THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[M ARCii 



H 



formant) 



beiiiun florist tell where I may arm myself with a sucker, I was told it did not requi re 



coute, I will have 



some 



blade that, will cut ; 



Surely 



and, coute 

 it will not 



qiCil 



be necessary, as you 



darkly intimate, to go to the United States. It 



we 



t remedies of a ilphureous nature have 

 M applied to the, ' The wine obtained from . n.,1- that couteau. 

 dewed Grapes er.-.i when the, have been but styhty _.. . . , .„-. - _ -, „ . hear, from time to 



The effects ofthe disease are so summary and unequi- 



to leave no chance to the operations of 



&raf.i 



cutting making a tree with a rapidity rimZ "*•■% 

 black Italian Poplar. By inserting this g^^^i 

 tion may, perhaps, be elicited. A. B. ***** 



May's Magnum, Bonura Lettuce. 



In 



after 



vocal as 



doctoring. . 



In the mean while the island is fast going to rum 



its besc .lavs it attained a degree of prosj erity surpassing 



that of any -her Portuguese colony, by its natural 



advantages, and in spite of a bad government and the 



usual influence ol tlie Romish religion ; but a still worse 



blight has c ne over it since 1852. The change in the 



condition of the chief landowner may be taken as 



a measure for that of the whole island. His income was 



at least 30,000/. a year in amount; it is now about 



2000L We have only to hope that vegetable pestilences 



may bear some analogy, in nature anil duration, to the 



plagues and murrain »f animal life, and that 



running its course the Vine mildew may disappear. 



The substitutes that [have been proposed in Madeira 

 for the Qrape wre by" no meais encouraging. The 

 gSogar Caj flourishes, but it exlmusts the soil, and 

 inquires hard i ur and liberal reinforcements of 

 manure— tilings which the Madeira people do n >t 

 understand. Wheat has been grown, it is said, without 

 any change, and without manure, for many yeans. The 

 Coifee gsown on the island is very good, but its cultiva- 

 tion is narrowly liraifttd by locality and the means of 

 irrigation. The Cactus which feeds the cochineal 

 insect appears to flourish naturally in the most barren 

 spots, and 1 understand tliat attempts are being made 

 in that irection. D. 



. have his hair cut/' what will be our feelings of 

 amazement when we are told that Mr. So-and-so has 

 « sailed for New York with a view to buying a prunmg- 



knife V S.R.H. m 



Effect of the late Frost on Autumn-planted Potatoes.— 

 I had about an acre of these, all of which are destroyed 

 except a few small patches where the snow had drifted. I 

 have been accustomed to ridge up the earth over the rows, 

 which exposes more surface to the actiou of sun, air, &c, 

 and places the sets a little farther from the frost. But 

 this year I trenched them in, leaving a flat surface ; had 

 I however, ridged the ground they would not have been 

 saved this year, for Celery ridges that had no protection 

 on them were frozen quite throu^' h, eveu below the trenches. 

 In future I intend, whether I plant on the flat or ridged 

 plan, to scatter some straw litter over the ground, which, 

 should there be snow, will form a lodgment for it, and if 

 not will prevent the frost from going so deeply into the 

 ground. It is worthy of remark how little prevents 

 snow from being drifted. I had a piece of Broccoli, 

 which, after being attacked by the larks, were little 

 more than stumps, yet the snow lay amongst them 

 quite evenly, 2 or 3 inches deep, although the surround- 

 ing ground was bare. A very thin layer of snow 

 prevents frost from penetrating the soil. 0. Lee, 

 Clevedon. [Mr. Lee confirms (what indeed requires no 

 confirmation) Mr. Wilkinson's statement (tee p. 174) 

 that the Fluke Potato may be cut into sets like any other 



two letters respecting this variety 



We ha** 



as ne 



by 10 inches through, beautifully blanched 





Potato 

 and 



hence 

 never 





COMMON THINGS. 

