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1^__^L^DEN ER S' CHRONICLE. 





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SUFKKB DOUBLE HOLLYHOCKS. ,, . f ; _ — — 



ILLIAM MAY begs to announce that he is now J?" nnetf waning and training ; while, at the aair.e 



J '" "* ~ ~~"~' : ~- ———' • w ^h\tfLn" e ? P. Iaced in such su P^or conditions 



*nh reference to its roots, that fine well-ripened 



\ » prepared to send out his collection of the above splendid 

 and showy plants, of all the various shades of colour, from 

 black, or dark, to white. As his stock is large, he is enabled to 

 mpply them upon very moderate terms, viz., 42s. per 100. 



j- B _As this plant is becoming: popular as a show flower, 

 W M. has a few rery select varieties, by name and colour, at 

 * p j 'per dozen, which he has selected for the purpose of exhi- 

 bition. Also Seed selected from finest double flowers, in packets 

 >t 2».M. and 5s. each, post-free. The above may also be had 

 by order of the principal Seedsmen in London, and of Mr. 

 Watkivson', Market-place, Manchester. A remittance or 

 reference from unknown correspondents. 

 H ore Siirs ery. Bedale. Oct. 4. 



JT. WILLMER, King's Road, Chelsea, by Ap- 

 • pointment Florist to Her Majesty, begs to inform his 

 Friends and the Public that his Carnations and Picotees are 

 „ow ready for sending out, catalogues of which may be had on 

 prepaid applicai ion containing a postage stamp. 



~SA TURD A Y, OCTOBER ' 5, 1 84*T 



MEETING FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK. 

 Saturday, Oct. 12 R oyal Botanic ... 4 p.k. 



If Mr. Hoare, in his recent work on the Vine, 

 has startled some of our friends by recommending 

 them to make borders without earth, we can hardly 

 fancy their amazement when they shall have read of 

 his proposing to grow Vines with their roots 

 upwards. One would as soon have thought of 

 advising gardeners to walk with their heads down- 

 wards ; yet so it is. 



If, says our author, you give Vine-roots moisture, 

 they will shoot upwards, and grow as well in that 

 direction as they would downwards. This beino- 

 assumed, it is proposed to take advantage of their 

 good nature, in order to overcome the difficulties 

 attending the cultivation of the Vine out of doors in 

 these northern latitudes. It is not so much our 

 short summers, or our moist climate, that hinders the 

 ripening of the Grape, as the coldness of our springs 

 and the impossibility of warming our soil till lateln 

 the season. Our feeble sun acts too slowly on our 

 chilly land. But if that land were fully exposed to 

 the solar rays in small masses, it would become 

 heated much sooner; and then, if the Vine-roots 

 could be confined to those masses, the vegetation of 

 the plant would be accelerated sufficiently to insure 

 the full maturity of many kinds of Grapes. 



Such being Mr. Hoare's mode of reasoning, 



though not his language, he proposes the following 



device, which has certainly the merit of originality 



He recommends that hollow brick columns be coii- 



ructed,to the height of five feet above the level of 



he in, i ?W H V !!^ bG Plamed 3t their b0tt0m » in 



he inade (but with its head through the brickwork), 



hen V7rT- thatltSr00tS Cannot S° downwards; 



mSri.7 .? i mg UP the CoIumn with P^parcd 

 TZ MS^S .Till be forced to travel upwards in 



Grapes may always be depended upon. 



VinI ™nT P * G d -°? not deceive himself. If the 

 Vine will ripen with certainty under this mode of 



treatment the invention is one of the fir t™ port 

 ance and the contriver will have deserved the Shi 

 thanks of the coumry : tut the proof is yet to come 

 Knowing as we do the perseverance with Xh 



habit oTth v- P T CUted his in( * uiries *»* the 



habits of the Vine, how numerous are his experi- 

 ments, with what care they have been conducted 

 and how perfectly trustworthy are his statements 

 we cannot doubt that he has good grounds for ex- 

 pecting success in this novel operation, and we 

 therefore recommend the attempt to be made A 

 single season will test the va!ue of colnmn-growinir 

 for if the \ me will grow well, it will probably rip?,; 

