1844. J 



^"thTcijrrent of air coming from the north- 

 U owing to i coUer latitadC| and pa8S ing over a 



"**' er surface as it approached us, which caused it to 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



557 



When 



^ V.e/w'e i»*ta«l vegetation would be all right 

 l?m ihe ciVcumstance of the current of air com.ng from 

 wm latitude, descending and condensing as it reached 

 ;° but such »as not the case, as the great heat the 

 ^r'th had attained, caused a powerful surface action suf- 

 Sdmt to present the deposition of moisture ; and it was 



,,,„til contrary currents of air cooled down the 

 °, ^h«e "hat rain fell, and vegetation made any 

 * 17« How far we shall profit by the experience of 

 SKS "ason I cannot say j, but I consider that 

 * ' \V P A " is entitled to our thanks for his judicioi 



• _i ' 'hV n".V sneaks of a flower-garden being i 



ious 

 arks "E C." speaks of a flower-garden being in 

 IZtJ about ^^j-Aj^ftJmj 



accustomed to see in other years. Had"E.C. men 

 tioned a few of the plants he saw and also said ^ some- 

 thing about their arrangement, it would have considerably 

 enhanced the value of his statements.- G* 



Pine-Apples.— In a late Number, M. S., replying 

 to an article of mine on the Fruiting of the Pine- 

 Apple, states that I have said, M Queen-Pines showing 

 fruit in August would ripen fruit by the end of October." 

 On referring to my MS., I find it there written " the end 

 of November." I noticed the mistake in the article 

 when it appeared, and I beg to assure "M. S.," if it 

 iswas written October in my communication, it was an 

 error of mine, but at the time I imagined that it was a 

 misprint. I may mention that, with houses properly 

 constructed, it is quite practicable to ripen the Queen- 

 Pine between the time of showing fruit in August and 

 the end of November.— James Roberts, 



Thornfield Pines. — A trip to Thornfield has afforded 

 me the pleasure of spending an hour with Mr. Hamilton, 

 and I can add my testimony to the great excellence of 

 the peculiar plan adopted by him in the fruiting of the 

 Pine, as shown by the beauty and size of his fruit. In 

 my opinion, Mr. H. is anxious to have for his principles 

 of culture," " a fair field and no favour;" and certainly 

 if the practice, in the hands of others, proves equally 

 successful, he may with full assurance look forward to 

 the period of the great object of his wishes being 

 attained. Such instances of persevering industry, and 

 singleness of purpose, merit the favourable considera- 

 tion of all. — ^4. B. C. 



Planting Pines in Tan. — The remarks of " Judex " 

 have induced me to add further testimony with regard to 

 the bad effects resulting from planting out Pines in tan. 

 ! I am exactly in the same predicament as "Judex." After 

 ^ consulting Mr. Hamilton's Treatise on the Pine, I 

 planted out nearly 100 fine succession plants in new bark, 

 ( similar to what Mr. H. recommends; to my dismav, 

 however, the plants all showed fruit in a few weeks after- 

 wards, and on examination I found that instead of making 

 roots in the tan, they had nearly lost all they had. The 

 tan was slightly dried before being put into the pit, and 

 it had a nice heat in it when the plants were put out, as 

 wellas all the time they remained in it ; in fact, I never 

 paid so much attention to anything as I did to this pit 

 ot Fines : I watched them morning, noon, and night,and 

 i am sure that the fault does not result from ally mis- 

 management, but is wholly attributable to the tan.— 

 „{" . '-"Another correspondent writes as follows: 

