1844.] 



THE GAREDNERS' CHRONICLE. 



575 



perfectly hardy and permanent shrub. These judicious 

 trials of exposing plants will do much to place a proper 

 ralue on those from the high regions of tropical coun- 

 tries and will read a lesson to many who select warm 

 nooks and sheltered sites for plants otherwise accus- 

 tomed to brave the scourge of the four winds of heaven. 



— Jl G. 



Miscellaneous. 



Culture of the Double Rocket — The double garden 

 Rocket (Hesperis matronalis flore albo pleno), is one of 

 the most interesting plants we have. Although it is 

 three centuries since it was introduced from Italy into 

 this part of the world, it has still a great number of 

 admirers, although it is very capricious as regards soil, 

 and rarely lives many years in most gardens. I have culti- 

 vated this plant for many years, and with much success. 

 It is true, that the soil of my garden is considered to be 

 particularly favourable for its culture; nevertheless, I 

 am convinced that if particular care were not bestowed 

 on the plant, as I shall point out farther down, the soil 

 alone could not secure us against the loss of our plants. 

 I consider it quite hardy, little affected by light or shade, 

 not caring whether the soil is stiff or light, damp or dry, 

 and able to support any degree of cold. It has many ene- 

 mies, but, if I am not mistaken, one only that is fatal ; 

 if haste is not made to prevent its bad influence, this 

 enemy will soon destroy the plant, which seldom escapes 

 from its attacks : I therefore regard the Double Stock as 

 an ungrateful pi in t, which makes an ill return for all the 

 care that is bestowed upon it. The enemy in question is 

 the larva* of an insect, at present unknown, which pro- 

 bably deposits its eggs in the stem of the plant, or even in 

 the crown from whence the young shoots proceed. 

 These lame, when they are allowed to exist, eat out for 

 themselves a way, till they come to the young shoots, 

 which they infallibly destroy, along with the mother 

 plant, the following spring. The latter appears, at first, 

 to be sound and well, and the young branches unfold; 

 but in a few days the leaves turn yellow and wither, the 

 ■tem droops, and the interior, when examined, is 

 found to be hollow, and gnawed at its base. It is often seen 

 that at the same time the upper leaves are surrounded 

 and held together by the threads of a little grub. 

 People fancy that this grub is the cause of the death of 

 the plant, but that is a mistake, for such grubs may be 

 found upon either healthy or unhealthy plants, and in 

 reality only eat the ends of the leaves, without attacking 

 either the flowers or the stems. The destruction of the 

 larvae in question, at the right time, is therefore one of the 

 most important things in the culture of the Hesperis 

 matronalis ; it is not difficult to effect, and does not 

 require much attention; the little trouble that it occa- 

 sions is well repaid by the success. Here is my meihod :— 

 After the flowering, towards about the middle of August, 

 cut off the stem close to the ground, for the purpose or 

 exciting the root to make some shoots. About the end 

 of September— a week sooner or later, according as the 

 snoots are strong— take the plant entirely out of the 

 ground and separate the shoots one by one. That done, 

 divide the old root in two by a vertical incision. If the 

 inside is quite healthy, green, and full of pith, without 

 circles or violet streaks, the shoots may be planted with 

 perfect success. If, on the contrary-and it is generally 

 ■o-jthe old root is hollow, violet or black inside, or only 

 inirked with circles and streaks of those colours, the 

 snoots must be examined attentively at the part where 

 they j ,ned the mother plant ; cut a little piece off, and 



seem to be loaded to its full floating power; although 

 some of the pods had been injured and some burst, 

 enough remained entire to transport the stone, thus sug- 

 gesting an idea to all makers of floating jackets, chairs, 

 and other contrivances to be used in shipwrecks, never to 

 inclose the air in one mass, but in a great number of 

 subdivisions, each watertight, and containing each a 

 number of little balls filled with the gas. A slight in- 

 jury, such as perforation of a pin, may now render the 

 best Macintosh-floater fatal. Not so, however, with the 

 algae when they go availing, and execute on a small scale 

 what icebergs are said to have performed in transporting 

 the large boulder stones over the globe.— Calcdonu 

 Mercury. 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS 



For the ensuing Week. 



• ^ 



I.-HOTIIOUSE. CONSERVATORIES, &c. 