 The Potato n is so called from its producing its 

 crop generally under the surface, like a 

 it is also called the under-ground Onion, ana is 

 obtaine-1 m seed. Th e are several ways of culti- 

 vating it. The two followii have been practised with 

 Buceess. T first is to dime: and < tin ground well, 

 and form beds lour feet wide now, on each of which 

 plant three rov , placing the roots ten inches apart, and 



nserting tl ulb about half its depth in drills, drawn 

 lengthwise on the 1 Is to receive them. As they grow, 

 earth, them up like Potatoes; small bulbs become 

 large ones, an I produce Offsets ; the middle-sized 

 and large ones, large clusters. Under this manage- 

 ment 60 bulbs planted out in spring are reported 

 to have produced 360 in the July following. The second 

 method is, when the Onions have shot out their leaves 

 to their full size, and when they begin to get a little 

 brown at the top, to clear away all the soil from the 

 bulb, »wn to the ring from whence proceed the roots, 

 thns forming round each bulb a basin which catches the 

 rain and water fn I the watering-pot. The old bulbs 

 then immediately begin to form new ones, and if kept 

 properly moist and the ur und good, the clusters will be 

 large and numerous, and bulbs grown thus above ground 

 are said to be sounder than those grown below, and 

 better keepers. The l«»tato Onion is very hardy, pro- 

 ductive and of mild quality, equally so with the Spanish, 

 and it comes into use earlier than any other sort. 



Long and >rt Prickly Cucumbers for Ridges. — 



These should be raised in frames now, and when 



Allow us to ob- 



Potato.] 



Hybrid Rhododendrons (see p. 190.) 

 serve, in reply to u W. F.," that if he will favour us with 

 a visit, we wilt show him a numerous progeny of hybrid 

 Rhododendrons, of which ciliatum is one of the parents. 

 We have not yet offered any for sale, but shall do so in 



due course. Stand ish ami Noble. 



Prcyusata Fig. — A correspondent makes inquiry 

 about the Pregusata Fig \ I have had it several years 

 without bhow of fruit until last season, when it put 

 forth a second crop, and now promises well for this 

 year. It appears to be one of the small sweet Mediter- 

 ranean Figs, but the colour is not yet perceptible. 17. 



Supply of Water to Wells, Springs, Rivers, &-C.— I have 

 been often asked of late by persons who are aware of 

 my investigation of the supply of water in \he chalk 

 stratum, " When shall we have water in our wells P* 

 The answer is obvious, H When we have more rain or 

 snow." But I find so much (if I may be permitted so 

 to call it), ignorance on this subject, that 1 am induced 

 to offer a few remarks upon it. In 1852 I registered 

 34 inehes of rain, or 10 inches above the average of 

 24 inches. We know the effect ot this on wells, springs, 

 and rivers — the height of water in the one, and the 

 volume of flow in the oiher was scarce ever exceeded 

 in the memory of man. In 1 853 I registered 26 inches, 

 of which 24 fell before the first of November ; from that 

 date to the present, just 17 months, I registered 

 23 inches, or 1 inch below the average of 12 months. 

 In that period only on two occasions has the quantity 

 in 24 hours amounted to half an inch, and that in the 

 hot months of July and August ; hence the depression 

 of wells, such as never, I believe, has been known. The 

 present fall of snow, which has amounted to more than 

 a foot in depth, equal to 1 inch of rain, will, I believe, 

 produce a marked and almost immediate effect on the 

 water in the chalk and elsewhere. 



w 



large enough to transplant two or three plants should 



be put into a pot. They should be kept in the 



frames till they are strong enough to turn out under 



handglasses in the end of April for the first crop. 



For the last crop the seeds should be sown under the 



glasses in May and June. When the plants have grown 



long enough to train on the ridges, it is an advantage to 



cover the latter with clean straw, which keeps the sun 



from parching the ground, and prevents the blossoms 



and young fruit from being covered with soil during 



heavy rains. The covering the ridges with straw has ^ one °y & wooden float attached to a string or measuring 



also another advantage— that of preventing, in a great ^P 6 - J™** C> Clutterbuck, Long Wittenham, Bucks. 



Nottingham Elms.— I have lately seen a distinct sort 

 of Elm planted a good deal in the neighbourhood of 

 Nottingham, and as it is quite different from, and I think 



simon, of Reigate ; the other from Mr mIT * ** 

 Kinmel Park, St. Asaph. The latter 'ataCS * 

 nothing more than the well-known Florence C* * 

 although a good summer Lettuce, is not e^!?'*' 

 Alphange Cos, which grows to a large size *££* 

 tying, eats beautifully crisp, and continues' & )L?** 

 in use without running to seed. As a suaZIr* 

 tuce he thinks the last-named variety liasjio*^ 

 Mr. Fitzsimon says that May's Magnum Bonum?* 

 right to the name of Bedale Hall, farther d*nt!l* 

 may be cultivated there by Mr. Hewson, and ilwjK 

 is rightly informed it was raised some 9 aril 

 ago by Mr. McDonald, of Newton H ouse, and w£? 

 his name in that neighbourhood. About seven y^ 

 he saw it growing in the gardens at Brough Hi|L»J 

 nearly as he can recollect, it was nbout 15 m^S 



tying, and felt in weight more like a well grown (2ii 

 than a Lettuce. He adds that it is an excellent i3 

 [Seeds sent to the Horticultural Society will £vtl 

 what this new name is worth.] 