 its fruit under such circumstances. There is no 

 question about the roots going upwards if they are 

 prevented going in the opposite direction ; there can 

 be no doubt that the Vine will grow freely enough 

 in such a Position The difficulties in our mind B °re 

 these :-l. Will the columns really furnish moisture 

 enough ? I he powers of perspiration by the Vine 

 are very great, and the loss of moisture thus occa- 

 sioned is more considerable than we should have 

 expected chambered columns capable of making ^ood 

 2. Will the Vine escape the attacks of the red spider 

 in this apparent deficiency of moisture? 3. Will 

 it not be stimulated into growth so early in the 

 spring as to be checked and blighted by our cold 

 north-east winds and late spring frosts ? 4. Will 

 not the foliage, when it comes to cover over the brick- 

 work, intercept the warm rays of the sun, and thus 

 counteract the effects anticipated from column- 

 growing ? These are questions which theory cannot 

 answer ; their solution must be sought in experience, 

 and in experience alone. 



Now, as variegation in the leaves of plants mav 

 often be traced to weakness or disease, may not he 

 same effect arise from the same cause/in the ^se of 

 the Tulip? Here we have bulbs weakened by ripen- 

 me seed, others in an unhealthy state when planted • 

 whilst some were constantly acted on by rain, frost' 

 sun, and wind, and in each instance attended with 

 the same results. 



We trust our Floricultural friends will acton these 

 hints ; as, from repeated successful experiments, we 

 entertain no dou bt of their suc cess.- jr. 



ON THE CULTIVATION OF ASPARAGUS 



Having seen in the Chronicle lately, man, inquiries 

 respecting the culture of Asparagus, I bee to *U an 

 account of a mode by which ? I have 'alwa^p'rod^ced" 



ZJ w P T r - art , ,C e ~ S ° much 80 < that jt has almost in- 

 variably obtained the premier prize at Exhibitions. 



I have hitherto planted the greater portion of my 

 plants in single rows, about a yard apart. I have lately, 



*7al7u re T ed t0 my ° ld P«™ of double rows, *Tth 

 a good alley between, as I find some difficult, in getting 



h rZ°u 'V 116 8ing , ,e - r °* 9 '«* m ' to ■*■* an g d load 

 U from tue influence of winds, which do Asparagus much 



mv l \ m Zr v e T7 l Plan f °, a 8 y 8temati c rotation of crops, 

 my Celery-beds are selected for the new Asparagus 



plantation. My rule as to quantity to be planted fr 



vTn^ to° k wZ U I P b the , 8t ° Ck ' b V Iantin * aD - teQt bi- 

 valent to what I break up to force. Celery-beds pre- 



pared in a special way, form a most eligible situation for 



un tn?r,t' Pa | agU ' P antati °"' 8S the * ,erson wh0 fkea 



Hint I 7 aV6S , the gr0Ul ' d read * for lhe Asparagus 

 without farther trouble. * b 



I grow some also in pigeon-hole pits for forcing; how- 

 ever I always break up and force a common bed or two 



IZ I fii iT ' whlch ' from its receiving the sun' 

 wmVrim ?, lre ^ ons ' wil1 be always warm. At the 



w the « e i / branches wil1 easil ? train s P ira,1 y 



oy er he outside of such columns. ' 



columns ^1^1 the P ro P osed materials in those 



SE?* 5 pt - ™ oist? If the sun is alwa y* 



ttwdf s, them % Wl11 not th ^ir contents become d?y 

 2 (] " y arm ? And if dry, on what are the 



WffiSSL^- Hoare provides against 



course! h of I. • COl T n is built U P within three 

 fi Ued n crarH lniCnde . d 1 hei § ht > *** th e materials 

 whole briS y eVen , WUh the br ickwork, a course of 

 ^in e carp <hT*u be J ai(l over the eniire *"*/«<*, 

 n »t to be Li Se which rest 011 the materials are 



T his cour?A " m °. rtar ' bllt merely jointed with it. 



