THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



not having teen sufficiently recognised is the 

 cause of half the errors into which routine culti- 

 vators are seen to fall. 



In saying this we would by no means assert that 

 all obscure facts are explicable only by reference to 

 vitality, or that the explanations founded upon it 

 are in all cases just. It is possible enough that 

 they may be misapplied, like other matters ; and 

 we are far from claiming for ourselves exemption from 

 such errors. All we contend for is that vitality, 

 a force which our senses tell us exists although we 

 only see it in its results, will often account intel- 

 ligibly for phenomena, which are otherwise incom- 

 prehensible. 



By way of establishing the converse of this pro- 

 position, the following account of the effects of the 

 late frosts is given in our correspondent's letter. 

 " Close to my house," he says, " there is a number of 

 Sycamores ; they are all on ground equally dry and 

 Bandy ; moreover all have the same aspect. Amongst 

 them the three most healthy and strong of all, viz., 

 an Acer Lobelii (Tenore)? an Acer colchicum 

 rubrum, and, what is very remarkable, a common 

 Acer pseitdo-platanns were frozen to the ground, 

 whilst right and left of them other plants of the 



me species were unharmed even at the very tips 

 of their branches. To all appearance the circum- 

 stances under which the trees were placed were 

 precisely the same. It is very easy to say that the 

 vitality of the three strong healthy frozen plants 

 was less energetic than that of the others ; but I 

 would ask what is gained by so saying, and what j 

 reason is there to suppose such to have been 

 the case V 9 



Now we admit that in the instances quoted it is 

 probable enough that some agency, much less mys- 

 terious than different degrees of vitality, has caused 

 the effects described. Such, for example, as water 

 at the roots, or a position where the sun's rays in 

 winter have more influence ; but even if that be so, 

 we must confess our inability to see how it can 

 affect the argument. 



It is announced by M. Gu£rin-M£neville that 

 the cold country silkworm of China has at last been 

 reared in France. It has long been known 

 that in the land of the Manchour Tartars, 

 in a climate at least as rigorous as our 

 own, a kind of silk is obtained, of which 

 very large quantities go into consumption 

 among the Chinese. The clothes of " mil- 

 lions" are said to be prepared from it. 



Some years since Mr. Rutherford Alcock, Her 

 Majesty's Consul at Shanghae, sent home samples of 

 this material, both manufactured and unmanufac- 

 tured, along with live chrysalids (cocoons), but the 

 latter perished on the voyage, and the samples were 

 accidentally misplaced and lost in the Great Exhi- 

 bition of 1851. The silk was strong, with little lustre, 

 and resembled some strong thin yellow woollen 

 linen. It now appears that the French have been 

 more successful, some males having already been 



St. Hi lai re, that the interesting acquisition in ques- 

 tion is mainly owing to the assistance given by 

 Monseigneur Verrolles, Bishop of Colomby and 

 Vicar Apostolic in Mantchooria, to M. de Montuny, 

 the French Consul at Shanghae. Let us hope that 

 some of our own people will tread with equal success 

 in the enlightened and patriotic steps of these 

 gentlemen. mm ___ 



New Plants. 



134. G<iRDEMA ROTHMANNI. 



As a good deal of interest is attached at the present 

 moment to the ripening of exotic fruits, a figure of that 

 of Gardenia Rothmanni brought to maturity »* 



Ppw 30 



out organic change, WhiTfe 

 cases visible to the naked eye. 

 that those diseases which 

 in all 



Utt* 



at 



derangement 



^.^«o^o WTU, Wa8 . ,tjLU *l 



probabili7 orig"n^ly ^4T£l?S 

 causes, and so as regards functional der 

 there can be no doubt that it is alwaviIZ 

 by organic mischief, though affecting struct** 

 delicate composition as to be beyond our «* 

 investigation. As before, to avoid the confuiT? * 

 ant on the fact that similar appearances mav 



«•<* 



very different causes, I shall be obliged to de*"* ** 

 the strict letter of the arrangement I have r* ** 



he main distinctions w 

 enience will arise than tW • ~ 

 which the author has the most reason to bt *** 



c - . e arrangement I have Q£? 



So long, however, as the main distinctions JTu^ 

 view no further inconvenience will arise than *** 



tented, namely a want of unity or systematic 



«fc* No 



useful end, however, can be gained if perspicuit. w 

 sacrificed to mere neatness of arrangement Wh*» *! 

 whole is completed a systematic arrangement 



given, in which each disease will appear "uuTer iu!fc! 

 tinctive head, with proper references, where it hubm 



hatched. Of the other cocoons sent to Italy and 

 Algiers, no account is given. 



