214 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



it still must be admitted that, considering the limited 

 number of Phsenogamous plants natives of Great Britain 

 (for the natural orders of the Cryptogamic division are 

 comparatively few, and generally known at sight) a person 

 in this country who had not recourse to large collections, 

 would scarcely be able to form any idea of a system guided 

 and established by the principles of nature ; the materials 

 with which he has to work are too scanty, and allow not 

 of a comprehensive comparison. There is nothing in the 

 Linnsean system which is essentially incorrect ; the know- 

 ledge gained from it is imperfect and unsatisfactory only. 

 In the description of any natural order we are generally 

 told the number of stamens and pistils ; so that the 

 number of these organs, even in a natural system, form 

 two distinguishing characteristics of any given order. It 

 would be well for any one, when studying an artificial 

 system, to remember that this is not the Science of 

 Botany, but merely an easy mode of discovering the 

 name, and name only of the plants found in the particular 

 place or country in which he might happen to be. And 

 there seems to be no objection, in this sense, to the 

 admission of the value of such a system. The pupil would 

 consider that he was only reading the contents of, or 

 introduction to a portion of a large volume, which he 

 afterwards intended to study philosophically and in detail. 

 There is no wish whatever to set up the old against the 

 new system ; at the same time it should he borne in mind 

 that no new method is advanced by the depreciation of its 



the amateur if he solely depended upon it instead of glass. 

 — Falcon. 



Functional Disease. — In r the analogies made use of 

 (p. 148, March 9), to illustrate my argument in favour of 

 the possible existence of functional disorder independent 

 of structural disease, I did not, as *' Der Greii" supposes, 

 overlook the difference between animate and inanimate 

 machinery. But in treating of the phenomena of living 

 organism, whether in its normal or abnormal condition, in 

 our ignorance of the essential nature of the living prin- 

 ciple, we can only reason of them with reference to the 

 chemical and mechanical principles by which those phe- 

 nomena are guided. It is the privilege of the living tissue 

 to make these principles subserve its several purposes; 

 but always in obedience to the laws which govern inani- 

 mate matter when moved by disturbing causes, whether of 

 chemical or electrical affinities, molecular force, or any 

 other moving power. Or, in other words, the only differ- 

 ence between the living organism and the dead is, that the 

 former carries within itself the originator of its own move- 

 ments, and to a certain extent the power of repairing its 

 own waste ; while the latter derives the same privileges 



from some extraneous agency. With this difference every 

 animal organ is as much a machine for the performance 

 of some chemical or mechanical action on the materials 

 offered to it, as the merest engine of the factory orlabo- 



predecessor. In a word, there seems to be no practical j ratory, and lor such purposes is guided by the same laws. 



advantage in dissuading those from following an artificial, Premising thus much on •« Der Greifs" objection to my 



whose occupation and inclination would preclude the more 

 laborious studies of a natural system. — F. [Our answer 

 is, that Linnsean Botany teaches nothing but names, and 

 them with less certainty and advantage than the natural 

 system. It bad its use in former days, but is now aban- 

 doned by all Botanists.] 



Season for Shifting Plants. — Respecting the autumn- 

 » shifting of plants, "J. W. K.," at p. 102, says that 

 "plants are in the habit of appropriating nutritious mat- 

 ter by their roots during the season of rest ;" or, in other 

 ■words, that their roots continue to grow while the head 

 remains dormant. I have lately had an opportunity of 

 testing the truth of this opinion. Having received a quan- 

 tity of Pelargoniums from a nurseryman about the end of 

 last November, and thinking the pots they occupied rather 

 small, I immediately shifted them into pots two sizes 

 larger; having been kept very cool, they have grown 

 little. I examined them very lately, and I find in most 

 instances, where few additional leaves have been formed, 

 scarcely a single fibre has reached the outside of the ball 

 (and yet the plants are perfectly healthy). I cannot com- 

 prehend how the formation of roots can take place, to any 

 extent, without a corresponding development of leaves ; 

 we do, indeed, see in bulbs a disposition to form roots 

 without any extension above ground ; but this is contrary 

 to what "J. \V. K." assumes to be the case, which is, 

 when plants are at rest, whereas this is when the bulbs 

 are concentrating all their energies in order to produce 

 leaves. I am decidedly of opinion that excepting where 

 the one-shift sjiivn is pursued, no better plan can be 



adopted in the cultivation of greenhouse plants, than that 

 of allowing them to fill their pots with roots by the end 

 of October, and shifting them again about the middle of 

 February, when the growing season commences. — E. J. 



