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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



29. 18 



00. 



same kinds at a variety of prices, and that if you insist 

 upon having your work done at a cheap rate, you must 

 not expect to receive the best plants either in quality or 

 sorts. It is one thing to have your beds filled with 

 stunted shrubs and deformed trees, and these of the 

 commonest sorts too ; and another to get healthy aud 

 luxuriant plants of the best kinds for the purposes re- 

 quired, and which will be every day growing into 

 beauty and usefulness. A few pounds more or less in 

 the original cost will decide in favour of either. George 

 W. Lovell, Landscape Qardenei; Bagshot. 



a 



I 



Home Correspondence. 



Professor Henslow's Horticultural Show at Hitcham, 

 Suffolk, Sept. 19.— Thin interesting rural fete, the second 

 of the season, was favoured by a lovely day, and was 

 rendered unusually gay and animated by the many 

 coloured decorations of the flags of all nations which 

 floated over the happy scene of mingled pleasure and 

 instruction. Over the front door of the rectory wi re 

 the words "Seed time and harvest fulfilling God's 

 word," in letters formed of Laurel leaves and flowers, 

 most appropriately reminding the visitor of the gratitude 

 due to the great Giver of all for the bounty of the 

 season. Under the array of flags waving over the lawn 

 were two tents, in the larger of which the specimens irf 

 allotment produce were set out, and their excellence 

 proved how great a benefit a quarter of an acre well 

 cultivated may become to a poor man. The smaller 

 tent had inscribed on it in letters formed of snail shells, 

 surrounded by muscle shells, " Marquee Museum. 5 ' In 

 it was an instructive collection of various objects 

 —animal, vegetable and mineral, and miscellaneous. 

 In the part allotted to the animal kingdom were an 

 armadillo, a hedgehog, a porcupine, the skull of a tiger, 

 and Patterson's zoological diagrams, besides birds, 

 reptiles, molluscs, and insects. The principal vegetable 

 specimens were limited to Gutta-percha, including a 



m^ examined two of them, and have come to the same 

 conclusion as « Quercus," viz, that until this Yam gets 

 a fair trial it is wrong to say anything against it *or 

 my part, considering the smallness of the roots (about 

 the size of Peas), and the preeariousness of the present 

 season in being so little free of frost, I am pretty well 

 satisfied with my success. I have hopes that another 

 season with larger roots to start with, and with produce 

 bearing the same proportion to sets as this season, the 

 return will be reasonable, for it is generally acknow- 

 ledged in Potato rowing that a strong bud or set lrom 

 a large tuber gives a better return in weight Wan » 

 small" set or a little Potato planted whole. Of this 

 am certain, that few would expect much from sets not 

 larger than Peas, as was the case with most Dioscorea 

 roots this spring. On receiving mine in January I put 

 them into 3- inch pots, and when the weather became 

 mild in May I planted three of them out in a 

 prepared piece of ground ; they were then a 

 few inches high, and I protected them a little at 

 night for a short time. On the 20th of June they 

 were killed with frost to the ground, when they had 

 to push fresh shoots, and this retarded their progress 

 considerably. On taking up one of them it had made 

 a root 5 inches long, club shaped, and weighing about 

 1 oz. At the time I planted out the three roots^ I put 

 the fourth one into a large No. 1 pot, and kept it in a 

 small forcing pit through the summer, where it grew 

 very rapidly. The root now weighs 5 J ozs. ; it is some- 

 what distorted, owing to its downward passage being 

 interrupted by the pot, at the ■ bottom of which the 

 roots were obliged to cross each other. The tops were 

 fully 6 feet long, and the plants produced about 60 such 

 tubers as were sent out in spring. After making 

 about 100 cuttings from the tops, I tried a cow with the 

 remainder, which she readily consumed. R. Farquhur, 

 Pynie Castle, Aberdeenshire. 



The People's Park at Sunderland.— -There must surely 

 be some mistake about the statement (Newspaper p. 262) 



then 



machinery fur the purpose, the Right Hon. E. Strutt, of 

 Kingston Hall, applied to me, through Mr. Mackay (the 

 gentleman who afterwards conducted the pi an tin. - 

 operations at Kingston Hall), for a drawing of my large 

 machine; I then gave him permission to take any dimen- 

 sions he wished from my machine, which *as 

 almost daily passing through Derby. This was 

 done by Mr. Cowlishaw, the person who built the 

 Kingston machine. At that time neither Mr. 