According to Gu£rin-M£neville, this silkworm 

 forms a new species of night-flying Bombyx, of the 

 section Saturnza, and is nearly related to the 

 Bombyz mylitta, which produces the Tussah silk of 

 India. But the peculiarities observable in the form, 

 texture, and mode of attachment of the cocoons 

 forbid the Mantchour moth being regarded as merely 

 a northern local form of the Tussah silkworm. It is 

 also one of the same Lepidopterous group as the Mooza 

 silkworm of Assam, whose silk is largely employed 

 in India, and which was described by the late 

 Dr. Heifer under the name of Bombyx assamensis. 

 ^ Two circumstances give peculiar interest to the 

 introduction of this useful insect ; namely, the cold- 

 ness of the country it naturally inhabits, and its 

 feeding upon a species of Oak, not on a Mulberry. 

 The country called Mantchooria is described as 

 mountainous, very cold in winter, and producing 

 furs among other articles of trade. Oaks, Pines, 

 VV illows, Birches, Maples, and wild Roses, said to 

 constitute the main features of its woods, are all 

 indications of a northern climate. The Oak on 

 which the silkworm of this remote region feeds is 

 not clearly described. According to Mons. Isidore 



fr™r!^ IRE ' two sorts have been raise <i ™ France 



S: T m A received with the cocoons > ° ne re - 



SSXk QlierCUS c *"/* which is well 

 Kno^n to bea native of northern China; and one 



bv oE W«ytljr undescribed. But it is 



tiZ^tol^ft 1 * that the com ™» 0ak * 

 in JSiZ Si^* £ * Vm t0 h ? the silkworms 

 du^!t^l^ 9 the Sole obsta ^ to the intro- 

 t^^^^^d^^^ rural population 



exists of emplo,ing\K wliiS *2 JTS than now 

 peasantry wJulJ ll It onTeXSd ^^ ° f the 



It is right to add, upon the authority of Mons. 



Wentworth, under the care of Mr. J. Henderson, A.L.S., 

 may not be unacceptable. The quality is not, indeed, 

 such as to recommend it to general use ; but as it 

 arrived at great perfection, it is one instance amongst 

 many others of what may be done in our English stoves 



with skill and perseverance. Mr. Henderson has for , -..—^j— 



the last 20 years or more produced Vanilla in the thought preferable to describe it in association with* 



1 similar disease arising from different cusea 



329. Plants whether exogenous or eaAttenottt to 

 whatever size they grow, and however complicated^ 

 be the organs of fructification, are mere repetition* L 

 the primary whorls* of leaves. There are Mibcrda*, 

 organs, as prickles, hairs, glands, &c, which mavaotor 

 specific purposes, but which are not essential to u* 

 genus. The component leaves of these whorfi •* 

 subject to many modifications, and the various iotmd 

 flowers and fruit arise from such modification cm- 

 bined with the increase or suppression of the meaibn 

 of each whorl. A greater number therefore of tk 

 leaves than usual may undergo a modification i 

 stamens, pistils, carpels, &c. ; or these essential omm 

 may revert to the condition of leaves. If the object of 

 the cultivator is to have gfruit, his harvest miy be in- 

 paired by abortion, distortion, and other evib, or t 

 ornament is the point in view the reversion of nmkHM 

 petals, &c, to their original form, may lead to tqm, 

 disappointment. 



330. The consideration of every abnormal formiepa 

 rately would be quite out of place in the present pub- 

 lication, and would prove tedious to a large portion <*' 

 our readers, who can hardly be expected to mm 

 warmly into an examination of every 

 deducible from the morbid or abnormal lppetim* 

 assumed by plants. The facts are so numerals aod 

 various thatMeyen proposed to devote a distinct vol 

 to their consideration, but was prevented bj deHb 

 from accomplishing his object, a matter which is tnt 

 less to be regretted, a3 it has been taken up by Moqii- 

 Tandon, who has published his observations in a vol«e 

 entitled "Elements de Teratologic Vegetal*" (Pari, 

 1841), or in other words, a history of vegetable so* 

 Btrosities. Though, however, I am not prepared to 

 describe or discuss every abnormal condition coBfriiii 

 under the familiar name of monstrosities, it will not te 

 inexpedient to enumerate briefly the several nsm 

 under which they may be comprised, and the niorein, 

 because there is no better way of becoming ac ^JJj*J 

 with the structure of plants than comparing stow 

 conditions with those which are normal, and um*u*t 

 the relations they have to each other, and the sys 

 import of such multiplications or subtractions a 

 exist in abnormal flowers. The consideration of 

 strosities, when unaccompanied by preconceived y*j* 

 will indeed often afford an explanation, where ill *m 

 appliances fail. The true nature, for instance, «"J 

 placentation in Clove worts is clear enough ™ tf ®£ 

 in connection with such monstrosities as nai» 