Almost all the soft- wooded stove plants that can be grown 

 into large specimens by one or two seasons' growth, like Pelar- 

 goniums may be conveniently treated like that popular tribe 

 cut them back after they are done flowering) keep them drv 

 for a week or ten days, and then shake them out ot the mould ; 

 shorten their large root?, and pot them in light rich compost in 

 as small pots as their ro„ts can be got into. This i s a good time 

 to look over a collection for this purpose. Where a large con- 

 servatory is to be kept gay ail the year round, this class of stove- 



£fe£L?i * JSf. m0llt U8efuI t0 cul t»™te, as you can alwa\ 

 winter them in little room, whereas fine woody plants will soo 

 get too large and take some years before they are tit to appear 

 m a good conservatory. Another great advantage is, that as 



joo jull always find, before you come to the first radical 

 nores, a lttl white curved ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 



hll \ l i , mUst be ki,led > and th *n the shoot will 

 rnl?!; f eakhy and vi 5°™« Plant. I have never dis- 

 wered two maggots in the same shoot; nevertheless, 



aurZ T ^ at the infested stock produces in the 

 autumn will perish the next year. If by chance the grub 



JL? fou ? d , m som e of the shoots which have the 



toon^i 8 °. re described ' they must not be planted 



MruJY !l ° rs ' for you ma y be sure that the y wiI1 



been pv» l pria Z Iike those which ™*ht not have 

 cnlttofiTJ ! i ; -° r the S rub is ofte " hidd *n and dim- 

 shoots fro *k ,S necessar 7 that the separation of the 



be better Ki ° l(l Stum P should be done with care ' t0 

 roots th* t0 examin e each ; and if some are without 



soon nrnf may be treated like cuttings, for they will 



Ih00ts in ,T 6 r00tS ' When the P laDts liave made ma *y 



rW .uiZ ! utumn » they may be again divided in the 



To look V ~ " ULa, . n str< >nge . _ 



there are!!,^ 8 in tbe m iddle of spring is useless, for 



Sprint Pifk ' ""v ma y De a g am divided in the 



«pec.alh t X n, . uIti P | y the number of P lant8 > or m °re 

 TnU,, ° obta in stronger and handsomer bunches. 



ttted from 11 ^' » Cutti ngs of three or four eyes, sepa- 

 tQ e shad , stem » easiI y take when tbey are placed in 



cuttin?s V u kept moist ; the best time t0 make 

 they are m 7 1 ^ l0WCr flowers are ever " When 

 violet insid • 6 f- ater .' * e re J ect those which are hollow or 



cutrin?sT T kepfc moist > the best time to make 



they a V 7 • the lower flowers are ever. When 

 J ar e made 



otn ers, they ' f ° r altnou § h tne y mak e some roots like 

 less to'wini arC i 8Ure t0 P erisn in the spring. It is use- 

 tta y throw Cr °i plants * for out of 20 stems which they 

 the rem*;. ; Up ' at ieast wil1 perish in the sorine, and 

 Other? n * two * " 



*R> « ' the Cultu 



tn d excesJi^u W ° rd ab ° Ut iU Stagnant water in winter, 

 * 1'Assn.Z^ m sum mer, alone kills them. (Annates 



Th * CTiTJ[° rt ' de Pru "*> *• P- W- Vote.*-, 



»no8t dan*,, the author ot ' this article indicates as the 



Bnt °«noIoVur U8 4 enem y» is the larva of a fly, called by 

 tte Sam/ Anti.omyia brassicse. It appears to be 



«.__ insect that- -. .i 



."5. two wi » °my ~b ; 



re is so simple, that it is not neces- 



spring, 

 ear insignificant flowers. 



'etnarked nn**k that causes tlie excrescences that are 

 dei Pair of La r00t8 of Cabbages, and are often the 



gardeners.— Revue Horticole. 



or four months. 



Conservator!/. — Pelargoniums that have been struck from cut- 

 tings early last March, and planted in the reserve garden early 

 in Ju«e, should now be fine plants tor flowering late in autumn' 

 their first attempt at blooming in the open ground has been 

 checked, of course, and now as their second flower buds are 

 well formed they may b?t«"ken up carefully and re- potted. Some 

 people commita great error at this Stage, by patting such plants 

 into heat at once; this should never be done ; the grand point 

 is to keep the leaves as free from excitement as possible, until 

 the roots get hold of the new soil ; a cool close frame cover 

 with canvass is the best place for them ; but in the absence of 

 this, the north side of a wall or hedge will do ; sprinkle them 

 over the leaves twice a day, and in ten days they get over t 

 check, without losing a le;;f. Chrysanthemums and all other 

 plants that are planted out for a summer's growth— a v ry ex- 

 cellent practice— should be treated in this wav, and should not 

 be allowed to remain in the ground to.) late; "keep the conser- 

 vatory dry from this time, and little air is required, except for 

 keeping down sun-heat, now that the growth of most plants is 

 nearly over. 



