Sept. 22, 1855.1 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



629 



difficulties attendant on the appearance of parasites 

 in apparently closed cavities, by having recourse to 

 the uncertainties of spontaneous generation. Close 

 observation has already cleared up some of the 

 mystery in which the subject of the appearance of 

 intestinal worms in the most unexpected situations 

 was long involved, and we are inclined to think that 

 if any new light is to be thrown upon the appear- 

 ance of internal moulds, it will probably arise from 

 a closer study of the vessels. The difficulties with 



such investigations have to contend can 



not 



stood, and terminating the road at such a point in the Birdcage 



which 



scarcely be exaggerated, but they 



insurmountable if proper care and 



exercised. M. J. B. 



may noi prove 

 intelligence are 





41 





flj X«" 



New Plants. 



144. On^idium Skinneri, 



Q t (verrucituherculata) pseudobulbis ovatis ancipitibus obsolete 

 carinatis, folio oblongo-lanceolato basi complicate apiculato 

 subtus glaucescente scapo ipso valido ter breviore, pellicula 

 glauca aperta rigida ratnis ascendentibus simplicibus 5-6-floria 

 dimidia inferiore nudfi, bracteis lineari-lanceolatis herbaceis 



arctissime adpressis, sepalis obovato-oblongis acutis dorsali 

 e*ecto lateralibus recurvis, petalis paulo latioribus crispioribus 

 reflexis, labelli lobo medio oblato apiculato subsessili late- 

 ralibus Angus tiori bus rotondatis convexis, crista corrugata 

 inordinatim multi-tuberculata dente duplici inarqualiter 3-lobo 

 v a fronte altero ssepius emarginato segregato utrinque, c. alis 

 semiovatis deuticulatis acutis bnccis 2 prominentibtis, rostello 

 mutico. 



This is one of the finest of the yellow-flowered Oncids. 

 Its leaves are 9— 10 inches long, the scape more than 

 2 feet up to the panicle, which is itself 10 inches long by 

 8 across. The branches of the panicle are covered hy ! j |a * 

 a very delicate bloom. The flowers, as large as the 

 largest form of 0, ampliatum, are a brilliant golden 

 yellow, with about three cinnamon blotches at the base 

 of each division, and a 6tain of the same colour across the 

 lip immediately below the crest and at the base of its 

 side lobes. The numerous sinuosities of the crest are 

 white. 



that such a road, independent of the vast accommodation thus 

 ottered to the great mass of the community, would at the same 

 time give easy access to Pimlico and Belgravia on the west, and 

 a shorter road to the Houses of Parliament and Bridge Street on 

 the east, and the whole of the borough of Lambeth, and relieve 

 the immense traffic which during the London season is mnch too 

 great for Charing Cross. This line, if made, will be open to car- | 

 riages and cabs day and night, and those who remember the 

 wooden bridge which once crossed the water of the enclosure in 

 St. James's Park, will recollect the great number of pedestrians 

 who passed over it, and profited by the convenience of such a 

 direct connection between the north and the south of the park. 



" It has been stated in the public papers that the Government 

 intended to avail themselves of the period when Parliament was 

 not sitting to commence the road and erect the bridge; and it 

 has within the last few days been positively asserted in one of 

 the London journals that the works are already begun! There 

 is not one word of trnth in these statements— such proceedings 

 were never contemplated; nothing will be done till Parliament 

 meets : the public will then have an opportunity for considering 

 the plans, which will be presented to the House of Commons; 

 and it will be seen whether the accommodation they offer to the 

 public is the best which should be granted, and whether these 

 plans do not obviate wholly or sufficiently those objections which 

 have been raised against the project. 



u The object contemplated by the Government is to make such a 

 line as would be most beneficial to the public in general, but not to 

 construct a road for the convenience of one particular locality. 

 Instructions were given to me with the above view, and I repeat 

 that it was never intended to proceed with any works in relation 

 to this object till Parliament should have had ample opportunity 

 to consider it in all its relations. 



u I remain, my dear Shelley, yours sincerely, 



" Sir John Villiers Shelley, Bart., M.P." " B. Hall." 



NOTES ON TRANSPLANTING.— No. III. 



The nearest approach to this in the verruci- 

 tuberculate group is 0. Batemannianum, from which it 

 differs in the form and colouring of the flower and in 

 all the particulars of the crest. It has just flowered in 

 the garden of the Horticultural Society, to which it was 

 presented some years ago (1849) by Mr. Skinner, whose 

 name it is well worthy of bearing. Its petals being 

 rather broader than the sepals, it may seem that it 

 should have been placed among the Pentapctalous 

 macropUalous herd, but it is desirable to admit none 

 into the latter except such species as have their petals 

 very considerably broader than the sepals. 