 represented in this Journal in vol 1855, p. -<*> 

 vol. 1850, p. 612. It is to such conditions tnat"* rf 

 indebted for our distinct apprehension of the *m* 



stamens and the divisions of the carpel*. *«££ 

 posing even that these might have been «*"»j p v 

 by mere comparison of the different «p- 

 different plants in their normal condition, m 



_.P i. . a. 1 — * — r-, «v% o i n .an AH 



greatest perfection and profusion, a triumph 

 of horticulture which can only be obtained 

 by patient and constant attention, as every 

 pod must be artificially impregnated. 

 The fruit of the Gardenia Rothmanni is about 2 inches 

 long, obovate, resembling in general appearance that 

 of the common brown Fig. The surface is smooth and 

 even, with five faintly marked divisions ; the colour a 

 chocolate brown, inclining to liver-red, and by no means 

 black, as stated by Loudon. The walls are thick, of a 

 firm, close, fleshy, and almost elastic texture, inclosing 

 two large cells filled with a sweet brown treacle-like 

 fluid, and containing numerous flat suborbicular or 

 subelliptic seeds. The flavour resembles that of a 

 boiled Prune, with a slight terebinthous smack, and the 

 odour, which is rather powerful, accords precisely with 

 the taste. There is an entire want of briskness about 

 the fruit, which in consequence can never become a 

 favourite ; and were its qualities better, the fact that it 

 has been a year and a half in coming to perfection 

 would be a serious drawback. It should be observed, 

 however, that after the fruit was set, the plant was 

 removed to a cool conservatory, a circumstance which 

 may have made the process of ripening more tardy. 

 A few other instances occur of edible fruits amonogt 

 the Cinchonads. M. J. B. 



of ovules must have remained f\ mm f£ f0 - 

 such cases ^ Uie fohiform J 



of the common white Clover, whichleave^ ^ 



secret without 6uch cases as 



beyond doubt,' as does the conversion w "-^ 

 carpels in the case of the Sweet WMtam ana w 

 adverted to above. M. /. B. 





CORREA "BRILLIANT." _ 



sedby 



This high-coloured variety was rw»c« ">£'& 

 of Battersea, and is certainly one of "* r" ^ » 

 Correas in cultivation. It has a strnoug ^^ 

 the greenhouse during the winter m0 ' .t»ft»? 

 pagation is easily effected, either ^by c *™^ «»> 

 or inarching. C. alba being a hardy "^^ It 

 vigorous habit of growth, is preferable » ^ ^ 

 short-jointed pieces of the young wooa, ^ft, 

 state, are selected for cuttings, P laDt «\ ^al*** 

 covered with a glass, and placed in a close, ^ 



for about a month, and then «n»o«dtt ^ ^ 

 bottom-heat, they will root freely. ^ *, 



but 





^VEGETABLE PATHOLOGY— No. LXXVIII. 



A28. a. Internal or Constitutional.— ** Organic. 

 I commence with the present number the considerate 

 ot those diseases winch are essentially constitutional. 



j ana at the same time induce not merely functional 





ion 





are obtained early in the season-nu' ^^ 

 placed in heat this wi HjejdonaJgJgl^^ ^ 



* This word is used here «n the j«»» mh( & 1£ „ 



several convolutions of a s P"*} i ff ! ( ^^e the « < f d n SJV 

 more necessary to advert to * b '° ^^lUrr IrfgjV* 

 Limlley (Int., v. 1, p. 315) in ite more . ru fr j**^ 



when /peaking of the same subject m tea* * r*fc. 

 paptr in the old serifs of " Ann. j d« ' «£ ory , yii* 

 The ovules, of course, belong *«^5tfliere **£ 

 titious buds. It is not to be wPPf* ; " 5, the I«t« f 'Jfc* 



between pollen grains and ovules thong foffS0 u 



times produced from anther* instead « < m & 

 gourd figured by me in Gardeners Ohromv 



i 



