294 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[May 11, 



I looked 



hundred and twenty, free from infection, 

 over them this morning, and removed more than 

 seven hundred infected leaves. I should have left 

 many without a leaf if I had determined to remove 

 all that had a speck on them. I have syringed rather 

 freely, and closed my house early these last seven or 

 eight weeks, acting upon last year's experience, and 

 nothing could exceed my success then. i 



When (at p. 182. 1844). we noticed Mr. Hamil- 

 ton's work on the Pine-apple, we expressed a wish 

 to have some evidence as to the quality of the fruit 

 obtained by his system of cultivation. Our reason for 

 making the inquiry was, that unfavourable reports on 

 the subject had reached us. If we had acted on those 

 reports," or upon the information communicated 

 anonymously bv persons from Manchester, we should 

 have done Mr. Hamilton great injustice; but for- 

 tunately, our experience of the world has taught us 

 to be very cautious how we credit assertions made to 

 the disadvantage of any man, and also how to estimate 

 detraction when it comes before us. 



We have now to say, for the information of Pine- 

 growers, that no doubt can be entertained respecting 

 the good quality of the Thornfield Pines. Mr. John 

 Parkinson, of Manchester, states that they are well 

 known to be delicious; that the Montserrats are 

 excellent at all seasons; but that the Envilles and 

 Providences are inferior when ripened in winter 

 (and where are they not ?). Mr. Jas. Worth, gardener 

 to the Rev. E. T. Leigh, of Cheadle, speaks to the 

 same effect, and expresses his unqualified approbation 

 of all that he has seen of Mr. Hamilton's manage- 

 ment. And finally, we can assert, upon the evidence 

 of one who has seen the Thornfield Pines weighed, 

 that there is no exaggeration in the reports concern- 

 ing them on that head. We may add, that the guests 

 at Mr. Philips'! table have, as we know, repeatedly re- 

 marked that they never tasted richer or more juicy 



fruit. 



We hope that Mr. Hamilton's calumniators are 



satisfied. 



nerier.ce alone cm enable you to fix the precise time. 



Those who have much will commence sooner than those 



CHICORY. 

 The increasing practice of mixing Chicory with coffee, 

 and the high duty imposed on its importation, have at- 

 tracted attention to its growth in this country : and it 

 may be interesting to your readers to be acquainted with 

 the mode and cost of cultivation. With this view I 

 send you the result of inquiries made in the neighbour- 

 hood of York, on the correctness of which you may rely. 

 I hope that this communication may induce gentlemen, 

 residing in other parts of the kingdom, to send you fur- 

 ther information on the subject. — J. W. S. 



Q. What sort of soil appears best suited foritsgrowth ? 

 A. The soil best adapted for the growth of Chicory 

 appears to me to be rich, deep, and loamy ; but it will 

 grow upon any favourable for Turnips or Potatoes, or 

 intermediate between cold stiff clay ; or a poor thin sandy 

 land ; some favourite fields are close upon gravel ; others 

 are more of a black peaty moor land. 



Q. What preparation as to fallowing or manure is 

 best ? A. No fallowing is absolutely required ; but it is 

 better that it should be winter-ploughed, and prepared as 

 for Turnips ; it must be as clean as possible, and if of a 

 friable light character, not over much wrought or 

 "loosened" in spring. The quantity of manure will 

 depend on the condition of the land \ say about 4 loads 

 of good short dung (ashes, night-soil, &c), laid on 

 broad-cast, as an average to the acre when ready for 

 rowing up, which will prevent the ridges being twice 

 turned, as in Turnip sowing. 



Q. What is the period of sowing ? A. This will 

 depend upon the season, and the condition of the land; 

 the latter end of April or beginning of May are 



preferable. 



Q. If drilled, at what distance between the rows? 



A. The double drill is in use here. The rows should be 



16 to 18 inches in width, the drills 3.1 inches apart. 



Very great care must be taken that the drills are kept 



clean, and not suffered to choke, or much ground may 



be lost, as it is difficult to tell how far they may have 



u missed delivery." They, and the roller attached to 



follow, may be worked by a quiet old pony. 