Pits, Frames, 8fc— There are many of the new Verbenas that 

 will force admirably through the winter, with little heat; this 

 is the time to get a supply for this purpose. The new Veronica 

 speciosa also forces well for early spring, and although nearly 

 a hardy plant, will stand as much heat as an Ixora. Pentas 

 carnea and Manettia bicolor will answer likewise, and all lovers 

 of the lovely Chinese Azaleas, who can aflford it, uught to ha\ 

 the new varieties of them mentioned last May and June. The 

 Nurserymen have been very successful in propagating them, 

 and they may now be had reasonable. The old Luculia is as 

 much sought after as if it were a plant of recent introduction, 

 a proof that it is not a long liver under cultivation ; it flowers 

 freely in loam, but for pot cultivation and in the hands of begin- 

 ners hardly any loam should be used ; equal quantities of peat, 

 leaf mould, and sand will keep it in good condition for many 

 years. When it is growing freely it can hardly have too much 

 water, therefore it should have a good drainage, and ought to 

 be under-potted. Every one knows by this time that it grafts 

 as freely as an Apple-shoot on several stocks.— D. B. 



II.— FLOWER GARDEN AND SHRUBBERIES. 



Out-dour Department. 



Before the propagation of plants for turning out is proceeded 

 witn to any material extent, it is as well that a proper arrange- 

 ment should be made as to what number of plants are required 

 in another season. To keep up the interest of a garden, espe- 

 cially if planted on the grouping system, requires some con- 

 siderable skill and forethought, to vary the scene in each 

 succeeding year so as to prevent the arrai ment beo-ming 

 monotonous. Thus if warm colours prevail to any material 

 extent this season, it would be as well to introduce a m jor.' 

 of old colours next season and to edge each I f the Utter 

 with its complementary warm colour. Indeed tbe system of 

 edging beds with contrasting colours Imparts a highly interest- 

 ing feature to the flower-garden, and more especially to such 

 beds as may be distributed over the lawn without any method- 

 ical arrangement. For these purposes no plants are so will 

 tdapted as those which have variegated foliage, and for that 

 reason a large stock of variegated Pelargoniums should be 

 provided. The best of these is Mangles'* variegated, the 



The Common Heron. — The animosity prevailing * 

 against this fine bird arises from his frequenting the 

 ponds for a few small fi*h. For this offence he Mia a 

 prey to the gun of the keeper, and the miserable emblems 

 of his success greet the eye, nailed against the barn-door, 

 or other more convenient site. Thus, for the preserva- 

 tion of a few fish, is this noble bird allowed to fall a 

 sacrifice to ignorance and cruelty. I remember a keeper 

 anxiously m pursuit of one who had made his appearance 

 on thereof a magnificent piece of water/and ven- 

 tured to plead, but in vain, for his preservation. The 

 water in question was of such an extent, that vast indeed 

 must have been the congregation of these birds to have 

 made any serious diminution of its inhabitants._J M 



Pot Drainage.-^* have received from a corres- 

 pondent "A.* at Lincoln, some samples of zinc clip- 

 pings, cut circular, and punched full of holes, so as to 

 serve for the drainage of the bottoms of water-pots. If 

 they do not choke up, they will be very useful, because 

 they willeffectually hinder worms from drawing into the 

 pots. Our correspondent assures us that they answer 

 the purpose perfectly. 



