8t6 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



have experienced Uicm can appieciate how pleasurable th< 

 are. The Carnation-grower's chief care must now he to pre- 

 pare his com- it for next season (for most assuredly it will he 

 a busy one..' His turf must be turned often, very otten, during 

 the next three months, careful y picking out of it the Florist's 

 plague "the wire-worm." Hi ; leaf soil also must be shaken 

 up and sweetened, and a proper quantity of thoroughly decom- 

 posed stahle manure must be made sure of, let whatever other 

 crop will, go without. It he means to have large and fine flowers, 

 he must not be too fastidious about manure, but it must be well 

 rotten. Pic< tees are not so apt to become foul, or as we call it, 

 ••run," as Carnations, and they will, consequently, bear a 

 richer compost. Still, where Car nations and Picotees are grown 

 for exhibition, one hundred pots might easily be cultivated at 

 •• high pressure," in order to win some of the prizes, which will 

 be M thick as Bilberries" in the country next season, for those 

 deservedly popular flowers. Pinks.— We have heard of many 

 new sorts of these scented favourites, both from north and 

 south. We are told that Simmor.ite's Coronation, dark lace, 

 and Burguis' Miss Jessop, black and white, are splendid 

 flowers ; the former having won several Cups in succession at 

 Sheffield, till Bradshaw's Creensidcs carried off the ptlm this 

 season. Stiil we know that the Sheffield judgment and that of 

 Lond n arc a» yet as wide apart as the Antipodes. Queen of 

 Roses is not now to be obtained for "love or money." Headly s 

 Duke of Northumberland is a «• clipper," and we are persuaded 

 will become a general favourite, and the florist who has not yet 

 rot it had better in <ke inquiry. These, as well as Carnations 

 and Picotees, must be attended to now regularly. The atten- 

 tion they want is comparatively trifling, but that little must not 

 be neglected. For other florists' flowers consult the Calendars 

 of the last four weeks.— J. F. W. 



IV.— PINERIES, VINERIES, &c. 

 Pineries.— The weather of the last fortnight, having been dry, 

 has been much in favour of Pines grown In pits heated by 

 dung linings— not protected. Have plenty of leaves and litter 

 always in readiness to renew these linings, as one heavy 

 shower will destroy the heat in those which have been long 

 unturned. The best ulan is to make a rule of turning a portion 

 of the linings every week. On fine days dew the plants in the 

 fruiting ami succession pits heated by fire, with the syringe. 

 The atmosphere of dung pits will probably be sufficiently moist 



from the steam of the dung. 



Vineries.— If the Vines started three weeks back are beginning 

 tosweU their buds, be moie careful to keep the temperature 

 uniform— about 60° by night and 6u° by day, must be main- 

 tained, allowing the house to rise to 70° with sun-heat. Long 

 shoots should be bent down, so as to place the lowest buds 

 uppermost, to cause them to break first, after which the rod 

 may be gradually restored to its proper position. You cannot 

 keep too moist an atmosphere from this time till the Vines are 

 in blossom. Keep the soil t f the outside borders at a temper- 

 ature of about 70°, by covering it with leaves and litter as far 

 as the roots extend. Examine the inside borders occasionally, 

 and if dry, let them have a good soaking with liquid manure. 



Peach-houses.— Whenever you perceive the buds to be ad- 

 vancing, pay the strictest attention to the state of the atmo- 

 sphere. Give air when the sun raises the thermometer to 60°, 

 and sprinkle trie trees three times a day till nearly in bloom. 



Plants in Puts, now in bloom, should be assisted in setting, 

 by means of a camel hair brush. Keep a temperature of 55° by 

 night, and 65° by day. If they are plunged, the bottom-heat 



should not exceed 70°. 



Strawberries.— U Strawberries are required early, a few may 

 now be brought into a cool Vinery or a pit, the deca>ed leaves 

 being first trimmed off, and a little of the top soil removed, and 

 replaced with some fresh rich loam. Wherever they are placed 

 they should have gentle treatment at first, and air should be 

 admitted freely every fine day.— G.F. 