\ 



THE PROPOSED ROAD ACROSS ST. JAMES'S 



PARK. 



To the Editor of tlie Gardeners 9 CJtronicle. 



[No. 1 J " Maresfipld Park, Sept. 20, 1855. 



"Sir,— In consequence of communications which have been 

 aide to me hy some of my constituents in relation to a proposed 

 road from Pall Mall to the Birdcage Walk, I have frit it my 

 duty, as Parliament is not sitting, to write to the Chief Com- 

 missioner of Pnblfo Works, for the purpose of ascertaining what 

 the views of Her Majesty's Government are; and as the ibject 

 «one of great interest both to those who are opposed to the road 

 as well as to those who are in favour of it, I forward you a copy 

 of the letters which have passed between Sir Benjamin Hall and 

 myself, I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, 



" John Villiers Sheli.f.y." 



[No. 2.] 

 " My dear Mall, 



Now while the season in which trees and shrubs that 

 e to be carried long distances may be transplanted 

 with a fair prospect of success, or even such as occupy 

 but a day or so in their transit, must of necessity be 

 comparatively limited ; where they have to be removed 

 merely a few hundred yards at most, the circumstances 

 are very different, and will allow transplanting to be 

 carried on, at least in a limited degree, during the 

 greater part of the year. It is often of much import- 

 ance to do this. That it may be safely accomplished, 

 the directions and examples to be presently given will 

 show. 



In laying down rules for guidance in any operation, it 

 becomes exceedingly difficult to particularise between 

 the general and the special. In fact, it is almost im- 

 possible to do so ; something must always be left for 

 experience to ascertain. And it is in consequence of 

 those who seek guidance from such principles expecting 

 too much from a mere rule of thumb application of them, 

 that complete failure is so often experienced, or at least 

 that the true value of such principles is so seldom 

 ascertained. 



These observations are not only applicable to the 

 theory of transplanting, but to every other operation of 

 which the principles can (and it would be difficult to 

 name one of which they could not) be conveyed in a 

 written treatise. Thus most persons who know any- 

 thing about planting at all will have learned that ever- 

 greens should be transplanted in autumn, or under 

 certain conditions in spring ; and that deciduous trees 

 and shrubs should be removed at some period between 

 the falling of the leaf in autumn and the swelling of the 

 bud in the following year. These may be considered 



as the broad principles, which, if duly and properly 

 «%r n ,,™ . « t ..« *«„., carried out in practice, all other circumstances being 



" Maresfield Park, Sept. 16, 1865. r ,, .» t i i .• c i t> . 



I find amongst some of my constituent* con- favourable, will be productive of much success. But 



siderable alarm at the intended new road across St. James's Park. 

 In the absence of Parliament the only course I can adopt for the 

 purpose of acquiring information as to the intention! of the 

 government, is to write to one of its members, and as the pro- 

 posed alteration is one especially affecting Westminster, I am 

 anxious that an opportunity should be offered to a deputation to 

 state to you the objections made to the scheme, and to hear from 

 Jon the grounds upon which yon believe the proposed new road 

 ^ould he beneficial to the metropolis at large. Be so good as to 

 tell me when it would be convenient to you to receive a deputa- 

 tion of my constituents, who will be ready to attend upon you 

 *t any time. "Believe me, my dear Hall, 



** Yours very truly, 

 "John Villi f.i;s Shelley. 

 The Right Hon. Sir B. Hall. Bart., M.l\, &c. 



u w t No ' 3 M Llanover, Sept. 18. 1855. 



My dear Shelley,— I hasten to reply to your I ter of the 16th, 

 rn i which you request Information as to the intended road across 

 ^t.Janu xvk, in consequence of an apprehension which has 



^K en ij XClte<1 in ,n * minds of some of your constituents lest it 

 *n<mld Interfere with t interests of the inhabitants of Weit- 

 xmn3ter, and in which you also express your desire that an oppor- 

 JJjnuy should be afforded to a deputation to hear from myself fh 



grounds on which it la believed that the proposed new road would 

 w beneficial to the metropolis at Urge. 



