1844.1 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



desired, and will make magnificent plants by the 

 autumn. Now, with these facts and experiments before 

 me, I think I am justified in cautioning the readers of 

 the Gardeners' Chronicle against planting in tan, for 



525 



'O though I have no doubt of Mr. Hamilton's success, or 



mTj sincerity in recommending it, yet as it differs materially 



•j, * in quality in different localities, and as it is considered 



tf^ of.no fertilising power, I am sure it will be better to 





s 





plant out in Boil, than to run the risk of failure with tan. 



Sit is butju8tice to say, the plants which the experi- 

 „, ments were made with were not clean, and were sub- 

 I^J jected to aaamoniacal vapour, produced by pouring gas- 

 fcy{ water in the tank for ten days, which destroyed the 

 I^JJJ points of the leaves, but did not kill the scale. Had all 

 ^ *Ji the plants been in tan, I should have attributed 

 the failure to the use of ammonia, but as those planted 

 ^H in soil grew rapidly afterwards, I should not be justified 

 251 in doing so. Such is the result of my experiments: 

 and although I do not think a bit the less of Mr. 

 Hamilton's book for the failure, being convinced his 

 practice is good, yet I think it best that these facts 

 should be recorded. — Judex. 



Pine-apples.^ Having called upon many gentlemen's 

 gardeners during the last nine months, the general con- 

 versation turned upon the culture of the Pine-apple ; 

 and they, finding that I was an intimate acquaintance of 

 Mr. Hamilton, of Thornfield, inquired particularly about 

 his mode of cultivating the Pine ; but I am sorry to say, 

 that most of them appear stiff-necked and stubborn— hard 

 of belief. They could not, or would not believe it pos- 

 sible to fruit the Pine from the sucker still remaining 

 I upon the old stool ; and when I stated that it certainly is 

 possible, and that annually, whereby no succession- house 

 was required, they some of them broke out into a rage, 

 t* saying — " Do you consider us all fools, and are we 

 kb to abandon the practice that we have followed all our 

 time, and our fathers before us ?" This was very morti- 

 m> tying to me, having known Mr. Hamilton for these 11 

 te years, 5 of which I was a near neighbour. Although 

 ^ these last six we have been separated, I am well aware 

 ^ : of his method of cultivation, following the same practice 

 BL , ttjself when I have the opportunity ; and I can assert, 

 .that when we were near neighbours, we were not excelled 

 . in the neighbourhood of Manchester; and I can safely 

 mt add, that Mr. H. ably maintains his ground. I dare 

 venture to predict that the gentlemen of Manchester 

 t will not be satisfied till their tables are supplied with as 

 ; noble Pines as Mr. Phillips's. About a month back I 

 called upon Mr. Hamilton, who immediately called my 

 attention to a stock of Pines, saying—" You see 1 have 

 improved in my practice since you were here last"— it 

 J 'being then six years since I saw him ; and, taking me to 

 "a pit of plants— one-half of which were in pots, the 

 "Pother half turned out of the pots, and planted in the tan, 

 'he said, " Do you perceive any difference in this pit of 

 plants? Yes, I replied : this half foointine to those 

 JJ gat were planted out) are a year older than "the other. 

 , His answer was— " No ; they are all of the same age ; 



»fc S 6 WCre planted out the firsfc week in March last." 



^ We then went into the fruiting-pit, and some noble fruit 



.there was. Mr. H. then said—" Do you recollect how 

 heavy was the largest Montserrat that you saw here?" 



** les, I said ; it was 5£ lbs. " Well," he replied, * that 

 was the heaviest that I ever grew whilst I kept them in 



pots ; but since I have turned them out, I have grown 

 the same sort to 7 lbs." I have no doubt that there are 

 seme of the present " shows" that will attain that weight ; 

 and be it remembered that these are all suckers upon the 

 old stools, some of them being the third and fourth an- 

 nual crop. Should any of my brethren of the spade 

 doubt this, if they will take a trip to Thornfield, Mr. H. 



Will have much pleasure in showing them the proofs upon 



,*2&e premises, and convince them of the facts ; and 

 surely facts are stubborn things — John Hayivard, Sum- 

 merhxll, near Newport, Salop, July 29. 

 A Habit of the Common Wasp.— I felt puzzled to find 



it should be known, however, that Fames's Pea is the 

 most productive, and is a very desirable sort to succeed 

 the Early May. Another sowing on the 16th of March 

 gave the same result. Shilling's Early Grotto is still 

 later by a week or ten days. I take this opportunity to 

 recommend the Scimetar as a more productive variety 

 than the well-known Green Imperial. The Auvergne is 

 also an excellent bearer, each pod containing from seven 

 to nine peas.— J. B. Whiting. 



