654 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[Sept. 





Onions.— I>oes not 44 \V. E." make some mistake in 

 the statement, p. 621, respecting the crop of Onions 

 grown by Mr. Everitt? It would be most desirable to 

 be informed of the method by which so very unusual a 

 crop, after the rate of 1410 bushels of 80 lbs. each, or 

 50^ tons per acre was produced; 2 lbs. 9-^ozs. per 

 square foot could only be the result of some very supe- 

 rior management. Perhaps " W. E." will oblige the 



readers of the Chronicle with particulars.— Lusor. 



Another writer, signing himself " C. W.," states that he 

 is an amateur grower of Onions, and has carried the 

 cultivation of them to great success. The largest of his 

 Onions, English sorts, have this year weighed 14 oz. 

 each. After being dried and trimmed, they were sown 

 in the third week in March. He would be obliged if 

 " W. E." would give the size and weight of the 12 largest, 

 and also the ordinary size of the Onions, the number 

 which fill a bushel heaped up, and such other particulars 

 as he may be pleased to afford. 



Ifybridising Fuchsias.— Out hopes of improvement 

 in Fuchsias lie in mingling the species that now exist : 

 one flower has one desirable quality, another has another 

 —we wish both these to meet in one. This can be obtained 

 by hybridising, or fertilising the seed-vessel of one flower 

 with the pollen of another. To do this regularly and 

 systematically I proceed thus :— I get a small box about 

 2 inches deep and a foot square, and I divide it into 24 

 compartments ; into each of these I cut a small quantity 

 of worsted thread into pieces about 2 inches long each. 

 The worsted of each compartment is of a different colour, 

 and each colour I use to represent a Fuchsia ; for in- 

 itance, white represents Venus Victrix ; orange, fulgens ; 

 blue, Formosa elegans ; black, Exoniensis; and so forth. 

 Having my worsted ready, I take my box into the green- 

 house, and proceed thus with my operation :— I choose a 

 Fuchsia for a female to bear the seed. I examine the 

 plant till I find a perfect flower, newly opened, before 

 the anthers have burst and discharged any of their pollen. 

 I carefully cut off the anthers, and I then select the plant 

 by which it is to be fertilised. I find on it a flower which 

 has its anthers covered with pollen ; I pull this, and with 

 it I dust the stigma of the prepared flower, around whose 

 flower-stalk I tie a piece of worsted of the colour that 

 designates the male employed. When I gather the seed, 

 I know by the colour of the worsted at once how it has 

 been fertilised, and I place the seed-vessels in paper 

 boxes to dry, carefully marking on each the names of the 

 male and female parents. In spring I sow the seeds in 

 separate pots, with labels stating particulars ; and by this 

 means I hope clearly to ascertain the true result of my 

 experiments, which never could be done if I were to 

 sow my hybridised seed at random. In such case I 

 might obtain a beautiful specimen — I might get excellence 

 of foliage or habit, or size of flower, but here I stop : 1 

 could learn nothing further from my success ; I could 

 obtain no insight into the means by which I had already 

 succeeded, or was likely to succeed hereafter. In my 

 experiments I have certain objects in view : I want, for 

 instance, to unite the colours of Venus Victrix with the 

 size of Exoniensis. I wish to have Eppsii with a deep- 

 blue corolla, and fulgens with a pale pink or white tube. 

 I cross these with varieties having the qualities I desire ; 

 for instance, I cross Venus Victrix with Exoniensis, 

 Eppsii, and Toddiana. Each plant is used alternately as 

 male and female. My object is to retain the colour of 

 Venus Victrix, but to increase the size of the flower. I do 

 not expect to succeed in one year. I find, perhaps, in 

 one plant the tendencies I wish ; I pursue my advantage, 

 hybridise this again, and have no doubt of ultimate 

 success. All my experiments I carefully note down in a 

 register, for I have no doubt I shall meet with results I 

 by no means expect ; and by knowing how they came, I 

 shall be able to use them to advantage. — Cavanem*s. 