Yeast or Leaven. — The following recipe is known to 

 make good light bread :— To 2 oz. of Hops put 8 quarts 

 of water, simmer it four hours, until reduced to 6 quarts ; 

 thicken it with 2 lbs. of Wheat-flour, and stir into it two 

 table-spoonfuls of moist sugar. Let it remain in an earthen 

 pan until lukewarm, then add a tea-cupful of good fresh 

 beer-yeast, and bottle it in wine quarts; each bottle must 

 not be more than half-full, and two such bottles will 

 leaven 13 lbs. or 14 lbs. of flour. It must be thoroughly 

 well corked. The beer-yeast is required only for the 

 first making. The second time it is made, a tea cupful 

 of the old leaven should be substituted lor the beer- 

 yeast. — K. O. 



Pruning Trees. — It is most extraordinary that the 

 mode suggested in the Chronic'e of pruning trees has 

 not been generally adopted, since it appears that in the 

 principality of Wales it has been praciised 40 years with 

 the happiest result. It recommends itself by its extreme 

 simplicity, and by its accordance with plain, practical 

 common-sense ; and yet what (comparatively) little pro- 

 gress has it made amongst men who have an opportunity 

 of seeing the advantages of the system at a trifling expense ! 

 But "they have eyes and see not." What number of 

 acres does it require to make a wise-acre ? About two 

 years ago I got the ear of the bailiff of a gentleman who 

 planted 12 acres when the common was inclosed. The 

 trees required the knife ; the bailiff saw the advantages of 

 this method, and promised to set about it. That he might 

 not be plagued by the ignorance or the obstinacy of the 

 labourers, I took him a man who understood it, and was 

 willing to undertake it almost without pay ; for he had 

 the sense to see that it would bring him into notice, and 

 benefit him extremely. Notwithstanding all that had 

 passed, the work was never begun, because the owner 

 objected that the experiment should be made, and the 

 plantation will be treated as all others in the neighbour- 

 hood have been, i.e., neglected and spoiled! ! — A Fen- 

 man, Isle of Ely. 



Covering for Greenhouses. — A correspondent in the 

 Chronicle recommends the use of prepared linen as a sub- 

 stitute for glass in frames, pits, and greenhouses. Plants 

 require a pure light, and will not grow so luxuriantly if 

 it is conveyed through a dense medium; if t the top of a 

 conservatory was covered permanently with anything to 

 exclude the direct rays of light, the plants would be found 



[Apr. $. 



temporary protection from frosi, or to shade from the of corn and grass of his neighbours and~h ^~a 



mid-day sun ; but it would, in all probability, disappoint treaties to destroy them. As for mvself % *!l ' ** OH ~ 



"' ------ •• ■ » do all in our power to destroy them on our own 1^ We 



and he has suffered his keeper to take advanta^ 5 ?^ 

 tenant trespassing only about 20 yards out of mv Z * T 

 a bush in his hedge to shoot the vermin in ly d ? * 

 desire, by laying an information through the Simll y 

 Taxes, and fining him in the double penalty fW** ° f 

 a gun. Can any of your correspondents assist J /2? 

 advice how to destroy these rabbits ? Traps, wires 

 and dogs have been used to get them out of my preS* 

 but I cannot devise means to keep them off It » v l 

 take a mile in length of netting to fence out, and netT,- 

 been used round my garden, but they have ea'en a thm 

 sand holes.— * [A good answer to this would douht 

 less be useful to others as well as to our unfortuna* 

 correspondent.] ** 



Miscellaneous.— A. H. states that in Essex the Prunus 

 cerasifera, commonly called the Myrobalan, or Cherrv 

 Plum, which bears so freely as a standard, i 8 found 

 valuable for the sake of the young fruit, which is used for 

 tarts like green Apricots, and with about equal gratification 



to the palate. E. L., a known correspondent, informs 



us that he could have cut six fruit, averaging 15 i nciieg 

 long, from one plant of the Browston Stock- Cucumber 

 on the 21st of March ; each fruit was from 141 to lfi 

 inches in length, making 90 inches of Cucumber from 

 one plant in one day. He states that they were all good 

 table fruit. The same writer says that from the same 

 plant he lately cut four handsome fruit and a curious 

 double one which, if considered as two, make six. The 

 plant that produced these we understand is growing in 

 a pit that was contrived by Mr. Mills, of Gunnersbury 

 Park. It is worthy of remark that this same plant pro- 

 duced one of the fruit that won the first prize at Ipswich 

 onthe8thofFebruary,anditisstill in full vigour. A fine 

 specimen of the Browston hybrid, and also the double 

 fruit, were sent to Covent Garden market, where they have 

 been seen by many gardeners, who all consider them 

 equal to any they have yet seen in the market this season. 