Whitney's Composition.— Have you had any com- 

 plaints of Whitney's Composition rendering the calico 

 tender ? I covered half a greenhouse with Whitneyed 

 calico, and the other half with the mixture recommended 

 by " Devoniensis ;" the latter is not quite so transparent, 

 but the calico (which is a very good one, for which I 

 gave 6d. a yaid) is quite sound and strong, whilst the 

 former is as tender as cap-paper — W. Wilkinson Piatt. 

 The Polmaise Healing. — The system of heating de- 

 scribed by Mr. Murray in last week's Chronicle, appears 

 to me as objectionable as the old flue mode of accomplish- 

 ing this, without its advantages, and scarcely reconcileable 

 with our present knowledge of the subject, at least if I 

 rightly comprehend his plan. It appears to me ob- 

 jectionable to place the heated air at the back of the 

 house ; our common notions on this are to place the flue 

 or chamber as near the front as possible ; that would be 

 fully recognising the principle which Mr. M. lays down 

 as the basis on which his system is founded,' as the 

 coldest air is at the front of the house ; but how this air 

 is set in motion does not appear intelligible by the plan. 

 The second objection which strikes me as fatal to his 

 system, is that of " admitting fresh air from without, 

 keeping up a healthy atmosphere," as indicated in the 

 plan at C, C. Now, how does the air become unhealthy? 

 Why, by the noxious gases which escape from the stove, 

 as there can be no other means of contaminating it. 

 Air is the same in all cases, unless it is rendered un- 

 wholesome by the decomposition of some material, such 

 as tan or dung, or the noxious impurities generated by 

 flues. If hot water was used in the same house, it would 

 be quite unnecessary to think of admitting air from 

 without.—/?. Glendinning.— [We are informed by a 

 gentleman who has seen this house, that nothing can 

 exceed the health of the Vines.] 



Local Horticultural Societies. — A Horticultural 

 Society was formed at Torquay last summer, under the 

 title of the "Torbay Horticultural Society," and held 

 its fourth Exhibition on the 19th of July, 1844, when 

 Mr. L., a jobbing gardener of Dartmouth, became' a sub- 

 scriber, and gained an extra prize for Martyniafragrans 

 which I consider very unfair. In the regulation for the 

 Exhibitions, the fifth rule says—" No article shall be ex- 

 hibited for a prize unless bond fide the property of the 

 exhibitor, for two months before the days of exhibition." 

 The plant in question was not the property of the exhi- 

 bitor, but the property of on? of his many emplovers. 



AO 



it 





between this supposed species and L. perenne. The 

 other alleged differences are equally invalid.— Garden 

 specimens of Festuca pratensis (Huds.) and arundinacea 

 (fechreb.) to show the strongly marked differences 

 between them ; the latter being three times the size, 

 extremely hard to the touch, and very dissimilar in its 

 flowers, and mode of inflorescence. In F. pratensis 

 the branches of the panicle are erect after flowering, the 

 paleae or glumes obtuse and awnless, and the sheaths of 

 the leaves nearly smooth. In F. arundinacea, the 

 branches of the panicle are horizontal or reflexed, the 

 glumes acute and awned, and the sheaths and leaves very 

 rough. Mr. W. admitted F. loliacea and pratensis to be 

 forms of one species ; indeed, he had shown this to the 

 Edinburgh botanists, just after they had printed their 

 Catalogue, in which F. loliacea is kept as a distinct 

 species, while F. pratensis is united with F. elatior, 

 (Linn). But he was not yet prepared to combine all 

 three, and the F. arundinacea likewise, under the one 

 name of F. elatior, as is done by Mr. Babington. Mr. 

 >V . s plant of F. arundinacea was originally brought to 

 his garden from the Isle of Wight, and is now a large 

 sheaf, with hundreds of flowering stems, four to seven 

 feet high, and the root-leaves half a yard long.— A 

 specimen of CEnanthe pimpinelloides (Linn.), to show 

 the cylindrical form of the fruit, which exactly corres- 

 ponds with that of the Sardinian plant (admitted to be 

 the true species), except in having less callosity at the 

 base. This was taken from a plant in Mr. W.'s garden, 

 the parent of which had been brought thither from a 

 hedge bank in the Isle of Wight. Mr. W. recognised 

 a second species in Britain, after sent to him under the 

 name of (E. peucedanifolia, and readily distinguished by 

 its turbinate or elliptic fruit, on extremely short pedicels, 

 and more resembling (E. globulosa, than (E. pimpinelloides. 

