THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



241 



1| |j c h bare mai 



A variety fro 



r _ thrown them .ill except the Larches, 

 ntained their ascendancy. 



on 



posed 



rft. 



No. 1. Circum- 



at~10 ft., 4 ft. 4 in. ; at 



No. 2. Circurn- 

 4 ft. 10 in.: at 



1ft. 9 in. ; at 5 feet high are several large limbs, of 



which no notice is taken. 

 In the rector's garden, a tree which had apparently 



k~.*nt down, and had afterwards thrown up two stems, 



T cut "v . . i * 



frno* (both stems) oo ft. in 

 Jta-nce at bottom, 5 ft. 8 in. ; 

 JJ^" 3f t . 4 in. ; at 33 fr., 2 ft. 10 in. 



ftrence at bottom, 5 ft. 8 in. ; at 10 ft., 



20 ft 3 ft* 8 * n - > at ^^ ^ eetj 3 ^ t# Several large limbs 

 hare been sawn off. There is no record when it wai 



•Jtnted, bat it is certainly more than 50 years of aga # 



_ SALVIA SPLENDENT 



Cuttings of this pay winter flowering plant may be 



Sit in now, and afforded a gentle bottom-heat until 

 ey emit roots, when they should be potted singly in 

 small pots. After potting place them in a close but not 

 over warm situation, and as foou as thev get established 



ht 



December has the least daily variation. The line ot 

 the mean daily temperature throughout the year forms 

 a very regular parabola ; while that of the night differs 

 little from a straight line. It is therefore difficult to 

 estimate exactly the time of minimum temperature, but 

 it appears usually to precede sunrise by a few minutes. 

 The mean maximum temperature for the year is 89°, 

 the mean minimum 77°. The highest temperature 

 noticed during the five years was May 18, 1849, when 

 the thermometer indicated 108°. The lowest was 63° 

 on the morning of the 27th of January, 1850. ' 



The driest month is June, and the most humid are 

 October and November : the daily curve of humidity is 

 very nearly an inversion of that of temperature ; the 

 driest being about 1 p.m., and the moistest about sun- 

 rise, except in June and July, when the moisture is 

 greatest about midnight. 



The average annual fall of rain for the five years was 

 58.583 in. The most rainy month is October, which 

 averages 14.868 in.; November nearly equals it, the 

 average for that month being 13.916. March is the 

 only month in which no rain falls. 



The coui 

 follows : 



valleys. Its wood is much valued for building pur 

 poses. The leaves are verv dark exeen. except at the 



middle of the back, where they are covered with a 

 silver bloom like that of a Plum, which gives them a 

 singularly beautiful appearance. There is a sort of 

 smaller stature called Nezu by the Japanese. 



We presume the plant to be as hardy as the comman 

 Thujas, which no frost seems to touch, a, in our figure, 

 represents a twig the natural size ; b, a portion magni- 

 fied, copied from the " Flora Japonic*," 



Home 



in 



e of the winds throughout the year is as 

 In January, uutil about the middle of 

 February, N.E ; ihen southerly winds predominate, 

 especially S.E., until the middle of May, when the S.W. 

 monsoon commences, and continues the prevailing wind 

 until the end of September. In October the winds are 

 variable and nearly equally divided between the four 

 quarters, until about the end of the month, wlien the 

 N.E. monsoon sets in, and prevails until February. 

