606 



THE GARDE NEKS' CHRONICLE. 



before their fruiting buds are allowed to expand. Has 

 this a tendency to elaborate the sap more than in No. 1 ? 

 Perhaps some of your correspondents may throw light 

 on this subject. — A Subscriber, Maidstone. [The last 

 circumstanc e is probably the cause of the effect observed.] 



Morphology. — It is an important consideration in con- 

 nexion with this subject to know, that the proper food of 

 plants consists of the elements of which their structure 

 is composed ; and that if a soil is destitute of those ele- 

 ments no vegetable development will be apparent, so far 

 at least as the particular plant analysed is concerned. 

 Such being the case, it naturally follows that what the 

 stem is to the soil, the flowers and fruit are to the 

 branches, namely, a higher structural result ; or in other 

 words, the flowers and fruit may be said to be rooted in 

 the stem and branches, and supported by more perfect 

 juices than the original roots afforded. Am I correct in 

 these conclusions ? — C* [Yes]. 



Culture of the Onion.— I beg to mention a method I 

 have been practising for the better growth of Onions. 

 The soil here being the worst I ever met with for the 

 culture of Onions, forced me upon trying an experiment. 

 Late in the autumn of last year, I caused a piece of 

 ground to be dug deep and left in a rough state ; I then 

 procured a quantity of hog manure, which was spread 

 over a portion of the prepared ground ; at the same time 



I got some horse and cow manure, which were also 

 ■pread separately on the remaing portions of ground. 

 Previous to laying on the manure, the ground was well 

 Baited with common salt. I suffered the manure spread 

 over the surface to remain through winter until April, 

 when it was forked off and wheeled away. Onions were 

 drawn from the seed-bed, and transplanted on this piece 

 of ground, and the result has been as fine a crop as could 

 be desired. Of the three kinds of manure tried, I find 

 that the hog manure has answered the purpose best, but 

 the Onions on all the portions are good, whilst in other 

 parts of the garden not so prepared, they have failed, 

 and are not worth gathering for keeping, as three parts 

 of them are grubbed, while the piece experimented on is 

 perfectly free from grub J. L. Snow, Swinton Park. 



Long Vitality of Seeds. — Some time since a well was 

 sunk in the Isle of Wight 300 feet in depth, and out of 

 the earth from the very bottom Charlock sprung up. 

 "When and how could that seed have got there ? The 

 whole of the place in which I reside was, about thirty 

 years ago, garden ground. Last year a sewer was made 

 in the public road, and I had some of the sandy gravel 

 laid in my garden ; this spring a number of young 

 Cabbage plants have sprung up out of the gravel, and 



II I have had no Cabbage-seed, they must have lain 

 dormant and have sprung into vitality upon being exposed 

 to the influence of light and air. — St men. 



Strawberries. — How do scientific gardeners account 

 for the habit of Strawberry-plants forced under glass in 

 spring continuing to form blossoms and fruit afterwards 

 during the whole summer, when turned out into the open 

 air ? For many years past I have forced Keen's Seed- 

 ling Strawberry by keeping it under glass from February 

 till the beginning of May, when the fruit is just turning 

 ripe. I then place them on a south border in the pots 

 in front outside my Grape-house ; this gives them a high 

 flavour — even higher than those planted in the open 

 ground. This year I had an immense crop in May from 

 my forced pots so treated; and, finding as large a supply of 

 blossoms the end of June, when the firBt crop was gathered, 

 instead of planting them in the open ground, I gave them 

 a watering of liquid guano, and the second crop in July 

 was as abundant as the first in May. Mr. Markham, 

 gardener to the Hon. R. Clive, of He well, came and looked 

 at them, and expressed, with other gardeners, his- sur- 

 prise at the very abundant second crop. The beginning 

 of this month, finding more blossom peeping through the 

 leaves, I gave them another watering of diluted guano in 

 rain-water; and a third crop is setting, and from the 

 vigorous appearance of the plants, I expect they will go 

 on to produce fruit till cut off by autumn frosts. How 

 is this ? We know that, with the exception of the Alpines, 

 the other Strawberries bear. but once in a summer, in 

 the natural ground. Why should the forcing in the spring 

 give the disposition to flower the rest of summer ? — 

 John Williams, Pitmaslon. 



Nepeta Cataria. — I beg to inform '* A. H.," p. 573, 

 in answer to his inquiry about this, of the following cir- 

 cumstance : — I had a fine plant of it last year, which 

 disappeared unaccountably at the time. I attributed it 

 to the carelessness of the gardener or the ignorance of 

 young weeders ; I searched the border where it grew, 

 and found a stout seedling, which I surrounded with a 

 fence of twigs stuck firmly into the ground. It became 

 a flourishing plant, and I prided myself upon my con- 

 trivance to preserve it ; but the fence and the plant were 

 totally destroyed not many nights after, and upon ex- 

 amining the place, I found the surface of the ground 

 where it grew completely flattened and smooth, and hav- 

 ing a quantity of cat's hairs well pressed into it — J. B. 