V.— HARDY FIU IT AND K1TCHEN-GARDEN 



Boot pruning of Fruit trees now, in connection with Top- 

 pruning in Summer.— In cases where several branches of a tree 

 have hen me so luxuriant as to prevent a fair distribution of 

 sap, or where altogether the growth baa been so rampant as to 

 prevent the formation of blossom buds, the cutting of the 

 stronger roots, so as to check the too luxuriant branches, or the 

 general pruning of the roots in cases of too vigorous though 

 uniform growth, will be attended with advantage, inasmuch 

 as vigorous growth and productive fruitfulness are severally 

 effected by means directly the opposite of each other. Though 

 root-pruning is now frequently referred to as something new, 

 it must be 15 or 16 years ago since I saw it resorted to by the 

 late Mr. Beattie, at Scone gardens, and he did not seem to think 

 then that there was anything in it remarkable for novelty. The 

 practice frequently recommended, of cutting the roots every 

 year or so, and then surrounding them with a trench of rich 

 manure— though, I doubt not, attended with good results— pos- 

 sesses this anomalous feature, that the system owes the whole 

 of its success to a perpetual doing and undoing ; producing fer- 

 tility by rendering the tree deficient in nourishment at one 

 time, and supplying it with, too much at another. When trees 

 are deficient in fertility from over- luxuriance, the raising of the 

 roots nearer the surface, giving no manure but as mulching, 

 and attending to early and judicious summer-pruning, we 

 should prefer to a yearly mutilation of the roots, unless in cir- 

 cumstances where it was desirable to have as many fruit-bear- 

 ing trees upon as small a space of ground as possible. Where 

 the roots of Apples, Pears, &c, are within from 9 to 18 inches 

 of the surface, the trees may soon be deprived of extra luxu- 

 riance by judicious summer-pruning, merely preserving as 

 many leaves on the shoots as will insure a healthy action be- 

 tween the ro r ts and the brandies, and not so many as will 

 shade those buds atthe.base of the shoots, and on small short 

 spurs, that can only be rendered fruitful by a free exposure to 

 light and air. In extreme cases, such as in old fine-looking 

 Pear-trees, that have become barren in the centre, the rais- 

 ing of the roots, and the supplying the tree with young 

 wood, as previously recommended in the Calendar, or as 

 recently adviaed by Mr. Eirington, would doubtless be at- 

 tended with good results ; but with trees of moderate age 

 and equality of growth it will seldom be necessary, unless in 

 the case of trees of peculiar habits. Did 1 want anything to 

 convince me of the utility of judicious shortening and thinning 

 out the shoots ;of Pear trees for example) in summer, it would 

 be the sight of the fertile, healthy appearance of the Pear trees 

 on the walls at the Horticultural Gardens, where, without 

 having recourse either to root-pruning, or sn annual laying in 

 of young wood, the branches are studded all over with fruit 

 buds close up to the stem. 



Celery.— The present dry weather should be embraced for 

 giving this useful vegetable its final earthing up. As we grow 

 our crops chiefly in beds, and as our soil is apt to rust the Celery, 

 1 do not put on a great thickness of earth, but I bank the late 

 beds up with tree leaves and any loose litter, putting them 

 together when dry, and as lightly as possible, to keep them 

 from fermenting. The surface soon ges caked over, so as to 

 exclude the most of the rain, and the frost is kept out and the 

 Celery blanched by the same operation.— it. F. 



VI.— AKBORICULTURE. 



Old Woods.— As the weather still continues favourable for all 

 operations of the season, every opportunity should be em- 

 braced for forwarding them. 



Coppice.— How that the leaves have fallen, attend to the 

 clearing of ditches, drains, and water-courses; repair fences, 

 cut and plash the hedges where it is necessary, and forward all 

 other work whenever the weather is favourable. 



Young Plantations.— The planting of new ones, and making 

 good failures in recently planted ones, should be proceeded 

 with as expeditiously as possible, when the weather is mild 

 and the ground dry. It is best to keep the different sorts of 

 orest trees in masses or groups by themselves as much as 



possible: but this must be regulated according to the s i, 

 situation, &c. Plant the kinds intended for permanent wooc 

 by themselves, intermixed with other suitable kinds as nurse*, 

 to be headed off, and kept low as undergrowth. 



