6 



THE GARDENERS 



CHRONICLE 



Iris, illiberal on Mr. IPNab's part. 



abounding in such various and beautiful colours, that 

 will bear water. But the probabilities, a priori, must 



uonuin-uiovuiuni. . *..«,~ r n lUCD, 



when the springs rise, will be the shallow edge of a 

 pond, a very strong tall-growing yellow and white Ins, 

 name unknown to me. Also the Epipactis, and plants 

 of the common Agapanthus, deep. I shall try Orchis 

 iatifolia next year, for I cannot find it at this season. 

 But my curiosity extends farther, to know how many 

 plants, not even reputed palustrian, such as Canna, 

 Dodecatheon, Funckia, Hemerocallis, &c. (you can 

 suggest better than me), may not perad venture be 

 found as hard drinkers as Crinum capense, though now 

 considered as sober as that was when people called it 



of water I consider 



Hp r^TTbelieve, pre- 1 which was situated about half-way between New Holland 

 eisel/in the way in .Inch his worthy father did as ^_*^«*242*?"^*ft^ " " " 



I have always 



It had, 



■I bes to offer the following replies to 



Amaryllis longifolia. Pati 



very distinct from patience of air between wind and 

 water ; and I wish to learn the average and the maxi- 

 mum ice depth in still water. No doubt there are 

 works in which the whole matter is discussed in a know- 

 ledgeable manner. But there must be many persons 

 who share my ignorance of those branches of literature, 

 and to whom any mental illumination you are willing: to 



}>our into them will be highly acceptable. A. H. [This 

 etter suggests so many important inquiries that we 

 gladly submit i{ to the consideration of our readers. 

 Hereafter we shall recur to it.] 



Rose Catalogues. — It appears to me that, if our large 

 Rose-growers had their lists printed in alphabetical 

 order, placing the class to which each Roee belongs in 

 * column to the left or right (instead of having each 

 class by itself), it would do away with the great difficulty 

 which is now experienced in finding any particular 

 Tariety, when ignorant of its family ; and also prevent 

 errors, as a sort in one class frequently bears the same 



name in another class. C C, Deo. 19. 



Material for Fountains. — Your correspondent on 



aviaries recommends zinc ; now, any chemist will tell 

 him that it is very dangerous, depending much on the 

 nature of the water, whether it be not absolutely poi- 

 sonous. I am surprised that I do not see among your 

 advertisements, any for fountains made of stoneware ; 

 although this substance would not do for statues, or even 

 vases, from its refracting too much light, that would not 

 bo so objectionable in a fountain which, from being 

 alwaj 



strangers 

 advocated the importance of having gardens ana mu- 

 seums open to the public. I am particularly desirous to 

 see the working classes take an interest in them, and 

 with that view I throw open the houses on all general 

 holidays. I trust that this statement will show that 1 

 do all within my power to accommodate the public. 

 /. If. Balfour. 



« W. C. E.V> queries" a7 page 806 of your last year's 

 volume. First, the age of the Vine has nothing what- 

 ever to do with the colour of the Grapes. The latter, 

 I imagine, depends principally on the kind of atmosphere 

 maintained in the house. As regards stopping, they 

 ou^ht not to be allowed to make more than one leat 

 beyond the bunch of fruit ; if they are permitted to 

 ramble beyond this, the Vine exhausts itself in making 

 useless wood and leaves. As to liquid manure, it should 

 be applied while the fruit is swelling ; all fluids should 

 be entirely withheld at the ripening season. Respect- 

 in" temperature, I should not attach much importance 

 to°it at ripening time,but in dull damp weather I should 

 light fires and give plenty of air at the same time, for 

 the purpose of keeping the atmosphere in motion. 

 Grapes are both better coloured and flavoured when 

 the growth of the Vine is suspended than when 

 it is permitted to be continued. As regards the late 

 bunch being better coloured than the early ones, pos- 

 sibly more air was given at the time of its ripening, and 

 probably the Vine was altogether in a more mature 

 condition. The fact of the Vine making a late bunch is 

 a proof that it had been kept growing at the time of 

 ripening the first fruit, which, in my opinion, sufficiently 

 accounts for the crop not ripening well. If by any 

 accident the growth of the plant is suspended, fruit of 

 any kind, even if not half swelled, will always partially 

 assume the colour and flavour of ripeness. This is easily 

 acted upon in a Vinery, where the conditions are so com- 

 pletely under the control of the gardener. Anon. 



My experience supplies me with the following answers 

 to«W. C. E.'s" questions. 1. Young Vines require 

 rather more judgment than old ones in their manage- 

 ment, to cause them to produce the finest Grapes. 2. 

 Old Vines, like old Melon seed, are sure to produce 





however, been visited by Captain Poole, who thinking 

 it capable of becoming useful as a port for provisions 

 for whalers, was induced to attempt to colonise it, and 

 had succeeded in inducing half-a-dozen Irish families 

 to settle on it. The British Government had not 

 claimed it, and it was now Captain Poole's property. 