 Potter's Guano.— I have tried Potter's guano on Tur- 

 nips, Cauliflowers, &c, with success. The proportions 

 were, one-fifth guano, four-fifths night-soil ; on the first 

 I sowed it broadcast, and watered it well afterwards ; on 

 the other plants I removed the earth about half an inch 

 deep round the stem, and to the extent of about six 

 inches in a circle, and then spread a handful of the mix- 

 ture on the ground so prepared, and covered it over 

 again with the removed soil. All the plants were well 

 established before using the compost, and now appear 

 remarkably healthy. My garden is a stiff clayey soil. 

 Potter's guano is an expensive manure. — Falcon, 



Scorching Effects of the Sun. — I should think it is 

 probable that the cause of Vine leaves becoming dis- 



coloured under the influence of the sun, after being 

 syringed, was in consequence of the water containing 

 some ingredient that acts injuriously upon the leaf, after 

 the water has been evaporated by the heat. From the 

 various accounts given by correspondents, they do not 

 all complain of their Vines suffering under similar treat- 

 ment ; I should, therefore, recommend some of those 

 who have experienced the ill effects of syringing under a 

 hot sun, to analyse the water. — Falcon. 



1'he Polmaise Healing. — I am surprised that any one 

 experienced in gardening, especially early forcing, should 

 defend this system, as understood by the explanations of 

 it we have received in the Chronicle. It is no defence 

 of a system to invoke the crest-fallen appearances of 

 some who considered themselves the best Grape-growers 

 in Scotland ; or to allege, that " the Vines in this house 

 grow as freely as common Cabbages in a well-manured 

 garden, or Willows by wet ditches." A man may as 

 well say that Abercromby, Nicol, and others of the old 

 school, never did grow Grapes at all. Why, some of the 

 best Grapes ever exhibited before the Horticultural So- 

 ciety were grown in houses heated by common flues. 

 But surely those gardeners would have been glad to sub- 

 stitute hot water pipes for dirty smoke-flues. Every 

 gardener of experience is as well acquainted with the 

 advantages of hot water, as he is with the disadvantages 

 of flues, however well constructed ; and any modifica- 

 tion of them is but a poor apology for a perpetuation of 

 the evil. In the name of gardeners and gardening let us 

 have more satisfactory reasons for abandoning our expe- 

 rience of the last 20 years, of a system which all .men of 

 science and practice defend, and which all liberal men, 

 who can be liberal, adopt. — R. Glendinning. 



Coniferous Plants. — Allow me to observe, with 

 reference to the remarks of u Waldeve," p. 557, that a 

 small work on the Coniferse suited to the climate of 

 Britain is now in course of preparation ; but as it will 

 include all necessary information regarding the recently- 

 introduced Pines, which have not yet been properly 

 tested, it will take a few months to perfect the somewhat 

 contradictory opinions which are abroad respecting them. 

 With regard to the Deodar, Araucaria, P. excelsa, and 

 others, it would be well if planters were to take the 

 trouble to ascertain whether the young trees they pur- 

 chase have come immediately from under glass, or have 

 been growing under the open firmament. Plants which 

 have been forced into unnatural luxuriance in glass- 

 houses, and are immediately removed to cold and ex- 

 posed situations, must of course suffer greatly from the 

 change ; while the same species reared in the open air 

 will succeed perfectly well. — J. Grigor, Norwich. 



Jbocfetfc*. 



HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 Sept. 3. — Colonel Feilding in the chair. M. C. B. 

 Cave and W. Stirling, Esqs., were elected Fellows. Of 

 Orchidaceae there was a considerable number, but among 

 them there was nothing rare or remarkable. Mr. 