 Taking the whole year the southerly winds considerably 

 predominate. On the average the number of days 

 trom each quarter is, N.W., 63— N.E., 85-S.E., <>6— 

 S.W., 121. These results are not only interesting in so 

 far as meteorology is concerned, but they are of con- 

 siderable importance in a horticultural point of view to 

 those engaged in the cultivation of tropical plants, 

 particularly of such as are peculiar to the neighbour- 

 hood of Madras. They show that, in order to com- 

 pensate for the great decree of heat to which vegetation 

 is subjected there in the daytime, Nature supplies a 

 proportionate amount of moisture in the form of heavy 

 dews or rain at night, the average depth of rain being 

 nearly three times the quantity which usually falls in 

 the climate of London, thus making the daily curve of 

 humidity, as stated in the report, an inversion of that of 

 temperature. The young and inexperienced cultivator 

 will therefore do well to remember this, and if he hopes 

 to be successful he must endeavour as much as possible 

 to imitate such a climate by using the syringe most 

 liberally during the summer season, as late in the even- 

 ing, after a fine warm day, as it can be done without 

 inconvenience. 17. B. B. 



keep tbera near the glass, and afford them all the lig 



syringing overhead morning and evening 

 bright weather, and keeping the atmosphere as moist as 

 rrcumstanees will admit. If good sized specimens 



are wisfced by the autumn the young plants must 



not be allowed to suffer for want cf pot room. As they 



advance in growth the shoots should be carefully 



stopped and tied out, in order to secure bushy 



compact specimens ; but if a vigorous root action 

 m* ; ntamed t there will be little difficulty in keeping 



the plants bushy. A cold frame or pit will be the 



best* situation for them after the beginning of May, 



ot earlier if the weather proves favourable ; but 



they should be kept close here, and not allowed to 

 tusta'n any check, which at this stage would be very 

 injurious. If all goes on well, the plants will be ready 

 for shifting into good-sized pots by the end of June, and 



I geldom repot them after that season. By that time 

 they should be strong and Veil established in 8-inch 

 pots, and when this is the case I shift some into 



12 and others into 15-inch pots, according to the 

 strength of the plants and the size it may be desirable 

 to have them by the flowering season. They should be 

 retarned to their former situation, kept close and moist, 

 and encouraged to make active growth, merely giving 

 ■rifirient air to keep the young wood strong. When 

 the pots get well filled with roots, and the plants become 

 food-si2ed specimens, which will be the case by August, 

 they should be gradually prepared for removal to a 

 ffcehered eituition out of doors, where they will be 

 **ded from the forenoon sun. Here they will make 

 wort growth, and will flower more profuselv than if 

 «pt under glass all the autumn. Stopping should not 

 J* practised on plants intended to flower in November 

 wr than about the middle of August. As soon as the 

 *\*^a T becomes ""settled in autumn the plants must be 

 Founder glass, for they are verv easily injured by 

 ■**, »»d should be afforded a light airy situation. 



rnhK . ? werin &> tne specimens may be thrown to the 



™>fci8h heap, reserving one or two to supply cuttings. _ 



tCuffi l rl> k f Pt ^^^^^tsfor a fortnight, We are told that as a genus Thujopsis differs from 

 fnrner If 1 , dose l v > and P laced m * n Y s P are Thu J a m the 8C ales of its cones being woody, with five 



TaJJlS* e^euhouse until towards the end of seeds in two rows in the axil of each. It has the same 



flattened branches and 



New Plants, 



122. Thujopsts doi abrat a, Siebold andZuccarhii Flora 

 Japonica, Vol. IL, p. 32 ; alias Thuja dolabrata, 

 Thunberg. 



A living plant or two of this fine tree having reached 

 the Botanic Garden, Leyden, as we learn from Monsieur 

 de Vriese, the learned Professor of Botany in that 

 institution, our readers may be glad to know something 

 of its history. 



Preserves and _ Copper Vessels.— May I ask your 

 opinion on a point which is certainly of much import- 

 ance to the comfort and health of a large part of the 

 community :— Is it safe to prepare acid preserves by 

 boiling in bare un tinned copper pans, as is, I believe, 

 the established practice, both in private families and in 

 the confectionary trade I A shopkeeper lately informed 

 me that he is in the habit of supplying most of the 

 houses in his neighbourhood with copper preserving 

 pans, and tliat mine is the only house that requires 

 them to be tinned. The misfortune is, that even tinning 

 cannot be relied on as a remedy for the danger, as that 

 operation is usually performed by applying, for the 

 sake of cheapness, about equal parts of tin and lead ; 

 so that it would appear that the waters of preserves have 

 only the choice of being poisoned by copper or by lead. 

