GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



Presiueui TrJJ, Star** Defiance (S.B.), and mauj 



others. The chances of clean flowers are not equal whe- 

 ther you propagate from run or clean flowers, by which 1 

 nean to intimate that as many plants will probably 

 return to fineness from the one as from the other. As 

 for compost, I should pronounce half dung, which 

 some use, to be excessive, keeping in view the ultimate 

 soundness of the stock. By no means should the loam 

 employed be deprived of any of its fibrous rooty 

 matter ; that I ccn&ider the most valuable part of 



-These are now in perfection, 

 readers that a sight of them 

 The bed, 150 feet long, and 

 ____ 2000 flowers, is as fine, not- 

 withstanding the severe winter and spring we have had, 

 as ever we remember to have seen it. Next week we 

 hope to be able to offer a few remarks on some ol 

 tie varieties in this, as well as in some other beds in the 

 i eighbourhood of London. 



mm w w 



Mr. Groom's Tulips.- 



uv\ we can promise our 

 will amply rep ly a visit 

 con iiiing not less than 



■m - \ • il_ _ 



S.':ki LINGS. 



PEi.AFOOJntJMs: J. Dennis. Your new variety called Alma is 

 bright ro pink, w ith a dark spot on the upper petals; it is 

 apparently a pi i>e bloomer, has good folfage, and will doubt- 

 i ■ found i fal for all ordinary purposes of decoration. 



Miscellaneous. 



Tin cultivated Beets are referred by Italian botanists to 

 two species, of which one only,*Beta cicla, is admitted to 

 be of native origin, whilst the true Beta vulgaris is stated 

 to be indigenous to Central Asia, Egypt, and the 

 shores of the Mediterranean, to the exclusion of Italy. 

 Moquin-Taidon has, however, more correctly reunited 

 the whole under the Linnean name of Beta vulgaris, of 

 which he reduces the numerous forms to three principal 

 races : First, the Wild Beet, with a slender, hard root, 

 pparh introduced into kitchen gardens for the foliage, 

 occasionally cooked with sorrel to diminish the acidity 

 of ihe latter. Second, the White Beet, poiree, or poiree- 

 carde of the French, with a thicker, but still hard root, 

 with enlarged leaves and a great tendency to succulence 

 in the petioles, which are blanched like Cardoons for 

 culinary purposes. This vegetable is frequently men- 

 tioned by ancient Greek and Roman writers. Third, 

 the Beet root, Barbabietola of Italian gardens, Betterave 

 of , the French, so well known for its sweet and succulent 

 root, was first introduced into Italy in the sixteenth 

 century, from Germany, where it was probably first 

 produced. A tub- variety of the Beet-root, with a some- 

 what coarser and larger root, now become so important 

 an article in agriculture, was originally put forward 

 under the name of root of I ireity, rncine de disette in 

 French, or Mangel Wurzei in German, which latter 

 translation is now adopted by our farmers, absurdly 

 ■corrupted into Mangold Wurzei. Journal of Horticul- 

 tural Society. 



Calendar of Operations, 



( For the ensuing weih ) 



PLANT DEPARTMENT. 



At soon as the cold frames and 





i 



Conservatory, &c. 



pits can be got cleared of the bedding stuff they should 

 be occupied as far as circumstances will admit with 

 young stock of hard- wooded plants for the summer 

 growth, of which they are much more suitable than 

 large houses, however well arranged. These humble 

 structures will also be found very suitable for the growth 

 of the dwarf Lobelias, Balsams, Salvia splendens, S. 

 gesueraeflora, and many other things which are generally 

 grown for flowering in the conservatory in summer and 

 autuinn ; and indeed most things which require only a 

 moderate temperature will be more manageable here 

 and thrive better than they will in lofty houses with 

 double the attention. But the great advantage of having , 

 plenty of spare pits and frames at command for the 

 summer growth of plants is that it allows of a greater 

 division of the plants, and arranging them so that the 

 treatment may be adapted to the circumstances and 

 requirements of the plant with greater nicety than it is 

 possible to do when plants from many very different 

 habitats have to be managed in the same house. And 

 besides the difference of treatment, which it is necessary 

 to observe in the case of different plants which are 

 similar in every respect, merely through the one being 

 making vigorous growth, while another may be ripening 

 its wood, &c., there is more advantage in being able to 

 classify things during the growing season than is gene- 

 rally supposed, save by our best growers. Roses are, 

 perhaps, the most generally admired of all winter 

 flowering plants, and where there is not a stock of esta- 

 blished plants for this purpose, if a lot of young plants 

 can be procured and placed in a frame they will make 

 nice stuff by autumn if properly attended to, especially 

 if the frame can be placed on a bed of leaves or 

 tan to afford a gentle bottom-heat, which will 

 greatly assist in inducing a vigorous root 



I riety at this season to things in a vigorous state. Great 

 care should be used, however, to have the balls in a 

 nice healthy state as to moisture, and also the soil to be 

 used ; and the plants should be exposed as little as pos- 

 sible to sunshine, or drying currents of air, for a fort- 

 night or so after potting. Careful and judicious water- 

 ing is at ail times essential to successful plant growing ; 