Stones made Buoyant — A stone crossed the Firth 

 with the S.W. wind of the 5th. A single plant of sea- 

 weed had grown upon it, and, being covered with nu- 

 merous air-bladders, migrated with the stone to the north 

 shore. Upon being lifted out of the water, the stone 

 weighed 3 lbs. 11 oz., and the material of the plant 

 Zlbs. 3 oz., making in all a weight nearly of C lbs., 

 which the buoyancy of the air inclosed in a multitude of 

 small pods had safely ferried over. The plant did not 



ga is an interesting variety, as j, nso a very small- lea red 

 variety called Dandy. This variety makes the neatest edging 

 lor a small bed of any plant that I am acquainted with. Of 

 common Pelargoniums some of the best for beds are the 



'sir »r and Gem, and Wood's Queen Victoria // 

 : Jossop's Sir William Middlcton, and Sharp's w >n 

 urpte /'/ es, light.ed K rd : Hrinkler's Perfect 



common and golden variegated, and the different varieties of _ __ w j 



variegated Ivy- leaved Pelargoniums. The rose-scented varie- I of us, you find that a very scarce commodity, you will not think 



of Orange Alexandr.na, Oliver Twist. Coronation, Gauntlet, 

 Bijou, Sidonm, Gipsy, Garth's P, otion, and most of the 



ry free blooming varieties. Of the Oak-leaved kinds. Moor's 



ictory is very neat, Roljisson's Unique also makes a fine bed. 

 and the old Fair Ellen is not without interest. 



Routine.— Attend particularly to the regulating of over- 

 growths, especially in Pet as and strong-growing Verbenas - 

 keep them well cur in so as to form neat beds, and vet do not 

 let there be any appearance of their having been cut. Mow 

 sweep, roll, and keep all neat and clean, and if there is any 

 worm- casta in the walks water them with lime-water.— JP. p. 1_ 



III.— FLORISTS" FLOWERS. 



Carnations.— Layers must be regularly and carefully w alc ici 

 wl r dry weather makes it necessary, and all weeds should 



be removed as they appear. Those who layered their plants early 



H have man iffieiently well rooted to remove. Ama-eura 

 and others commencing the cultivation of these beautiful 



wers (and they are, we are happy to find, on the Increase/. 



will do well, as we before have urged, to obtain their layers in 



me. The following Hst of very fine varieties we have 



proved, and r< amend thorn with the greatest confidence to 



■ung i. . r.murs; and those growers who do not alreartv possess 

 them should i them to their stock :- / Bizarre*: Elliot's 



Duke of !.u,d, Hepw rth'» True Brit arneboy; 



( r,mson ' Lord Milton, Wakefield's Paul Pry, 



and (.., y' s i i Brougham arlet Flakes: Uucknall's 



sses * tsley'sMari and Wilson's William t 



Purple Flnka: Hrabbnr* .icy I, Pollard's First-rate, 



an »go : llnsr Fir. : Y Ann and I xdy 



esry- 



cllington; 



- - .- Gidden's 



\ espaslari, and John's Prince Albert ; 1 edged. Dickson's 



l r r! ^ ( , '• , sharp's Invincible,! ftl nssun's Char! 



Ltght-cdged Rose: Gulden's Favourite, and UHrnard'a Mrs. Bar- 

 nard; Heanjf edged: Green's Qu Vicl a, and Wilson's 

 Fanny Irby. Ran duset.-Y ngsinpansnr tcs,* 

 'gntto have been kept growing as long as uld 

 w, u the Grass is witn, m, ;, be taken up; this must be d-ne 

 with j .tcarc, a^ oyofthei % are very miuui nhliiu. 

 —Earwigs are more than usually ann< ng: small pots in 

 which a little dry Moss is placed may be fixed on the supports, 

 and examined every morning.— J. f' W. 



IV.— PINERI . VINERIES, &c. 



Pineries.— The cloudy weather that has prevailed of late has 

 been irable f<>r the plants lately repotted. Those which 



are round to have commenced rooting may nave air admitted as 

 usual, and idiof may be dispensed with. If the surface of 

 the Soil i cposed to the atm e it will be necc ry to 



water occasionally] but if covered an inch or two with tan 

 nothing more will he required than syringing over the leaves 



on tbe afternoons of fine days. Pay attention to the s heated 

 by dung, turning and renewing the linings, when the heat is 

 found «o declining. Take an early oppoitumtv before winter 

 of laying in a stock of soil, it it be not already done. Choose 

 the turt about two or three inches thick, from a field or common 

 a here the soil is of a firm, loamy nature. It will be in good 

 Ddition r Pine-growing by February, if laid up now in 

 narrow ridges in a dry, airy s o, where the sun and wind 



can act upon it. In October, after a tew dryintr days, it maybe 

 thatched with dry Fern, or, what is much better, covered with 

 a moveable roof, slanting both ways, to throw off the rain, and 

 supported by posts at the corners sufficiently high to allow of a 

 current of air passing between the covering and the soil. 