 The peculiar form of the root to some other specimens, 

 resembling that of a Dahlia in miniature, induces a 

 supposition that there may be a third species, although 

 he has satisfied himself that the roots vary greatly with 

 age and situation, and do not afford such certain charac- 

 ters for distinction as may be found in the fruit. The 

 CE. Lachenalii (of Babington's Manual) is apparently 

 the species frequently sent under the name of CE. peuce- 

 danifolia, though occasionally named CE. pimpinelloides 

 by English botanists. He would illustrate this subject 

 more fully on another occasion. Specimens of the 

 garden Fennel, to show the little importance to be 

 attached to the difference of the stems being fistulous or 

 filled with pith. These specimens were sections of stems 

 arising from a single^root, of different dimensions, but 

 of nearly equal age and stage of development. Some 

 of them (the thicker) were hollow, others filled with 

 pith. A question respecting a distinction of species, 

 between the wild and garden Fennels, had been raised 

 in consequence of one author describing the stems as 

 fistulous, while another finds them solid ; but since both 



»* t; 



f\ reason why female wasps frequent the common Laurel 

 ^arly in spring. I had observed the fact so repeatedly 

 fiat I determined to watch them ; and then perceived 



-*ieir object was to obtain- the nectareous juice secreted by 

 ie three or four glands seated on either side the midrib 

 T£f& near its base, on the under surface of the leaf. As 

 JV presume the wasps of other parts of England have the 

 me habits as those which are born in this neighbour- 

 hood, the above observation may be serviceable to wasp 

 stroyers. They have only to watch the Laurels in 

 u ring when the females are thus attacking them, and 

 If ^ ey may prevent the formation of as many nests as thev 

 4^1 destr °y femal es at that season. A hoop gauze net 

 f jch as entomologists use, will readily serve for their 



V*» Ure *~" Jr - Sm IIens I°w> Hitcham. 

 fl^,IW--The notice of the comparative earliness of some 

 «i the new Peas, published in the Chronicle last vear, 

 .IJ^ms to have induced rather numerous trials of the sorts 

 'Z* n ? m '. and the result has been in some cases in 

 ichnl' l n t mother8 . a S a instthe Early May, under 

 ch name, however, it is now evident that more than 



knnw \ s \T7 d a - The ? ea l w caIled Ear »y m^ 



g* known by that designation, and also as Cl/ttol* 



*-r^ " identical with 



&FZ\ %l nUCe A K e . rt J at 8ny rate ' J cann °t P^ceive 



'i'Sb tLt f I!"* 6 ^T et \ them ' l W b *en told 

 ,**yiy that it was first brought into this neighbourhood 



,y some part of Sussex, where it is cal e 1 by some 



^< er name. In order further to test the earline s of 



f >J, i Pea, as compared with Fames's First Early, "owed 



■ , h sorts side by side on the I4th of February Ind 



^.r after-treatment was precisely alike; the E v' May 

 % fi : U8e on the *<* <>' May, the other not till the 



M thus giving nearly a week in favour of the former! 



• - — * *r CJ O ^ " www V-i44i U1V 



m the same class with gentlemen's gardeners ? If the 

 Secretary tolerates such things as these, the Torbay 

 Horticultural Society will soon share the fate of the 

 Dover, Faversham, and Eltham Societies ; namely, 

 start up to-day, nourish to-morrow, languish, and 

 then disappear. If this practice is not checked in time, 

 the Society will die in its infancy. If the Society wishes 

 to offer prizes for jobbing and for market gardeners, 

 why not have a class for themselves in which to exhibit, 

 as is the case at Chiswick ?— A Gardener, Dartmouth. 



Flower Gardens— The Season — Reading the Calendar 

 of Operations, relating to the Flower Garden, I find that 

 the writer, like many others, has suffered through the 

 influence of this uncongenial season. I cannot, however, 

 agree with him in the statement respecting bedded out 

 plants. Indeed, from what has come under 'my own 

 observation, I am fully convinced of the contrary. Last 

 week I visited the gardens of the Rev. R. Boyl, Marston 

 Rectory ; likewise those of S. F. Phelp, Esq., Warmin- 

 ster, besides those at Longleat, the seat of the Marquis 

 of Bath— and it is really gratifying to witness the vigour 

 and beauty of the various beds in the different flower 

 gardens. I have been in the habit of visiting each of 

 those places for some years past, but never on any for- 

 mer occasion did they appear so exquisitely beautiful • 

 and much praise is due to the gardeners, who, through 

 perseverance, have rendered them such, under most un. 

 favourable circumstances. — E. C. 