 Cowlishaw nor Mr. Mackay professed any knowledge 

 of the undertaking. Mr. Cowlishaw, who was a good 

 workman, adopted some trifling alterations in trussin 

 the beams, &c, but without in the least affecting the 

 principle of my machine. After this a second machine 

 upon the same principle, but smaller, was built for the 

 Rt. Hon. E. Strutt, which Mr. Mackay likes better 

 than the large one ; and last year I was indebted to 

 the Hon. and worthy gentleman for the use of this 

 machine for several months when all my machines 

 were fully employed. One which I built in 1853, 

 upon a different and much improved principle, was 

 used with the machine from Kingston Hall, and it 

 was with difficulty that the workmen could be got to 

 use the one from Kingston when the other was to be 



and illustrations of the modes of wherein this park is described as being unsurpassed by 

 „ D ;« ;« oil iia .ntuftl fnrma ThftRe fuw tmblic nark in England. I have visited Sunderland, 



drawing of the tree, 



preparing the Gum-resia in all its actual forms, 

 included blocks as imported, sliced, teased, kneaded, i 

 rolled into sheets and tissue, cut into strips, moulded, j 

 tubed, applied to electric-wire coating, and manufactured 

 into various articles. Amongt the mineral matters the 

 roost attractive were 22 dozen fossil whales' ear bones 

 from the so-called coprolite pits of Suffolk, thousands 

 of which have been found within the last 10 years. In 

 the list of miscell nies were antiquities, Russian trophies 

 from the Crimea, manufactures, and models. The 

 cottagers and the ladies and gentlemen present mingled 

 together in this museum, where the Professor most 

 agreeably and plainly explained to all inquirers what- 

 ever was desired. About 3 o'clock he ascended a 

 rostrum decorated with evergreens and flowers, to 

 deliver what he called "lecturets" on the objects in 

 the Marquee Museum, dilating on Wheat and one of its 

 diseases, bunt, the remedy for which was good dressing, 

 and explaining the discovery, nature, and application to 

 the arts of Gutta-percha. The lecturets concluded, he 

 commenced the allotment report, and announced the 

 prizes. The three first prize-men and one first prize- 

 woman had framed testimonials for superior allotment 

 cultivation. Their names and nature of the prizes were 

 surrounded by painted wreaths of flowers, and would 

 become the perpetual ornament of their cottage walls. 

 After this came the school report and distribution of 

 prize certificates, connected with excellent advice both 

 to parents and children. Alluding to the teachers he 

 observed, " there is a way of doing all this earnestly, 

 and yet with pleasure both to child and instructor if the 

 teacher has his soul in the work, and feels that it is a 

 work for God." England has at this time many such 

 teachers of all classes. Tea " in the social and orderly 

 manner approved at Hitcham" followed, and the winners 

 of prizes drank success in the cheering beverage to the 

 Society. Then followed ; ' God save the Queen ; and 

 may the valour of her gallant Army and Navy be soon 

 crowned with a complete success ;" " Good night, and 

 good bye till, if it please God, we reassemble another 

 year for a like friendly competition." Prizes were given 

 to the children for wild flower nosegays as well as culti- 

 vated flowers, but all children who competed were 

 required to bring a ticket for regularity and good 

 conduct either at the day or Sunday school. There 

 are drawbacks to everything, and those on the 

 present occasion were some reports of wilful mis- 

 chief as yet undiscovered done in the allotments, to 

 which the Professor most properly adverted ; but with 

 these exceptions the happiness of all seemed as bright 

 as the sunny day which they enjoyed. It would be well 

 for the whole of our rural districts if such meetings 

 became more and more multiplied ; and though it is not 

 every one that can expect a Professor Henslow, yet the 

 knowledge and influence of the clergy might create 

 most useful auxiliaries to their higher objects in gather- 

 ings conducted like those at Hitcham. The lecturets 

 were instructive to all, and the rich and poor seemed 

 equally interested ; and it was impossible not to notice 

 with pleasure the respectful manners of the one class, 

 and the kindness of the other. We trust the worthy 

 Professor may be spared to see his good example largely 

 imitated, and that the teachers of religion will become 

 more and more impressed with the certainty that the 

 truths of Nature well defined are capable of being made 

 most effective auxiliaries to those of revelation. & 



Dioscorea Batatas. — Having purchased four roots of 

 this newly introduced esculent in spring, and seeing there 

 was likely to be some discussion respecting its merits, I 

 became anxious to know the state of my plants. I have 





any public park in England. I have visited Sunderland, 

 and can find no public park there worthy of the name. 