Parrots. — With regard to the management of these, 

 allow me to state how one (an Amazon), which I have 

 had for several years is treated. His food is hemp-seed 

 in one tin, water in another, and nothing else. As soon 

 as the cold weather of spring is over his cage-door is 

 set open, and he lives in the garden and plantation 

 attached to my house in perfect liberty, returning to his 

 cage for food whenever he likes ; he helps himself to 

 Gooseberries in their season, and sometimes treats him- 

 self to some Apples. He is always in perfect health, 

 and thoroughly enjoys his existence ; and adds much to 

 the interest of the garden, by the display of his bright 

 plumage when on the wing; and by his chattering 



from the trees or house-top P. T. O'Reilly 



adds — " I have known the plumage of the lemon- 

 crested cockatoo restored by cutting a nick in the 

 lower beak. In this case the bird had so feathered 

 himself, that he looked like a young hawk, being covered 

 with scarcely anything but down. A large orange- 

 crested cockatoo acquired a habit of biting its breast, 

 making a frightful sore. I consulted various persons, 

 and accordingly tried Epsom salts and Cayenne pepper- 

 pods, but without effect. I then had a breast-plate made 

 for it, which it was continually trying to pull off. I did 

 pot like to have the end of its beak cut off; and at last 

 it became so ill that 1 had it killed. I attributed this 

 disease to the fact of the servants having given it eggs, 

 butter, and meat. I have now an orange-crested cocka- 

 too, a gray parrot, and a parroquet ; they all live on 

 soaked bread with hempseed mixed with it, and have 

 latterly been eating fruit occasionally. They do not 

 have water given to them, but the cockatoo is occasionally 

 indulged with some tea. This mode of treatment seems 

 to suit them." 



The Deadly Night-shade.— A few days ago two 

 females from Lancaster were observed in the neighbcnr- 

 hoodof Hest Bank gathering and eating the fruit of this 



plant. This induced two men passing at the time to eat 

 also ; one of the men by chance took a few along with 

 him bo an inn, and showed them to the landlord, who 

 pronounced them to be poisonous, and recommended a 

 dose of medicine to be immediately taken, which had 

 the desired effect of removing the deadly poison from his 

 body. The other man was not seen until the following 

 day ; he was in a state of insensibility, with his eyes 

 closed, and his body was swollen to an extraordinary 

 size ; every means were used to save him but without 

 effect, and after lingering three days death terminated 

 his sufferings. The two females, on their return on 

 the same day to Lancaster, were taken alarmingly ill, 

 and a surgeon was instantly called in, who being 

 made acquainted with the fact of their having eaten the 

 berries, immediately applied the usual remedies. For 

 some time there appeared no hopes of recovery ; they 

 were in great pain and were quite delirious, and conti- 

 nued so for several hours ; but, happily, they both reco- 

 vered. The Deadly Night-shade is one of the most dan- 

 gerous of vegetable productions ; the berry is, from its 

 fine colour, inviting, and the apparent richness of its 

 juicy pulp, resembling wholesome and more grateful 

 fruit, induces those ignorant of its deadly qualities to 

 taste. It cloys not until the fatal principle is imbibed ; 

 its deleterious action is not experienced for many hours ; 

 afterwards the victim is overwhelmed with dryness in 

 the mouth, burning pain in the throat and stomach, gid- 

 diness, stupor, and is soon unable to account for the 

 calamity which has befallen him. It is to be hoped that 

 this will be a caution to persons gathering and eating 

 wild fruit from the hedge-rows. — M. Saul. 



Fecundity of the Canary. — There is a person living 

 near Cowley Hall, in the parish of Hillingdon, that has 

 a pair of canaries which have had no less than six 

 nests between the 2d of April and the 4th of this month 

 (September), hatching sixteen canaries, two nightingales, 

 and one green-finch, making in all the large number of 

 nineteen. The whole, with the exception of the nightin- 

 gales, which by some accident got smothered in the 

 nest, have turned out strong, healthy, birds. The total 

 number of eggs laid by this pair during the season was 

 twenty-four. — W. M., Hillingdon. r 



.— v. 



SCQCtetfes* 



ROYAL CALEDONIAN HORTICULTURAL 



SOCIETY. 



