1844.J 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



811 





FIRST-RATE PANSIES.— To be Sold, a Bargain, 

 a first-rate Stock of PANSIES, comprising all the best 

 Flowers in cultivation, including some valuable Seedlings not 

 in other hands, together with all Seedlings not yet bloomed, and 

 Show-boxes of four different sizes ; the entire stock of a most 

 successful Amateur declining their further culture. ThePansies 

 are all in small pots, and the Seedlings pricked out in boxes. 

 For further particulars apply to Mr. W. Clark, Seedsman, 25, 

 Bishopsgate-street Within, who has on Sale, CuthilPs Lisian- 

 thus, 2s. per paper ; Cuthill's true Black Spine Cucumber, 2* ; 

 true Cabul Melon, 2s. 6rf. ; Hoosainee, 2s.; fine mixed Geranium,' 

 1*. ; Calceolaria, is.; Cineraria, is. ; Tropaeolum tricolorum, 2s ■ 

 Tropaeolum brachyseras, 2s. ; warranted Pansy, 2s. 6d. ; Joseph 

 Cox, Esq. *s superb Picotee Seed, 5s. May be had on receiut 

 of a Post-office Order. y 



ffi)e @ rartreiterg» Cf)roitfcI& 



SATURDAY 1 J)ECE\TBER 7, 1844. 



MEETINGS FOR THE TWO FOLLOWING WEEKS. 

 Wbonkrday Dec. 11 Microscopical . „ ' 



WBDNMDAYDec.il Society of Arts . «» 



Satf-rday, Dec. 14 Royal Botanic * a 



Tuesday, Dec. 17 Linnean . ' ' * *■*• 



• • • o F.K. 



The probable importance of autumn-planting 

 the Potato has been confirmed by an experiment 

 which we had overlooked when speaking of Mr 

 Grey's. We find that Mr. Trotter, a gentleman 

 well known in the neighbourhood of Stockton, has 

 been trying the comparative effects of autumn and 

 spring planting on strong clay land, cropped with 

 Beans the previous year. The field was ploughed 

 in November, with a view to its lying in that state 

 through the winter. Mr. Trotter had on former 

 occasions attempted to grow Potatoes on this land • 

 but from the very strong nature of the soil, it often 

 yielded him little more than the seed he planted. 

 This led him to try the effect of planting a piece of 

 ground m the autumn ; and accordingly, about a 

 quarter of an acre was re-ploughed about the end of 

 November, manured with stable-vard dun* am J 

 planted in the usual way with Yorkshire lied Pota- 

 toes, no protection whatever being given them during 

 the winter; a portion of the sets was cut, and another 

 portion planted whole. The plants from the cut 

 sets were much the strongest, and kept a-head of the 

 others until the whole of the ground was nearlv co- 

 vered. Indeed, Mr. Trotter says that the plants 

 irom the cut sets were so much stronger than those 

 from the whole Potatoes, that they could be distin- 

 guished with ease at a good distance. 



A ridge of land close by the side of that planted in 

 autumn was prepared and planted in spring, and 

 manured in the same way. It is scarcely possible to 

 imagine the difference that existed between the 

 autumn and spring-planted crops. When our inform- 

 ant, Mr. G. Watson, gardener at Norton Vicarage, 

 saw them, which was in the second week of October, 

 those which had been planted in autumn were 

 still strong, healthy, and green; while the haulm 

 of those planted in spring was brown, and much 

 withered. 



When the crop was taken up, the quarter of an 

 acre planted in autumn yielded 80 bushels of Pota- 

 toes; while those planted in spring produced little 

 more than the seed. Mr. Trotter is, we understand, 

 of opinion that on the land planted in autumn there 

 was four times as many Potatoes as on that planted 

 in spring, and that the former were larger and better 

 in quality ; and this gentleman has arrived at the 

 conclusion, that for stiff clayey soils it is of the 

 greatest importance to plant in autumn. He was, at 

 the date of our correspondent's letter (Nov. 25), pre- 

 paring to plant for next year. 



At the time of harvesting there was little or no 

 difference between the produce of the cut and uncut 

 sets. The Potatoes planted in autumn were only 

 protected by the regular covering of soil ; and Mr. 

