THE GARDENERS* CHRONICLE. 



fie Tost destroys the plants beh re ilie flowers have 



time to develope'themselvts. IV. B. 



SEEDLINGS. 



CAirroLARiAs: J W d- Co. 1 is the best, but both may make 



good bedding sorts. 

 Pan a: B H. A yellow ground variety, with very dark top 



p ;1 Is and margin. It should be double its present size, and 



then it would be no better than many already out, being of a 



class in which we abound in good kinds. 



I\ nthuses: J W. A large, and to all appearance, a very 



t ! flower, but too much pressed in the transit for us to fully 



judge of its merits. 



MisC^laneous. 



On the DUcases of Plants: by M. F. E. Qucrin 



Mencville.— Some observations -recently made tend to 

 confirm an opinion expressed last year to the effect that 

 the great epidemic from which so many plants, and 



Vim.es mAro acnomallv lift V A hoPTl fcllffiprinor 



Vines more especially, have been suffering, is due, if 

 not solely at least principally, to influences of tempera- 

 ture. The observations upon which this opinion was 

 based have become during tin's last year very numerous, ^^ ^ 



and have been made in the departments of the Var, I ^ ^ J^SnlLiKt drying currents of air, for a fort- 

 Bouches du Rhone, Basses-Alpes, Vaucluse, Gard, 



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 action. Now 

 that the weather has become 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 night. 

 Attend to former directions as to keeping insects under, 

 and supplying beds and borders liberally with water. 

 GreexNHOUSE.— 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 

 done the first possible opportunity, repotting such as 

 require it, and a liberal shift may be given with pro- 

 priety 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 Utile as pos- 



Drdme, Ardcche, Isere, &c. After having examined 



the epidemic in the Basses- A Ipes during the whole time 



that the silk- worms were hatching, I determined 



to extend my inquiries to the ten departments 



just named, proceeding from the south northwards. 



I thus ascertained that the disease disappeared not this s?a "e^ 



only, as I had formerly ascertained, in proportion 



to the height of the plants above the sea, but also 



in proportion to their northern situation. Neither 



in the Alps nor in Paris was there any disease. In the 



Alps, as in Paris, the disease, when it existed at all, 



was only to be found on plants sheltered by walls and 



exposed to the south or east, or on plants in small town 



garden* irhere,in consequence of the artificial atmo- 

 sphere, tiie disease made its appearance whatever aspect 

 the plants had. I noticed it principally in fields of Saint- 

 foin, on cereals, Melons, Gourds, Tomatoes, &c, Vines, 

 Roses, Mulberries, Walnuts, and other fruit trees, and 

 even on the Alders in our valleys. The Saintfoin, for 

 example, after progressing admirably from December to 



night or so after potting. Careful and judicious water- 

 ing is at all 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 inadvert* nt applications of water while in 



If both tl e 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 

 dry. This is the result of practising the dribbling 

 system of watering, and is not likely to occur where 



The readiest and safest way 



watering is done properly. 



.,.--, • , i » , i . . ^. i. °f moistening the lower part of the ball, when this is 



February, languished, and became covered with Oidium found to be dry while the u per part is wet is to p]ace 



to such an extent that the strong smell of diseased Vine ^^ n ^ - n m JL~»*m ^ 4 „k Ja ■«♦« <w* «. «*» u™** 



which it emitted when being cut, caused alarm, lest the 



crop should prove injurious to cattle fed upon it. 



Ail the corn, and especially that on well exposed hills, 



looked admirably at the same period of the year when 



vegetation ought to have been stationary, and the 

 plan s perhaps covered with snow ; but the corn in 

 the plains, in the large valley of the Durance, as well 

 as that of the higher land in the department, remained 

 small, low, and exhibited no unusual development. 

