THE GARDENERS' CHRONI 



6;o 



S^^^TlVrfe^ion, Pun,:e7 W^rlo, Hero of I - B.rds of" the same kind, '/ «y S . Ra y, << make itheir 

 l^en.e, Prince Aibert, Sure Enough, Beau,y of the nest, , of th. «-« ^^^ ^^ t ^I^f t 



iCLE. 



[Oct. 5, 



Plain, Mrs. Shelley, Lee's Bloomsbury, Antagonist, 

 President of the West, Rising Triumph, Lady St. Maur, 

 Admiral Stopford, Beauty of Buc'ss, Burnham Hero, 

 Perpetual Grand, Nonpareil, Sir Robert Sale, Phenome- 

 non, and Beauty of Sussex. Two other nursery col- 

 lections were found to be of great merit, and nearly 

 equal to each other ; and the Committee therefore voted 

 the Society's Silver Medal for each— to Messrs. Carstairs, 

 Kelly, and Co., and to Messrs. T. and W. Handa-yde. 

 — For the Prize of three sovereigns offered by the 

 Society for the finest 18 blooms produced by Practical 

 Gardeners, there were no fewer than 11 competitors. 

 The successful candidate was Mr. W. Thom.gr. to Capt. 

 M. Innes, whose flowers were, Standard of Perfection, 

 Mrs. Shelley, Sphere, Prince of Wales. Essex Triumph, 

 W r estbury Rival, Antagonist, Hero of Stonehenge, Lady 

 Borland, Lady St. Maur, Blue Bonnet, Burnham Hero, 

 Coronation, Victor, Prince Albert, Sir Robert Sale, 

 Attila, and Sir John Stewart Richardson. Two other 

 collections sent were each rewarded with the Society's 

 Silver Medal. They were from Mr. Thomson, gr. to 

 W. Vere, Esq., and from Mr. Addison. — The Medal 

 offered for the best 12 blooms produced by Amateurs 

 who cultivate their own plants, was gained by Mr. A. 

 Ambrose, with Phenomenon, Mrs. Shelley, Prince of 

 Wales, Essex Triumph, Sir J. S. Richardson, Duchess 

 of Richmond, Indispensable, Bridesmaid, Bedford Sur- 

 prise, Antagonist, Maria, and Lady St. Maur ; and a 

 premium was voted to Mr. J. Sanderson.— A number of 

 Seedling Dahlias, the produce of 1843 or of the present 

 year, were exhibited ; but none of them excelled the finer 

 varieties now in cultivation. No premium was awarded. 

 — Two Collections of Carnations, flakes and bizarres, 

 were much admired. The Silver Medal was awarded to 

 Mr. D. Foulis, gr. to J. Tytler, Esq., the flowers being 

 Simpson's Marquis of Granby, Wood's Commander-in- 

 Chief, Lady Ely, Rainsforth's Game Boy, Elliot's Duke 

 Of Sutherland, Ely's Duke of Bedford, Mr. Grainger, 

 Ely's Magnificent, Adinbroke's Lydia, Dalton's Lan- 

 cashire Lass, Tutchet's Don Juan, and Duchess of 

 Devonshire ; and the bronze Medal to Mr. Thomson, 

 for the other collection. A premium for Picotees was 

 likewise awarded to Mr. Foulis. — The display of Holly- 

 hocks was rich, and two awards were made — the 

 first to Mr. Foulis, and the next to Mr. Alexander 

 Foulis, gr. to Admiral Sir Philip Durham. — At this 

 meeting an unusual number of articles were brought 

 forward, for which no premiums had been an- 

 nounced in the programme ; and several being very 

 meritorious, received marks of distinction. A stand 

 consisting of above 80 seedling Pansies, some of them 

 of great beauty, was considered deserving of the Silver 

 Medal, which was accordingly voted to the raiser, Mr. 

 J. Finlayson, of Kincardine. — Another medal was 

 awarded to Mrs. Erskine, for a collection of nine dis- 

 tinct kinds of Oranges. — An extra premium was voted 

 to Mr. J. Macnaughton, gr. to J. Wauchope, Esq., for 

 collections of several kind of fine fruits. — From Leith 

 Walk Nurseries were exhibited plants of the golden- 

 ribbed Beet (Poi ee a cardes jaunes of the French), of a 

 very elegant appearance ; and also specimens of the 

 Chou Nantais, a neat crisp little Cabbage, and Maclel- 

 lan's new winter Cabbage, apparently a very good variety. 

