1844. 



THE GA RDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



Grand *Exhi- 



M 





RUINATIONS AND PICOTEES.- 



V/* i n now in full bloom, at Messrs. N. & B. Norman's, 

 Ball Fields Woolwich. July 6, 1844. 



T* 



459 



r raND FLORAL FETE & HORTICULTURAL 



VT EXHIBITION, will take place in the RosherTille Gardens, 

 rravesend, on Wednesday, July i;th, 1S44, when Prizes to 

 the extent of 50/. for the best productions will be distributed. 

 Two full Military Bands will be in attendance, and the Even- 

 inr's an us -ments will conclude with a brilliant display of Fire- 

 works. The Gardens will be opened to the Public at 12 o'clock. 

 Admission, 1*. each. 



Z\)t Q5i&tTtmtv& Cfjrottfcfe 



SATURDAY, JULY 13, 1844. 



MEETING FOR THE TWO FOLLOWING WEEKS, 

 •femur, July 23 Smith London F loricultaral . 1 p.m. 



A correspondent has sent us the following state- 

 ment concerning the Judges at the last Royal 

 Botanical Society's Show in the Regent's Park. 

 He complains of two things. The first is, that two 

 or three Nurserymen were appointed to judge the 

 Amateurs' Roses, and three Amateurs to judge the 

 Nurserymen's in return, nearly all of whom were 

 themselves exhibitors ; so that, in fact, each party 

 judged the other's Roses, The second allegation is, 

 that although one Nurseryman was disqualified, in 

 consequence of having too many stems in several of 

 his varieties, yet another Nurseryman, exhibiting 

 two Roses without names, and two others of the 

 same kind with the same name, received a prize; 

 an extra prize, on the other hand, was, he says, 

 awarded to an Amateur who had fallen into the same 

 error which disqualified the Nurseryman. This 

 method of judging he complains of as unfair ; and 

 very justly, if true. 



But upon making inquiry, we find that, as to the 

 first allegation, no Nurseryman whatever was among 

 the judges of Roses, nor were there two sets of 

 judges lor those flowers ; so that the first statement 

 is altogether a mistake, and requires no further com- 

 ment. The second charge is answered by the judges 

 thus :— There was but one Nurseryman's stand that 

 did not, as far as the judges could discover, comply 

 with the regulations, and that one was otherwise 

 inferior, in their opinion, to those which received 

 prizes. Not one of the Amateurs complied with the 

 regulations, and therefore the judges had to decide 

 whether they would refuse prizes to the whole of 

 hem, or, as they were all alike in error, determine 

 their merits without reference to the regulations. 

 I hey decided upon the latter course- and they did 



rignt. 



Our correspondent adds that « Fair play is a jewel f 



and we entirely agree with him. He too will, we trust, 



agree ■ * nh us in thinking that, as oiher persons are, no 



t!.U «« ! V hG S . anie misa PPrebensions as himself, 



W ?r n f 1Cln S his communication is more 



he S7- ° f ^M^od old English maxim, than 



ave !n 10n ° f U ' without comment, would 



•m 3 "! BR,DI81NO > already led to import- 

 Kt ,ey arC ? rohM J nothin - compared to 

 thr Lh L eXpeCtCd t0 Come of h ' We anticipate 

 cu tivate 1 J f T ^ a chan S e in the whole fa ce of 

 ev a L P amS ' ? d we sba11 be ™<* ^rprised if 

 rac S0 ftrL y€arS i dOn0tbrin g us acquainted with 



Ismene, Buphane, Calostemma? &c, while he had 

 only raised the usual seedlings. 



It is hard to say within what limits the operation 

 may be successfully practised. The general rule is 

 that plants only, which are very nearly related, are 

 able to inoculate each other. But there may be 

 exceptions to this. At least we know that very near 

 connexions have, or seem to have, a great aversion for 

 one another. For example, a Raspberry and a Straw- 

 berry are first-cousins, yet they appear to have no 

 mind for an alliance. A Gooseberry, Currant, and 

 Black Currant are still nearer to each other, and 

 their repugnance seems invincible; at least nobody 

 has yet found means to hybridise them with each 

 other, though many have attempted it. On the 

 other hand, Heaths, different as they are from each 

 other, intermingle freely ; Cereus speciosissimus is 

 readiiy inoculated by the night- flowering Cereus; 

 and even the creeping Cereus has been crossed with 

 the former; the Rhododendron will fertilise the 

 Azalea ; and, strangest of all, the Red Cedar has on 

 several occasions been found to inoculate the Ameri- 

 can .Arbor Vita?, the issue from which is that curious 

 whipcord-branched plant called in the gardens Thuja 

 filiformis. This singular shrub was so produced for 

 the first time in Messrs. Loddiges' nursery at Hack- 

 ney, and has since been obtained in the same manner 

 at Paris. These facts open a very wide field for 

 inquiry, and are especially valuable as affording evi- 

 dence that the limits of hybridising are far from 

 being narrow. 



