854 



£i^ raceme, of golden flowers which remained 

 „„til the end of November. It might be re mar ked the 

 clusters were net quite their usual length; but it wa 

 quite a noTclty to behold such a general bloom ii that 

 season of the year. I communicate this »s the singular 

 effects produ. ,d on vegetation by extremes In certain 

 localities.- IV. M. Melville, Stradey Park, Llanelli/. 

 —Pine Growing at Thornjield.— In reply to Mr. rul- 

 Cm's inquiries *(p. 834) 1 would mention that I have 

 tried the same practice as that of Mr. Dale for upwards 

 of a period of nine years, and I imagine that I have 

 during that time made some important improvements i on 

 the system, th- results of *hich have been published in 

 periodicals at f. rent times. I would further state, for 

 Mr. F.'s information, that I believe the most essential 

 points of my present practice of cultivating the Pine- 

 apple are entirely my own ; and m order to satisfy 

 F. of this fact, I beg to refer him to pp. 81, 82, 83, and 

 84 of my Treatise on the Pine, where he will find a 

 system mentioned differing very materially from any 

 other that has ever been published. If Mr F. has read 

 mv book, he will perceive that I have established a prac- 

 tice whereby su -cession plants and succession houses are 

 superfluous ; p.evious to this, such a practice was pos- 

 sibly not even thought of. In conclusion, I may men- 

 tion that 1 hate so studied the real habits of the Pine, 

 that I have rendered superfluous the routine of shaking 

 out, potting, and repotting, &c. ; and even where the 

 pot system and fermenting materials are in use, such 

 practices are unnecessary, except in the case of an acci- 

 dent occurring.— Joseph Hamilton. » 



Notes on American Plants. —I have read with in- 

 terest the Notes on American Plants, by Mr. Reid, and 

 I quite agree with him respecting Gerardia quercifolia, 

 but not altogether as to G. flava ; it being only a bien- 

 nial, it would be a bad time to take up plants of it in 

 June to send to this country. I have sent plants of it 

 from Canada in autumn, but they did not succeed. I 

 imagine that seeds are the only means by which plants 

 of it can be obtained in this country. Regarding Ascie- 1 

 pias tuberosa— amongst the many thousands I have seen 

 of it, none were of a dazz'ine scarlet, but were from a 

 pale to a bright orange ; and with respect to A. quadn- 

 folia, from Mr. Reid's description of it I imagine that 

 he must allude to variegata. Convallaria racemosa (Smi- 

 lacina, Pursh.), I do not consider a showy plant, certainly 

 not so much so as ConvalWia (Polygonatum, Pursh.;, 

 multiflora, or latifolia ; the latter I have seen in \irginia, 

 on rich alluvial land, 4 feet in height. Hoiutonia 

 coerulea I have grown many years ago as a greenhouse 

 perennial; it requires to be frequently parted and 

 should be planted in small pots in a sandy soil, and when 

 kept near the p>SS should be placed on a shelf in front of 

 the greenhouse ; it forms a very pretty plant. Of Liatris, 

 the spe - are certainly not all natives of the southern 

 States; the following are found in Canada, viz., pilosa, 

 scariosa, and squarrosa. There are many beautiful 

 plants in North America that I have not seen in cultiva- 

 tion in this country ; among these I may mention two, 

 viz., Bartsia coccinea, and Batschia canescens, which is 

 pretty— it is found in Canada ; and Puccoon, of the 

 Indians, which is also a very handsome plant.— B. 



Vegetable Instinct It has been to me a frequent 



source of thought and observation, in the animal king- 

 dom, where to draw the Hue of separation between in- 

 stinct and reason. The instances are so numerous in 

 which they seem to mix with each other, and become so 

 amalgamated in the same individval, that it seems next 

 to impossible to assign to one a distinct character from 

 the other. In the whole organic world — the animal and 

 Tegetable kingdoms — beginning at man and gradually 

 descending the scale through all its gradations to the 

 zoophytes which connect the two, and from thence to 

 the lowest forms of vegetable life, the Lichens and Algae, 

 we find in e*ch the power of adapting circumstances by 

 which they are surrounded, so as to contribute to their 

 benefit in a greater or lesser degree. Now this power, 

 when possessed by man, naturalists have defined as 

 reason, in animals instinct, and in vegetables, adapta- 

 tion. But I imagine that, in many instances, vegetables 

 will be found to possess the property in a degree not infe- 

 rior to many animals. It would appear that this power 

 does not decrease with the scale of animal life, as many 

 of the lower animals possess it in a much greater degree 

 than some far above them in the scale of organisation. 