 Lat' r, during the months of April, May, and even June, 

 the corn on the hills with fine aspects, and which was 

 already in ear and about to flower, became exposed to 

 a low temperature and a cold damp ; the plants became 

 covered with rusty black spots, their leaves curled, and 

 in spite of incessant cold rain, appeared to suffer from 

 drought. The corn in the plain, in cold soil, with harvests 

 almost always a fortnight late, developed slowly, and as 

 usual ; the bad weather had no effect on it, and the 

 harvest was good, whilst the corn on the hills and inter- 

 mediate lauds, although so fine in December, January, 

 and February, did not tven yield the seed from which 

 it sprung. A curious circumstance, showing that the dis- 

 ease of the corn is due to a too high winter temperature, 

 is that all those growers who sowed their corn late had 

 fair crops. The Mulberry trees were out early and exposed 

 to ail those cold rains which destroyed the early silk- 

 worms. Some of the trees were seen in full leaf as 

 early as Easter. Later, all the leaves became covered 

 with rusty spo's, which I examined with great care. In 

 some cases the disease was so bad that the leaves curled 

 up and dried, and became utterly useless as food for 

 silkwoims. Walnut, and many other trees were just as 

 bad, their leaves also being covered with rusty spots. 

 The Vine was worse than ever. The cold rains of 

 May caused the disease to appear a fortnight late, and 

 this gave some hopes that the malady had, if not disap- 

 peared, at all events greatly decreased ; but it soon 

 appeared that the plants were seriously affected, more 

 so even than in the preceding years. Nevertheless such 

 was the variety of circumstances under which my obser- 

 vations were made that I was able to ascertain by 

 examinations, as well on a large as on a small scale, that 

 my theory of caloric influence explained every pheno- 

 menon satisfactorily established. Thus it appears quite 

 certain that all valleys having large streams of water, 

 and so situate as to be exposed during winter to cold 

 northerly winds, are more or less free from the ravages 

 in question. The north slopes of hills are generally 

 free also, and certain elevated tracts of country, whether 

 in the south r middle of France, suffer but little, unless 

 it be in those spots which are sheltered by irregularities 

 in the soil. Comptes Fcndus. 





IMi-nk 2. 



and should the weather __ 



good soaking of ruin it will probably be^eL^ 

 water where the borders are shallow and of T^J* 

 nature. But watering in the present statu i V 

 weather would probably do more harm than * 

 Strawberry beds should be carefully cleaned loo^n' 

 the surface, and thoroughly soaked with wmd** 

 first warm day, giving a good watering with manures, 

 a few days after the ground has been well soaked »W 

 will be more useful than if given while the f^om?- 

 in a dry state. Attend well to Cauliflowers and^ 

 crops with water. See to keeping up a^ucceJ^rf 

 Kidney Bears, Turnips, Spinach, &c. In pmff 

 seeds at this season when the ground is i n a di-y^ste 



STATE OF THE WEATHER AT CHISWlCK, NEAR LO.NDO.f 

 For the week ending May 31, 1S55, as observed at the HortimUn— in.?. 



May. 



Friday 15 



Satur. £6 



Sunday -7 

 VI on.. 28 



Tues. 29 

 Wed. 30 



Thura. 31 



\ vert* &p 



< 



a 



9 

 1C 

 11 

 12 

 13 

 14 



o 



Barometer. 





Max. 



29.802 

 29.-7 



29/49 

 29.856 

 29.893 

 29.949 

 29.683 



?9.« 9 



Min. 



29.789 



29.7;* 



29.789 

 29.873 



29.879 



29.450 



Tbmpkratuie. 



Of the Air. Oftb«E»r 



Mean l *«j ?*• 



I 



Max.! Min. 



78 



82 



75 



56 

 59 

 50 

 54 



42 



58 

 52 



?5 



37 



40 

 47 



60.0 



54 



70.0 



55 



63.5 



57 



45.5 



57 



48.0 



15 



45.0 



54 



50.5 



62 



X 



29 7*1 f 64.8 ' 41.4 | MJ I 



MS S1A 



M 



May 



25— Fine ; cloudy and fine ; very fine. 



26— Very fine ; very hot and dry; fine ; windy at night. 



- 27— Dry haze; overrast ; cloudy; slight rain. 



- 28— Rain ; cloudy and cold at ni^ht. 



- 29— Cloudy throughout; showery at night. 



- 30— Low clouds; cold showers with northerly wind. 



- 31— Cold rain; cloudy at night. 



Mean temperature of the week 2£ deg. below the average. 



KECOItD OF THE WEATHER AT CHISWlCK, 

 During the last 29 years, for the ensuing week, ending June 9, Hfc 



June. 





<rt 



Sunday 3 



Mon. 4 



Tues. 5 



W ed. 6 



Thu. 7 



Frid. 8 



Satur. 9 



70.5 



70.7 

 70.3 



6S.2 



68.0 



70.0 



70.3 



M oo a, 



45.3 

 46.0 



47.1 

 47.4 

 47.5 



47-1 

 48,3 



a 5- 

 oe = 



57i.9 

 58.3 



58.7 

 ■^7.8 

 57.8 



58.6 

 59.3 



No. of 



Years in 

 which it 

 Rained. 