f ormed w hA G1 i g . mshed ' the last tw <>aretobe 

 an ^ with thi • bricks Iaid flush With the outside, 



th e centre nft r K lnne i r ends sli g htI V sIo P in S Awards 

 rain that fall , mn ' which ^ ai ca use all the 



int0 the sunt on .™ m t0 r "" towards it, and fall 

 formed bv th\ \- h °} low s P ace that " iU be th ere 

 <*** space wt C u CUla f; rin S of b "ckwork. The cir- 



ne ^/andfi ini W , ll be about ,8 inches in dia " 

 for all the rain S? 68 i ■ ?fP» is tended as a receptacle 



the column t r- a l fa118 on the surface of the top of 

 f h icknes s f ^ hlcb . wi11 filter through the single 

 holl °* space ol!i , lcks » for ming the bottom of the 

 tion taroughoif^K u Ce be dist »buted by ahsorp- 



raa- 

 of 





W 



" UJi inrou^hn,^ Zt "V' wc ** c uiscriouteti oy ansc 



teriaI ^ therehv 7 ho]e mass of the inc l° sed « 



Moisture to tK ^PPv 11 ^ that moderate degree 



Sadvantai^fJ 00 ? °. f the Vin e, which contributes 

 J he colunfn vAtf lts nou rishment and support. 

 Space at the trTn r n -° W be com plete. The sunken 

 ? 0uId I and m- U ma y* if d esired, be filled with 

 ? Wer of suitab'^ Ilgnon t lte « or a "y other annual 

 * )lch > Crin; CT h ' , ma y be g«>wn in it, and 

 C0, i! mn . wiuVrlpST dentl y over the edge of the 

 a % this meSi \\ Ver y P-aceful appearance/' 

 voided. Mr Hni danger 0f d ryness is effectually 



lTt> and t&" nvance of chambering the roots 

 ! 'i thet °Pofthe P coh?r ° f the »«nken water-table 



Z of " he £ft? 0U M id ^ p revent the neces - 



ana « e tnent of the v n T Ue being required in the 



6 V ,ne beyond that of the ordinary 





Every Tulip- grower is aware of the importance 

 of getting a good strain of any given variety ; for 

 twenty breeders may come into colour, yet not more 

 than one of that number shall be what is termed a 

 decided good break. 



We are often asked, What is the best method of 

 breaking breeder Tulips ? or, in other words, what 

 means can be adopted to induce the flower to assume 

 those variegated tints so highly prized by connois- 

 seurs— -« clean feather or perfect flame ? 



The general supposition is, that by frequently 

 changing the soil, situation, &c. this desideratum 

 may be attained. We agree that to a certain extent 

 the bulb may be so far affected, that occasional 

 breaks may result from adopting this plan. Still 

 we think it may be accomplished in a much more 

 certain and satisfactory manner. 



Bulbs in a breeder or self state throw up stronger 

 and bolder flowers than when in colour; the 

 stems often decreasing in height several inches, 

 assuming a sort of constitutional weakness (if we 

 may so term it), when they become variegated. In 

 fact, the broken flower is much less robust than its 

 breeder. If, then, a deficiency of vigour will induce 

 a bulb to put forth a feathered or flamed flower, in- 

 stead of a plain or self-coloured one, by what means 

 can this end be attained ? 



We imagine that taxing the resources of the bulb, 

 weakening its energies, and reducing its strength, 

 will have the desired effect; and to support our 

 opinion we will adduce a case or two in point. Many 

 years ago, when we thought less of cause and effect 

 than we do now, we were much struck with a sin- 

 gular occurrence, bearing on these ideas. We planted 

 a large bed of breeder Tulips ; during their period 

 of bloom they were much frequented by bees, which 

 issued from the cups of the flowers, covered with 

 farina, as black as sweeps. The impregnation of the 

 flowers was completed ; they formed perfect heads 

 of seed, which were allowed to remain on till they 

 were thoroughly ripe. The ensuing season the 

 bulbs were planted as usual, and when the flowers 

 expanded we were surprised to find that the whole 

 collection, amounting to some hundreds, were, with 

 very few exceptions, in a broken or variegated state. 

 As it is usual to break off the capsules in order to 

 strengthen the bulb, may we not infer that if the 

 resources of the bulb are drawn upon to ripen a pod 

 of seed, that it is consequently weakened and pre- 

 disposed to alter its character, and assume those 

 beautiful and varied markings so much desired by 

 the amateur ? 