Nursery Work— The wort to be done in this department, 

 pointed out In previous Calendars, may still be proceeded with 



henever the weather is favourable. — W. B. 



VI I. -COTTAGERS' GARDENS. 



This being about the best time for procuring a few Roses for 

 the cottage garden, I would recommend those who are desirous 

 of c •llectingasmall group of good sorts to get the following. 

 which are mostly Perpetuals, or which flower from June until 

 late in autumn, when frost puts an end to their beauty: viz., 

 liourbon, Acidaiie, Bouquet deplore, Duchess of Sutherland, P.; 

 Madame Uffay, P.; Aubernon, Fulgore, P. ; Due d Aumale, 

 Damask, Bernard, Crimson perpetual, Prince Charles, Bougcre, 

 Goubault, Eliza Sauvage, Comte de Paris, Triomphe du Luxem- 

 bourg, Sylvain, Lady Fordwich, P.; Lamarque, P., and Jaune 

 Desprez, P. The' above are all good, and are not expensive to 

 buy. Those marked P are well adapted for covering walls, or 

 for training up pillars, &c. If planted in a bed they had better 

 be placed in the centre, or wherever it is wished that the bed 

 should be highest. China, Tea, and Noisette Rose=, should be 

 kept in pots until spring. Other kinds maybe planted wnh 

 advantage about this season, when the weather is dry and not 

 frosty. The pruning of the Vine and other fruit-trees may now- 

 be proceeded with. In pruning the Vine, cut out a portion of 

 the old wood, especially where such can be replaced by well- 

 ripened shoots of last season. All the young shoots should be 

 more or less shortened according to their strength and maturity. 

 It is of no use to leave soft, uniipe, or weak wood. If left so 

 thick as that the whole of the wall would be covered with 

 foliage, the rays of the sun would be thereby preventedfrom heat- 

 ing the wall, and thus the latter would afford little assistance m 

 ripening the crop. It is, therefore, advisable to train thinly ; 

 for by so doing the bunches will be larger and better ripened 

 than could be obtained from crowded wood.- J. McH. 



State of the Weather near London forthe week finding Dec 5, 1844, as 



obierved atthe Horticultural Garden, Gnuwiok. 



Ba kombtb r. 

 Max- 



Thebuuurtir. 



Krid. 

 Sat- 

 Sun. 

 Mon. 



T ues. 

 Wed. 



l'huri. 



30.038 

 30.1 



I 133 

 30.051 

 30.073 

 30.2i':i 

 30.111 



.103 



i .Min. 

 29.9S8 



Max. i Min. 



■U 



I 



30 .(73 



40 



30.083 



42 



2D.9J8 



40 



30 041. 



39 



20-109 



40 



30.069 



35 



30.056 



40.0 



37 

 30 



88 



27 

 33 



22 



.4 



2B.0 



Mean 

 40.5 

 35.0 

 37.5 

 33.5 

 30.0 

 31 

 24.5 



34.0 



Wind. 



E. 



N.E. 



N.K. 



N.E. 



N.E. 



N.E. 



N.E. 



Rain. 



Avcraae 



Nov. 29— Easterly haze; fo^iy; densely clouded 



— 30- Overcast; bleak and cnld ; cloudy; BJiK*>t irost 

 Dec. 1— Overc ast ; cloudy and cold ; densely overcast 



— 2— Orercast and cold throughout; frosty at night 



— 3— Densely overcast and cold 



— 4— Cloudy and cold ; sharp frost at night 



— 5— Severe frost continuing throughout, Bet in after a week ot con- 



stant N-E. wind. ~ 



"Mean temperat ure of rhe week 9 deg- below t he average.-; 



tate of the Weather at Chiswick during the last 18years, for the ensuing 



Week ending Dec. 14, 1844. „_____ 



Prevailing Winds. 



Dec. 



Aver. 



Highest 



Aver. 

 Lowest 

 Temp. | Temp. 