_ ft *? nal1 D « happy to receive anv deputation for the purpoit 

 named, on Saturday, Oth October, at at the office of Works, at 

 •oclock, and meantime I will give vou a brief outline of the 

 WW facts of the case. 



xor some time great inconvenience has been occasioned to 

 "S^ ns j n . carriages (not having the entrto to St. James's Park) 



Piccadilly and Grosvenor Place from 

 * aV"" w * "M"w- In the year 1851 the permission 

 1 ^8° through St. James's Park was extended ; but since which 

 to representations have been made that if a right of way was 

 The? throi, S h the Stable Yard it would be a great advantage. 

 eoni £* r of tn ^ sharp turning, and the narrow passs at the 

 ..™ ro J Cleveland Row and St. James's Palace i* well known, 



£-;™us m carriages (not 

 f»U Mall to Pimlico. 



as regards both evergreens and deciduous plants these 

 principles may be practically violated to a wide extent ; 

 i with the former, however, much more than with the 

 latter. It will be borne in mind that the observations 

 and illustrations now to be given have sole reference 

 to plants that can be replanted immediately after being 

 taken up. And first of deciduous kinds. 



Somebody — in the Gardeners' Chronicle, I think — once 

 recommended as a principle that deciduous trees should 

 be transplanted when in full leaff* This advice, taken 

 In a general sense, as it was by more than one person, 

 is simply ridiculous, and in practice would lead, as I 

 know it did, to most disastrous results. But if under- 

 stood as only partial in its meaning, and as applicable 

 only to certain plants, and those to be removed under 

 certain conditions, it becomes in a measure valuable, and 

 may be safely followed. 



At the end of June in the present year I deter- 

 mined on moving two large plants of Forsythia 

 viridissima which were monopolising too much space 

 in a bed of small flowering shrubs in my own garden. In 

 the places which I intended them to occupy, holes were 

 dug and well watered. The plants being put in, and 

 sufficient soil thrown upon the roots to cover them, 

 another good watering was given, and the remaining 

 soil filled in. The plants were growing luxuriantly at 

 the time ; nevertheless they gave no indications of 

 being injured. In fact, not a leaf drooped. Of course 

 growth lor the season was checked, but that was rather 

 an advantage than otherwise, for it induced short sturdy 



*nd to obviate accidents it was proposed that a road should be shoots, which, in a Forsythia, constitute perfection 



Obtain these and you have flowers in abundance. 



Now, the success of these plants depended in no small 

 degree on the peculiar character of their roots. They 



in»ii *r acciaem3 n WAS proposea mat a roan snouia oe 



*ae through Lord Sidney s house into the Green Park, and by 



louta 8 n ,rnnt of B »<*1n*:ham Palace to Pimlico Gate. This 



purncJL 01 Cttt 1,p tnft CJreGn p * rk t0 some e*knt, merely for the 

 v rpose of additional accommodation to those who reside in Bel- 



■* * 7*' &nl that part of the town west of the Birdcage Walk. 



• An old gardener with whom I was well acquainted was re 



Should k M cons Wered that if any new road was to be made, it 



dati"« *?*!° ,M< ? - out ** to * ffoni * ne * reRt possible accommo- garded by his labourers and pupils as foolishly nice to snch 



the hen V he pilD * ic At lar K e » an d not be constructed merely >r matter: 

 of thnm I 0ne com P*ratively small portion of the inhabitant! vail u] 



41 v " 't|^ 



«W* ropolii. 



and it was only with great difficulty th*t he could pre- 



pon them to employ the necetiary time and labour. The 



result, however, was evidently so good, that one of the most 



fc Tt £ 8 ^ m «f Commissioner of Works, I was therefore requested i ivi bas often told me since that he is convinced that no 



dwo? * ecreta JT ** Stat.- to prepare a plan for a line of road, I labour is more profitable. 



j^x trom Pall Mali to the Birdcage Walk, by throwing a{ t ~ nee this was written I see another correspondent has 



urj ag* OVer the. orato* nA .~ #K-.-^* ~™ _v:.u I Jj-. « rlt— -^/w.toil o like nrarHVo 



^ ., Birdcage Walk, by _—__ . 



over the water near the spot upon which a bridge fbrawrly I advocated a like practice. 



have an abundance of succulent fibres which, if the 

 plant is at all carefully removed, are ready to resume 

 their functions immediately after transplanting ; and 

 those of the plants in question being supplied with plenty 

 of moisture, and kept out of the ground but a short time 

 no material check was given. In transplanting under 

 similar conditions this is an important point to attend 

 to ; and, in fact, under any circumstances whatever, it 

 should be kept in view. 



Of course there are many other deciduous shrubs than 

 the Forsythia, which, if necessary, might be trans- 

 planted in summer with perfect safety. Plants with 

 long woody roots having but few fibres, and those prin- 

 cipally at the extremities, it would be hazardous to ex- 

 periment upon ; but such as have an abundance of 

 succulent rootlets, principally within a foot or two of 

 the base of the stem, may with proper care be as suc- 

 cessfully transplanted in summer as at any other season. 