 but at no period of a plant's existence is this so im- 

 portant as while the roots are surrounded with fresh 

 soil, and many a promising plant has been ruined by 

 one or two inadvertent applications of water while in 

 this state. If both the ball and soil are in a properly 

 moist state when potting is performed, water need not 

 be given for two or three days ; and when it is deemed 

 necessary to water, enough should be given to thoroughly | 

 soak the whole of the soil. Large specimens of Heaths 

 and other hard-wooded things must also be very care- 

 fully supplied with water, and every precaution should 

 be used to make sure that the ball is in an equal state 

 as to moisture throughout ; for it sometimes happens 

 that the surface of the ball will appear quite wet, while 

 below (where the greater part of the roots is) is too I 

 dry. This is the result of practising the dribbling | 

 system of watering, and is not likely to occur where 

 watering is done properly. The readiest and safest way 

 of moistening the lower part of the ball, when this is 

 found to be dry while the upper part is wet, is to place 

 the pot in a saucer or tub of water for a few hours, 

 letting the water stand about an inch above the drainage. 



FLOWER GARDEN AND SHRUBBERIES. 



In ordinary seasons the planting out of bedding stock 

 has been finished in most parts of the country by this 

 time, but notwithstanding the advanced period of the 

 season the weather is yet anything but settled or pro- 

 mising, and save in favourable localities there is still 

 considerable apparent risk in planting out such things as 

 have not been well hardened off, or those that are very 

 easily injured by frost, as Heliotropes, &c. And we 

 would recommend that these should be kept where they 

 can be securely covered in case of need until there is a 

 fair prospect of fine weather, repotting them if necessary 

 to prevent their getting into a hard state. Bedding 

 stock has been considerably more troublesome and ex- 

 pensive this season than usual, and it would be folly to 

 risk such things as cannot be replaced should they be 

 destroyed, for we shall doubtless have summer weather 

 soon, and the owners of gardens expecting to see them 

 in full beauty ; and if gardeners can exercise sufficient 

 patience to defer planting out until the right time, there 

 is good reason for hoping that things will start away 

 freely, and under the influence of tine weather soon 

 cover the beds with flower. Those who can command 

 covering may doubtless plant out anything at once with 

 safety, provided the plants are in proper condition for 

 planting out ; but weakly stock should not be risked out 

 under any conditions until the weather becomes warm, 

 and appears settled. A sprinkling of evergreen branches 

 stuck into the beds will afford the plants considerable 

 protection from cold winds and bright sunshine. These 

 should be cut rather short, and stuck firmly into the 

 ground, so as to prevent their being blown about and 

 injuring the plants. And every shoot of Verbenas, 

 &c, which is long enough to be liable to be blown about 

 should be pegged down before leaving them. Keep the 

 work of this department as forward as possible, so as to 

 be able to command sufficient strength for planting out 

 the bedding stock expeditiously, and avoid having the 

 litter and confusion consequent on this work about 

 louger than can be avoided. In the present dry state 

 of the ground a good watering should be given after 

 planting, to thoroughly moisten the bed, but this should 

 not be done at night when there is the least chance 

 of frost. 



HARDY FRUIT and KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Continue to watch for and destroy insects on fruit 

 trees directly they make their appearance, and examine 

 weakly Peach trees for mildew, and apply sulphur 

 immediately this pest is perceived. Also attend to dis- 

 budding in a gradual manner, so as not to check the 

 trees by removing too many shoots at once, and regu- 

 lating the growth of trees intended to be trained in any 

 particular form by timely stopping, so as to secure 

 growth where it is wanted. Asparagus can hardly have 

 too much manure-water at this season, and in the 

 present state of the ground, and a liberal supply should 

 be given once or twice a week from the farm or stable- 

 yard tank. Save on heavy clayey soils a liberal dressing 

 of salt may be used instead of manure-water, and will 

 be equally beneficial ; but salt should not be used on 

 heavy soils, for although it may improve the 



STATE 



For the week 



May. 



OF THE WEATHER AT GHISWI C £T^r T^T^ 

 ikendiig May 21 t 1855, as obs erved at lae HctUcrtt^J* 



Friday 18 

 Satnr. 19 



Sunday £0 

 Mon.. 21 

 Tues. 22 

 Wed. 23 



Thurs. 24 



r 



2 

 3 



4 

 5 



6 



7 

 r 



Ba&omstbb. 



I — 



Max. 