 The sloth and tortoise are familiar instances of the one, 

 • while the ant, the bee, and a host of subjects in the in- 

 sect world, may be selected as illustrations of the other. 

 In the vegetable world we have mnch which, if it is not 

 instinct, deserves a higher title than adaptation of parts 

 to existing circumstances. Physiologists say, that the 

 cause of plants confined in partially illuminated places, 

 directing themselves to any aperture admitting light, is 

 owing to the organ or tubes of the stem next the light, 

 being, by its action, contracted in consequence of the 

 greater evaporation of fluids, thereby pulling, as it were, 

 or forcing the extremity of the plant in the direction of 

 the light. This may be correct. But if a plant in a 

 growing state is placed in a totally dark place, in a situ- 

 ation contrary to its natural growth, the young branches 

 will invariably be found to erect themselves. Again, by 

 what influence, except that of mutual support (they only 

 adopt it in the absence of any other), should direct 

 climbing plants to cling to each other till by their 

 united strength they raise themselves in the air ? 

 Look at others which do not twine, but support them- 

 selves by bending the leaf-stalks around any object 



THElGARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[Dec. 21, 



me leaf-stalk will take place, simply because it would 

 be useless. But if, after it has grown to a considerable 

 distance in this way, a support be placed near it, its 

 after- growth will exhibit the hooked leaf- stalk, which it 

 will uss for its support. Southey has made an instance, 

 of what I term vegetable instinct in the Holly, a sub- 

 ject of poetry. In allusion to the fact of its lower 

 leaves being prickly, while the upper ones are pointless, 

 he says — , . 



h Below a circling fence its leaves are seen 

 I Wrinkled and keen ; 



No grazing cattle through their prickly round 



Can reach to wound. 

 But as they grow where nothing is to fear, 

 Smocth and unarm'd the pointless leaves appear. 



Another familiar instance,among the thousands constantly 

 presented to us in the vegetable kingdom, occurs in the 



Sagittaria sagittifolia, a plant common to our rivers and 

 streams, in the peculiar construction of the leaves, which, 

 while they remain below the surfaceof the wafcer,are merely 

 flattened petioles ; but, on their being elevated above the 

 surface of the water, a true leaf is formed on the point 

 of the petiole, capable of performing the functions of 

 exhalation and trauspirauon-processes only requisite or 

 capable of being performed by leaves when submitted to 

 the full action of the atmosphere. The following is a 

 remarkable instance of vegetable instinct of which I 

 made a note at the time:-In the centre of a conserva- 

 tory stood a number of plants, and amongst them a 

 Hibbertia volubilis, which had reached the extremity of 

 its support, and continued growing until it required an 

 additional one. At some distance -about a yard-stood 

 another plant with a support considerably longer than 

 that of the Hibbertia, and much above the surrounding 

 plants. As the point of the Hibbertia continued to pro- 

 gress in length, it directed itself towards the vacant sup- 

 port, around which it entwined. Now, was the aiming 

 at this particular spot mere chance, or was it instinct 

 I imagine that all analogy supports the latter. lne 

 former instances mentioned may be considered as gene- 

 ral ones in the vegetable economy, whilst the latter may 

 be looked upon as accidental. Although, however, some- 

 what in love with the subject, I am not quite enthusiast 

 enough to rely on the statement of a writer on Vegetable 

 Economy, who describes a species of Mimosa as being 

 so sensitive as to nod its branches at the approach of a 

 stranger!— Walter Wakefield. % 



Stem roots of Ivi/.— In your answer to " Philokipos, 

 in last week's Chronicle, it is said, •' This plant does not 

 derive much nourishment from the roots by which it is 

 attached to walls ; by no means enough to render the 

 branches independent of the roots in the earth. 1 re- 

 member well when a boy, having a very large and old 

 plant of Ivy pointed out to me growing against a wall, 

 just after one turns up out of the High-street, Winches- 

 ter, towards the barracks, the main stem of which was 

 entirely cut off from the ground, so that there was a 

 considerable space between the plant and the earth, and 

 it appeared to thrive perfectly, suspended as it was 

 against the wall, and deriving its nourishment, I pre- 

 sume, through the small roots from the branches.— 

 IVinton. [In this case it will probably be found that 

 the Ivy had thrown true roots into the mortar joints of 

 the masonry on which it was growing.] 



