166 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[Mar. 16, 



sow-bugs, and with very decided effect, those numerous 

 and troublesome little pests yielding up their lives by 

 thousands to this application — T. Harrohl Fenn, Ney- 

 land, Suffolk. 



Pines. — I have lately seen some fine fruit from young 

 plants, at Colney House, near Barnet. On Christ- 

 mas week an Enville was cut there weighing 7 lbs. 

 4 ounces ; a Queen, 4 lbs. 12 ounces; and a black 

 Jamaica, 5 lbs. 3 ounces. Many more were cut previously 

 of a similar size, but were not weighed. In the beginning 

 of December an Envilie was cut 6' lbs. 9 ounce* ; this 

 was a curiosity in its way ; three small fruit, each being 

 perfect, grew out of the crown, and were ali ripe at the 

 same time with the principal fruit. Mr. John Fish, the 

 gardener there, grows them almost entirely in loam from 

 Colney Heath, using it as rough as possible. He attaches 

 great importance to growing the plants very fast, and 

 fruiting them when they are young. — A Visitor, 



The Beefin Apple. — Being a native of Norfolk, I am 

 well acquainted with our excellent Apple, the Beefin. This 

 is frequently known by the names of Biffin and Beaufin ; 

 but Beefin is the true name, originating from its striking 

 jesemblance to a piece of raw beef. — M. G. 



Gourds. — A correspondent some time 6ince remarked 

 that he had never seen the Potiron Jaune grown in 

 England to anything like the size and perfection which he 

 had witnessed in the north of France. In the year 1822, 

 I grew in my garden at Stoke Newington, from seed which 

 I had of the Society in Regent-street, a fruit which weighed 

 130 lbs., and which measured in circumference 5 feet 

 8j inches. This I intended to exhibit at a meeting of 

 the Society, but could not, at the time, find a convenient 

 conveyance. After keeping it several weeks, till it began 

 to decay at the part where it had rested upon the ground, 

 it was placed upon the hall table as a curiosity, and was 

 cut up and used, in lieu of Peas for soup, which was of 

 a bright golden colour and excellent flavour. — J.B. K.L. 

 Excrescences on Oak. — " T. G. Clithero," at p. 22 of 

 this year's Chronicle, appears to have misunderstood me 

 on this subjtct, where 1 said the timber of trees having 

 excrescences was generally shaky and worthless. " T. G." 

 gays, "it is often times more value, if not unsound, and 

 that whatever may be the c^use of the curliness, it has 

 nothing to do wi:h unsoundness." He says, further, 

 " that such trees grow as vigorously as others, their neigh- 

 bours." Trees may appear to grow vigorously, and yet be 

 unsound in the inside. What I said was, that the trees 

 (alluding to those growing in Poikington-park,) appeared 

 to be of a great age, and showed symptoms of decay, from 

 various causes, and that those that had been cut down 

 were found to be decayed in the inside ; namely, all the 

 wood that had been formed previously to the commence- 

 ment of the excrescences. 1 have lately seen many Oak- 

 trees, including Pollards, covered with excrescences. The 

 Pollards are all, more or less, decayed inside, some of 

 them are quite hollow ; but to look at their branches, they 

 appear to be in vigorous growth. A person who has had 

 much experience in working up such trees says, that if 

 the trees are old he invariably finds the timber either de- 

 cayed or beginning to decay. Hence it is only the curled 

 excrescence that is of much value. He confirms what 

 sl T. G." says respecting its shrinking and requiring five 

 or six years' seasoning, before being worked into furni- 

 ture, &c., and says tha; it requires to be cut in a particu- 

 lar manner for such purposes, or it is of no value. The 

 reason of curled wood of Oak shrinking, and requiring so 

 long a time to season before it can be advantageously made 

 use of, appears to be the premaure decay of some of the 

 annual shoots and buds, on account of their being crowded 

 closely together ; they are inclosed in the living wood, 

 similar to the decayed branches sometimes inclosed in 

 other timber ; these make spaces in the wood like small 

 holes and fissures, of a dark-brown colour. The excres- 

 cences are an after-growth, formed by the filaments or 

 woody tissue from the numerous annual buds and shoots 

 that grow, as it were, on the original wood, being ob- 

 structed by some cause in descend ng. Such curled wood 

 recently formed, is generally sound to a considerable thick- 

 ness, and it is only the curled wood that is valuable, and 

 not the first-formed straight-grained timber. Such wood 

 would be more valuable and more in demand, if cabinet- 

 makers knew the proper way of cutting and seasoning it 

 for their purposes, as it is the timber of such trees that is 

 of little value. ** T. G." is wrong when he says " the 

 - excrescences occur from a tendency the trees have to throw 

 out roots from every part of the stem." He instances 

 the root?, or protuberances that would be roots, in some 

 kind of Apple-trees ; but the excrescences on the Oak and 

 Elm are very different from the knobs or burrs on some 

 kind of Apples, which is an effort to make roots, but they 

 cannot do this, except in a close, moist, atmosphere ; the 

 knobs on old Cherry or other trees not apt to emit roots, 

 must arise from obstruction of the descending filaments. 