In the midst of many experiments conducted 

 without exactness, from which no safe conclusion 

 can be drawn, there are some which, in the hands of 

 such men as the Dean of Manchester, seem to justify 

 the important inference, that as a general rule the 

 properties of the male parent will be most conspi- 

 cuous in the hybrid. For example, Mr. Herbert 

 crossed the long-yellow-cupped common Daffodil, 

 with the small red-edge-cupped Poet's Daffodil ; and 

 the seeds of the common Daffodil furnished a bulb 

 with most of the attributes of the Poet's Narcissus. 

 The same gentleman also obtained out of a capsule 

 of Rhododendron ponticum, inoculated by Azalea 

 pontica, seedlings which had entirely the habit of 

 the latter or male parent. 



In like manner the arborescent crimson-flowered 

 Rhododendron atlaclerense was raised from the seed 

 of the dwarf pallid R. catawbiense hybridised by the 

 arborescent crimson R. arboreum ; and when the 

 common scarlet Azalea, with its crimson flowers and 

 narrow leaves, was inoculated at Highclere by Azalea 

 pontica, Mr. Gower found that its seeds produced 

 plants much more like the male than the female 

 parent. Exceptions, or apparent exceptions to this, 

 do no doubt exist, and hybrids could be found who 

 are either half-way between their father and mother, 

 or more like the mother than the father; but as far 

 as any means of judging at present exist these would 

 seem to be the exception and not the rule ; and there- 

 fore the greater influence of the male may be taken 

 as a tolerably safe guide in all experiments upon this 

 interesting art. 



jciiiaie, wi:n cigDt or ten shining eggs, of an oval 



form, and a Lemon- colour. The mother was firmly 



fixed by her rostrum, which is more slender than the 



finest hair; and it was inserted into the skin of the 



fruit with such force, that it was with difficulty we 



could remove her. Beneath another scale were two 



or three smaller ones, which had been formed by the 



young under their parent ; for, on removing these 



minute scales, which were bright brown on the disc 



little females were disclosed, similar in colour to the 



eggs. It is not a little remarkable that these are a 



totally distinct spccii from that which inhabits the 



leaves; indeed, they belong to different genera. The 



leaf.scale, having the shield attached to the animal, 



is arranged under the Linnean group called Coccus ; 



whilst that on the fruit, as we have just shown, is not 



attached to the scale, which forms a distinct shield ; 



and this structure characterises thegenus Aspidiotus. 



It is fortunate that little ne 1 be apprehended from 



this scale; for no remedy but the destruction of 



the fruit could avail in its extirpation. Put should 



it ever make its appearance in any numbers, it will 



be advisable to gather the affected fruit at once and 

 burn it. 



Those who are desirous of becoming better 

 acquainted with the habits of these insects will find 

 the economy, \c. of several species discussed in last 

 year's Gardeners' Chronick ; but we may here state, 

 that the males of the three species of Coocid* la- 

 sting the Orange-trees are, we believe, unknown to 

 naturalists. '1 hey are no doubt exceedingly minute, 

 with two little white wii and two tails, similar to 

 those of Coccus Aceris, t 1 in CurtiV Brit. Ent, 



pi. 717. It would be of essential service to destroy 

 thea enth men, in order to prevent the fertility of 

 the females ; and, since our first notice of the subject, 

 it has occurred to us, that if the application of any of 

 the adhesive paintings of clay, marl, \c. did not 

 destroy the old females, which might ( pe the 

 operat on of scraping, from being ationed in the 

 forks or upon young branches, still they would, if done 

 in a workmanlike manner, prevent the young, pos- 

 sibly, from hatching, or at least from seeking fresh 

 spotsfor subsistence ; andif this end only were accom- 

 plished, the Mussel- scale must disappear the follow- 

 ing season. We also think that the delicate males 

 would be sealed up in their cocoons, from which they 

 issue backwards. 



Having thrown out these hints regarding the dif- 

 ferent species of scales which affect the Orange- 

 trees, it only remains for us to observe, that as one 

 of the most important uses of the Gardener* 

 Chronicle is to direct the attention of its readers, who 

 have leisure and opportunities, to the most effective 

 modes of destroying noxious insects, we trust that 

 such as have Apple and Pear-trees afhe ed by the 

 Aspidiotus conchiformis will try experiments, and 

 communicate them through this channel, by which 

 means they may assist materially in saving the 

 Orange-groves of the Azores. — R. 