 — Messrs. Handasyde sent a collection of 80 named 

 Dahlias, along with 17 new fancy striped kinds, of a 

 very striking appearance, although not admissible to the 

 florist's stand. — Messrs. Carstairs, Kelly, and Co., con. 

 tributed a collection of named Hollyhocks, with guard- 

 petals, some of them of great beauty!— Mr. Oliver sent 

 stands of French and African Marigolds, the latter of 

 uncommon size, and 30 very beautiful varieties of China 

 Aster. — Mr. Anderson produced curious seedling Fuch- 

 sias, one being a cross between F. Chandlerii and F. de- 

 corticata, the first time these have been hybridised. — 

 From Professor Dunbar were beautiful Cape Heaths, 

 particularly E. inflata, reflexa, alba, verticillata, Irbyana, 

 and retorta. — Dr. Neill sent Acropera Loddigesii, with 

 30 flowering spikes, and Grobya Amherstim, with five 

 spikes of flowers. — Messrs. J. Dickson and Sons showed 

 two magnificent flowering specimens of Gesnera zebrina, 

 one of them 8 feet in circumference around the branches. 

 — Other contributors were, Mr. Deans, who sent a 

 Seedling Apple of considerable promise, and also Seed- 

 ling Dahlias ; and Mr. Kinnear, who showed remarkably 

 fine clusters of the White Raisin and Southfield Black 

 Grapes, produced on the back wall of his vinery ; Mr. 

 Deuchar contributed very late Gooseberries, and excel- 

 lent specimens of the Borsdorff Apple ; and Mr. Goodall 

 sent Astrachan Apples and Retarded Cherries ; Mrs. 

 Brown, large Pears ; Mr. Bridges, large Swedish Tur- 

 nips ; and Mr. Anderson, very large White Turnips. 



Bird- Architecture. By James Rennie. Vol. XI. of 



Knight's Weekly Volume. 

 It is so seldom that the subjects of Mr. Knight's ad- 

 mirable weekly work relate to matters of which we can take 

 notice, that we gladly avail ourselves of the opportunity 

 of mentioning them, which is afforded by the republication 

 of the present volume. If there is one part of the crea- 

 tion more calculated than another to excite admiration, 

 it is the wonderful skill with which birds and insects 

 construct their habitations. The wisdom of the contriv- 

 ances, their perfect adaptation to the wants and means 

 of the little artificers, and the dexterity with which the 

 wonderful power of instinct teaches these creatures to 

 construct them, are among the most striking evidences 

 of the power and wisdom of the Creator. 



exactly of the same figure, so that by the sight of the 

 nest one may certainly know what bird it belongs to. 

 And this they do though living in distant countries, and 

 though they never saw, nor could see any nest made, 

 that is, though taken out of the nest and brought up by 

 the hand ; neither were any of the same kind ever ob- 

 served to make a different nest either for matter or 

 fashion. This, together with the curious and artificial 

 contexture of such nests, and their fitness and conve- 

 nience for the reception, hatching, and cherishing the 

 eggs and young of their respective builders (which we 

 have before taken notice of), is a great argument of a 

 superior Author of their and other natures, who hath en- 

 dued them with these instincts, whereby they are, as it 

 were, acted and driven to bring about ends which them- 

 selves aim not at (so far as we can discern) but are di- 

 rected to ; for (as Aristotle observes) otire t4xvv> °^ Te 

 JijTV^ra, ofot PovXevaafMeva ttoizi ('They act not by 

 art, neither do they inquire, neither do they deliberate 

 about what they do.') And therefore, as Dr. Cud worth 

 saith well, ■ They are not masters of that wisdom accord- 

 ing to which they act, but only passive to the instincts 

 and impresses thereof upon them.' And, indeed, to 

 affirm that brute animals do all these things by a know- 

 ledge of their own, and which themselves are masters of, 

 and that without deliberation and consultation, were to 

 make them to be endued with a most perfect intellect, 

 far transcending that of human reason; whereas it is 

 plain enough that brutes are not above consultation, but 

 below it ; and that these instincts of nature in them, are 

 nothing but a kind of fate upon them." 



The purpose of Mr. Rennie's book is to explain the 

 details of these things, by the assistance of previous 

 ornithological writers. The work is perhaps the most 

 successful of the publications of its author ; it gives in 

 a popular way a great deal of entertaining information, 

 and Mr. Knight has acted judiciously in reproducing it. 

 It seems exactly the kind of publication which will be 

 acceptable to the million, who, we hope, are purchasers 

 of these weekly volumes. 



An anecdote concerning the habits of the pensile gros- 

 beak will, we trust, excite those who are interested about 

 birds to make the acquaintance of the rest of the work. 



u Another of these gregarious African birds is the pen- 

 sile grosbeak, which is about the size of a house-sparrow, 

 and makes a basket-nest of straw and reeds, interwoven 

 into the shape of a bag, with the entrance below, while 

 it is fastened above to the twig of some tree, chiefly such 

 as grow on the borders of streams. On one side of this, 

 within, is the true nest. The bird does not build a dis- 

 tinct nest every year, but fastens a new one to the lower 

 end of the old, and as many as five may thus be seen, 

 one hanging from another. From five to six hundred 

 such nests have been observed crowded upon one tree. 