30.109 

 30.025 



29.883 

 29.86*2 

 29.840 

 29.319 

 29.761 



29.899 



T ***2RA»lJBlT 



Ol th* Air. 51 '^ISk 



I 



Min ... s 



deep. 



30.078 

 29.860 



•:9.soo 



29.830 

 29.779 

 29.780 

 29.760 



29 841 



May 



18— Fine ; very fine throughout. 

 19— Fine; very fine; clear at night. 

 20— Fcgtiy ; very fine; overcast. 

 21— Overcast throughout. 



.-• — iiuc; very uuu; ciouuy ana nne. at night. 



Mean temperature of the week 3 deg. below the »?»&■ 



RECORD OF THE WEATHER AT CHISW1GK, 

 Daring the la*t 29 yeart, for the ensuing week, ending j»e j mc. 



May 

 and June. 



Sunday ?7 



Mon. 28 



Tues. 29 



Wed. SC 



Thu. 31 



Frid. 1 



Satur. 2 



* t: . 



« *» . 



5 feC§ 



** •< s 



°> « 3 



67.7 



45.2 



67.2 



45.1 



66.1 



45.0 



68.0 



45.2 



69.5 



45.3 



46.7 

 I 46.6 



70.3 



69.?. 1 





56.5 

 56.2 

 55.5 

 56.6 

 57.4 

 58.5 

 57.9 



No. of 



Years in 

 which it 

 Rained. 



15 

 12 



12 



10 



9 



11 

 13 





Greatest 

 Quantity 

 of Rain. 



0.44 in. 



0.97 

 0.97 

 0.34 

 038 

 0.-27 

 .33 



**&%. 



- - ; i i * ._ 



2 10 I i. i , 4 -. 

 2 b 6- J 7 Tl 



\ 6 b~- i 



I 9 2- i 



II ft) S S M i 



The highest temperature during the above period occurred on tbtSfr 

 1S47 — iherm.91 deg.; and the lowest on the 2/tk, 1^35— therm. 33 dtg. 



Notices to Correspondents. 



Azaleas : A Van Geert. Your Indian Azalea is distinct, cf good 

 form and substance, and better than many of the recent nor* 

 ties. G.—J C. All pretty, but not different from kinds tt 

 already possess. { 



All amanda neriifolia -.HO. It was introduced into %k 

 country from South America. 



Books : R S. Roberts on the Vine is a very good book, with tl» 

 exception of what relates to carrion, which should nererbe 

 used for Vines. { 



Broccoli : Melville. It was too far gone before ft reached ns, fcr 

 us to offer any opinion on it.} 



Cockroaches: W M G. A basin with water in it let into the Imp 

 in their runs makes the best trap we know of. Bjpmevemt 

 in the use of it they may be got rid of. 



Diseases: Amicus. It is an aggravated case of rus? r remirkibli 

 for the development of the tissue between the little discs iot> 

 which the cuticle is broken up. Rust equally arises in the fiat 

 instance from some substance rubbing against the fruit, itai 

 the cuticle is very delicate. With this hint you wil 

 be able to discover the cause, and prevent the recurrence of the 

 affection. You cannot do anything this year, now the Grip* 

 are formed.— A B. This is an ordinary case of the disease tlw 

 is so prevalent amongst Melons and Cucumbers. ^JSMBi 

 almost universal, and the cause is wholly unknown. We tn 

 trying what can be done with old seed, but we are not fir? 

 sanguine as to the result.-/ W. Y.uir leaves appear to hm 

 been injured by frost; they were, however, bo crushed ttji.tr 

 can say little about them. The plants which acconipamea 

 are Luzula campestris and Carex precox. M. J.B. 



Greenhouse Climbers : A r . Clematis azurea grandiflora ,™«* 

 lignosus, Hardenbergia macrophylla and monopfiyiiijW 

 nedya Marryattee, Mandevilla suaveolens, and Tropeonw 

 Triomphe de Gand may possibly answer your purpose* 



Hollies: XYZ. The most complete account or tun n, 



believe, in the Allgemeine Gartenzeitung of lbo4. 

 Lizard's Egos. If any of your readers ^W ^^ 

 eggs of the Lacerta agilis, I should be S^JJE 

 Lizards are most widely distributed, and I wai t «J» 

 whether the eggs will float in sea-water, and, i so, ™l 

 they will retain their vitality. A reward of a J *w»* 

 (which I would gladly repay as well ^V bt £> J» 

 schoolboys, would perhaps get these eggs in me : prup« 



tricts collected. Ch. Darwin, Downs, **™^™ 9 £*nn*^ 



Insects : E K S. Your Peas are attacked by t \ e ? ,^ p .38a 



Curculio(Sitona)lineatus(see Gardeners ^^|» 