 On this island they had discovered a wingless bird! 

 about the size of a rail, and which had turned out very 

 good eating. Such a bird was not hitherto kno^i 

 among naturalists, and it was interesting in connection 

 with the discovery of the great group of extinct wing- 

 less birds in New Zealand, and the recent specimen of 

 the Notornis. No specimen of this bird had yet been 

 sent to this country, but some were on their way.— The 

 conclusion of Mr. Benjamin Clarke's Paper on the 

 position of the carpels, as a means of classification of 

 plants, was read. Mr. Jones, of Dalston, called the 

 attention of the Fellows of the Society, after the 

 meeting, to the presence of an Acarus in almost every 

 specimen of moist sugar that could be obtained. Seven 

 specimens were sent for and exhibited, and in each the 

 presence of the Acarus was detected. In each case the 

 animal was dead. It was stated that in the sugar, as 

 imported from the West Indies, this creature had 

 been found. 



Botanical of London, Nov. 29 (14th Anniversary).— 



The President in the chair. Various donations were 



J 



does not get mossy, or decompose, as do all cement fruit with less management than young ones, the vigor- 

 fountains, and can, by * toning" the glaze, be made, at ous sap being checked in having to find its way through 



first setting up, to look reverend. Another material is 

 * Peake's terro-metallic clay/' or whatever it may be; 

 this need not be so dark as it is usually made ; it can be 

 burnt r ather ruddy, and nothing endures longer. Jay, 

 Somerset. 



Tacsonia molUssima. — At page 805 of your last year's 



volr.me a correspondent complains that this plant does 

 not flower we . with him, and states that he has dis- 

 carded it fr >m his conservatory. I consider that he 

 has acted h tily in throwing away such a valuable 

 plant Wit i me this Tacsonia commenced blooming 

 about the mddle of May, and from that time till the 

 middle of » ctober it has had daily from 50 to 100 



so many wounds (?) — inducing the production of short- 

 jointed firm wood ; but neither old Melon seed, nor old 

 Vines, will produce so fine fruit as when they are fresh 

 and vigorous. 3. The shoots ought to be stopped at the 

 first joint above the fruit ; then as they break stop a 

 joint further, and a joint further, by which time the 

 extremity of the shoot will be nearly exhausted. Laterals 

 under the fruit should be taken clean away ; and if there 

 are any above the fruit, stop them at the leading shoots. 



4. It is a barbarous practice to let Vines ramble, and 

 then cut off great quantities of shoots ; some say it 

 strengthens the shoulder of the bunch, but that is wrong. 



5. Give abundance of liqujd manure, with heat at the 



fidly expanded flowers on it. A few blossoms continue j time of swelling ; as they approach ripening lessen both 

 to open up to the -present time; and we are of opinion ~ " " ' " 



that w 



successive year. The specimen here, which has been 

 the admiration of every one who has seen it, was planted 

 in the summer of 1847 ; though small it soon reached 

 the top of the house, and now it spreads in four differ- 

 ent directions on the roof, each branch being about 70 

 feet from the root of the plant. I pruned it very 

 closely some time in February, and during the summer 

 its shoots (which are often elegantly festooned) nearly 

 reach the border of the conservatory ; they commence 

 flowering when about a foot long, and blossom at tvery 

 joint during the whole period of growth. /. Prvngle. 

 jun., StoJce Rochford Gardens. £L 



Royal Botanic Gard , Edinburgh.— I have seen lately 

 in the CItronicle some notice respecting this Botanic 

 Garden (more especially by " Dodman 1 ' and" G., Ham- 



announced as having been received since the last meet- 

 in^.. The Secretary read the report of the Council, from 

 which it appeared that 13 new members had been 

 elected since the last anniversary, making the Society 

 now include 255 members. The distribution of British 

 and foreign plants had been carried on regularly and 

 numerously, and many valuable parcels had been 

 received recently, the results of exertions made by 

 members during the past summer. The Council had 

 requested Mr. Hewett C. Watson and the Secretary 

 to prepare a 3d edition of the " London Catalogue of 

 British Plants," a copy of which, in proof, was laid on 

 the table. The report was unanimously adopted, after 

 which a ballot took place for the election of officers for 

 the ensuing year. Mr. A. Henfrey, Vice-President, 

 then read a brief report on the progress of botany and 

 botanical literature during the year 1850, to the fol- 

 lowing effect : " The present year has not been signalised 

 by any* remarkable discovery or publication in the 

 department of physiological botany. ^ Many interesting 

 papers have appeared on various subjects in the journals, 

 contributing to increase our knowledge of development, 

 and of the character of the elementary structures ; but 

 the phenomena of cell formation still present a wide 

 field for investigation. The third German edition of 

 '.Schleiden's Principles of Scientific Botany * has been 

 completed, and offers one point worthy of note, namely, 

 the author's continued assertion of the truth of his 

 original view of fertilisation on the Phanerogamia, m 

 opposition to almost all recent observers. A new edition 

 of Dr. Asa Gray's useful * Manual 1 has also been pub- 

 lished. In the department of systematic botany much 

 more activity has been displayed, so far as publication 

 is a criterion. In addition to the numerous fragmentary 

 notices in the botanical journals, many important sepa- 

 rate works have appeared. [A fifth volume of Kuntn 3 

 * Enumeratio Plantarum ' has made its appearance since 

 his death. Professor Unger has published a synopsis oi 

 all known fossil plants. Mr. Woods has brought out trie 

 < European Flora,' in which he has been so long engaged. 