No. of 

 Mean Yenis in 



Sun. 8 

 Mon. 9 

 Tues. 10 

 Wed. U 

 Thur. 12 

 Pit 13 



Sat, 14 



4&S 



34.4 



45.1 



85.9 



46.0 



35.6 



4^.6 



33.5 



41.8 



36-5 



478 



38 4 



46.0 



• 



33.& 



Temp 



39.8 



40.5 

 40.8 

 39.5 

 39.1 

 43.1 



39.9 



which it 

 Rained. 



Greatest 



quantity 

 of Rain. 



10 



9 



6 



8 



7 

 6 



9 



The highest temperature during the above period occurred on the 13th, 

 1842— therm. 61°; and the lowest on the 14th, 1840 — therm. 18°. 





Notices to Correspondents. 



American Blight.— M. C. F.— Your tree is devoured by this 

 insect. \Vas>h it all over in the spring, as s<jon as the blight 

 appears, with spirits of tar, applied with a stiff brush. Alter 

 a few weeks mure will appear j repeat the application. A 

 little perseverance will soon rid you of this pest, which in the 

 long-run would kill your trees. 

 Applks.— Malum.— The following table and dessert Apples will 

 probably be found suitable for walls in Cornwall, at a con- 

 siderable elevation above the level of the sea, viz., Court 

 Pendu Plat, Dutch Mignonne, Herefordshire Pearmain, 

 Adams's Pearmain, Reinette du Canada, Ribston Pippin, 

 Sturmer Pippin, Duraelow's Seedling, Blenheim Pippin, Bed- 

 fordshire Foundling, Mere de Menage. The Early Harvest 

 maybe planted as an ear)y sort against a north wall; but 

 this situation is more proper for kitchen fruit. |j 

 Bees. — Apiurius. — We are endeavouring to organise an Apiarian 

 department of our Paper, in which ail matters relating to 

 Bees shall be sufficiently treated of. You shall have an 

 answer to your inquiry next week. 

 Books.— Georgic.—" The Modern Gardener," by T. Price. It 

 may be purchased for Is. 6tf. T. Nadin. — We are not book- 

 sellers. You must apply to the publishers. 

 Carnations.— Rus in Urbe —Potter's liquid guano has been 

 tried on Carnations in the spring, when in a growing state, 

 with great success. After the layers have become established 

 in their blooming-pots is the proper time to apply it; we 

 should decidedly object to manure In any shape being mixed 

 with the soil in which the layers are wintered. — \V. 

 Chicory.— O. T. — When used in coffee this is not deleterious, 

 quite the contrary ; it certainly imparts, when used in mode- 

 ration, a fine flavour. 

 Cucumber Pits. — C. J.— We have given so many directions 

 already for all sorts of structures of this kind, that we can 

 lind little to odd. By all means let your sashes be of wood. 

 If you have iron ones you will never be able to use them. 

 Certainly use the tank system, and hot-water gutters, not 

 close pipes, for bottom-heating. 



Diseases.— iu— The production on leaves of Hardenbergia con- 

 sists of a mavs of elongated cells perpendicular to the plane 

 of the leaf. It is accompanied by a very minute Acarus, to 

 which probably it owes its origin. There is also an obscure 

 mould on the surface of the little patches. If produced by the 

 Acarus, which is most likely, it is very probable that it may 

 extend to neighbouring plants; but if the little mould be the 

 cause, this is not likely to be the case. M. J. B. 



Gooseberries.— Corylut.— The varieties of Gooseberries can 

 be obtained generally correct from the Lancashire growers. 

 Amongst several hundred varieties which were obtained from 

 various authorities by the Horticultural Society, there was 

 lc?s confusion as regards synonyms and false sorts than 

 amongst any other class of fruits. || 



Insects.— Querist. — Our advice would not be so serviceable to 

 you as a perusal of the article on the Wireworm, in the last 



Number of the Royal Agricultural Journal. R A Subscriber. 