 Don, gr. to F. G. Cox, Esq., sent small but good speci- 

 mens of Cymbidium giganteum, Zygopetalum maxillare, 

 Brassia Clowesiana, Stanhopea venusta, and another 

 species, apparently Wardii, having a fine spike of bloom, 

 together with the variety of Miltonia Candida called 

 flavescens, Zygopetalum cochleare, and a good Cattleya 

 Harrisonise. From the same collection was also Calanthe 

 variabilis, a small Sarcanthus teretifolius, Eucomis 

 punctata, and a plant of Warrea tricolor, together with 

 the downy variety of Justicia carnea, and an Achimenes 

 pedunculata in good condition, forwhicn a certificate was 

 awarded. — From Messrs. Rollisson's, of Tooting, were 

 plants of Stanhopea venusta, guttata, and a variety of 

 insignis called atrorubens, producing pretty dark-brown 

 spotted blossoms, together with specimens of Oncidium 



sanguineum, Cymbidium lancifolium, Miltonia Clowesiana, 

 and a variety of the same, named nebulosa. — Mr. Redding, 

 gr. to Mrs. Marryat,sentafine Cattleya crispa, having five 

 spikes bearing 2 1 blooms, but almost out of flower; a plantof 

 Eulophiamacrostachya, andaspecimenoftheoldGuzman- 

 nia tricolor, a dry stove plant, seldom seen in bloom, for 

 which a certificate was awarded. — A cut spike of Stan- 

 hopea graveolcns, a fine noble looking flower, but emitting 

 an odour by no means pleasant, was contributed by Mr. 

 Errington,gr. to Sir P. G. Egerto.i,Bart.— Of Fuchsiastwo 

 seedlings were produced, one from Messrs. Lane, of Great 

 Berkhampstead ; another, called Unique, from Mr. Mal- 

 lyon, gr. to T. Brandon, Esq. The colour of the flowers 

 was somewhat in the way of Chandlerii, from which the 

 latter was raised.-— Messrs. Henderson, of Pine-apple- 

 place, sent a plantof Acropera Loddigesii, finely in bloom; 

 Eriosteraon scabrum, the small white flowering Erica 

 perlata or purialis, Begonia Martiana, with flesh-coloured 

 blossoms, and a good specimen of Echites splendens, 

 having one flower in good condition, which served to show 

 what a beautiful thing it is. It was introduced a year or 

 two ago by Messrs. Veitch and Son, of Exeter, and is 

 one of the finest climbing plants we have obtained for 

 years. It not only produces fine trusses of bloom for a 

 length of time, but each flower is said to continue in 

 perfect beauty for seven cr eight days, and sometimes 

 even longer.— Mr. Corbin, gr. to T. Hepburn, Esq., 

 re -rived a Banksian Medal for a magnificent plant of 

 Lilium lancifolium album, having eight stems, each bear- 

 ing from eight to ten expanded blooms, and showing what 

 it is possible for good management to do with one of the 

 finest plants in cultivation for adorning the conservatory 

 at this season.— From Mr. Glendinning, of Chiswick 

 Nursery, was Clerodendron fallax, in good condition. — 

 Mr. W. P. Ay res, gr. to J. Cook, Esq., received a certi- 

 ficate for a collection of cut blooms of Verbenas, com- 

 prising some of the best varieties in cultivation.-Of Fruit 



[Sept. 





so 



me remarkable specimens decorated the tablet ^ 



among which was a Providence Pine from Mr M i U ^Tf 

 Baroness de Rothschild, measuring 13 inches hirK.^To^ 

 round and weighing U^lbs. The UKftttS! 

 was 12. This was the largest Pine ever proX a ^ 

 the Society and excepting one lately cut from th?2l 

 gardens, which, we are informed, weighed 154 lb, ^t 

 probably the largest ever raised in England. }*£*£? 

 ently of its size it was beautiful in 'form, anS 1 ^f 

 markable specimen of horticultural skill ; there was 

 disproportion between the crown and the fruit ft • ° 

 stated to have been raised in a pit contrived bv Mr* 

 Mills for growing Cucumbers in. The large Silver Medal 

 was awarded for it. Mr. Mills also sent a fine speci- 

 men of his Champion Cucumber, measuring 27 inches 

 long. Other Pines present, although totally eclipsed by 

 this one, were by no means unworthy of notice.— Mi- 

 Henderson, gr. to Sir G. Beaumont, received a Banksian 

 Medal for a handsome Globe Pine, weighing 5 lbs. 13 ox 

 and measuring 8 inches high and 17 inches round! The 

 number of pips was 9.— And Mr. Fish, gr. toll. H. 

 Oddie, Esq., sent 3 Pines, one a seedling weighing 3 lbs! 

 11 oz., the other two Providences, the heaviest of which 

 weighed 8 lbs. 7 oz., and measured 8 inches high and 19 

 inches round. The number of pips was 9. It was a 

 fair specimen of good cultivation; a certificate wis 

 awarded for it. Mr. Fish also sent a Valencia white- 

 fleshed Melon, weighing 3 lbs. 4 oz. — From Mr. Murray, 

 gr. to the Marquess of Bath, were 3 Globe Pines, the' 

 heaviest of which weighed 6 lbs., and measured 7; inches 

 high and 18J inches round. The number of pips was 9. 