Q. Does it require hoeing, and how frequently ? 

 A. About three weeks or a month after sowing, it will 

 be requisite to hand-pull and weed. No hoe is ever per- 

 mitted. If necessary, you may employ the pony and a 

 light scruffier between the rows. Particular care must 

 be paid to the cleaning and weeding. Women or young 

 persons are generally engaged in this purpose, at 1*. per 

 day. The «• how frequently " will depend upon circum- 

 stances. If the land is "clean," 16 or 18 women and 

 children may go over it twice in a season ; an acre may 

 occupy them properly about two days. 



Q. At what distances ought the plants to stand in the 

 rows ? A. The drills must be 3-g- inches wide, and the 

 plants should be singled 2 or 3 inches apart from each 

 other. Dibbling, where seed bag failed, does not appear 



fied leaves, the petals also are modified leaves. — Q. E. D. 



I do not conceive what objection can be taken to this kind 

 who have less to take up. of reasoning, which holds good with a large number of 



How is it harvested ? A . The mode of harvesting plants. And as what is true of a given organ in one plant, 

 here is to let the taking up to a man and his family, or is also true of the same organ in all other plants, it followi 

 a gang of men, at about 21. per acre (which is considered that the calyx and corolla are always composed of modi- 

 " very bad pay," or "minimum" allowance). The 

 spades are like dock-drawers, 18 inches long, by 2£ or 

 3 broad; each plant must be "lifted" with the spade, 

 and drawn by the hand. The followers pick up the 

 plants, and carefully twist off the tops, or leaves, throw- 

 ing the roots on heaps. Here I might as well observe, 

 that cattle of all sorts are exceedingly fond of these 

 leaves ; and it is the practice, after getting the roots away 

 as quickly as possible, to turn a large quantity of sheep 

 into the field, to devour the relics ; or to cart them away 

 to the pastures, whilst they are still pretty fresh. From 

 the field the roots are taken to the most convenient 

 washing-place; a running stream, easy of access, with a 

 good gravelly bottom, is invaluable for this purpose. 

 Last year a spot was cleared where a bridge crossed a 

 stream, having a waste piece on each side, so that a cart 

 having deposited the dirty load above, could take a clean 

 ready-washed one below bridge ; of course, a dam and 

 wire-work was erected to prevent the Chicory floating 

 away. When washed, it is conveyed to the manufactory, 

 and there cut by a machine into pieces or lengths, of £ or 

 £ an inch ; these again are riddled to separate the smaller 

 from the larger (the thin from the thick ends) which 

 take more drying. They are then placed on a kiln, in 

 bags, about 16 at a time, until ready for roasting— 

 managed in a similar way to coffee; then ground or 

 crushed with shelling-stones, and made up for sale. 

 When cut, it must not be allowed to remain in heaps for 

 more than a day. Two cutters are worked by one horse ; 

 each has one knife only, and two women to feed it. 

 Q. What is the average crop per acre? A. From 3 



to 5 tons. 



Q. What is the estimated expense per acre? A. 



Rent, 8/. to 10/. ; seed, 2 lbs. per acre, at 5s. ; hoeing, 



\l. 16s. to 21. ; getting up, 21. The rent named is for a 



field ready prepared for that crop only, manure excluded. 



Q. Is it cultivated by contract at so much an acre, or 

 a ton, or by labourers at daily wages ? A, The former 

 answers will explain this. The preparation of the land 

 is done by daily labourers, and the drawing of runners 

 and the weeding ; the taking up by contract ; the land is 

 let for the purpose in different ways. 



Q. What is the price when cut and dried ? A. This 

 cannot be answered satisfactorily : it is seldom disposed 

 of in that peculiar state. Small growers send it to the 

 great growers ready washed, at about 5/. per ton. The 

 grocers retail it in catty packages at 8d. per lb. 



Q. Is it supposed to be profitable ? A. If rumour is 

 correct, and to judge from increased quantity of land cul- 

 tivated, it must be a very profitable business ; but many 

 have wit enough to grow Chicory who cannot succeed in 

 preparing it for sale. 



Q. Does the crop impoverish the land ? A. It ap- 

 pears certain it does not. Wheat grows very luxuriantly 

 after even two successive crops of Chicory. It will 

 succeed crop after crop. A field is now preparing for the 

 fifth crop ; the fourth, last year, being superior to any 

 of the preceding ones. 



fied leaves. 



