Transactions of the London Horticultural Society. 121 



destroyed by birds, and though the individuals just mentioned 

 were blamed for it, I accidentally discovered a pair of bulfinches 

 very busy in committing the mischief. 

 Cossey Gardens, Jan. 4. 1842. 



REVIEWS. 



Art. I. Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London. Second 

 Series. Vol. II. Part V. 4to. London, 1840. 



(Continued from the " Gardener's Magazine" for 1840, p. 513.) 



38. Meteorological Journal. 



39. Upon raking Coniferous Plants from Seed. By Mr. George Gordon, 

 Under Gardener in the Hardy Department of the Society's Garden. Read 

 Dec. 3. 1839. 



This is a most valuable and satisfactory article, and will be of great use at 

 the present time, when so many seeds of pines and firs are being sent home 

 from Mexico and the Himalayas. Seedlings of the Jbietinae, more especially 

 of the genus .Pinus proper, are extremely subject to damping off just above 

 the ground, when they have newly come up, and for a few days afterwards, 

 more particularly in wet weather. To avoid this evil, Mr. Gordon " tried the 

 effect of sowing the seeds in various mixtures of peat, sand, and loam, mixed 

 in various proportions from nearly all sand to nearly all peat or loam, as well 

 as sand, loam, and peat separately, and also leaf mould, a soil strongly recom- 

 mended by some, but in all respects as bad as peat itself. Different depths, 

 too, were tried, from laying the seeds on the surface of the earth, to covering 

 them three fourths of an inch deep. The pots or pans in which the seeds 

 were sown were placed in various temperatures, from the open air to the hot- 

 bed ; some of them were even placed over the hot flue ; some were covered 

 with a bell-glass ; others were left exposed. The result of my experience is, 

 that the system hereafter detailed is the only certain and sure one for Conifers 

 of all kinds." 



There are some species, however, which Mr. Gordon finds succeed tole- 

 rably well if sown in the open air, provided the seeds are fresh. " These are 

 more especially species of Picea, Abies, Larix, and Cedrus, as well as of 

 Juniperus, Cupressus, and Thuja ; but they must be sown as early as possible 

 in the spring or summer, for, if sown in the autumn or winter, they also are 

 subject to damp off, particularly if any artificial heat is used ; a thing abso- 

 solutely necessary if the seeds are sown in winter, or have been long gathered, 

 or damaged by being overheated on the journey." 



If the following rules are attended to, many coniferous seeds now rejected 

 as worthless will be found to succeed : — 



"1. Always to sow the seeds directly they are received, whether in mid- 

 winter or midsummer, or any other time of the year. 



" 2. Always to sow the seeds in pure loam ; not to use the least particle of 

 peat, and as little sand as possible. All the seeds experimentally sown in 

 peat, or any mixture in which it was used, damped off, especially when there 

 was more peat than loam used in the mixture. The only chance of saving 

 young plants raised in such a compost is to keep them as dry as possible, and 

 to pot them off the first or second day after they are fairly up ; for, if left 

 twenty-four hours longer, it is very probable they will nearly all have damped 

 off, particularly if a little water is given, or it happens to be damp or wet 

 weather at the time. 