 I have somewhere read that there is no danger of 

 the copper being dissolved as long as the acid is kept 

 boiling and not allowed to cool in thev del, but thjs 

 statement is so contrary to all experience in chemical 

 combinations that it is difficult to think it can be correct. 

 Death in the Pot. [There is no doubt that preserves pre- 

 pared in naked copper vessels are unwholesome; or 

 that the mischief is increased if a mixture of tin and 

 lead is substituted for tin itself, which we dare say occurs 

 in these days of rascality. The last suggestion is as 

 new to us as to you. Pre serving paus ehould always 

 be made of bell-metal.] 



Mowing Machines. — Can any one inform me which is 

 the very best mowing machine now in use t For some 

 years 1 have used Budding's, which answered my pur- 

 pose exceedingly well ; but as I am now in want of a 

 new one I imagine there may be some superior to the 

 one I have just named. I have seen Samuelson's, bui 

 it will not suit, in consequence of the wheels not going 

 sufficiently near the edge of the walks ; I want one that 

 will cut close to the edge of the Mower beds and 

 walks; one, therefore, that has wheels projecting like r 

 Samuelson's will not answer. I want one sufficiently 

 large for a strong lad to pull, and as I only employ 

 manual labour, I would like one to run as lightly as 

 possible. Any information on the subject will oblige, 



2. B., Perdiswell. 



Comparison between the late Winter and that of 1854*, 

 — 1 send you the following tables of averages, which 

 may be interesting:. I have no maximum average of (he 

 thermometer for January, 1854; the tables are therefore 

 made without it : 





I 



1854 



Average maximum 

 thermometer 



• . • 



p. ~ ■«• fei^euuouse until towards tne end ot 

 J™^ whe n they should be placed in a warm house, 

 «a noroughly watered, when they will soon furnish a 

 tt PPlv of cuttings. Alpha. 



Average minimum 

 thermometer ... 



1855 Differ. 



leaves ; but the latter are Me * n temperature 



Cfci ° F FOitl:;iGN COUNTRIES.— No. VII. 

 ^r?* of Madras.— From the meteorological obser- 

 j*™™* in the years 1846-1 S50 at the Hon. East 

 «»r» I ^ > ? y,S Ma S ,iet >cal Observatory at Madras, 



kwnX by , order of tIie Madras government, we 

 j^"**, on the mean of five years, the barometrical 



* padoai'd greatest in J:kD "»ry and least in June, with 

 b« that f |: e< ; rease ancl increase between these extremes, 

 * me law is not strictly followed out in individual 

 tt^i" ,or «xample in 1850, February had the 

 5^ Th m€ * n pressure ; and in 1849, May had the 



*• 8»e veil* k &t< L St and least l )re8Sures observed during 

 •*% 30 lfto* • , occurred in 18 *6, and were respec- 

 ts* J n i ' . *" on Janual T the 11th, and 29.346 



*H*TJr n er the 20th - The four d!li, y tides of 

 ♦*i« tkT ma *ked, even by a single day's obBer- 



•b in temJ!?. CeptM>n8 bein § ver >' rare > and occurring 

 *«tt on . 0U8 we **l>«. The principal maximum 



** *«ii» m nPA at Sb- 15m - am -» tHe exee8S above the 

 KbeimT n«n? ''. the P ril)C 'P»l minimum at 3 h . 52°>. 