^octettes. 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 

 July 5. Dr. Bossey in the Chair.— Specimens of the 

 following plants were exhibited, sent to the Society by 

 Mr. Hewitt \\ atson :— Carex elongata (Linn.) found 

 abundantly in Weybridge marshes. This locality is 

 interesting to the metropolitan botanist; the nearest 

 habitat, previously on record, being in the county of 

 Salop.— A pubescent flowered variety of Bromus com- 

 mutatus (Schrad.) found plentifully, along with the 

 more abundant glabrous form, in a meadow by the river 

 Mole, between Esher and West Moulsey, Surrey. This 

 variety affords another instance to prove the little 

 importance which can be given to the character of 

 smooth or downy flowers, as a specific distinction in this 

 genus. It will form an addition to the London Catalogue 

 of British plants, (b. pubens) to be entered under 

 Bromus(1355)commutatus.— A specimen of Loliummul- 

 tiflorum, the root of which was dug up, when in flower, 

 in a sown field last year, and the plant is now copiously 

 flowering in Mr. W.'s garden ; thus proving its 

 perennial existence, although the alleged annual root of 

 L. multinorum has been considered the best distinction ■ 



istmction would be quite inadmissible for a specific 

 character.— A stem of Hieracium Lawsoni, which had 

 borne 20 flowers, in Mr. W.'s garden, this spring; and 

 others had flowered more numerously than this one. 

 In the wild state on the Grampians (the locality from 

 which the plants were brought three years ago,) this 

 species has usually two, three, or four flowers only. He 

 had seen a wild Irish specimen, with six or eight flowers. 

 No care} had been bestowed upon the plants in' his 

 garden, except occasional watering in dry weather, and 

 removal of weeds from about them. He sent the 

 specimens merely as an example of the little dependence 

 to be placed on the number of flowers on the Hieracia ; 

 indeed, among the Compositse generally. A wild plant, 

 growing free from the interference of other plants about 

 it, might also increase its flowers five or ten fold, as 

 practical botanists must be well aware from observation. 

 —Read, A Synoptical View of the British Fruticose 

 Rubi, arranged in Groups, with Explanatory Remarks, 

 (Part 4,) by Edwin Lees, Esq., F.L.S. The paper was 

 accompanied by drawings and specimens. 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 



July 11. — This, the last meeting for the session, was 

 held in the Royal Botanic Garden, Professor Graham 

 in the chair. The Treasurer read a paper on three 

 Genera of Desmidiese, by Mr. J. Ralfs, Penzance, viz., 

 Desmidium, Glceoprium, and Schistochilum. Mr. J. 

 M'Nab read a portion of his Journal of a Tour in the 

 United States and Canadas. In the last notice, Mr. 

 M'Nab gave an account of the excursion from Albany 

 to Troy, and thence to Stillwater, with notices of 

 the most interesting plants observed during the jour- 

 ney thither : the present portion is chiefly confined to 

 observations on the Botany of the same district. Julv 

 15. Few species rewarded their exertions, the greater 

 portion being out of flower ; of those gathered, the most 

 attractive were Lobelia cardinalis, and Habenaria fim- 

 briata, both in great abundance, the rich spikes of scarlet 

 flowers of the former being admirably contrasted with 

 the delicate purple blossoms of the latter ; these two 

 species formed the bulk of the flowering plants ; mixed 

 with them, but more sparingly, Habenaria lacera and 

 Neottia cernua occurred, with Apocynum androssemifo- 

 lium, the latter being the most abundant, and covered with 

 a beautiful coleopterous insect, which appeared to be 

 peculiar to it. On the sloping banks of the river, in 

 thickets of Sumacks, Hazels, Willows, &c a gigantic 

 species of Solomon's Seal, Polygonatum lalifolium, was 

 observed; some of the specimens measured seven feet 

 nine inches in height, with roots four inches in circum- 

 ference. In several places the ground was so matted 

 over with the stems of the Poison Oak, Rhus toxicoden- 

 dron, that the hands of the party were much blistered ia 



3 



12 It ^:r, for a jobbing gardener to exhibit conditions can exist on one root at tire same time, sucn 