 — And, finally, from Mr. Saunders, gr. to C. Hoare, 

 Esq., was a seedling Pine, weighing 4 lbs. 14 oz. It was 

 a well-formed fruit, but was not in such good condition 

 as could have been wished, being ripe on the under part 

 and not at the top. — Mr. Parsons, gr. to A. George, Esq., 

 received a Banksian medal for five fine bunches of 

 Muscat of Alexandria Grapes, and a certificate was 

 awarded to Mr. Jones, gr. to Sir M. Disney, for good 

 specimens of Grosse Mignonne Peaches. Excellent 

 specimens of Peaches and Nectarines also came from the 

 garden of the Rev. J. Cook, of Newton-hall, Northum- 

 berland. They consisted of Red Magdalen and Violet 

 Hative Peaches, and Elruge Nectarines, and were re- 

 markable for their size and fine colour. They were 

 stated to have been grown on the open wall, at an eleva- 

 tion of 500 feet above the level of the sea, and exposed 

 to the whole of the blasts of the German ocean. Unfor- 

 tunately, however, they arrived after the list of awards 

 was made up, and in consequence of this no Prize was 

 assigned them. — From Mr. Murray, gr. to the Hon. 

 R. H. Clive, were three varieties of Russian Apples, 

 named Yellow Transparent, Long-striped Whran, and 

 Yellow Whran. The transparency in the first was, 

 however, wanting, as is generally the case in specimens 

 produced in this country.— S. Parmeter, Esq., sent 

 specimens of a seedling Apple grown by S. Flatter, a 

 cottager at Aylsham ; being of last year s growth, they 

 were a little shrivelled, but were nevertheless in a state 

 of good preservation. They were stated to have been, 

 until within the last few weeks, quite firm and juicy 

 They looked like some sort of Russet, and had me 

 useful property of being preserved in good condition 

 over a second season. A certificate was •warded for 

 them.— Among miscellaneous objects was a Ward is case, 

 from C. B. Warner, Esq., containing Ferns ; and two 

 arrangements of the leaf, fixed on paper ln a tr ^~ 

 form, by Lieut. T. Tilley, R.N. .The ; first a ranj£ 

 ment consisted of the Elm leaf in its upward and 

 downward progress, or through all its & T0 ™& tQ 

 fading changes, from the young leaf in ap 

 that of the skeleton, or last stage of decay, in «*^ 

 of the following year, embracing *V*™\?J-± r the 

 The ripe leaf formed the apex of the triangi ^ 

 point where progress ends, and decay begins- ftw 



design was the Poplar leaf in a skeleton J MI * ch not 

 other leaves of different kinds were ^ ded ' d that 

 only served to show their structure, but I . ntcregting 

 vegetable anatomy might become a Jt y ^ u 

 pursuit.— From the garden of the . j 50016 > ler0 dendron 



of Erica Irbyana, Fuchsia * ac e mlflo .%:Lii together 

 fallax, Achimenes coccinea, and Begonia lJreg ^^ 

 with Oncidium microchilum, and the r ^ of 



discolor, with beautiful crimson bracts or sc ^^ 

 which the pretty Violet blossoms grow, r thamn «i 

 collection were also cut specimens or ri ^ ^^ 

 cyaneus, a new Mexican shrub, P roducing This spe cies, 

 nal clusters of deep porcelain-blue flowers^ a r^ ef- 

 although inferior in beauty to H. fascicular us, ^ ^ 

 less a great acquisition to gardens. i« dariD| 



prove sufficiently hardy for planting ont- °; ire gome 

 the summer months ; it will, however re ^ uke ^ 

 kind of protection in winter. Along with this j* ^ ^ 

 Cut Flowers of a new species of l^upm ffl - 



pubescens, sent from Quito by Mr. . H.rtw£, ^ J^, 

 downy leaves ; and eleven plants of Fuchsia flon ^ 

 garden variety, showing the feet. V™**$„„«*. 

 kind of plant by the use of different sorts . e t dj ^ 

 The plants were" all taken from the cu"ing;pan 

 same time and potted into 32-sized pots. The q V 

 used was peat and loam in equal P™P° rt i?" s \ reC eivefl 

 first three plants, which were the best, JN* x o{ 



very 



I 









oz.° f 

 in the 



surface of the soil; and 3 had tne ..«» — 

 soil. These 3 were nearly equal in every j 

 the next 3, viz. 4, 5, and 6, the two , first h^ ee^ _ _ 

 charcoal, the one on the surface, the otber faate f Utft 

 soil ; 6 received half an ounce of supe *pbo»pM ^ 

 mixed in a pint of water. These three were **» 