— It is an acarus, nearly related to the red spider and also to 

 the A. telarius. The best remedies you will find connected 

 with their natural histories in vol. i, p. 164, and vol. iii, p. 356, 



of this Journal.it A Beginner.— The worms you sent may 



be bred in the decomposing parts of the plants, but it is the 

 wood-lice that eat off your seedling Auriculas. A 



Laurel Lbavks. — S. V.— We presume that dilute prussic 

 acid would answer the same purpose as Laurel leaves in 

 destroying the red spider; but there isadifficulty in knowing 

 what the degree of solution should be, and an objection in 

 the expense. Laurel leaves cost nothing, and are very easily 

 applied. We shall be anxious to hear the result of your expe. 



[D ec^ 



rfment. Your explanation of the supp'-sed fact, if it be a fet 

 is doubtless correct. We would, however, suggest that the' 

 soil of Spain is much warmer in winter than that of England. 



Mildkw.— C. W., and Alricksey.—lt is by no means uncommon 

 for Chrysanthemums, &c, to be affected with mildew at this 

 season. The best way to prevent it \* to syringe the plant, 

 well with nitre dissolved in water at the rate of ) oz. to a 

 gallon. This should be done as soon as the mildew makes its 

 appearance. § 



N'a.mks of Fruits.— S. B. P. Shillon.—\, Probably Minchal 

 Crab; 5, Bedfordshire Foundling; 6, Hollannbury; 9, Loan's 

 Pearmain j 11, Hall Door ; 13, Hughes's Gol 1 Pippin; 14 

 Beurre Did; l/, now past its season, but very probably the 



the Pippins; 23, prooaoiy neswicic loann ; lb, Dutch Mi- 

 gnonne; 27, Dumelow's Seedling; 28, 29, Beurie de Capiau- 

 mont; 33, Franklin's Golden Pippin; 34, Glout Morceau; 

 37, Barcelona Pearmain ; 7, 30, 31, 32, correct. Of theSeedl 

 lings, No. 4 is the best, and seems worthy of further trials 

 18 deserves further notice. || W. I). F.— The Pear culti- 

 vated in your neighbourhood under the name of Forme de 

 Marie Louise, is the Marie Louise; the other is the Black 



Achan.n B, D., Greys.— A fine specimen of the Bishop's 



Thumb. 1 M.L.—l, White Doyenne; 2, Brown Beurre; 3, 



decayed. 1, Stagg's Nonpareil; 4, HoUandburyj 5, Gloria 



Mundi ; 7, Downton ; 8, Beauty of Kent; 10, 11, Famagusta; 

 12, Golden Noble. \\ — Subscriber. 



Names of Plants.— C. M'l.— Epiphyllum violaceura. 3, Zy- 

 gopetalum crinitumj 2, Maxillaria picta; 3, M. punctata. 

 4, Bifrenaria racemosa ; 5, Oncidium sanguineum, a small 



variety. We do not recognise the shrub. A Subscriber.— 



Some kind of Eugenia, and a stove plant. F.— The plant 



is probably Lselia flava; but we will not speak positively 

 without seeing its flowers. We never fix values on plants. 

 Ano?i. — Polypodium vulgare, and some Commelina, per- 

 haps Angustifolia. H. B.— Peziza cocciiiea. 



Nursery-ground. Auction Duty.— F.V.A.— The products of 

 a nursery-ground sold, as stated, are not, we think, liable to 



auction duty. — W. 

 Pears.— J. E.—Yor Perry the Barland, Holmore, Oldfield, 



Huffcap, and Teinton Squash, are amongst the most approved 



varieties.il W.— If you can send a specimen of the Pear 



called in your neighbourhood the " Slippery,** it will be at- 

 tended to. U 



Pear-trkes. — W.— In planting:, it would have been better if 

 the holes which were filled with good soil had not been dug 

 so deep as to penetrate the stiff clay. The roots have been, in 

 consequence, led into the very substance which ha^ doubtless 

 occasioned canker in the shoots. The sorts Swan's Egg, 

 and Autumn Bergamot, are, however, more liable to canker, 

 when old, than many others. All you can do is to supply the 

 roots with fresh rich compost, and grait with Marie Louise, 

 Knight's Monarch, or Althorp Crassane || 



Pelargoniums.— An Anxious Inquirer keeps her Pelargoniums 

 too wet at this time of the year. They should have water 



very seldom. 