 There is a portion of ground which is called Boyldon 

 Hill, about 6 acjres in extent, which has been a quarry 

 for the use of the town, and about 3 acres exist in front 

 of the quarry. The rubbish heaps have been grassed 

 over and walks formed (from plans^ drawn by the town 

 engineer) which display in my opinion neither taste nor 

 judgment as far as landscape gardening is concerned. 

 A few small beds are placed by the side of the outer 

 walk, so as to form a belt in which there are a few 

 annuals. This belt is planted thickly with Poplars of 

 different kinds, and a few are distributed about the lawn, 

 the whole reminding one of the Willow beds by the 

 edge of the Trent more than of a public park. It is 

 stated that these grounds have been laid out by Mr. 

 Smith from Chatsworth. Permit me to ask if Mr. 

 Smith is a gardener there ? If so, the unrivalled beauty 

 of that princely establishment seems to have given him 

 no correct idea of the kind of taste and judgment required 

 in laying out grounds. Judging from the police reports 

 in Sunderland it would appear that some of the inhabit- 

 ants considered the grounds as laid out by Mr. Smith 

 only fit to tether their donkeys on ; let us hope, how- 

 ever, that this opinion is entertained only by the few, 

 and that the majority of the good folks of Sunderland 



think differently. J. S. 



Garden £ports.—I told you some years ago about a 

 Currant bush that would almost make a fit companion 

 to the Gooseberry bush near Glasgow. I received it 

 more than 20 years ago for that variety of Currant 

 called Champagne, something between a red and a 

 white ; but instead of bearing one variety it bears 

 three, in different parts of the bush, namely, a red, 

 a white, and a Champagne. The bush is still in a 

 healthy state, and kept up its character to the present 

 season. Peter Mackenzie, West Plean, Stirling. 



Zinc Weathercocks.— Will any of your correspon- 

 dents who understand these things be so kind as to 

 inform me if a zinc weathercock, and other orna- 

 mental work, on the point of a high tower on the 

 sea coast will be less liable to attract lightning than 

 if made of iron, and also whether painting it would 

 make it more safe ; also, if copper bell-wires attract 

 lightning less than iron ones— the mass of bell-wires 

 now placed under the floors of houses seems to be more 

 dangerous than the old mode of fixing them ? Any in- 

 formation on this subject would be very acceptable to 

 One who is Building a House by the Sea Side. Sept. 25. 



Transplanting Machines. — Which is the Best 2 — I 

 cannot afford time, neither do I undertake, to notice 

 every scribbler on the vexatious and, as yet, little under- 

 stood subject of removing large trees successfully ; 

 however, your correspondent, i( T. C, Tadcaster," 

 demands from me a few cursory remarks. He says 

 (Gard. <?/iron.,Sept.8,p.598)-- "The Rt. Hon. E. Strutt's 

 machine, at Kingston Hall, is somewhat similar to Mr. 

 Barron's, but considerably improved, which the nature 

 and circumstances of the work required ; at the same 

 time it is but justice to Mr. Barron to say that to him 

 belongs the merit of the invention of the original." I 

 have yet to learn what authority or proof " T. C." can 

 give for his assertion that this machine is a "considerable 

 improvement" upon mine. As "T. C." apparently 

 wishes to do me justice in this affair, I am bound to do 

 him justice in supposing that he has not had all the facts 

 of the case brought before him ; I therefore beg 

 respectfully to draw his attention to what follows: — 

 After many years' constant practical experience in 

 transplanting trees, and constructing and improving 



got, as a tree could be loaded and unloaded much easier, 

 and in half the time, with my No. 3 machine. This 

 year (1855) I have built another, which is an improve- 

 ment upon the one built in 1853 ; so that in reality the 

 machines stand in efficacy and merit in the following 

 order. No. 1, my original machine, which was built 

 more than 24 years ago, was the one which Mr. Cowli- 

 shaw professes to improve upon ; and yet it removed 

 larger trees, from a greater distance, and many more 

 of them, than were ever removed by the largest one at 

 Kingston Hall, and they can be seen here in a healthy 

 state. Nos. 2 and 3, the Kingston machines. No. 4, 

 my largest machine, more powerful than No. 1, and 

 improved in construction, still without any of Mr. Cow- 

 lishaw's «' improvements:' No. 5, built in 1853 ; No. 6, 

 built in 1855 : these are quite different from any of the 

 others, and the last is the best. But to the point ; to 

 compare any of the machines now mentioned with one 

 another, or to compare what has been dons at Kingston 

 Hall with what has been done at Elvaston Castle and 

 some other places, is just as absurd as to compare Mr. 