 Vratson finds, upon reference to his journal of the 

 weather, which he keeps in his employer's garden, 

 that the thermometer stood at 1 6° on the 5th of 

 February, and at 15° on the 6th; this being the 

 greatest amount of frost experienced about Stockton- 

 on-Tees last winter. 



Although this experiment was not conducted with 

 the minute exactness characteristic of Mr. Grey's, 

 yet it is valuable as affording additional evidence as 

 to the apparent importance of autumn planting. It 

 aiso possesses some points of interest of its own. 



In the first place, it shows that heavy land is as 

 well suited to autumn planting as light land. 

 We do not mean to say that clay suits Potatoes 

 *s well as sandy loam ; but that, if heavy hnd 

 js to be cropped with this plant at all, autumn is 

 tne more advantageous season to do it in. It is 

 true that 320 bushels an acre, which was Mr. Trot- 

 ter s crop, is no great amount of produce; but it is 

 to be borne in mind that the spring-planted crop 

 yielded almost nothing. 



Another, and very important fact, elicited by this 

 communication is, that it confirms the correctness of 

 *ne opinion we last week ventured to express, that it* 

 « immaterial at what time before winter the Potato- 

 «T°P 's got into the ground. Mr. Trotter's was 

 P'antecl on heavy clay, at the end of November. We 



shall, however, ascertain by another season how far 

 this plan can be followed safely ; for we have our- 

 selves planted, at the time when these remarks are 

 published, a piece of heavy land, to which no stable 

 manure whatever has been applied. 



The last fact that Mr. Trotter's experiment seems 

 to have elicited is, that Potato sets are better than 

 whole tubers. For this we were not prepared ; 

 because we should have thought that in heavy land 

 the Potato would have had a better chance of 

 standing the winter when protected by its natural 

 skin, than if cut into pieces. It would, however, 

 appear that even on clay land, in autumn, sets are 

 better than whole Potatoes, as lias been so generally 

 found to be the case in the spring, and as was shown 

 by Mr. Grey's experiment on light land. 



We wish that those who have the means would 

 now try the experiment of planting Potato sots 

 through every week from the 1st of December till 

 the winter finally sets in. The question would thus 

 be set finally at rest; and we think a more important 

 question can hardly occupy the attention of the cul- 

 tivators of the soil. 



Since the above was in type another correspondent 

 has favoured us with his experience of planting Po- 

 tatoes in the autumn, near Birmingham. It appears 

 that in this case the crop was very satisfactory ; but 

 no details or comparative statements are given. One 

 thing, however, was observed which deserves men- 

 tion. " The Potatoes, growing at 20 inches deep, and 

 obliged to begot up with the drain in g-spade, were so 

 large that some weighed (many) 4 lbs. within a few 

 ounces ; they decreased in size as they grew nearer 

 the surface, and those at the top, only sufficiently 

 large for the pigs, &&, were very few in proportion." 



Av amateur at Nottingham (Mr. Thomas Gibson) 

 has been the grower of the heaviest Gooseberry 

 ever recorded as having been exhibited. But it 

 appears that some people are endeavouring to deprive 

 him of the credit he deserves, and publicly assert 

 that heavier berries have been raised. They do not, 

 however, favour us with either the name of the 

 grower, the weight of the fruit they refer to, nor the 

 time or place where it was exhibited. For ourselves, 

 we have no idea of allowing even a Gooseberry 

 grower to be talked out of his rights ; and therefore 

 we have taken some pains to ascertain what the facts 

 are, by searching the records of Gooseberry-growing 

 for the last 27 years. 



The result of this investigation we here produce, 

 with the name, colour, weight, grower's name, and 

 place of exhibition in each case, except for 1829, of 

 which we have no record ; and, if we are not mis- 

 taken, no lists were published in that year. It 

 will now be found that from 1817 to 1825 no 

 fruit reached 30 dwts.; and so also from 1825 to 

 1830, all were below that standard, until Teazer, a 

 yellow berry, (all the other 26 being reds) reached ; 

 32 d wts. Nobody again produced a fruit of 30 dwts. 

 till 1838 ; but it will be seen that from 1840 to 1844, 

 for five consecutive years, the heaviest berries have 

 in all cases been above 31 dwts., and the last, that 

 grown by our friend Mr. Gibson, reached the extra- 

 ordinary weight of 35 dwts. 12 grains. It was 

 exhibited at the Carnation Show of the Nottingham 

 Floral and Horticultural Society of the present year, 

 and we are informed that the members of that 

 Society intend presenting Mr. Gibson with a piece 

 of plate, as the grower of " The Champion Berry of 

 England." 



ril.Mb ON KBNOVATiMti ULU ANL> LUZHx 



NEGLECTED COPPICES. 