Vineries. — The \ mes intended to be started in November may 

 be pruned now, if the leaves are fading. Do not shorten the 

 spurs of these too much, as the chances of their showing well are 

 ry much less than if they were not to be started before the 

 end ot January ; and by leaving two or three eyes ti. ere is more 

 rtainty ol a regular crop; and it is easy to rub off the top 

 buds at any time, i( the bottom ones show. Prune also the 

 Vines in pots, for early forcing. There are few better purposes 

 to which any spare lights can be applied from this time till the 

 Vi';e< are started than p rig them over the borders to keep 

 them dry, and if a board is placed on edge under the lights, 

 o as to exclude the cold air, a great deal of heat may be accu- 

 mulated in the soil by the end of October, when the lights should 

 be removed, to e place to h good thick thatch of "dry Fern. 

 Soon ng of this kind, if well done, w.mld contribute much to 

 tl iccess of early forced Vine-. The wet weather, after the 

 long drought, has caused an increased growth in most late 

 Vn » , ami care must be taken not to stop the laterals so much, 

 as to c lusS any of the principal eyes to start. Be careful to 

 revent drip, and persevere in guarding against damp, from 

 whatever cause, where ripe Grapes are. I do not recommend 

 the top-dressing of Vine borders, at this late period, so long as 

 the Vines are growing; but as soon as they are pruned, let a 

 mixture of the best dung, chopped turf, and road-scrapings, be 

 laid on the boraer, to assist the Vines in the following season. 



Peach- houses.— The trees in the early house have now com- 

 pleted their growth, with the exception of an occasional rank 

 snoot or two, which should be stopped as often as they start. 

 Let the surface of the inside border be loosened up, and as 

 nuch ot it removed as possible without injury to any of the 

 fibres. Replace this wi'h a mixture of half-decayed turf, from 

 a rich pasture and soot — eight barrowfuls of turf to one of soot. 

 Figs. — Where Figs are on the Sack wall of a late Vinery, let 

 them on the first fine day have their final watering for the 

 season, as it will be injurious to the Grapes to moisten the soil 

 beneath them after this time. 



6 rli,rries.—lt the earliest laid plants have filled the pots in 

 which they were laid, cut tbe runners, and a few days after 

 shift the plants into six- inch pots, using a compost of decayed 

 irf and dung, laid together two years previously. Stand the 

 pots in an open situation, on boards, or slates, or a preparation 

 of ashes, to prevent the ingress of worms.— G. F. 



V.— HARDY FRUH' AND KITCHEN-GARDEN. 

 Strawberries.— Proceed with making fresh plantations, choos- 

 ing \rcil-rooted ru: rs, or such as have been taken up and 

 pricked out in beds pit ily. It matters little whether they 

 are pla d in beds or iu rows, provided the plants have a 

 sufficiency of room. The ground should be well trenched and 

 manured, and if the soil is a stiff nature, the addition of a 

 considerable quantity of gritty matter will be of advantage for 

 keeping tbe ground open, as no spade ought to be inserted 

 among them until they arc finally dug down. For general pur- 

 poses, no sorts are preferable to Keen's and the Elton Pine, and 

 planting on different aspects tbey will furnish a very early 

 and a very late supply. Some of the new sorts I have not seen, 

 and of others, such as Myatt's British Queen, I, as well as 



ive got a spurious kind. Other sorts that have come 

 y notice are not comparable to the above two -t9* 

 when both llavour and productiveness are taken into consider- 

 ation. Rows or beds intended to produce next season should 

 now have all their runners removed, and tbe plants thinned 

 out, that the buds left may be fullv matured. Br adop f ing the 

 latter practice, and surface manu in;, one plantation will pro- 

 duce plentifully for a series of yenrs, though this is not gene- 

 rally desirable, as it would interfere with a rotation of cropping. 

 Cucumbers.— Those on ridg :ave generally do..e well this 

 season, but we cannot expect them to do so much longer, un- 

 less there are means for protecting them. Take every oppor- 

 tunity of securing heating material to keep in a healthy vigo- 

 rous state those in frames. If you can command plenty of dung 

 you may think yourself very fortunate: but if. like many more 