11 



11 

 15 

 14 

 11 



11 



13 



Greatest 

 Quantity 

 of Rain. 



Prev»dit>r, 



0.91 



0.76 



0.64 

 0.28 



0.53 

 0.45 

 1.48 



in. 



1 



5 

 3 



I 



i . • * i * 



r 



4 15 5 



8 . I I 7 i 



15 641 



1 M»Jl 



3 4 6)1 



w, 1 4 * 4 



(i i 23 n i 



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. 



The weather is extremely unfavourable for trees and 

 shrubs that have been recently shifted, and these should 

 be frequently examined, to see that they are not suffer- 

 ing through dryness at the root ; and when watering is 

 deemed necessary, have the surface loosened with a 

 blunt pronged fork, giving a thorough soaking, and then 

 mulch to prevent rapid evaporation. Young things 

 which have not got fairly established since planting 

 must also be attended to with water as they may seem 

 to require it, until they get proper hold of the ground. 

 As to planting out the bedding stock the weather has 

 been such this week that those who have not commenced 

 will not regret having their plants where they can be 

 afforded some shelter, and at present there is no appear- 

 ance of any change for the better. It is of course need- 

 less to advise parties to defer planting out until the 

 change comes, for to plant out in the present state of 

 the weather would be about as reasonable as to do so in 

 March ; and it is to be hoped that any advice as to the 

 management of the stock until it can be committed to 

 the ground will be too late, for surely the present 

 winterly weather will not last many more days. We 

 have kept our stock as close as circumstances would 

 admit, covering that in skeleton frames with mats, &c., 

 and shading that under glass, and giving very little 

 air, which has been a great saving of labour in water- 

 ing, and the plants have no doubt suffered less than if 

 they had been exposed to the drying winds. What the 

 effects of the present week will be upon things that 

 were planted out remains to be seen ; but they will, 

 doubtless, have sustained a very serious check, and will 

 require much attention to get them round in any reason- 

 able time. Meantime they muht not be allowed to get 

 too dry at the root ; but watering should be done in the 

 morning, so as to have the surface of the beds dry 

 before night, for a sharp frost is probable enough any 

 night. But when warm weather comes, things that 

 have suffered from the winds should be sprinkled every 

 evening with water that has been exposed to the sun, 

 and a good watering given as often as may be necessary 

 to keep the beds moist ; and they should also be 

 shaded from bright sunshine, by sticking plenty of 

 evergreen branches into the beds. There is a very 

 sensible article on bedding plants by Mr. Ay res in last 

 week's Chronicle, to one part of which we beg to direct 

 attention, and advise parties to adopt ihe plan there 

 recommended for storing heat in the ground before 

 planting out the bedding stock, which is worth the 

 trouble any season, and much more so this, when the 

 ground is so unusually cold. 



HARDY FRUIT and KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Trees that have been shifted this season must be 

 attended to with water, and see that standards are 

 securely fastened against the wind. Continue the war 

 against all kinds of insects, particularly green-fly on 

 Peach trees, and do not allow these pests to injure the 

 young shoots, for theyjare already 'very late, and unless 

 the season should prove very fine indeed there will pro- 

 bably Le some difficulty in getting the young wood 

 ripened before winter, and every care should be used to 

 prevent the trees sustaining any check. We find that 



The highest temperature during: the above period occurred o« tin 'ti\ 

 1816— therm. 90 deg.; and the lowest on the 3d, 1^37, and 8th, 1833-ttem. 

 35 deg. 



Notices to Correspondents. 



Ants : A Jj. We are unable to advise you. If you can find their 

 run stuff rags dipped in turpentine or gas tar into the h 

 pour them in. As to killing them by catching, it is a hopd« 

 task. Of course you must not put turpentine or gas tar u» 



the pots. . ._ u , 



Arum: A S L*M. This, like all such plants, is easily extirpate* 

 by handpicking the leaves as soon as they are afewwrt* 

 long in the sping: and again picking them as kstait*r 

 reappear. It c ust be a very large park that would mm 

 quickly cleared thus by a few women and children. **»■"[ 

 there would be an advantage in pulling up all the leaves in* 

 Lords and Ladies that can be found. 