Planting Forest-trees.— B. F.—ln preparing ground om the 

 side of a hill for planting, where the soil is composed in many 

 places of 8 inches in depth of good earth on a bed of chalk, 

 and strong earth mixed with flints, only trench the ground 

 to the depth of the good soil, mixing a small quantity of the 

 chalk or strong earth from the bottom with it during the 

 operation. The best trees for such a bleak situation as the 

 side of a high hill in Dorsetshire, are Evergreen Oaks, .Wey- 

 mouth and Cluster Pines, Silver and Spruce Firs* Scarlet 

 and other Thorns, common and other Maples, Catalpa, Yew, 

 Chichester Elm, and common and Manna Ash. «[ 



Potatoes.— J. G.— What it is in soil that determines the qua- 

 lity of Potatoes is unascertained. Opinion seems to turn in 

 favour of saline manure, or guano, and against farm-yard 

 dung, unless very fresh and struwy. Some lands never bring 

 Potatoes of good quality. 



*xv—A Youth of the Soil.-The sap of trees rises from the 

 soil till it reaches the leaves , then, under the influence of 

 light i is very much changed > t a great deal of the watery 

 mrt flics off- the remainder is converted into orgamsable 

 matter whfen is returned downwards, and lodged among 



na^UJate^ammo-nS waSrl cheat or a blJekh^d 

 It may be used with advantage for Potatoe^ But is it atter 



rank It would be a great convenience if >ou wo „„ «„? 

 ™fen ".TwrUe on ol side on^t^r^^^^ 



Th^Iloe !3K^^^^^ Th k e e n S th°e r 



TH by sefd"; The latter should be gathered 1 in ^er jhe^the 



fruit is dead ripe, mixed wi h t S» u d. and turjd o e ^ 



three times in the course of the winter , ann, 

 bruary, they will probably c™ e W£*L*>.t Journ|ll 



Transmutation of CoRN.-We observe in ^a r of 



that Mr. Thomas Biggs has shown in Coik»P e 

 Wheat from each side o J^h per ect OaU a « g^ ^ 

 These specimens are said to , have g rov vn on of ^ 



Shippoul, belonging to CapU J Hemc^ ' b ' and if it 



Irish friends inform «s^ helhe ' J hl * f 7?JJ We should be 

 is, procure us a sight of these ears c f ™ r »; W ,L If they 



infinitely obliged and ^^^^^li unV M 

 were addressed to Dr. Lindity, zi, x^& 



they would be promptly f^Yo^ Carnation from Naples is 

 Miscellaneous.— E. O. L. — roj ur *-» aD n re hend that in 

 the common Dianthus pUimar us. ^f^.^r friend has 

 this case no change has taken Place.hu th at our __ 



been deceived by the Neapolitan who sold h.mn ^ 



Quemr.-Early soits of Potatoes ^ are best adap Ja 



planting. The Beurre de Cap a»mont is r n P ^^ 

 October. It is a great bearer, but has not ^so r 

 as many others of the ^rne season O ^ ]&nted . t ^ 

 from the Acorn, without haviDf bem " , p ^ 



E. M. W.-The Cotoneaster micropnvj J* may D g ^ * 

 success on the common Ha*tho_*n. ^f PJJ^ should be 



done in th 

 performed 



and Noble 



wood of your vines » w«. •££•}!« , he Vines are tni 

 cover the branches with hay r °P« s h a "^ b ir i9 a ves ctable.t— 

 out of the house.t--^ f^^d 1844 are 'he third and 

 fricks,y.-^e vols fo r 1 ^"^^lying .pWJ ffi 



fourth. tl. &., grc« * u « •„_„ niiirht on wall trees, n» * 



for the purpose of R.U.ng A-» **« « ; „„, bta ,>. 



one of the most valuable sorts.* ^reived tools.*. 



*»* As usual, many communications have been «« * #. 



*and others are unavoidably detained tUl the req 



quiries can he made. 