raechauical analogy, I go on to observe that he does not 

 seem to recognise the distinction which certainly exists in 

 Nature between change of condition and change of struc- 

 ture. If it be maintained simply that disease arises from 

 altered condition of an organ, then I concede the point, 

 and there is an end of the matter. No one supposes that 

 functional disorder can exist without altered action — ab- 

 normal motion. An organ may be over or undercharged 

 with blood, may be over or underdone with nervous power 

 or nervous electricity ; there may be in it too much or 

 too little combustion, for the healthful performance of its 

 function, and yet its structure be unaltered. Just as a mill 

 may be over or underdone withgrist or with water,and stop, 

 though all its wheels and cogs are in right order. There is 

 still another and abetter reason why functional and structural 

 disease should exist independently. Every part of the 

 animal organism is endowed with a double apparatus, or 

 system of parts, the one subservient to its functional, the 

 other to its material existence. There is not anything 

 done in the animal economy that is not done by its pecu- 

 liar instrument. The functions of an organ are main- 

 tained by nerves and blood-vessels, which administer 

 nothing to the nutrition of that organ. Its powers are 

 maintained, its waste supplied, its worn-out materials re- 

 moved, by nerves, blood-vessels, and absorbents, distinct 

 from and independent of the influences that determine 

 function. The material existence of an organ may be 

 maintained in perfect sanity ; its supply and waste may 

 go on, for a time 9$ least, i a perfect harmony^ by means 

 of the blood-vessels and nerves appropriated to its struc- 

 ture, whilst its functions may be increased beyond the 

 ordinary rate, or altogether suspended. Every physio- 

 logist knows that the nerves of secretion in a viscus may 

 be destroyed, and its functions lost, and yet that organ 

 does not die, nor waste away, till long inaction has made 

 it useless ; and perhaps not then. Structural change, or 

 organic disease, then, must be the work of the structural 

 system. It may co-exist with functional disorder, and it 

 cannot exist long without inducing it — for a faulty in- 

 strument must work badly. It may be induced by func- 

 tional disorder, because inordinate or irritative' action 



disturbs the healthy equilibrium of supply and waste as 



an overworked engine soon gets out of repair. In fine, 

 functional disorder may be of long or short duration, — it 

 may come and go in a moment, because it is not struc- 

 tural. But organic disease cannot be established till some 

 disturbance takes place in the nutritive apparatus appro- 

 priated to its maintenance, nor removed till the conse- 

 quences of that disturbance are corrected M. D. [We 



trust our valued correspondents will agree with us, that 

 it is better not to prolong this discussion, which may 

 become inconveniently long.] 



Hops. — It is my belief that Hops are absolutely neces- 

 sary for the preservation of beer, but not at all essential 

 for yeast. The flavour is dependent on an aromatic 

 essential oil, which is dissipated by boiling, though the 

 bitter extractive is obtained in solution. An infusion, 

 however, will extract the aroma without much bitter 

 principle. Now, a decoction of Hops will not keep long, 

 any more than a decoction of Malt, but they contain very 

 opposite constituents. Hops contain tannin, extractive 

 bitter principle, wax, resin, and lignin ; whereas Malt con- 

 tains resin, gum, sugar, gluten, starch, and hordein. The 

 antiseptic properties of the Hop, therefore, are evident, 

 and, no doubt, after vinous fermentation of the two decoc- 

 tions, a combination of constituents (notwithstanding the 

 sugar, &c. of the Malt being converted into spirit) takes 

 place, and the result is a liquid, which will keep for almost 

 any length of time, if preserved from the action of the 

 atmosphere. It is evident, from the common practice of 

 brewers adding the Hops previous to fermenting the wort, 

 that they do not prevent, nor even retard vinous, but 

 undoubtedly they retard acetous fermentation ; therefore 

 yeast may be made with or without Hops.— J. B. N. 



Rabbits. — I am possessed of a property, consisting of 

 underwoods, arable pasture, and garden ground, adjoin- 

 ing to a gentleman who has large landed property, parti- 

 cularly 200 or 300 acres of underwood ; and in which 

 both *- - ' 



^societies. 



HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



April 2.— R. II. Solly, Esq., in the chair. A. Pryor,. 

 Esq., was elected a Fellow. — Mr. Hunt Grubbe, of Shirley, 

 near Southampton, sent a speoimen of slate wall contrived 

 by him, which was stated to have the following recom- 

 mendations. If placed direot with the meridian, and thus 

 made to have an equal share of sun on both sides, it will 

 ripen any fruit on either side earlier than the south side 

 of a brick wall by means of the transmitted heat. It is 

 not recommended as an outside fence, as it is liable to be 

 broken ; but chiefly for intersecting the interior of gar- 

 dens in the place of dwarf or shelter hedges. It consists 

 of squares of slate grooved into each other, and strength- 

 ened by piers or pillars, which are placed at certain dis- 

 tances — and, being built with circular and square bricks/ 

 cemented together, are round and stand out a little from 

 the wall. The trees are fastened to wires, which are fixed 

 into the slate about six inches apart. Mr. Grubbe stated' 

 that this wall could be erected tor 5|<*\ the square foot, 

 being Id. lfss than even a4£-inch brick wall, which costs 

 $\d. the square foot.— From the gardens at Chatsworta 

 were two bunches of West St. Peter's- Grape, shrivelled, 

 and in the condition of fine raisins, which Mr. Paxtoa 

 stated to be of last year's growth, and to have been kept 

 through winter at an almost nominal expense of fuel. The 

 house they have been kept in was in a low situation, and 

 therefore not well suited for late Grapes. Mr. Paxton 

 considers it a better Grape than the Black Hamburgh ;. 

 and if both have the same treatment, the St. Peters will 

 keep six weeks or two months longer than the Hamburgh. 

 Along with these were also the following plants : "~"fj en ~ 

 drobium Paxtonii, a large specimen, with orange blos- 

 soms, having a black spot in the centre ; also Eria exca- 

 vata, cut specimens of Dendrobium Wallichii, D. cteru- 

 lescens, and Ccelogyne interrupta, the latter with pretty 

 white and yellow flowers. A Knightian medal was 

 awarded for the Dendrobium Paxtonii.— Messrs. Loddiges, 

 of Hackney, sent Dendrobium macrophyllum in good con- 

 dition,— this rare species is remarkable for the strong 

 aromatic fragrance of its fiue lilac blossoms. A Kn, & E 

 medal was awarded for it.— From Mr. Green, gr. to sir • 

 Antrobue, Bart., was a most beautiful large specimen u 

 Erica aristata major, uniformly covered down to the po 

 all sides with pretty carmine and white waxy blossoms? 

 also feathered with healthv dark-green leaves to toe : / 

 extremities of the branches. Along with it was a s 



ling Calceolaria (called zebrina), the flowers « of wbic / 

 were of a bright yellow, beautifully spotted with wo > , 

 Amaryllis hybrida, and Boronia anemonefolia, tne ^ 

 with pretty rose-coloured flowers. A Ba , £" n „ st0D , 

 was awarded for the Erica.— Mr. J-aokson, ot * in s 



sent Tremandra Hugelii, a greenhouse P ,ant *. wl „ t int he 

 ing star-like lilac blossoms, having a small dark spo 

 centre—From Mr. Fielder, gr. to W. Lin wood, i iq r 

 was a cut specimen of Phycella chloracra, a buio. . 

 Mr. Hartweg from rocks near Saragura ; the flow ^ 

 that bore the handsome but not gaady g r ^ n> .^ high-^ 

 yellow blossoms sent was said to have been <i tt. * • ( 

 —Mr. Robertson, gr. to Mrs. Lawrence r sentaco ueci^ ^ 



plants containing Cyrtopodium Andersonii, r ! re 'J axii i ar ia 

 such perfection ; an enormous specimen ot J> vecie9 

 Harrisonii in wonderful health ; Brassia ^ rayss, a ^ * .^ 

 from Guatemala ; Oncidium ampliatum noejor; W ^^ 

 a Hippeastrum, and a well-grown plant oj &« c 

 moreana. A Knightian Medal was awardsd for w ^ 

 first.— From Messrs. Henderson, of Pine-apple *»£ * 



toTnrlfnAot^ • ?> my •nnoy.nce .nd injury, he suffers the breed! first.-From Meslrs. Henderson, of Pine-»pp « ^^ 



to incline to the glass sides. The phm may answer m a , ng f rabbits to such an extent as to destroy acres Odontoglossum Rossii, sent from Belgium ***** * e »** 