 The chief object to be attained in improving old 

 neglected coppices is, of course, that the ground should 

 be uniformly covered with stools or stems, as even in 

 size and strength as possible, so as to produce a regular 

 nd even crop of wood; this applies more particularly to 

 coppices in Hop districts, where the production of Hop- 

 poles is the primary consideration. 



About five years ago I undertook the management, 

 among others, of a large coppice, consisting principally 

 of Alder, Ash, and Red Withy. The stools were of 

 large size, many of them measuring 3 ft. from the ground 

 to the crown, and had been so long neglected, that the 

 wood from the large stools had killed the lesser and weaker 

 ones by over-topping them. The coppice had evidently 

 been originally planted alternately with Alder, Ash, and 

 Withy; but the two former bad nearly overpowered their 

 weaker neighbour, the Withy, and appropriated to them- 

 selves the whole locality; and at the time I took it in 

 hand, there was evidently a struggling for the mastery 

 between the Alder and Ash, and from the weakened ap- 

 pearance of many of the Ash-stools, I have no doubt but 

 that the former (the least deserving), would eventually 

 have been left the sole occupier. I commenced by lay- 

 ering all that 1 could possibly get from the Ash, and* from 

 the few Withy-stems which were found here and there, 

 rejecting the Alder, unless there was no other tort in 

 the vicinity, and in many places I planted very strong 

 plants of Withy, about fl ft. high, which I trust will ulti- 

 mately supersede the Aider. The strong high stems of 

 Alder I caused to be lowered a foot, thereby weakening 

 them for a time; but they soon rallied, and progressed at 

 such a rapid rate, that it was evident they would very 

 soon have outstriped the Withy layers and plants, and 

 have regained their former position. In going over the 

 coppice the second season after cutting, 1 found the 

 Withy layers doing remarkably well ; I then had two or 

 three of the large leading shoots of both Ash and Alder 

 taken from the old stools, thus producing a greater uni- 

 formity of growth, and giving the weaker-growing sorts a 

 chance of competing with their more powerful neighbours. 

 In forming coppices I should certainly abstain from 

 planting fast and slow-growing sorts indiscriminately. 

 In many situations the Ash and Alder might be planted 

 together with success ; but the latter is of little use ex- 

 cept for burning into charcoal for the powder-mill. The 

 Ash will flourish in both wet and dry soils, and when 

 properly managed will produce a vast quantity of mar- 

 ketable produce ; and if we take into consideration their 

 rapid growth and the durability of the converted wood, I 

 think we may safely pronounce it to be the most profit- 

 able sort we can plant for underwood. The Water 

 Withy (Salii aquatics), will oftentimes successfully com- 

 pete with the Ash, and even the Alder in growth, if 

 planted in moist situations; but the wood is little, if at all, 

 superior to the Alder for durability. The Red Withy 

 (Salix rubra), is a slow grower, but amply repiys any 



trouble and expense incurred in bringing it to maturity. 

 — Quercus II. 



A return of the heaviest Gooseberries that have been 

 publicly exhibited between the years 1817 and 1844, 

 both inclusive : — 





I 



Variety. 



1 81 7 Highwayman 



1818 Yaxley Hero 

 lSiyiTop Sawyer 



1S20 



Huntsman 



(red) 



i» 



»i 



99 



»• 

 91 



99 



99 



1821 Huntsman 



1822 Rough Robin 



1823 Foxhunter 



1824 Roaring Lion 

 1825! Roaring Lion 

 1826 Huntsman 

 182/ Roaring Lion 



1828 Roaring Lion 



1829 



l830|Teazer (yellow) 



1831 {Roaring Lion (red; 



{Roaring Lion 

 Young Wonder 

 ful 

 1H33 Wonderful 

 183 1 Wonderful 

 1835|Wot,derfui 

 18 Companion 

 |^| Com paii ion 

 Wonderful 



3£U London 



10! London 



1841 Wonderful 



Wght 



Grower's 

 Name. 



dwfcfr. 

