecting honey in quantity so far in September before 

 this year." In unpropitious or rainy seasons, hilly and 

 exposed pastures are best for Bees — there they will collect 

 honey ; whereas, if placed in a valley or sheltered situa- 

 tion, they eat what they have collected, or what is gi?en to 

 them. It may be interesting to gardeners to know that 

 flowers give or contain the greatest quantity of honey when 

 the wind blows from any point between south and west 

 inclusive. This will not appear strange to those who have 



paid attention to what is said in the third chapter of the 

 second Book of M Lindley's Theory of Horticulture."*— 

 A. Pettigrew, JVrotham Park, Middlesex. 



(To be continued.) 1 



omhaM 8 We t0 a PP eal t( > a Phrenologist, he would 

 whirl en , umerate ™<>i"e than half-a-d<wen faculth 



activit W ° have t0 ** in a state of strc,1 & tn aml 

 fessjoj/' v A voun g person inclined to follow the pro- 



SKj at tnev cannot be applied with any degree of 

 a lanT*' P ° eta nas citur,n<mfit. So must it be with 



. ,. sca Pe-?ardcner. We do not affirm that the about a fifth part, others of about a tenth, but in some 

 he (p 10 " is not needed ; it is a useful one, provided scarcely at all. The seed, however, which had been 

 rnor *** P - ractises tm ' art has a love for it. It requires kept under water came up regularly, and four or five 

 and G Vanous ta lent than almost any other profession ; days sooner than the others ; the plants were strong, 

 ww " — ~" * — " ' ' J and not more than a fifth part of the seed failed. 



The seed in three of the bottles looked pale when 

 opened, and several seeds were chipped or broken ; 

 the fourth bottle, in comparison with that taken out 

 of the water, seemed equally fresh, though very few 

 seeds sprung. It is no doubt possible that some of 

 the seed was not good when first imported ; but be 

 that as it may, the seed kept under water came up aa 

 quickly as new seed. 



This is a new, and we think an important fact ; 



A KNOWLEDGE OF PRINCIPLES ESSENTIAL 

 TO THE BEST CULTIVATION— No. I. 

 As the cultivation of plants in pots admits but a limited 

 amount of material for their growth, it may be inferred 

 that any system involving such a restriction, and conse- 

 quent exposure to extreme fluctuations of temperature, can 

 only be productive of a partial effect, compared with their 

 condition in a state of nature. At p. 876, 1843, it is 

 stated that " Nature has given plants the power (under 

 favourable circumstances) of producing from the bosom of 

 ich leaf a branch, which is capable of being rendered sub- 

 servient to the formation of bloom ; and that the proportion 

 of bloom will, as a general rule, be in proportion to the 



I n III cai8"theleed"clnie up 'more or I multiplication of such branches, subject to their being 

 less; that in some of the bat*, to the extent of ZiZLltZXt^JZ^ =*.« 



be taken to see Nature in all her 



lessons : 

 'ature 



as to pv agreeaDle impressions on our faculties, as well 



and oth CUe S ° me e,notion8 which warn us of danger, 

 ers which rouse wonder, awe. and gratitude to 



for thi aml from her he shoul(1 take all his U 

 to mak ^eaSOn, that the Creator has adapted N 



rouse wonder, awe, and grati 



essential to maturity of growth. 



Assuming the correctness of these conditions, the fol- 

 lowing inferences are drawn : — 



1st, That perfect cultivation necessarily involves the 

 greatest extent and vigour of growth of which plants are 



capable ; 



2dly, That such a growth is the only test of their aver- 

 age proportions in a state of fertility ; 



3dly, That maturity of growth should, as a general rule, 

 be antecedent to, or uniform with, a develop ment of bloom. 



* Though this book cannot weU be overvalued or too highly 

 recommended, yet it is scarcely to be found in the libraries of 

 journevmen gardeners. To such it is confessedly the best book 

 on gardening in the English language. I hope this notice of the 

 work will induce many young men to purchase and peruse it. 