 Protuberances of these, if of a large size, would probably 

 be curled like the Oak and Elm ; but the annual young 

 shoots and buds on. the Oak and Elm make no roots at 

 all, except " T. G." designates the obstructed woody tissue 

 roots, or the rudiments of roots ; neither does the curliness 

 penetrate into the previously-formed wood, but is evidently 

 an excrescence formed upon, and after the original wood 

 begins to decay in the inside, whether visible or not to 

 outward appearance. All the trees having excrescences in 

 Porkington Park, seem to be past their best, and, no 

 doubt, beginning to decay inside ; in many of them the 

 decay is perfectly visible either at bottom, middle, or top; 

 hence, when durable and profitable timber is required, 

 such trees should be felled as soon as the excrescences 

 make their appearance, except it is desirable in parks or 

 plea=ure-grounds to retain them for their singular appear- 

 ance and the value of the curled wood. — IV, Billington, 



Durability of Oak -timber. — I fear that the beam found 

 at Oswestry, and mentioned by Mr. Billington, {Gar- 

 deners' Chronicle, 1844, pp. 69 and 117), is not so old as 

 he supposes. When reading that account, it struck me 

 that the numerals were so given by him as to make it ap- 

 pear that they are the Arabic numerals now in use ; and 

 if so, it is highly improbable that the date really intended 

 is 1035. If Arabic numerals were at all in use at tha* 

 date, which I doubt, they must have been very rarely 

 used. It is also highly improbable that the person who 

 built the house, supposing the date to be 1035, should 

 have been sufficiently acquainted with letters to be able 

 to use them in this case, more especially as the Rev. T. 

 Salway informs me that they are very perfectly formed. 

 It should be remembered that Oswestry was upon a dis- 

 turbed frontier, and also that grants of that early time 

 are usually not dated, and that even William the Con- 

 queror himself could not write. Mr. Salway tells me 

 that he believes that the date was originally 1635, and 

 that some person has altered it by cutting away the top 

 of the 6. I believe, therefore, that the Oak-beara cannot 

 be proved to be more than 209 years old, instead of 809 ; 

 and this is of consequence, from an argument for the 

 durability of Oak being derived from the former supposed 

 date. — Charles C. Babington. 



Garden Varnishes. — The composition described by 

 " Devoniensis," at p. 301, 1843, is a very good one, and 

 is used by the fishermen on the Norfolk coast to pay their 

 stout calico-jackets with, thus making them waterproof. 

 They add a little mutton suet. The mixture is as follows : 

 — 1 gallon of pale linseed-oil, 3s. 9d., 3 oz. of sugar of lead, 

 3d., 10^ oz. white resin, l^d., and § lb. mutton suet, 3</.— 

 in all -is. \\d. the gallon. These simmered together will 

 make a useful varnish, at a reasonable cost. The use of 

 the sugar of lead is merely to dry the oil. — Rambler, 



Miscellaneous. — J. K. suggests that it would be an ad- 

 vantage to country gardeners if gentlemen, instead of 

 giving money prizes, were to offer rare plants as rewards 

 at floral exhibitions. This, he imagines, would create a 

 more general desire for fine flowers. For instance, he says, 

 if a dozen of Verbenas in flower were given for a prize, it 

 would encourage many to become florists, and thus 

 strengthen the object of a society. A knowledge of the 

 qualities of objects exhibited would likewise by this means 



be increased. Verax, a known correspondent, in 



justice to Messrs. Youell and Co., states, that about this 

 time last year he planted a few canes, had from them, 

 which bore abundantly very large fruit, and continued 

 bearing until the frost. He informs us that he had more 

 this year, being so much delighted with the flavour, size, 



and long-continuance of bearing. J. P. intimates that 



guano is an effectual destroyer of worms, as long as its 

 influence lasts, and that by applying it frequently in 

 small doses its action may be extended much. Being also 

 beneficial in promoting growth, it is an important friend 



to the gardener. J. G. informs us that he planted a 



few early Kidney Potatoes in an old Pine bed in a Vinery, 

 about the beginning of December. He put about two 

 feet of leaves in the bed, and covered the tubers about 

 nine inches deep with soil. They came up very strong ; 