Sept. 20th — This was the Anniversary Dinner, and as it 

 had been arranged to make the first public exhibition of 

 the bust of Dr. Neill on this occasion, previous to its 

 being placed in the Society's Hall, a numerous and most 

 respectable company assembled. The chair was occu- 

 pied by Professor Dunbar, who, after having opened the 

 meeting in the usual manner, said — " As Dr. Duncan was 

 the parent and founder of the Society, so does it owe 

 much of its success and prosperity to the exertions and 

 talents of our excellent Secretary, Dr. Neill. The duties 

 of the Secretary are not confined to the mere routine 

 business of the Society. Dr. Neill has had external 

 duties to discharge of a most important kind, and these 

 he has performed to the satisfaction of all parties. He 

 has ever been ready to aid with his advice the efforts of 

 industry and merit, while on the other hand he has 

 soothed disappointed expectations by inspiring the hope 

 of better success on a future occasion. As secretary he 

 has had to conduct a most extensive correspondence with 

 the horticulturists of other countries. He has thus 

 made our Society known in every quarter of the globe, 

 and contributed greatly to bring it to its present prosper- 

 ous condition. Laborious as these duties ^and exertions 

 have been for a long series of years, Dr. Neill has most 

 ably and zealously discharged them without fee or re 

 ward, though trenching on time most valuable to him in 

 his private affairs ; he has done his work con amore. 

 Practical gardeners and amateurs owe a debt of gratitude 

 to him for his excellent book on horticulture, which is 

 now one of the standard works on the branch of science 

 of which it treats. I need not say how much the respect 

 we owe the Doctor has been enhanced by his amiable 

 character and unobtrusive manners. He is equally 

 valued as a friend, and respected as a man. In consider- 

 ation of his valuable services to this Society, several 

 members have desired to have a bust of the Doctor, with 

 the view of its being placed in the hall at the gardens, as 

 a permanent memorial of their gratitude to him.'* The 

 learned gentleman, after making some observations on 

 the bust, then proposed the health of Dr. Neill, who, 

 much affected, rose and said—" Mr. Chairman, I thank 

 you sincerely for the kind and too flattering way in which 

 you have expressed your opinion of me. I say most 

 truly that I would most willingly have escaped from my 

 present position. I feel totally unable to utter what I 

 feel, I am so overpowered with gratitude. It is little 

 more than a year since I had the honour to receive, in 

 presence of a large number of friends, a splendid piece of 

 plate, the gift of 500 gardeners. To see again assembled 

 so numerous a company for the purpose of bringing for- 

 ward this bust is perfectly overwhelming, and leaves me 

 almost without words. The chairman rightly observed 

 that I had been secretary for many years, but instead of 

 meriting the testimonials I have received, I have been 

 vastly overpaid in the pleasure I derived from holding 

 the situation. I am deeply grateful for this testimony of 

 respect, which was proposed by Lord Murray, Mr. P. 

 Graham, and other gentlemen." Some farther remarks 

 were offered by Dr. Neill. who concluded amid great ap- 

 plause ; and after some other business the meeting closed. 



COUNTRY SHOWS. 



Devon and Cornwall Horticultural Society, Sept. 12.— This 

 was the Autumnal Exhibition : the weather was in every respect 



favourable, but the attendance was not numerous. The bah r 

 were exceedingly good, and attracted much attention, fhi 

 fruit and vegetables were also very fine, but not so abun An? 

 as on former years. FauiT.-Pine Apple : 1, highest flavoured 

 and best grown Queen, XL 10s., R. Robertson, Esq.; 2, do 

 1/., Mr. J. Griffin, gr. to Mrs. Wells. Melons, L hieW 

 flavoured, Green-fleshed, 10*., W. Radcliffe, Esq. • 2 do -/£ 

 W. P. H.Carew, Esq. ; 3, do., 5*., Mr. J. Taj lor/ Cherries t'l 

 best dish of Morello, 5*., Mr. J. Taylor. PLANTs.-The'bS 

 Specimen Plant in flower, not having before obtained a nrTJ 

 (Echites splendens), 10s., Mr. J. Griffin. Amongst Stove Plan* 

 from Mr. Rendle's nursery, we noticed some well-grown speci 

 mens of Achimenes pedunculata, Gesnera zebrina Francisce- 

 Hopeana, Russelia juncea, Vinca oculata, Rivina humilia. 

 Amaryllis Braziliensis, Gardenia radicans, Pentas carnea. 

 Euphorbia splendens, &c. Among Fuchsias were Exoniensis' 

 Defiance, Kentish Bride, Kentish Hero, Prince of Wales Con' 

 servative, Gigantea, Neptune, Florence, Nobilissima, Duke of 

 Wellington, Formosa elegans, Venus Victrix, Pawley's Queen 

 Paragon, Champion, Magnet, Coronet, Eppsii, Robusti' 

 Britannia, Toddiana, Transparens, Tricolor, Fulgens, Princeps' 

 Vesta, Invincible, &c. Besides these, Mr. Rendle also exhi! 

 bited some seedlings. From the same collection were the 

 following Dahlias, viz.— Standard of Perfection, Duranta, 

 Emma Noke, Lady Antrobus, Lady St. Maur, Orange Superb 

 Sir J. S. Richardson, Royal Sovereign, Grand Monarch, Sir r! 