On another occasion a friend of ours planted some 

 seedling breeders, the bulbs being in a very diseased 

 and cankered state ; the succeeding year he had a 

 general break, and certainly there were some splendid 

 flowers amongst them. 



Another old experimentalist informs us, that many 

 of his breeder Tulips break into colour, by allowing 

 the bulbs to be exposed to all weathers, from the 

 time of taking up to the period of replanting. 



f . - r .-•>,», „ wuiinu.1 UCll or two 



or the earliest-say through December and January, and 

 then force the pigeon-holed pits, as those pits become 

 weakened excessively by very early forcing-a whole 

 series of buds in a progressive state being destroyed or 

 paralysed at the removal of the covering after forcing ; 

 whereas, if forced later, those buds may by a sligh 

 covering of litter be saved. ' 6 



With regard to preparation of ground, I will com- 

 mence with Peas, which always precede Celery in my 

 rotation ; I appro; riate a considerable plot for these, or 

 in other words I keep them together as much as pos- 

 sible for the sake of system ; and having an . •. n num- 

 ber of rows I ma ke it a rule to sow two at a time, at the 

 distance of from four to five feet, and these when picked 

 and the haulm cleared away furnish space for a bed of 

 Celery of about the same width. The Peas being re- 

 moved, the ground is marked out for the Celery-bed 

 after what is termed the Scotch method. The bed is now 

 excavated to the depth of a foot, and the soil thrown 

 right and left and made compact ; and now six or eiaht 

 inches of half-decayed leaves and dung, chiefly the former, 

 and which had been used as linings to pits or frames, is 

 trenched in, at least a foot deep in the excavation. The 

 surface is now covered once more with three inches of 

 the best rotten manure, which when spread is forked in 

 and duly mixed. The bed is now planted, and when 

 taken up for use, the operation, with a little care, levels 

 and leaves the bed right for planting the Asparagus when 

 the period arrives. 



There is, in my opinion, many wrong notions about 

 the proper period of planting Asparagus. I invariably 

 plant in May, or, in fact, when the Asparagus is what 

 the market-gardeners term " in feather," that is, about 

 six inches high. I have, by many years' experience, 

 iound this the best time ; and, perhaps, one of the best 

 proofs of it is, that I seldom or never lose a plant. This 

 year I had my ground ready in the end of April, but the 

 drought being very great, I was determined, if possible, 

 not to plant until rain ; the rain did not come until the 

 middle of July, however, and tired of waiting, I had 

 planted my Asparagus a fortnight previous. I watered 

 it every morning, and a finer brood of plants were never 

 seen— not even one missed ; therefore, there can be no 

 great danger attending spring planting. 



In planting, the beds are set out for two rows each, 

 the rows two feet apart, with an alley of four feet between 

 them. The line being stretched precisely where the 

 Asparagus is to be, a slanting cut is made sloping from 

 the line, about nine inches deep, and the soil thrown out 

 as in forming an edge for Box ; the same cut is made on 

 the opposite side of the line, leaving a sharp and angular 

 ridge, across which the plants are set astride ; the ope- 

 rator taking half of the roots in the one hand and half in 

 the other, divides them across the ridge, at the distance 

 of ten inches between plant and plant. 



Previous to planting, however, some fine highly de- 

 composed old vegetable matter is placed up the line in 

 contact with the roots, and pressed firm ; the rocts are 

 slightly tipped, and dipped in a puddle of thick dung- 

 water. My plants are usually two years old, for it is a 

 waste of ground to plant earlier, unless in cases of emer- 

 gency. 1 need scarcely add that the young plant must 

 be watered every morning for a week, unless rainv. 



1 ne only treatment necessary the first year, at least 

 throu-h the growing season, is to keep them perfectly 

 free from weeds. If any crop is planted between them, 

 it should be a row of Coleworts from a June sowing, 

 which would make their growth chiefly after the Aspa- 

 ragus had done its best. 



In November, the ground is dressed with good rotten 

 manure, and in spring the alleys are thrown over the 

 manure, just deep enough to cover it. No cropping can 

 now be carried on between the rows, although a good 

 crop of Cauliflowers may be grown in the allets. The 