Men wonder how it should be possible for leaves to 

 assume the gay colours of the flower. They forget that 

 this happens every year in the autumn, with 



Those bright leaves whose decay^ 

 Red, yellow, or ethereally pale, 

 Rivals the pride of Summer. , 



In such instances there is no change in the form or other 

 attributes of the leaf ; it is the colour alone that altera. 



One of the pro- 

 perties of the leaf is 

 to produce branch- 

 es from its axil. 

 This is so constant- 

 ly happening with 

 the sepals as to re- 

 quire no proof. It 

 also occurs in the 

 petals, as for exam- 

 ple in the common 

 Pimpernel, for an 

 example of which I 

 am indebted to Mr. 

 BoughtonKingdon. 



Fig. 1. In this in- 

 stance two of the 

 petals produced 

 young shoots from 

 their axil: and thus, 

 without direct evi- 

 dence, there would 

 be a grave suspicion 

 of the petals being 

 nothing but modi- 

 fied leaves. 



These facts enable us to account for the appearances 

 very often presented by the flowers of plants. The common 

 Hop occasionally bears leaves among its flowers. Fig. 2. 



Fig. 2. 



y 



FAMILIAR BOTANY. 

 Morphology. — No. XIII. 



The gaudy masquerader, thus equipped, 

 Out sallies on adventures. 



Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo? 





It would be dif&cult to find two things more unlike 

 each other than the leaf of a Paeony and its petals. The 

 one tough, green, many-lobed, and durable ; the other 

 delicate, rosy, round, and fleeting. If I can succeed in 

 proving that they are both the same organ in different 

 states, the case of the Morphologists, so far as those parts 

 are concerned, is established. 



The lowest leaf on the specimen before me has 15 divi- 

 sions, each about 3 inches long. The next leaf above it 

 has 9 divisions of the same size, and the stalk is much 

 shorter. A third, as you ascend the stem, has only 5 such 

 divisions, and the stalk is shorter still. The last leaf con- 

 sists of but one such division, with a very short and flat- 

 tened stalk ; this is placed directly under the flower, and 

 is the Bract. Next follows a transition leaf, with its 

 green part reduced to a narrow strap, and its stalk greatly 

 widened and rounded into a thin green red-edged scale ; 

 this forms a sepal or division of the calyx. Immediately 

 within this is another sepal, exactly like the last, except 

 that it is broader, rounder, larger, thinner, yet more 

 red-edged, and has no strap. Thereupon immediately 

 follows a third sepal, precisely like the last, but larger ; a 

 fourth succeeds still thinner, larger, and having a consi- 

 derable quantity of red upon its edges ; lastly comes the 

 fifth sepal, stained with green at the back, and thinned 

 away at the sides into the texture of the petal, of which it 

 has the red colour ; here is a transition to the petals. 

 The petals themselves differ from the last sepal in no- 



Upon examination we find that this is caused by the b 

 which are usually thin and greenish-white, ^ertiog 

 form of leaf, of which they are, under ordinary «r 

 stances, a modification. Fig. 3. 



thing, except having no green at all, and being still larger 

 and more thin. Nothing can be more complete than these 

 to answer. Those plants which "run to head" must be natural gradations. The leaves gradually change through 

 watched and carefully drawn when they show flower, or I a bract into sepals, without the smallest break in the chain 

 at the final taking up they will prove woody and worth- of transition; the sepal then is a modified leaf, and, con- 

 less, like a Radish run to seed. They can be carried sequently, the calyx is composed of leaves. On the other 

 home and prepared for sale, in the same manner as if hand, the sepals gradually change into petals, also without 

 drawn in November. a break in the links of evidence ; the petals, therefore, and, 



Q. When is it ready for getting up ? A. This depends 

 on the season. In November, if considered ripe. Ex 



of course, the corolla, consist of modified sepals. Now, 



as the petals are modified sepals, and the sepals are modi- 



In like manner the Rose will often have a ring ;of lea** 



A Sheffield correspondent ( *» J 



instead of sepals, 