 Sale, Cook's Confidence, Prince of Wales, Great Western" 

 Antagonist, Hero of Stonehenge, Admiral Stopford, Thomp- 

 son's Vivid, Queen of Trumps, Beauty of Sussex, Essex 

 Triumph, King of Lilacs, Prince of Waterloo, Swindon Rival, 

 Orange Superb, Oakley Surprise, Mountjoy's Virgil, Princess 

 Royal, Mrs. Shelly, and Rouge et Noir. Of Verbenas he exhi- 

 bited Atro-sanguinea, Beauty, Boule de Feu, Zeuxis, Fanny 

 Elsler, Blue Queen, Striata coccinea, Prince of Wales, and some 

 seedlings.— Devonport Telegraph. 



Edale Horticultural Society, Sept. 21. — This was the fifth Ex- 

 hibition during this year, for Dahlias, Carnations, Pausies, Kidney 

 Beans, Celery, Savoys, Broccoli, Red Cabbage, Carrots, Onions, and 

 the best dishes of Apples, Pears, and Plums. The specimen! 

 shown were very creditableto the exhibitors, especially when we 

 consider the geographical situation of the place. It is not to be 

 expected but that an elevation of 600 feet above the level of the 

 sea will have a deteriorating influence on the successful cultiva- 

 tion both of flowers and vegetables. The following prizes were 

 awarded : — Dahlias : Mr. G. Taylor. Carnatioi s, Picoteet, 

 and PansieSi Rev. G. H. M'Gill. Kidney Beans: 1, Rev. G. 

 H. M'Gill; 2, Mr. Wigley; 3, Mr. Bardsley. Celery: 1, Rev. 

 G. H. M'Gill; 2, D. Christie, Esq. Broccoli: 1, Mr. T. Car- 

 rington ; 2, Rev. G. H. M'Gill ; 3, D. Christie, Esq. Red Cab- 

 bages: 1, Mr. Wigley; 2, Mr. Cooper. Carrots: 1, D. Christie, 

 Esq.; 2, Mr. Eyre; 3, Mr. Bardsley. Onions: l,Mr. G. E; ; 2, 

 Mr. Wigley; 3, Mr. Carrington. Apples: 1, Mr. Wigley; 2, Mr. 

 Eyre; 3, Mr. T. Carrington. Pears: Mr. Taylor. Plums: 1, 

 Mr. Taylor; 2, Mr. Carrington. For Nosegays, three prizes were 

 given : 1, Mrs. J. Christie; 2, Miss Bray; and 3, Miss Taylor. 



Sandbach Floral and Horticultural Society, Sept. 6.— This was 

 the Second Meeting for this year. Among plants we noticed some 

 fine specimens of Orchidacese, &c, from Crewe Hall; likewise a 

 beautiful specimen of Fuchsia exoniensis, above 7 feet high, and 

 covered with flowers from the top to the graceful branches hanging 

 round the pot, from the garden of Miss Twemlow. The fol- 

 lowing'is a list of the Prizes awarded:— Stove Plants: 1, Miss 

 Twemlow, for Achimenes grandiflora, A. longillora, and Gloxinia 

 maxima; 2, Mr. T. Stringer, for Vinca alba, V. rosea, and Thun. 

 bergia aurantiaca. Greenhouse Plants: 1, J. Skerrat, E<<j., for 

 Pimelea hispida, Crowea saligna, and Myoporum album; 2, , Mr. 

 T. Stringer, for Petunia Enchantress, and some others. Roses 

 in Pots: 1. Miss Twemlow, for Mrs. Bosanquet, Devoni- 

 ensis, and Fulgens ; 2, Mr. W. Allcock, for Napoleon, Miss Megg, 

 and Bourbon Queen. Erica: J. Skerratt, Esq., £% Lambcrti, 

 cubica, and Cliffortiana. Pelargoniums: 1, Mr. c - la - uor '^ 

 Joan of Arc, Comte de Paris, Archduke ■.Nymph, Clarissa and 

 Princess Royal; 2, Mr . _«.. AHeock, fcr Kadi, fcympta, Sultan. 