 but being far from the glass they became drawn. When 

 they were about 18 inches high, he pinched about half an 

 inch off the leading shoots of part of them, leaving a few 

 untouched. Those that were stopped began in a few days 

 to form Potatoes, but those that were not stopped pro- 

 duced only a bunch of fibres. Of the former a very fair 

 crop is now ripening off, and our correspondent says that 

 any kind of pit, however far from the glass, will answer the 



purpose under this treatment. R. P. states that his 



Vines are subjected to the heat of a fruiting Pine-stove. 

 Some of them are fruitful, others are not, although appa- 

 rently producing equally luxuriant wood; they are planted 

 outside, and introduced into the house by holes under the 

 front lights. The first is a Black Hamburgh, with two 

 branches: one branch, which produces thirty bunches, is 

 trained up the rafter, the other runs along the inner side of 

 the front lights, until it reaches the adjoining rafter, up 

 which it is also trained, but it produces no fruit. The White 

 Frontignan is trained up the next rafter ; it bears eighty 

 bunches, while the Black Muscat, trained along the front, 

 and taken up the adjoining rafer, is perfectly unproduc- 

 tive. Next follows a Black Hamburgh, that was cut down 

 last year ; it is trained in the same way, and bears a good 

 crop on the branch taken up the rafter ; they are all pruned 

 on the spur system. [It appears that the upright shoots 

 are fruitful, whilst those trained horizontally are un- 

 fruitful. The former should be waved. Has any one 



seen a similar case?] A Paddy, speaking of Heath 



edgings, observes, that Heath will grow in any ordinary 

 garden-soil, and that it may be removed at any season. 

 He informs us that he has pulled up young plants from 

 their natural bed in all seasons, and larger plants in flower, 

 all^>f which succeeded perfectly in the garden ; he states 

 that the flowers are as brilliant as if they were produced 

 on their native wilds. 



Sborfetfes. 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 

 Feb. 2. — A. Gerard, Esq., in the chair. Various donations 

 to the Library and Herbarium were announced, including 

 44 new species of Mosses, collected at Swan River by 

 Mr. J. Drummond. — Read, the commencement of a 

 paper by E. Lees, Esq., being A Synoptical View of 

 the British Fruticose Rubi, arranged in groups, with 

 explanatory remarks. The groups into which Mr. 

 Lees unites the species have been already reported in this 

 journal, in a paper read before the Society last year. 

 The list of species will shortly be published in a new 

 Catalogue of British plants, now in the press, for the Botani- 

 cal Society of London. The following explanations in the 



words of the author will sufficiently show that this ar- 

 rangement ha* not been founded upon any brief or super- 

 ficial study of his subject :— " Having previously designated 

 the general groups into which the British Fruticose R u bi 

 are divisible, I now proceed to attempt the more difficult 

 task of describing the species in each group, and tracing 

 them in succession in a synoptical form. In doing this 

 as I must necessarily propose some alterations, it is ad- 

 visable that the candid and inquiring Botanist should be 

 informed as to the principles I have kept in view. J a 

 the first place, then, I have desired to make no innova- 

 tion but what seemed imperatively required for correct 

 elucidation ; and have, therefore, made every effort to 

 profit by the labours of preceding eminent Botanists who 

 have particula.ly studied the Rubi, as Sir J. E. Smith 

 Drs. Weihe and Nees von Esenbeck, Mr. Borrer, and 

 Professor Lindley. But, secondly, I have observed with 

 the eye of an original explorer, tracing every form that 

 appeared to me different, without reference to the ideas 

 of other Botanists. And, thirdly, having observed the 

 same plants in a living state for several successive 

 years, I have collated and revised my original 

 observations, sketched every apparent species, and 

 compared them again and again with the figures, 

 descriptions, and named specimens of Botanists of 

 authority. Thus, I have been enabled, in a great degree, 

 to understand the forms to which particular names have 

 been assigned, and to test their propriety by my own 

 experience ; I trust, therefore, that I shall not be con- 

 sidered guilty of assumption when I may differ from others, 

 being only anxious for the nearest approximation to cor- 

 rectness. It is unnecessary for me to go into the question 

 as to what constitutes a species in this genus; for, as 1 

 have before hinted, it is not unlikely that the forms in 

 every 'group' may be really only varieties sporting 

 from a normal form, and into each other ; but, if Botany 

 be a science of discrimination, it is at any rate convenient 

 to name every remarkable form as a species or sub- 

 species ; since, otherwise, minor variations can scarcely be 

 distinguished, or must be placed in the same rank with 

 more important deviations of structure. Indeed, Nees 

 von Esenbeck, one of the authors of the elaborate ' Rubi 

 Germanici,' has well remarked, in a letter to the Rev. 