" A living author of reputation thus describes these 

 nests ; but we must premise that we do not concide with 





of access to these * tree-rocked cradles,' the entrance U 

 always from beiov?- and frequently through a cylindrical 

 passage of twelve or ufteen inches in length, projecting 

 from the spherical nest, exactly like the tube of a che- 

 mist's retort. The whole fabric is most ingeniously and 

 elegantly woven of a species o* very tough grass ; and 

 the wonderful instinct of foresight (or whatever else we 

 may choose to call it) displayed by thO little architect in 

 its construction, is calculated to excite the highest ad- 

 miration. I have often seen twenty or more of these 

 beautiful nests hanging from a single tree.'"* 



Garden Memoranda. 



Erratum. 

 Garden 

 "Cer . _ . 



Bury Hill, near Dorking. — Your correspondent, 

 "Q.," in his notice of this place, has omitted one of its 

 principal features, namely, the fine plants of Arbutus 

 and Rhododendron that crest the wooded hill behind 

 the house, and which constitute one of its chief beauties. 

 Along the crown of this hill a broad walk is bordered by 

 large plants of most of the best varieties of Rhododen- 

 dron, and behind, and among these, the new Pines al- 

 luded to by your correspondent are dotted about. A 

 collection of hardy Heaths has also been planted in an 

 inclosed spot in front of a covered seat. Besides these 

 inducements to climb the hill, several beautiful views 

 are obtained from its summit. From one point you 

 look down upon the fine sheet of water below the house, 

 and beyond that upon a tract of cultivated country which 

 gradually rises into hills of nearly an amphitheatrical 

 form, thus closing in a very pleasing prospect. By 

 taking down some trees at one end of this elevated walk, 

 a highly picturesque view of the town of Dorking and of 

 Box- hill is opened, the trees which are retained forming, 

 as it were, a frame to the picture. On a knoll in the 

 park, in a line with the walk, a very neat rustic temple 

 has been constructed, and from this spot the prospects 

 are diversified and extensive. The kitchen -garden is a 

 considerable distance from the mansion. Its hothouses 

 once contained perhaps the largest collection of plants 

 of any private garden in Britain, but these were distri- 

 buted at the death of the former proprietor, and their 

 places are now filled by kinds more in character with the 

 present ornamental style of gardening. In one house 

 there are about 80 varieties of the Camellia, comprising 

 most of the leading sorts, and all in excellent health ; 

 and in another house there are some fine plants of the 

 different varieties of Azalea indica. Mr. Scott has 

 raised several beautiful seedlings from lateritia, most of 

 them having flowers in the style of Gledstanesii, but 

 superior, while some are pure white. He also has some 

 of "the ledifolia breed, which are a great improvement 

 upon the original white. The Rhododendron is worked 

 here almost with as great facility as the Apple- heed- 

 lings from the common kinds, growing in nursery rows, 

 are budded standard high with improved varieties, and 

 soon form handsome heads. Smaller plants m pots are 

 grafted near the ground at almost all seasons of the 

 ; e ar ; in the summer months they merely require to 

 be kept close and moist by means of a hand-glass, but 

 in spring and autumn a little artificial heat is^ nee s- 

 sary. By using these means the splendid hybrids 

 which have been bred from arboreum mayma few 

 years be made as plentiful as ponticum. It may not 

 be generally known that the Chinese Azalea will take 

 by inarching upon the Rhododendron ; but whethr 

 this union will produce any practical advantage re- 

 mains to be proved. — W. 



Miscellaneous. 



Ice-houses.-ln England these receptades , of frozen 

 water are, generally, under ground, and »!*»▼•» » 



mmmm 



. 



his opinion of the structure being devised for defence : 

 'Several varieties of the finch tribe, in South Africa, 

 suspend their nests from the branches of trees, especially 

 where they happen to impend over a river or precipice. 

 The object of this precaution is obviously to secure their 

 offspring from the assaults of their numerous enemies, 

 particularly the serpent race. To increase the difficulty 



thtsrbXpra^MtheTunder ground or under 



will effectually resist n™*™'*??^ ^fVU 

 times, be seen hanging on the under side^ 



fl\r thickness and made of any materials, it « 

 of any tnicKnesb, »uu ^ # fl Qf 



have earth oyer it, and even when t to 

 a house over it ; and wherever th m0,sture there . 

 the ice will quickly, melt. Ice-house ^ "^ 

 fore be, in all their parts, as dry as pos w , 

 hey should be so constructed, and the ice » 

 posited in then, as to insure the = ng away of^ 



f r arte^hrsrsh"sta n nd in a P U« 



need not be told how long that part of. oad fc*» 



u;nh the sun and wind are excluded by trees, 

 Ses or by" anything else , will remain we £* 

 leas! damp, after the rest of the road „ even ^ 

 a state to send np dust The n " t *m beneath- 

 protect the ice against wet, or damp, f™"b* ^ 

 It Should, therefore, stand on some spo from w^ 

 W ater would run m every direction ; and if tne M 



ground present no such spot, it is "»«££«.,,, J b011S e 

 make it. Then come the materials «' *™ h '" BtioB ea, 

 is to consist . These, for the reasons bfoe men 



must not be bri^k^o^jDOrtar^rjartt^ 



"" ' * priogle's Ephemerides, Notes. 