 tw m u dThornneld lately, and I am not surprised 

 Jt i 1 *? a - vward should nave considered the Pines that 

 are planted out to be a year older than those in pots, for 

 ueir appearance fully justifies that opinion. With regard 

 to the statemept of « Judex " that tan • is considered to 



n?l n °, ef,ili ! ing P *""'' J iraa § ine lhe Allowing 



Pi lin ™ J astlf * a diff erent opinion. I had a seedling 



g ' * - ,Zed * )0t > which l Ponged in a bark-bed, and 



LndtK 8 w'r hCnlcame t0 h " * for re-potting, I 



the nJ ! f d pushed it8 roots through the bottom of 



loose h» £ *T the bark ' that after l ha d shaken the 

 „L bk Jf. there remained a mass of roots firmly 



rubuhi, ge T er X lar * e as a No - I2 - Si2ed r ot - * f ™y 



tteT « 11 fi A? ,d , advise them t0 ™ !t Thornfield, where 

 nation !fl Ir ' Hami lton willing to give every e*pla 

 will in f mode of c «lture, which I have no doubt 

 Krowim, » me ^ ntirely overtu ™ the old system of Pine 



^r.terremk* I * ushworrh > Dewsbury. A third 



<*ener and "a Pi,l" * have L lon S been a Poetical gai- 

 equal tn S. nn t grower > but l have never seen Pines 

 attached fn ?r " T hornfield '> **! are grown on suckers 

 fruit cut f I 8t ° o1 ' and l have myself seen two 



f n»it riner,^ ^ Same sto ° l in onc y ear J the second 

 Plant of Jn 1 " tCn months af ter the first -wis cut. A 

 fcsUsnnJT 108 .' which matured its fruit in December 

 %, will h/ lpen J ns anotb er fruit, which, in all probabi- 

 convinced/K ?*, y for cuttin S in October. I am quite 

 Mr. Hamilt » P re Judice is laid aside, in a short time 

 *QJ should •? S S ? Stem * iU be generally practised ; and 

 ri °r qua it ^ Twice the quantity of fruit of supe- 

 n owhererpZi^ an .. b e P roduc ed in the same space. 1 

 tan are Jl m V"* "Eton's Treatise that leaves and 

 « all den^ toen ed ; Mr * Hamilton's system does not 

 some are !1 »°5 . turnin S ou t the p!ants into the tan; 

 tt « greater T! i n com P ost » 8n d* some are in tan, but 



tan, howeteri them are in ,)0t, ; lhose tbat are in 



P°ts; but i» r V * nrade twice lhe Progress of those in 



b 7 Plants -!!f i J that ! above allude to are produced 



P ant8 Srowing m soil.-^. C. Turner, Stockport, 



A fourth communication says—" Judex* (p. 524), who 

 states that he has been acting under the advice given in 

 Mr. Hamilton's Treatise on the Pine Apple, turned out 

 into tan, or rather into tan and decomposed leaves, mixed 

 and laid up in a heap which had been at work six weeks, 

 24 fruiting plants. He writes that the tan was just to 

 give life to the mass, and adds that such a compost is 

 just what Mr. Hamilton would have selected himself. 

 Now, I would inquire in what page of my treatise he 

 discovered such a compost recommended? Had he 

 communicated to me his intention of differing so widely 

 from what I have recommended in my Treatise (see pp. 

 58, 73, 60, and 103), I could have informed him what 

 the result would have been, namely, that three parts 

 decomposed leaves to one of tan would act like leaven, 

 souring the whole lump as soon as fermentation com- 

 menced ; and it appears that it had been put up in a heap 

 for that purpose. It is wrong to charge me with having 

 recommended such a compost. If " Judex " has ever read 

 my Treatise, he must have remarked my caution against 

 the use of impure tan, as well as of other composts. Has 

 "Judex" used the same compost which I have recom- 

 mended for tanks ? If he has not, 1 shall not be responsible 

 should that also prove a failure. My plants which fruited 

 in last December are now swelling another fruit ; a fact 

 that can be proved by persons of the highest respect- 

 ability, and whose veracity no one will question. Mr. 