Swede Turnips as Food (see p. 174).— Permit n*- 

 say that if your York correspondent will slice his 5*t 

 Turnips a little thicker than a penny piece, Jbe£ 

 find them done (boiled) in much less time thansera f 

 eight hours, and also much better flavoured, (kmU 

 Clevedon. 



Water Power and Glass Walls — " S. N.» ab fc 

 information as to the velocity to be given to a whed tx 

 feet diameter by a certain amount of water. I Man 

 a foot perpendicular of water will give 1 lb. pram* 

 the square inch. Allow me to direct your eorretpottdas 

 to the 26th number, page 223, of the " Eu^iceta' uJ 

 Machinists' Assistant," published by Blackie and St, 

 Warwick Square, London. Perhaps u S. N." *il k 

 kind enough to furnish me with some particulars as tab 

 mode of constructing a glass wall. William fifori, 



Stamford. 



Linnean, March 20. — The president in the Mr. 

 Samples of Kino from Nyami, Upper Gambia, w 

 presented by Dr. Daniell ; who also exhibited specaa 

 of M. Masson's compressed vegetables, now beinglnpij 

 transmitted to the Crimea; these samples were im 

 Messrs. Fortnum, Mason, and Co. N. B. Ward,^ 

 exhibited autograph letters from Sir J. Franklin, Gift 

 Flinders, and Sir J. Banks, together with auto*ri|M 

 Tournefort and of the Jussieus, Antoine, Berm, 

 Antoine' Laurent, and Adrien. Read a desffiptiw 

 Peachia hastata, a new genus of zoophytes, with «**■ 

 vations on the family Actiniadse, DV P\H.G^f ■* 

 It was stated that in January and again in March, W 

 the Rev. C. Kingsley found near Torquay an nndeffl* 

 Actinia, which, in Mr. Gosse's view, constitutes IP 

 genus. This he here proposes to call Peachia, andm*? 

 describes. The peculiarities of the animal s«M 

 reside in the mouth. From the mouth pwWN 

 singular organ, unlike any other belonging to »■• 

 of animals ; it is a sort of fleshy proboscis, the «J* 

 which dilates into a clubbed head, divided ffiJojj 

 20 short papilla?. This curious aPPf^'u, 

 appeared to form one side of the mouth, andj" 

 fact an enlargement of the lip at one part of W*£ 





measure, the fruit from becoming spotted when the 

 antumn is wet and cold. The thickness of the straw 

 covering should not be lees than two inehes when 

 pressed close to the ground. 



If there is no frost 



to hinder the thaw, a rise may be looked for by the first o * »• » tQ n «* 



of next month. I shall feel really obliged to any one ! krence, without anything corres P onai ^ V^i* 

 ho will note the rise of water in his well in the chalk ' opposite side, was perforate, and ™*W.^ 

 or any other water-yielding stratum. It is but to | down to the visceral cavity of the boaye^^ 

 measure to the water, and so note the rise; not to J stomach, constituting the office througu^^ 

 measure the depth of water in the well; this is best are ordinarily deposited. The ammax apj* , 



a more than usually rapid and spatmodic JJ^ 

 retraction." The generic name is propose a ^ 

 to the zeal, industry, and success *' th ,* \v. ?*i 

 zoology has been studied by M r '_^T^_*v 





■WM 



as our 



Home Correspondence. 