Effect of Frost on Glass.— I have observed an appear- 

 ance on the windows of my greenhouses during the late 

 frost which struck me as remarkable ; at least, I never 

 happen to have notced it before. The frost on these 

 windows has taken the shape of leaves, much laciniated, 

 and all of nearly the same shape and size. Opposite to 

 the windows, and about 4 or 5 feet from them, are rows 

 of Chrysanthemums and Oak-leaved Geraniums ; the 

 depotit of frost is not very unlike these in shape, but 

 seems to me to resemble that of the Acanthus more than 

 any leaf with which I am acquainted. This appearance 

 of the frost has been constant, and if it disappeared by 

 thaw during some hours of the day, it has invariably been 

 renewed. I am wholly ignorant of the cause, or whether 

 this appearance is common, or how far in any degree it 

 may depend on the form of the leaves in the greenhouse. 

 Being at a loss for any explanation, it has occurred to 

 me to ask whether it can be attributed to some agency of 

 light, such as, from very different causes, is observed in 

 what are called photographic drawings. This mere con- 

 jecture may be quite groundless. I am quite at a loss, 

 and if any one can assist me, either with any solution of 

 my difficulty, or with any statement of similar appear- 

 ances (for they may perhaps be very common), they will 

 much oblige — Ruricola II., Dec. 14. 



To preserve Gooseberries and Currants from Birds. 

 — If the "Laird o' Cockpen" will twist some bright 

 red worsted plentifully in and out and across amongst the 

 branches of his Gooseberry and Currant trees, he will 

 find this expedient, "simple though it stand there," an 

 effectual preservative against the enemies he complains 

 of. — Haud ignota loquor. — Theta. 



Vitahty of Seeds. — This season I have had my atten- 

 tion turned to some plants growing upon soils that have 

 recently been brought to the surface of the earth, but 

 had formerly lain long in a dormant state. It is com- 

 mon in this" part of the country, when old clay pastures 

 are broken up, to have a crop of Charlock ; and the 

 finer that the surface of the soil is broken, the more 

 abundant are the plants. In a pasture field, which 

 lately was furrowed and drained, a plentiful crop of the 

 common Dock appeared upon the top of the drains, 

 after they were filled in. This season a piece of ground 

 was broken up, that had been for ages in a wild state, 



mountain Groundsel has appeared. In another place*, 

 the same year, where a deep ditch was cut through peat, 

 plants of Bidens tripartita have appeared, and I could not 

 discover any plant of it growing, upon what might be 

 called the old surface. The Rev. Mr. White makes the 

 following observations : — " The naked part of the 

 Hanger, at Selbome," says he, "is now covered with 

 Thistles of various kinds. The seeds of these Thistles 

 may have lain probably under the thick shade of the 

 Beech trees for many years, but could not vegetate till 

 the sun and air were admitted. When the old Beech 

 trees were cleared away, the naked ground in a year or 

 two became covered with Strawberry plants, the seeds of 

 which must have lain in the ground for an age at least. 

 One of the slidders, or trenches, down the middle of the 

 Hanger, close covered over with lofty Beeches, near a 

 century old, is still called Strawberry Slidder, though 

 no Strawberries have grown there in the memory of man. 

 That sort of fruit did once, no doubt, abound there, and 

 will again, when the obstruction is removed." Perhaps 

 something new may be added to the Flora of Britain, if 

 attention was paid to the various plants that spring up 

 when earth is disturbed, and brought to the surface; 

 and perhaps a better opportunity never occurred than at 

 present, for observing these things, when so much 

 cutting for railways, and draining of land, is going on. 

 — Peter Mackenzie, Stirling. 



Sbocfetfe*. 



ROYAL CALEDONIAN HORTICULTURAL 



SOCIETY. 

 Dec. 5.— At this, the Winter General Meeting, there - 

 was a fine display of competition fruits, especially Pears * 

 and Apples ; the show of Chinese Chrysanthemums was 

 brilliant ; and the specimens of culinary vegetables were 

 first-rate. The following Premiums were awarded :— 

 For the two best bunches of retarded Grapes, the kind 

 being White Muscat of Alexandria, the Silver Medal to 

 Mr. J. Young, gr. to Mrs. H. N. Ferguson.— For the 

 best six sorts of Pears, fit for the dessert at this season, 

 there were ten competitors ; and, after a very careful 

 examination and trial, the Silver Medal, as 1st Prize,. 

 was again voted to Mr. Young, for Gansel's Bergamot, 

 Swiss Bergamot, Beurre Diel, Beurre d'Aremberg, Eas- 

 ter Beurre, and Crassane.— A 2d Prize was awarded to 

 Mr. Gardiner, gr. to the Earl of Stair, for Althorpe Cras- 

 sane, Old Crassane, Marie Louise, Beurre d'Aremberg. 