I 



Twemlow, lor uainess ivtng, Luiuiia^..," »« - —»• --.-..,_- . 

 1, Miss Tremlow, for Coronation, a Seed ing, and b P e ^ 0S,S8, J?£' 

 2 Mr. S. Allcock, for Modesty, and 2 Seedlings [.£*•*• 1, Miss 

 Twemlow, for Exoniensis, Brockmanu, and Majest ica . ,2 , Mr . U 

 Taylor, for Exoniensis, Defiance, and Lanei. *££?«£ 

 Mr. W Allcock, for Lilium lancifolium album. n ,£^ W arded 

 G. Bayley. Besides the above there were ™ m * ™*™!™%££ 

 for Flowers, Fruits, and Vegetables, the growt h of cotl age «£ hose 

 productions are much improved since , this Society ^has ex^wu 

 The Prize for the best managed cottager's garden was awarded 

 Mr. T. Steele. . 



NOTICES of NEWPLANX^WHICH are EITHER 



USEFUL OR ORNAMENTAL 



Calanthe masuca. Lilac Calanthe. (State. Epiphyt e) v 

 chidace*. Gynandria Monandria.-This charmingplant w^ 

 with Messrs. Rollisson, of Tooting, in June iw*. * strial 



of Nepal, and may be regarded as the gayest oi 1 1 lhe large 

 species of that rich country, being co , ns P lcu £* m t h i other purple 

 size of their flowers and their rich colour Fjom tne ° l ^ ag 

 species allied to it, this is readily known bj 'the tea e ^ 



by the flowers. C. versicolor has leaves mooj J thig 



C. purpurea downy on both «des, especially henew, 

 has down only on the under side. C. versicolor ha im however , 

 and petals; C. purpurea and this, purple ones . altoge ther 



C. purpurea agrees in the colour of its flowers us y - d> 



different, being very narrow, with the lateral ^f^ed with a 

 C. masuca should be potted in turfy heath-mouW, ^ an ainp i e 

 few pieces of potsherds. In summer it sjiouia re <- ded) litt i e 

 supply of water at its roots; and ^e^. 1 ' "£j? he yo ung shoot* 

 should be allowed to fall on its leaves, oth f ' r ^ n d a high tempe- 

 will damp off. It enjoys a humid »^°K fi^v %* soon become 

 rature ; but as the leaves are very delicate, they ww f mtle 



scorched if shading is not carefully a" en °f J*?' * the soil damp 

 water will be required ; still, it is necessary to keep i ^ rf tfl 

 enough to preserve the bulbs from shrivelling. J -n w _ Botanica > 

 most difficult of Orchidaceous plants to grow wen. 



Register. cni'nmn-leaved Gastrolobiuffl. 



Gastrolobicm spinosvm. s P ,no i"; c n a d ri° Monogvnia.- 

 (Ever green Shrub.) Leguminosae. Deca n«lna mo fc ^ 

 Of all the plants of this tribe that we are » "^^portions, « 

 admit of being more easily reduced to handsome prop 

 have a habit and foliage so neat »*™^ P^" 



of strength and robustness unusual »™o D fv ^n our^een houses, it 

 now abounding in such plentiful variety in ^u - different* 

 combines broad and conspicuous leaves, *o »«ke°. i q[ 



their outline to every other of the sam V la ^Thv their novelty- 

 our knowledge, that whilst they attract notice by tbeffg ^ 

 neatness7and g amplitude, they at ^e «ame time u » J> 



tinction so prominently P?. re «P ub !3**^ 

 can never be at a loss to distinguish the P^ ™" J ^n the spring 

 nparlv resemble it. Till the development of flowers in 

 n£K«tt afforded the chance of ™to™X**°" 

 tainty to its proper station, it was cultiva ted and gener y 

 as Chorozema oppositifolia a ^^ p ^^ S thJ o(^ 

 from the analogy displayed in its genera \™™™ 8 J n[iS . *<>*' 

 stronger-growing and larger- foliaged spe«cs oj tn ay, |tf ^ 



e"r this may be, there can ■S^JSW^-^- ; ' SeedS 

 correctness, 



were 



Capt. Mangles a few years sine. * -»" — ^fier f specHnejj 



Nurserv. was fortunate enough to raise a nu distribute^ 



rife wneSSSC aaisa A« — » 