 26 1/ R. Speedily 

 24 14 R. Speechly 

 -6 17 T. Capper 



Where 

 Exhibited* 



25 IS 



J. Bratherton 



25 6 J. Bra'herton 



•26 

 IS 

 23 



31 

 24 



27 



29 



32 

 11 



1 W. Heath 



2 J. Bratherton 

 5 M. Hall 



I6i J . Bratherton 



6 



7 

 



W. Askew 

 J. Warrls 

 J. Williams 



Peterborough 

 Peterborough 

 Wybunbury, 



Cheshire 

 CheethamHill, 



Manchester 

 Nantwich, 



Cheshire 

 Weston.Notts. 

 Nantwich 

 j Kllesmere 

 Nantwich 

 Huntingdon 

 Disley 

 Nantwich 



13 G. Prophet 

 <J W. Davies 



(red) 

 (red) 



1842 



18* t 

 1844 



London 

 London 

 London 



99 

 99 

 ft 

 99 



99 



27 13 



{?: 



G. Webster 



Wallis 





99 



-V 

 *7 



24 

 29 

 23 

 31 



■<-J 

 J2 

 32 

 SI 

 32 

 35 



i; R. Moon 

 8 ■ W. Saunders 

 H. Fardoa 

 J. Stubbs 

 I2iJ. Barker 

 16 W. GicUtens 

 o,T. Lanceley 



Stockport 

 Oswestry 



Huyton 

 Nottingham 



Ormskirk 



gely 

 Woodstock 



'andon, Staff. 



ianrey, Staff. 

 : Huntingdon 

 Chester 



0(1. FaircloughjOrmskirk 

 16; J. Oppock Weston Pomt 

 13 T. Bradrach Thatto Heath 



avenham 

 'Nottingham 



T. Bradrack 

 J. Jones 

 IS T. Gibson 



ROSE GARDEN No. 



(Continued from page 732.) 



It must be observed, that directions in horticulture 

 must depend more or less upon the state of the weather. 

 The climate in England is so changeable as to make it 

 impossible to mark, with anything like precision, the 

 most advantageous time for out-of-door operations ; and 

 a hard frost succeeding fine weather, which has induced 

 the operator to commence his work, will delay if not 

 defeat his hopes, without a remedy, even where great 

 care has been bestowed to secure success. 



In grafting, the question seems to be how forward the 

 tree is to be permitted to advance before the scions are 

 inserted. It would seem to be difficult to hit the nice 

 point between putting in the scions before the tree has 

 snp enough to effect a junction and prevent them from 

 luffering, and inserting them so late as to cause a mate- 

 rial check in the action of the tree. But the fact is, that 

 the sap is on the rise long before any great exhibition of 

 its effect appears, and if a shoot of the wild Rose be 

 deprived of its head in November, the rise of the sap 

 may be seen in March, by the swelling of the stock before 

 the side shoots, or rather their precursors, the buds, 

 appear to feel if. Stocks which have carried the same 

 heads through the winter show the rise of the sap by 

 the swelling and starting of the buds upon them, while 

 others which have been decapitated in spring, and appear 

 comparatively at rest, will be found, on examination, to 

 be in the same state. The main stem is better to graft 

 upon than the shoots ; first, because it makes a hand- 

 some tree ; secondly, because the bark of the shoot not 

 being so thick as that of the stem, is more likely to get 

 dry and hard ? thirdly, because dormant and almost im- 

 perceptible buds on the shoots, frequently break out in 

 the clay, absorb the sap, and injure the scion; whereas 

 in the stem the bud that appears may be cleft through, 

 and the scion put in its place; perhaps also the vessels 

 in the stem are larger, and the plant required to come in 

 contact can be made to do so with greater facility ; and 

 lastly, the sap, rising in a grafted stock, is spread over a 

 larger surface (and the effect of it consequently diminished) 

 when shoots are used, than when the stem is cleft for 

 that purpose. The united circumference of three shoots, 

 or even two if they are vigorous, being more than that 

 of the stem. The difference in labour is also greatly in 

 favour of using the stem which will receive three or four 

 scions, requiring but one operation in cementing and 

 claying, whereas the use of the shoot involves three times 

 the attention. 



From the 1st of March until the stocks get so forward 