 Asparagus Broccoli: M W. We do not recognise this, urn 

 you not send a plant to the Iloriicultural Society, /I, i»r 

 Street, with a request that it may be planted a^P^oc. 

 Cauliflower: J M-. Certainly your P^^^S^Jt 

 every Cabbage or Broccoli that may be in flower * ,thlD '"J 

 of it, unless you prevent the access of pollen ^8^™ 

 or by bees and other insects. A shirt of ™ sl « J^S 

 the plant will probably preserve it irom contatn.nanon n m 

 close round the stem, and put on before any of the flowers mti 



Difi: E E. There seems to be nothing , wrong ; atoet th. 

 Vine leaves, except that perhaps they are too xunaa l 

 young bunches were so much injured by P]!;;""^* 

 exhlbit their natural appearance We **"™X£&b 

 affection before. If you will send by ^pos two or rt>ree m ^ 

 box, with a leaf to keep them fresb, directed w *• * 

 King's Cliffe, Wansford, we will «amine the ^^ 

 minutely .-# W. There is no fungus on Jjnr ^ ft* 

 The little warts upon them are very common ana ^ fc 

 some bad condition of the roots. At least a sei ^ 



pots, which were affected last year, 7^ t ^?thTdi*< > 

 in a very bad condition, are perfectly free now that 

 of the pots is good and the roots healthy. M.J. * 



Insects i J M. The Pine plantations » Scotland are 

 severely injured by the inclosed insects " hich «« « ^ 

 (Hylobius) abietis. Stumps of old trees ; and taancn 

 treses left on the ground are the chiel ^^deiSi 

 places of those insects, and ought to be re mww ^ * 



Some foresters recommend decoy- trees, ha is '"J^** 

 open spaces and left for the attacks o r th^e ^ 

 should be sought for on them from tin e *^ e e ' arT * of«*< 

 -J" G. The Cherry leaves were i nfebt ed by tn e erBJ nU 



the leaf-rolling small moths (^^jSA "* "■"Si 

 the post. The best remedy is to jpinch sfia ^/ huS easi ly ki* 

 exhibit rolls or cases of the larvae, * Inch are ^^ 



Names oe Plants s We have been »^M$£ wWj 



decline naming heaps of j dned or other ^a ^ ^ 



to request our correspondents to reco cttfl ^ ^ **. 

 or colld have undertaken an unhnntd^ 

 Young gardeners, to whom these remain o ^ ^ga 



should bear in mind that, ^ ^!llol^iri\^^^ 

 they should exhaust the r other me an a *£ ^ ^.l 

 We^cannot save them the <?£**&** ^ could iB 

 for themselves; nor would it U ^^^^ n *t 





Calendar of Opera ioil9. 



(For the earning week.) 



— + 



PLANT DEPARTMENT. 



Conservatory, &c.— As soon as cold frames and pits 

 cau be got cleared of bedding stuff they should be occu- 

 pied with young stock of bard wooded plants. These 

 humble structures will also be found suitable for dwarf 

 Lobelias, Balsams, Salvias, andjmany other things which 



are generally grown for flowering in the conservatory , „ r — ~ 



in summer and autumn. Roses, as was stated last week, shallow light borders are already inclining to dryness 



Allium ursinum.~T 'UV. 1, *£"£!£ far' as « 

 gala speciosa; % Baptism mollis as t 



from such ftagments^r. ^' ^ of *-£« 

 do Messrs 11. and Z. know _ any t« J^^ starred 

 panula hederacea.-f A. ^ lt ™ „ rilic hium not in ^ 

 Monolopia major; 2, s one b s> r -nrSnJLi ^^ 



Veronica chan ^drys ; 4 , Aspcri^ 



eiowino: J O. VI e s ^"^; bar l9 plant 

 should not be shown as a tertaceo ^ y 



m* 



(rf^ff 



° BhoV,id not be 'shown as ^^^JT± •£&** 

 Vike Boots in Am : /J r "Xt As to cro* *# V 

 wrong, and Mr. Grey is right. „,.*«« »»S! 



question before ns. 



• As usual, many i 



and others are unavotaany »r-"j^ th e in<™£ 

 can be made. We must »»^ r o ti0 B of **** 

 numerous correspondents, the ins* 



contributions is still delayed. 



tee. re^TT^a** 