 Barnes's excellent remark, p. 31 of this year, is worthy 

 of perusal. He uses sweet pure composts, similar to 

 what I emp'oy myself. " Judex " justifies himself by 

 cautioning the readers of the Chronicle against — not the 

 compost which I recommend, but his own bad material, 

 of which he is the inventor. If he will visit Thornfield 

 soon, he shall have ocular proof of the advantages of 

 planting out Pines in tan, both with regard to plants 

 and fruit ; and I dare state that the largest fruit he ever 

 saw, according to the size of the plant, is now ripening 

 on my improved modeof planting in tan. Themostofmy 

 fruiting plants, however, are growing in a mixture chiefly 

 composed of soil similar to that recommended in my Trea- 

 tise, and such as I will always recommend where the tank 

 system is used. I imagine we are only learning to cul- 

 tivate the Pine ; every succeeding year adds something 

 new to our experience. In conclusion I would state, 

 that any Pine-grower adhering strictly to my system, 

 may with ease perfect one fruit every year from the same 

 plant. I have formerly, and still do, cut three fruit in 

 two years from the same plant. — Joseph Hamilton. 



Morphology. — Monstrosity of Cerastium. — The 

 curious illustration of Morphology which is sent with this 



the ovules, and assist in their development into seeds. 

 There were numerous specimens possessing this interest- 

 ing structure. The soundness of the morphological 

 views held by scientific botanists is now so well esta- 

 blished by the numerous instances of different organs re- 

 verting to their original type, which have been brought 

 to light, as not to require my advocacy in this place ; 

 still, it would appear that there are persons who so mis- 

 represent, or perhaps misunderstand the facts, as to sup- 

 pose and state that those who hold them are not as full 

 and firm believers in the superintendence of a Divine 

 Providence, and know as certainly that everything in 

 Nature is perfectly adapted to perform the functions for 

 which it was created, as they are themselves. To such 

 it can only be said, that the unprejudiced search after 

 truth cannot fail to produce a fervent admiration of the 

 Divine power and wisdom that is displayed in the 

 creation. — Charles C. Babington t St. John's College, 

 Cambridge. - 



The Gray Wagtail.— ^Soms of your readers may be 

 pleased to hear a little more of the gray wagtail, an 

 account of which appeared in your columns on the 21st 

 of last October: they may like to be informed what 

 became of it, and whether I succeeded in discovering the 

 object of its visits to my house. I am still unable to say 

 anything decisive on the last point ; I had the window 

 washed as I proposed, but this made no difference, the 

 bird coming as before. Once it was seen to pursue an 

 insect, which it caught, after alighting upon the ledge ; 

 but such a solitary instance cannot prove anything. 

 Several windows were occasionally visited, though the 

 first continued the favourite. After a while, we became 

 so much accustomed to the tapping, that it scarcely ex- 

 cited our attention. I have learnt that two other houses in 

 the parish were in the course of the winter visited in the 

 same manner, and at one of them a little alarm was felt 

 by some persons who were disposed to be superstitious : 

 but it seems difficult to account for the appearance of so 

 humble a creature causing alarm to any one. When 

 wrote before (early in the month of October), I stated 

 that I had not observed any more wagtails of the same 

 species about, but others arrived afterwards. Still, I 

 believe it was throughout the same individual that visited 

 us; and I form this opinion from having often seen my 

 feathered acquaintance stop at a particular spot (the 

 shallow water alluded to in my former notice), both when 

 going to and returning from the house ; and I never per- 

 ceived but one in that haunt, though in other places there 

 used to be more of these "wagtails together. For the 



same reason, I conclude that, as our visiter came here 

 note was found a few days since on the banks of the river I ths first, so he remained the last of his kind : I noticed 

 Wye, near Tintern, and seems to be of sufficient interest one bird for some time after I had lost sight of the others, 

 to deserve notice in the Gardeners 1 Chronicle, as illus- and that one frequented the haunt aforesaid. Boarula 

 trating those sound scientific views which have recently made his adieus to us at the window on the 18th o£ 

 appeared in that Journal. The usual structure of this February, but he lingered in the village another fort- 



genus is too well known to require description here. 





Fxp lunation of the Magn ified Fig n rex . 

 1. An expanded flower. 2. The ovary and stamens. 3. The 

 ovary cut open, showing the ovules. 4. An ovule. 