 Barron with himself ; every honest man at all conver- 



c««+ „Mfl, rim mahpr tnnws that mV SVStem Only h&ft 



■I should 



been adopted at both places. William Barren. 



Draining and the Sugar Cane in Jamaica.- 

 be obliged by the opinion of any correspondent on the 

 following point. The thermometer here, Jamaica, in 

 the sun is about 120° Fah. ; the soil about 6 inches on 

 heavy clay, generally. We are subject to droughts, 

 when the fields are full of rents you may step into ; and 

 to continued heavy rain, which I presume must injure 

 the roots, as the land becomes so swampy and boggy. 

 Our cultivation is Sugar Cane and common Grass, in 

 beds of 12 and 16 feet, with trenches a foot wide. If 

 this land were drained, should it be feared the soil would 

 become so dry, in dry weather of perhaps a month or 

 two, that the root of the Cane might perish from heat 

 in the soil or lack of moisture 1 The drams would be 

 of broken stone, covered with clay I suppose necessary, 

 and say 3 feet deep. There is sufficient fall. John 

 Salmon, Jun., Goshen, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. 



Horticulture in the Hebrides.— The following is a small 

 notification of progress in our art here (Stornaway 

 Castle, Island of Lewis), which may serve to show what 

 can be done in this bleak corner of the kingdom. A society 

 having been formed several years past in Stornaway, 

 under the auspices of Sir James and Lady Matheson, to 

 encourage the delightful pursuit of rearing fruits ana 

 flowers in this storm-beaten island, I had the gran- 

 fication of seeing a most creditable display of vegete^a 

 and flowers at our two shows this year, the first being 

 in July, and the second in September; at the \m 

 which was held at the Castle, the grounds and p eaut ™ 

 flower gardens were thrown open to the public. I 

 Geraniums, Fuchsias, Roses, Carnations, Myrtles, Mi 

 Bouquets, &c, might have gained prizes in the 8 e ~\ 

 south ; and as to the vegetables I never saw Dew 



/. a, Stornaway. c^nwick 



The Stanwick Nectarine.— I have sent some bt * n ^ on . 

 Nectarines for your opinion as to flavour, &c., °y 

 sent of my employers, who are not now at noni i 

 require them. The tree was had from Messrs. ^ e» 

 & Son, three years ago, to plant on the open wall ; 

 learning it was a sort not likely to do out of *°™* 

 was taken up again the following autumn, cut 

 back and potted the next season, and grown un . de ^ g r^ 

 where it made a fine growth. This year it fruitefl Li 

 late vinery, in the place of two Vines that * c ** .^ 



of fruit, wmen x uuuovu uu* w »~— -- - - ^^ 



but during the process of stoning, rather bett ^, $ 

 half the quantity of fruit shrivelled and <W e ; jj 

 leaving after all a good crop of Nectarines that »* 



it flowered freely and set a large °t' 

 which I thinned out to about hve doze , 



No fire 



ht* 



likely to ripen without a cracked fruit. »~ '" nen tly 

 was applied till the Vines were in flower, con«qu > * 

 the fruit was a large size before any assistance was s 

 beyond what the glass afforded. Geo. Hood, ua ^ 6Bli 

 Mamhead Park, Exeter, Devon. [These were very ^ 

 without a speck or crack. Three of them * el fc , « y go 

 ounces. The flavour was excellent, though"? .^ j 

 rich as it sometimes i s ; the flesh tender and lull 01 j ^ 

 Hardy Eucalyptus.—^* Eucalyptus from J*"^ 

 accompanying bits were cut, has stood since the os 

 of summer against a south wall in this n ^j 

 tropical climate. The growing of it is one 'S^ 

 dare say, the rashest) of a good many little expen 