Prwmtng-kruve*. — Regarding the ChromUe 

 floricultural Times, I rejoice to read your declaration of 

 * war to the knife," and with it. Your comments, I 

 trust, unlike the article in question, will " cut and come 

 •fain." We have heard something of "the de'il 

 among the tailors," hut it really seems as though his 

 evil presence had been transferred to the eutlers ; and 

 how guardsmen or gardeners are to prevail over their 

 " Garden Battery " with such worthless blades, I know 



f 0t " J^ 5 every * uil g rown Rose tree » n <> w a Sebas- 

 topol, ©ratling, not with cannon, but with thorns ; and 



we have not made our assault five minutes before we 



fcave to fall back upon our whetstones, and find our- 



seivee and our weapon in the worst of tempers. If 



other amateurs share my tribulation, there can be no 



J^L km f f8 nnd f n ™ the land. I have just now 

 retonied, utterly exhausted, from a single combat with 

 ^C Genera Jacqueminot ; and ™ y pruning- knife, I 

 feel convinced, would be powerless upon a pat of butter. 



very supf nor to any other variety I have seen, I should 

 like to know if you are acquainted with it. Having 

 fciade inquiries of the person on whose grounds they 

 were growing, I found they had most, if not all, been 

 procured at a nursery, under the name of « Siberian 

 Elms." Is there such 

 Highfield House 

 in his park, I 



Mr. Gosse proceeded to revise the 



British if**** 



genus Actinia, and proposed to se P^ 6 ^ ^5 



find** 

 number of #2 



To add to 



xo aott to my m.sery, all the time I was cutting and 



aspect, made the timber fly in all directions whittling 

 and wiustliqg « Through the wood, ladule » wUh an 

 occasional grin at his perspiring master? 



a thing-! Mr. Lowe, of the 

 Observatory, has some growing 

 was told. As he has the reputation 

 of paying great attention to nature perhaps he may 

 know something about its origin. I called at the nursery 

 and asked the proprietor where it had been procured • 

 he told me it had been sold as an ornamental Elm by 

 his grandfather, and had been propagated and sold 

 regularly for at least 50 years, but that it was only 

 lately that it had been much talked about ; as to its real 

 or,gm he knew nothing-" it had always been sold by 

 that name. It isagraceful and delicate growing tree, and 

 looksmore like some of the pendulous English Elms one 

 sees from the Eastern Counties line in passing through 

 Hertfordshire, than any other I am acquainted with • the 

 bark is almost as smooth as a Beech, the shoot so slender 

 that 1 1 g i ves one the ideaof being a slow grower, yet it is a 

 plant of enormous growth ; some of the trees I saw 

 were wonderful specimens for the time they had been 

 planted. I was shown some near Chiiwell Hall the 

 residence of T B. Charlton, Esq., planted alternately 



aw , 1, wuh a mrt called ^ Giant E]n *> and they had made 



Oh ! wdl not , quite double the wood in the time. * 



under the names of Sagariia and Bunodefl 

 remarks, "I hold that wherever we 

 characters co-existent in a certain ^^^ 

 none of which are common to other a Pj I J fJ ^.i» 

 possessing such characters ought to W? 

 rank of a separate genus." 



Caledonian Horticultural, March 

 occasion the following prizes were awa -, 

 Messrs. Dicksons & Co. for ^y»cm ^fj 

 d'Auvergne, Jenny Lind, Nimrod, »w ^ & 

 Voltaire^ Prince Albert, Prince ot ^ l fV.ft£ 



rded,**£ 



Vidette (blue and white). 



son. gr. to C. K. Sivewright, 



Silver Medal to 



Esq? 



for 



»2 



One° r , 

 xhibiaf' 



c 



d T AuveVgt£, LonTWelimgtoD, P« n £A, *• «* 

 Lillas, Grand Vidette, and Amicus. 

 collect 1 * » --> u ° «""** a,9 ° 



Medal u» unr. swinu, B *. — - penfl*r> 7JM 



specimen Erica hyemalis ^ ^<Jw**> J2* 

 for Azalea Conqueror. To Mr. "V^wfB 

 Castle, for clusters of Rhododendron^ ^^g 



ions of Hyacinths were areo - -„,„j|fc» 

 to Mr. Smith, gr. to V«-o-g '■* ** 



I 



namomeum, and RusselliaDum t '8 r,DU, J, t ne»!*^j| 

 to the same for Cinnamomeum M p<* _ ^ J£ 



B$q., 



let, Mr. Fowlis, gr. to J. T ^ ti ^oe^5 

 White, Jenersoni, Fimbriata, P*"*, j,,*,**^ 

 and Imbrieata. 2d, Mr. M.tche! 1, - J^ 



. Frankfurtensis, Fimbria*, S*««»_ jALf *^' 



As it does not Imbricata, and TnweiBi ; 3d, Mr 



# £d«» ra * 