 Recollect it is not recommended to transplant any 

 shrub or tree in summer in preference to autumn, but 

 where circumstances render it necessary or advantageous 

 to do so, it may with certain plants be ventured upon 

 with perfect safety. 



Evergreens, as before hinted, afford much more scope 

 for variation in the periods of removal than deciduous 

 shrubs and trees. It would be difficult to name a 

 month in the whole year when some of them may not 

 be transplanted with success. Much will however, of 

 course, depend upon the condition of the individual to 

 be removed. If it has occupied its situation for a series 

 of years, and has consequently become coarse rooted, it 

 is hardly a fit subject to be transplanted in summer. 

 In fact such a plant would require very careful treat- 

 ment if removed at the best of all seasons, autumn, and 

 under the most favourable circumstances, to give it a 

 chance of success. Plants so circumstanced mostly 

 require a special course of education to fit them for a 

 change of place when advisable to transplant them 

 at all. 



But such as are of a reasonable size and in a good 

 moveable condition may be transplanted successfully at 

 widely different periods of the year. Thus Conifers may 

 be transplanted safely when the young shoots are 3 or 

 4 inches long and in a succulent state, provided proper 

 precautions are taken and plenty of water given at 

 the time. I recollect an instance where some hundreds 

 were moved in the middle of June, and a very hot June 

 too, with hardly the loss of a plant. Nor were they in 

 the best possible condition at root either for such an 

 experiment. However, circumstances rendered it neces- 

 sary that they should be moved, and moved they accord- 

 ingly were. Each plant as it was taken up was dipped 

 as described in a former page, and also well wetted at 

 root when planted. The young shoots drooped beneath 

 the sun for a day or two, but in the course of a week 

 the plants were established, and the general result was 

 all that could be desired. Aijain, in-order to finish the 

 planting of a new garden it was necessary to carry on the 

 work far into the spring. The last plants removed 

 were some common Laurels, five or six feet in height. 

 The ground was loose and gravelly, and prevented any- 

 thing like a ball of earth being secured with the roots ; 

 in fact, when each plant was taken up all the earth fell 

 away, leaving the roots wholly bare. Great care was 

 exercised to preserve, as far as possible, the succulent 

 and active rootlets, which were in abundance, from 

 injury. 



The plants were removed about the sixth of May, when 

 the young shoots had pushed several inches in length ; 

 nevertheless, not one plant died ; nor, indeed, did any 

 receive much damage. A few showery days succeeded 

 their removal, and doubtless contributed much to their 

 success. If it is urged that such natural conditions can 

 rarely be calculated on, and that planting at that season 

 is consequently not generally practicable, it must be 

 admitted that the results of such experiments teach us 

 under what various conditions planting may be carried 

 on, and that in a limited practice at least, these con- 

 ditions may, to some extent, be given artificially. 



The Evergreen Oak is perhaps one of the most diffi- 

 cult trees to transplant successfully, yet, if the proper 

 conditions be secured it succeeds well enough. I once 

 saw a number, a week or two after their removal, that 

 had been transplanted in May, when their young shoots 

 were an inch or two long. Hardly a plant had failed. 

 I learned that they had been well dipped at root and 

 copiously watered when planted. In Guernsey, where 

 the Evergreen Oak is much employed for shelter on the 

 most exposed places— where, in fact, it is often covered 

 with salt spray— they remove large specimens of it 

 with perfect safety at midsummer. If the plant to be 

 removed has a very large head in proportion to the roots 

 some of its branches are shortened back, but no other 

 precautions are taken to ensure success. A failure is very 

 rare indeed. The damp climate of the island of course 

 contributes mainly to this success ; for no newly- planted 

 tree suffers more from the effects of evaporation from 

 |b leaves than the Evergreen Oak. When subjected to 

 a dry atmosphere with a feeble root action, as a recently 

 planted tree would naturally be in our climate, then 

 speedy dissolution from dessication of the tissues would 

 almost certainly follow. 



Now this evaporation from the leaves and succulent 

 branches of newly-planted trees is the primary cause of 

 their failure, and in proportion as it can be guarded 

 against or compensated for, so will success be found. 

 Deciduous trees when moved, as they must generally be, 

 when the leaf has fallen, are, of course, not subject to 

 the draining of their juices by evaporation to a like 

 I extent— a condition which gives them in some respects 





1 