**«« HI nl L° W the mean - There are two Dlinor 

 '*•> Dm !? n »x«num of + .032 occurring at 



i> Them-' tbe mi mmum of — .026 at 3\ 22*. 

 r**, and ti?! 6 ? 1 aTera S e da 'ly range (.130) occurs in 

 ^•*5 1 IW lea8t o (- l0( 5) in December. As it baa 

 5"* !*odac«.« at • Helen a and other places, the 

 ! * ,, *»*»nf i*o ?!! nsible effect on the barometer, the 

 JJpt» fte *«L. • were reduced and arranged accord- 



?*« if anvfh- r ' ght an « 1 *' with the view of "cer- 

 *** ; but tvT" g f the kind was perceptible at 



* W tHtoL??** Would lead us to iDfer that th€ 



S *• mereut V , Uence > either on the atmosphere 

 fc?«ft rejjr unal c ol«mn. r 



£?*•«» 1846.S ^Pf^ure, it appears that for the 



C^f^v «ttak ♦ i te9t m ° nth Wa8 Ma >'» thoa S ]i 



* <* the" nv" al8 T 14 ' and ™* » excess in three years 



• Jau «ary i s the coldest month, but 





.(January .. 

 -, February .. 

 " (March 



, ( January ... 



-S February ... 



"• ( March 



(January .. 

 i.A February .. 



(March 

 of February and 





Average maximum 

 March 



Average minimum of January, Feb- 

 ruary, and March 



Mean temperature of February and 

 March 



... 



• • ■ 



caret 

 45.56 

 54.00 

 32.03 



32.85 

 31.12 

 caret 

 39.20 

 42-56 



49.7S 

 32.00 



40.87 





346 



30.60 

 41.03 

 25.2 

 19 4<> 



26.9S 

 care 



2500 



34.U0 



33.11 

 23.96 



2S.15 



14.96; 

 1 2 .97 



6.8S 

 13.45 



4.14 



14.20 



16.67 



8.04 



12.72 



'. . 





We cannot wonder at the lateness of the spring, when, 

 though the winter of 1854 was considered severe, the 

 mean temperature of February and March, 1855, is 

 12.72 lower than that of the same months in 1854^ 

 A. R., Bromley Common, Kent, April 1 1. 



The Nimrod Strawberry. — I had hoped that ere this 

 some explanation would have been given by Messrs. 

 Lucombe, Pince, and Co. respecting the Strawberry ^ 

 sent out by them in the autumn of 1853, under the name 

 of " Nimrod ;" such not having been the case, 1 wish to say 

 a few words upon the subject. The simple facts are 

 these:— In the Gardeners' Chivntcle it was stated that! 

 fruit of a seedling Strawberry under this name had been 1 

 sent to the Editor, and that it was superior in sweetness 

 and richness of flavour to the British Queen ; soon after** 

 wards an advertisement appeared from Messrs. Lucombe,* 

 Pince, and Co., stating that they had purchased the stock 

 of this Strawberry of the raiser, and that it would be * 

 sent out in October. I was induced to become a pur- 

 chaser of some plants, and was much disappointed te* 

 find that they were merely Myatt's Eleanor. I hare 



covered with glaucous 

 stomates, all over the 

 middle, which looks 

 towards the ground, 

 while the Thujas have 

 no stomates at all. 



The tree is a native 

 of Japan, where it is 



called Hiba, and acquires great stature with a majestic 

 aspect The head is pyramidal, and formed of spreading 

 or even pendulous branches. It grows wild on moun- 

 tains in the islands of Nipon, especially on the chain 



ere w 



if 



so, 





Messrs. .Lnconioe, nnce ana Co. should have frankly 

 stated that this was the case, and every purchaser 

 would have been satisfied ; now, the very reverse is the 

 fact, and it is a matter of serious consequence to tbe 

 trade, as persons will be very shy of purchasing articles 

 advertised as novelties after having been so completely 

 deceived. Henry Doubleday, Epping* April 9. [This 

 statement is not exactly correct. What ibt Oardeners % 

 Chronicle stated was as follows: * We have received 

 samples of the Nimrod Strawberry from Mr. Sanders, 

 the intelligent gardener at TedwoVtb, with a request 

 that we would state our opinion of it. So far as we can 



called Hakone, where it prefers the damp slopes of the $*dge of it, after hating been packed in a '?osi-o$cc bar 