In the present plant it will be seen that the petals and 

 sepals have quite taken upon themselves the appearance 

 and structure of leaves, and that the germen also clearly 

 shows that it is formed of five leaves, attached to each 

 other by their edges. The following is a description of 

 these curious flowers : — Sepals 5, green, hairy, distinct, 

 spreading, oval, differing from the uppermost leaves only 



night ; I saw him on the 1st of March, soon after which 

 he must have commenced his journey to the north. 

 When he left us he had not changed his dress, but 

 doubtless he long ago put on his best suit. I trust he 

 found a constant mate, and a comfortable home, and if 

 he has a family, that they are all doing well. Should he 

 visit us again in the autumn, he shall have a welcome; and 

 I hope he will then come somewhat less careworn in his 

 looks. — S. Warnford. 



Coniferous Plants.— Could you turn the attention of 

 some practical botanist to writing a book upon the nature 

 and habits of Coniferse ? A small work like Rivers' 

 '• Rose-fancier's Manual " would answer the purpos 

 admirably ; and the smallness of its price would bring it 

 within the reach of every one. The information chiefly 

 required is a detailed account of each variety, to what 

 climate and country it naturally belongs, the quality of 

 the timber, and in what description of soil it attains the 

 greatest size. Mr. Selby, in his admirable work on 

 British Forest-trees, speaking of the new varieties of this 

 tribe, begs of gentlemen not to content themselves with 

 merely planting them in pinetums and shrubberies, but 

 to give them a fair trial among other forest-trees. We 

 shall never know which of them are adapted to this 

 country so long as we only plant them in the shrubbery — 

 always the driest and most sheltered spot about the place, 

 and where the gardener carefully shades them from the 

 snow and winter blast. If we wish to find what they are 

 really worth, we must put them out in our plantations, 

 and a very few years will show which of them are likely 

 to be acquisitions, and which are not. Some may thrive 

 very well in a shrubbery, when protected from the snow; 

 but be quite unfit for bearing up against a long continued 

 storm, with their branches bowed down with six or eight 

 inches of snow upon them. Others may do very well 

 when sheltered from the wind, but be brittle and apt to 

 snap over when exposed to sudden gusts. Varieties with 

 both these faults may thrive for years in a pinetum, and 

 yet be worthless as additions to our forest-trees. I was 

 delighted to see in the Chronicle, some weeks ago, that 



by being broader in proportion, and smaller, and having delighted to see m ,ne ^nronicie, some weeKs ago, mat 

 a membranous edge towards the end; petals spreading, an Irish gentleman had taken the matter up in this light, 

 and quite similar to, but smaller and rather narrower and had made a plantation of 11 acres of Deodar. If 



qu 

 than the sepals ; filaments of the stamens covered with 

 hairs like the leaves ; anthers unchanged ; germen 

 covered with hairs, green, oblong, with five ribs 

 and furrows, tipped with five minute callous points, 

 and only slightly connected at the top; ovules 

 apparently abortive. In these specimens we see what 

 must be a demonstrative proof to all unprejudiced minds, 

 that the sepals and petals do not originally differ from 

 leaves, but are the same organ adapted to the perform- 

 ance of a different function ; and also, that the germen is 

 nothing more than several similar leaves (for, if separated 

 and spread flat, they differ solely in size) placed toge- 

 ther iu such a manner as to form a pouch, to include 



other planters would follow his example, we should soon 

 know practically the merits of every new variety. I 

 intend doing the same this next winter, and am now busy 

 fencing and draining the land for a plantation o( Scotch 

 Fir and Larch, among which I shall plant as many seed- 

 lings as 1 can get of P. cembra, P. gerardiana, P- excelsa, 

 P. laricio, P. pallasiana, Deodara, Morinda, Araucana 

 imbricata. The only protection they will have will 

 be a few Osiers round them, to keep off the rabbits 

 and hares. As the ground on which they are o 

 planted is a high open upland, about 1000 feet above 

 the sea, it will be a sufficiently severest as to whether 

 they can stand our winters or not. 



Waldeve. 