 Easter Beurre, and Gansel's Bergamot.— For the best 

 six kinds of table Apples, there were seven competitors ; 

 the Silver Medal, as 1st Prize, was assigned to Mr. 

 M'Donald, gr. to Lord Willoughby d'Eresby, for Cel- 

 lini, Calville Blanche d'Hiver, Drummond Castle Pear- 

 main, Delaware Pippin, old Nonpareil, and Golden 

 Pippin : and a2d Premium to Mr. Young, for Borsdorffer 

 Hollow-eyed Pippin, Ribston, Blenheim Pippin, Scarlet 

 Nonpareil, and common Nonpareil.-For Chinese Chrysan- 

 the:mims,twelvevarieties,the Silver Medal was awarded tc 

 Mr. Addison, gr. to the Earl of Wemyss, ^"ncsss Ma- 

 ria, Marchioness,Vesta, La Superbe,Gem, Theresa Clus- 

 tered Yellow, Lucidum, Queen, Marquis, Formosum 

 and Minerva; and a 2d Premium to Mr. Ttoung, for 

 Queen, Gem, Marquis, Princess Maria Minerva Superb 

 Clustered Yellow, Surprise, Victory, Madame Pompa- 

 dour, Lucidum, and Virginius.-The ^!' na ^f ta w b 

 for which Premiums were on this occasion i offered were 

 Brussels Sprouts and Leeks ; and there were ten com- 

 petitors in the former, and nine in the latter. The 

 1st Prize for Sprouts was voted to Mr. Ly.ll, gr. to 

 Sir J. Hope, Ba'rt. ; a 2d Premium to Mr. Dooglm^gr 

 to Sir T. D. Lauder, Bart.; and a 3d to_ Mr. Lauder 

 market gr., Musselburgh -The 1st Pnz f°J ££ 

 was awarded to Mr. Douglas; the 2d to .Mr. J™ 

 lane, gr. to Admiral Sir D. Milne G.C.B. ; and the 3d 

 to Mr Thorn, gr. to Captain M. Innes.-At this meet 

 Sg was a Vincent specimen of LocuU. *W£™™£ 

 full flower. It was from the hothouse at MlbanK 

 Canaan, and the Silver Medal was voted for i to m. 

 Reid.gr. to Professor Syme.-For a dis h o 'to ripe 

 fruit of Passiflora edulis, and a basket o 1 W ™" ° 

 Trop*olum tuberosum, a Premium was awarded t o M 

 Thomson, gr. to W. Keith. Esq -For remarkably larg 

 and fine samples of the Marie Louise Pear some f 

 wall-trees and others from ^w standards, an^ 

 Premium was assigned to Mr. Lockhart gr. to ■ t,o 

 Hope.-A basket of ripe Quinces from a *enda 

 at Blair Castle, under the management of M nil ^ 

 excited much interest, that fruit being little atf * q( 



in Scotland.-Mr. Lander sent specimens of the 

 Winkfield Pear.-Mis. Cowan presented I beau tiio 

 of the Lady Apple of New Y°rk.-Mr.V i Uson sen 

 very large Apples, considered to be the .Scarlet r 

 land Pippin and Mr. Macdonald comm«micate P 

 mens of the small Black Borsdorffer Apple, and o 

 large Cellini, forming a fine ^^\^J^Jci 

 ther.-Measrs. P. Lawson and S™£* l *™ n " t golden 

 nine choice kinds of kitchen **?* hle ''ffil* w0 . and a 

 Acres, including an improved triple-curled S^ 

 very dark crimson Bert, both new, to SwUand § 



M/rray, gr. at Taymouth Castle, ™y$?™'£ d been 

 very large Winter Radish, the seed ?f which ha 



brought from B .hernia by the Marquis of ^Vlbane 

 and which is now known by the name « of the Bre ^ 



Winter Radish; Mr. Foulis gr. at Forde a d ^ 



with which they" mav come in contact. The Mau- producing little else than Furze ; the soil was composed 

 randyas offer an illustration of this. If a shoot of one of principally of decomposed basalt— since the Furze was 

 these be directed where there is no support, no bend in I cleared, and the soil disturbed, a most luxuriant crop of 



Mr. Lothian, gr. to Mr. uampoeii, «^»~ gub . 



tables cultivated with guano, sea-weed and t 



stances, illustrative of the comparative value Of 

 special manures ; and Mr. Peterson, wcbitec ^ J tftble 

 Leeka from jus suburban garden.- 



!on the centre 