 Mr. Leighton, in the * Shropshire Flora,' — 4 1 am not of 

 opinion that all the forms proposed by my friend Mr. 

 Weihe as species are to be considered as such ; but, ia 

 my opinion, it is absolutely necessary to look for the 

 greatest number of forms which present themselves to us 

 in the genus, before attempting to judge of species, and 

 fixing their limits. I can scarcely tell which is most per- 

 plexing in the path of our science, whether, — with Mr. 

 Wtihe, to distingu'sh as species every form of Bramble 

 that presents itself to our view, — or, with Mr. Koch, to 

 consider all as modifications of one only. In this case, I 

 do not doubt that these are matters purely of observation, 

 and that the faithful observer of Nature will find that 

 the truth really lies between the two extremes.' " 



LINNjEAN SOCIETY. 



March 5. — Edward Forster, Esq., in the chair. Dr. W. 

 H. Milne, of Nottingham, was elected a Fellow. — Mr. T. 

 Hall presented, through Dr. W. H. Brown, a specimen 

 of the eight-banded Armadillo.— Sir W. J. Hooker pre- 

 sented specimens of above 50 species of fruits, the greater 

 part new to the Society's collection, including many rare 

 Coniferse, from North America and Australia; the flower- 

 ing scapes and portions of the stems of two species of 

 Xanthorrhcea ; the root of a species of Ebony from Mada- 

 gascar; a specimen of the inner Bark and section of the stem 

 of the Lace-bark tree, &c— Miss Potts, of Chester, pre- 

 sented specimens of Lepidium latifolium, and of a variety of 

 Erodium cicutarium.— The stem of a Xanthorrhoea was 

 presented by T. W. Mann, Esq.— A paper was read from 

 C. C. Babington, Esq., on the Spiranthes gemmipara. 

 This plant is the Neottia gemmipara of Smith, and was 

 named and figured by him in English Botany from a 

 single specimen found by Mr. Drummond, at Bearhayen, 

 C»stleton>in Ireland. During the late meeting of the British. 

 Association, Mr. Babington visited the spot where the 

 original specimen was obtained, and found about twelve 

 specimens in flower. The plant was confined to a lew 

 spots near the sea-shore, occurring on the drier parts ot 

 boggy fields. This species differs considerably from trie 

 others of the genus, but more especially in the connection 

 of all the sepals with the two upper petals. The flo *£ rs 

 are arranged in three spiral lines, forming a dense spi • 

 The Hybernacula, described in English Botany, are : nos 

 constant. Two papers were read from W. Griffith, JjiSq. 

 The first was a description of Cytinus dioicus. It w » 

 native of the Cape, and found parasitic upon Enocephaius 

 racemosus. It does not, however, injure the plants o 

 which it grows. The second paper was a description o 

 the genus Mystropetalon, which had been r eferreel oy 

 Mr. Harvey to the Rhizanths, and to the order Balano- 

 phoreje. The author considered it to be nearly allied ui 

 Cynomorium, and that these two genera form a pecu 

 liar family of a very distinct kind. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Mar. 4.— George Newport, Esq., in the ™ & %J1 

 president announced that the subjects for Mr. «°P 

 two prizes of five guineas each were,— First, the JNaiur _ 

 History of Vesicatory Insects, including an account or 

 that had been used for the purposes of ves, P at ! on ' lvsis 

 descriptions of the species ; and also a chemical anaij 

 of their secretions. Second, the Natural History ot trw 

 genus Stylops—Mr. Stephens exhibited several »pe«»" 

 of rare insects, and amongst others a variety or w ^ 

 Euphrosyne, taken a fortnight earlier than usual j° r 

 species.— Mr. Westwood exhibited a variety of Arctia ^ n ^ 

 with larger wings and antennae than usual , ai 

 cocoons of a species of Ichneumon, attached t) a V KW 