for figure and description), which ^.^^SS^ 

 brought forth in vast numbers every wher e \ >* i«nj ^ 

 plants with lime-water and strewing soot th icwy ^ 



rows are advantageous ; sticks or ^"^S^ 

 rows, daubed with bird-lime, would »^«» tc ^ nax ttficfc- 

 JG. Thanks for the note about the ^ n ^f v Snstrnd^ 

 ing the Spanish Chesnut timber ; all kinds or wooMi , 



sefm, however, to come alike [o ^ ^c^ 

 There is no poisonous preparation that we kuo ^ jj 



with water and applied with the syringe would ^ ^^ 



killin, " tbe grl,b " Vff?..Xh&^^ 





powder, if good, appears 



Names of Plants : We have been 80 .^ e ?^ 



v,««^a nf dried or other planes, a ^ T 



to request our — ocnnn ""'- nT8 LU »»t ' - -' »»« I**- 



decline naming 



: We have Deen »u »•«» — - ° . }t we vtaw 



heaps of dried or other •£«««, ^er j£ 

 ro reouesr our .orreapoudents to reeo 1 ect that ^ ^ 



or coull have undertaken an «^™£ d m ^^l- 

 Young gardeners, to whom these remw i ks more ^ f 

 should hear in mind that, before app'J »f "£taR »»*KS 

 they should exhaust their other mean b ot rm i g ^ ^ 



We cannot sare them the > £^"6 of « ™ ™ e ? oU U. £ £ 

 for themselves; "or would it b« desirable^ ,,,,* 



can do is to help them-and t tba ^ f'f ur plant" ««i 

 requested that, in future, «f .^^^'aTomaticun,, » **? 

 sent us at onetime.-^/- J?P ld !"* ra wfbellere then» 

 not Brazilian plant.- & Cham «r ■. V .e h the g£ 



doubt that your plants are ^"Sf^l.hened cotj£*, 

 of the seed sticking to the end ot the wi. * ^ 

 Cm^nt Header. If the plant came from » J( i3 u'.lB^ 



Now that the weather has become somewhat milder, 

 air should be given more liberally, and when there is no 

 danger of frost, a little back air may be left on for the 

 tight. Attend to former directions as to keeping insects 

 jnder, and supplying beds and borders liberally with 

 water. Greenhouse.— If any-of the young stock has not 

 yet been examined for the purpose of ascertaining 

 whether it requires more pot room, this should be 



af»_.A_ .__. - lt_ *__ ». . ... 



yel 7 



present crop, it is very apt to cause the roots to decay 



in winter through keeping the soil too wet. Attend to 

 plantations lately made, giving sufficient water to keep 

 the soil moist. Get in a good breadth of Knight's 

 Dwarf Green Marrow Pea, or some other hardy variety 

 that will be likely to resist the attacks of mildew, and 

 produce a late crop. At this season the soil can hardly 



be too deep and rich for Peas ; and it is a very good 



action, plan to plant in trenches prepared as for Celery, only 



have taken it there from New '*°%^BJ J-J 

 ri g idum.-# Beddard. Allosorus nexu ^ ^ A , n ienrt* 



sylvatica. — A Sub. Pol 



fcemina. S.- O HP. 1 



posita; 3, Doodia caud «.«»-. 



Beginner. The name s quite r gjj 1 - AUama»^ .££*# 



Plant Siiowixo: ^AjySRSfilS? yet four oHff^iJ 



1 



-mi tHe* 







done t e 



possi 



eral shift may 



the manure should be incorporated with the soil 

 and the trenches filled up nearly to the level of the 

 ground. Get Tomatoes planted out against parts of the 

 walls not otherwise occupied as soon as the weather may 

 be considered safe; also ridge Cucumbers, vegetable 

 Marrows, &c, in the places prepared for them, protect- 

 ing with hand-glasses until the plants get into full growth. 

 Sow Cauliflowers for late autumn use, and give every 



^y h^onsiTered^ «>£S * W£ $#/**£ 

 he too many to show >n a g< oup of* P ffl gii . D1D g M 

 absolutely disqualify J*« c ollec je ^ny <W 



many plants of one colour wonla ^ ^ 



value -t „ ■ Staines. There is W>"»^ d . 



! excrescences on tne i 

 s not good to feed V 



the excrescences on the under jg*^ k out w 

 it is not good to feed A nies Qver e ^ 



4v.i « rt „..* havn done. i&ey\ ** +nn ^ ft mp 



that yours have done 

 out in eruptions. Ov- 



a** 



♦ .* 



! 



out in eruptions, y *«.' „ t be mi— **\im "" 



and imperfect ventilation cause been »gf «jg 



,. As usual, many ceip^ffnea t«J ^X^jS 

 *and others are unavoidably acta t „ e indn^ .^^ 



can be made. We nmst ^° insert ion of 

 numerous correspondents, me 



contributions is still delayed. 



who* 