subject \n.l t* 1S - Wanted is t0 cal1 attention 

 *hich the exDe r im ln f ^ what the P rin <*ples are 



The effec? P fc ei ? ter has t0 bear in mind - 

 one flower to M X , by "PP^S the P olIen of 

 Scares the mil gma ° f another ' The P ollen in ~ 

 Perfofmfnt RiST^ *• sti S ma the female. In 



precautions .-Tt£ f , *! 1S necessai 7 to use these 

 n » stamen^ /J e fe ^ aIe ^wer must be deprived of 



P° n en ; and a Y burat and dis P erse their 



enough t n h^iV*? 011 as tne stigma is glutinous 



with care ^ l \ , f *$ the pollen must be applied 



15 very likel* ♦ tu • s care not be taken the stigma 

 ° w * or som; : nVl be inoculated with the pollen of her 



h is intend*] ♦ ° Wer ' and then the P oIlen which 



^ays borne in "^i WiI1 not take ; for lt must be 

 cannot be i nor 7 1 , tllat a stigma once inoculated 



Precautions nL , a 2 ain - From want of these 

 ha ve obtained" hT v? • f 6 ^ntinually fancying they 

 natural seedlina * when thev nay e only gained 

 f-callcd hybrid At least halr " the specimens of 

 h > ; b "dised »t ill ^11° us for examination, are not 

 ^l is Ule si Tf u th \ D «*°* Manchester, 

 T shes to obtain aU auth °rities in this matter, 



w rce th * femalp * ° r0S8 ' be alwav * endeavours to 

 blow , so as t X . *"**! before others of its kind 



!° n fro * Pollen ^ S ^ ml • aga 1 j nst a ccidental inocula- 

 ^n to th ^ boating m the air. Want of atten- 



0n lb * part of Tverv^ • t0 S ° me sin g ular errors 



In resuming the important subject of the Scale 

 Insects infesting the Orange plantations in the 

 Azores, and elsewhere, it may be observed that there 

 are two others, of the same family, which affect those 

 trees. The most formidable one is named Coccus 

 Hesperidum, which we have frequently observed on 

 the under side of the leaves of the Lemon and 

 Citron, as well as of the Orange ; and in greenhouses 

 it is said these scales will attach themselves to 

 Myrtles also, when they are kept rather warm. This 

 animal is covered with an elliptical shield, which is 

 inseparable from it, and of a deep brown colour, with 

 a pale margin. It is a difficult pest to exter- 

 minate ; and although many modes have been sug- 

 gested, the best will not succeed, unless applied with 

 care and perseverance. Lime and Tobacco-water 

 may be thrown with the syringe upon the under 

 sides of the leaves, the worst of which must be cut 

 off, collected into baskets, and immediately burnt. 

 This should be done at the coldest period of the 

 year, when the young are inactive ; for we have seen 

 them running about as late as November in a green- 

 house. We would also recommend a decoction to be 

 made of shag Tobacco and water, say 1 lb. to a gal- 

 lon, in which the leading shoots, when affected, 

 should be immersed ; and by repeating the experi- 

 ment, it may be ascertained at what degree ofj 

 strength and heat this liquor may be used, so as not 

 to injure vegetation, and yet destroy the animals. 



There is found also upon the Oranges, especially 

 attached towards the crown and around the stalk, a 

 smatler oval scale ; it is of a brownish colour, and 

 something like an oyster-shell when magnified, being 

 slightly convex, with the anterior edge pale and 

 membranous. It adheres very closely; and those 

 which we removed left a whit spot beneath. Under 



FRENCH CULTIVATION of the PELARGONIUM 



{Continued from page Hi.) 



Propagation. — This is usually effected in two ways — 

 by seed, and by cuttings ; the last mode is practised to 

 preserve the choice varieties, and the other to obtain 

 new ones ; for it is not to be supposed that the seed will 

 produce pi mts similar to those from which it is taken : 

 that scarcely ever happens. Cuttings are generally taken 

 when the plants have ceased flowering, when they 

 must be cut down to the second or third leaf above 

 the shoot of that year. Strip off two or three leaves 

 from the lower part, and the stipules, or little leaves, 

 which are at the bottom of the stem ; the cutting should 

 be cut across immediately under a joint, then planted in 

 a small pot with the soil wdl pressed around it, but not 

 so as to hurt the bark. The watering-pot, if the earth 

 be damp, will not be required, otherwise, a slight water- 

 ing will be necessary ; after which they must be left to 



/ ingenious correspondent, who one of these scales we found a fleshy Orange- coloured 



must then be exposed to the air, by opening the top of 

 the frame ; at night they should be left entirely unco- 

 vered ; and when sufficiently accustomed to the cpeu air, 

 they should be put into beds in an open situation, in 

 order to make them hardy and strong. When the fibres 

 have lined the sides of the pots like network, they require 

 to be put into larger pot?, in which they may remain 

 until the general time for repotting. There are two 

 ctier modes of taking cuttings, which succeed at least 

 s well. A border being well dug, pulverised, and 

 raked, linei are to be drawn at the distance ol five or 

 six inches from each other ; the cuttings prepared as 

 described are then planted in rows, and the name of each 

 variety is painted on small wooden or lead labels. The 

 planting finished, drive into the ground at each end 

 a small wooden fork, and lay a stick across them, to 

 support a mat to shade the cuttings from the sun. After 

 ten days or a fortnight the matting should bs pat on 

 later in the morning, and taken off earlier in the even- 

 ing, and it should never be spread in rainy weather. 

 In pots five or six inches in diameter, plant four or five 

 cuttings around, an inch from the sides ; water them very 

 jently, and then range the pots under the shade of a 