 Several local European floras have been presented to 

 the world ; many of which may be noticed : ' Mayers 

 Flora of Hanover ;' the completion of « Fries' Summa 



Jng circumstance 



In the spring of 1 826, or 1 827, when 

 I resided at " the Cedars " at Putney, the only border 

 which my next door neighbour and myself had for 



are conducted by us here in a very illiberal and exclu- 

 sive spirit. Now I am anxious that the public and 

 your correspondents should be set right in the matter, 

 by a plain statement of facts. The garden is open to 

 the public every lawful day. Anyone may walk in the 

 garden who chooses. The hours of admission in 

 summer are from 6 a v. to 6 p.m. ; and in winter from 



daylight to dusk. 



on Saturdays from 12 



12 to 3 in winter. I 



to 4 in summer and from 

 wish I could have them 

 open every day, but I have not the means of employing 

 a sufficient number of* hands, so as to enable me to do 

 so without injury to the other work in the garden. 

 I hope to be able to make arrangements so as to open 

 the houses two days a week to the inhabitants of Edin- 

 burgh. Any stranger coming to Edinburgh is admitted 

 to see the houses on an* of th^ Attim« n>a*ro ~e a. i. 



gradually. 6. As they approach ripeness, as I have 

 just stated, the temperature should be gradually lessened, 

 and more air given, and when ripe the house ought to 

 be as dry as a sitting room. 7. The production of the 

 black bunch after the main crop was cut is, I have no 

 doubt, owing to the house having been kept cooler, and 

 to the bunch being brought forward in a more natural 

 way, though perhaps the berries were smaller than 

 those of the first crop. D. Kidd. 



Syringing with cold Water ; a remedy against the effects , Kaxm Ui unuuv-ir , _*« wiapww v » , 



of Frost.— Your leading article last week, on the manner Vegetabilium ;' and the commencement of anew illustrated 



in which cold acts on plants, reminds me of the follow- WO rk, called ' Plantre Scandinavia?,' by Mr. Andersen. 



Of new editions, we have one almost constituting a new 



work, in the sixth edition of < Hooker's British flora, 

 by Dr. Arnott, a most valuable contribution to Bnttf 

 botany ; and a second illustrated edition of Proiesso 

 Harvey's excellent < Manual of British Algoe ;' nu ^ er JJj 

 other works of less general importance have con* 1 

 to swell the list. Botanists have to lament the deatn 

 many active followers of the science during the ^ 

 twelve months. Professor Kunth, of Berlin, Dr ; torn 

 Prof. Raffeneau Delile, of Montpellier, Dr. Dietrich , i re 

 known by his horticultural works, together with r 

 fessors Moritzi, George Hecker, and Drs. . 

 Hagenbach, and Martins, the father of Professor W^ ' 

 We have more particularly to deplore the loss of a J? J 



growing early Peas, had an east aspect. A very severe 



mm-miAi »\ «.u-«v, " n* x •"" i — ; *—,—-_«- frost (10°) came over that district about the 15th of 



mersmith") which would seem to imply that matters 'May. 



water. 



The Peas were in full bloom on my neighbour's 

 border, as well as mine. I syringed all mine with cold 



My neighbour, on witnessing the operation, said 

 that he would not kill his in that way. I saved all mine, 

 he lost all his. This taught me a lesson which I never 

 forgot ; and by the same means I have often saved the 



Peach, Pear, and other fruits, as wpII ac nnncAKD,n.m a 



Berger, 



The hum** ™i n™ <« *_>-«£ a /^ they were a good size._ _I have, however, failed in 



t 



correspondent «G."has made a mistake as to the hour 

 when the houses are open on Saturday, and hia state- 

 ment would almost lead to the belief that the garden 



_ v w gainst mm. The day of his visit was 

 Saturday, and as that is the day when the public are 

 admitted, it is not convenient to allow any one to visit 

 the houses in the forenoon when the watering and 

 syringing of the plants and the washing of the floor. 

 *re goiug on. This will account for Mr. M'Nab re- 

 questing «G." to 



case of a continuance of frost, such as has occurred 

 during the last two or three springs. James Cutkill, 

 CamberwelL 



Gutta Percha Piping. — A gentleman has just called 

 our attention to an article on this subject in your Paper 

 of the 28th December ; we therefore beg to inclose you 

 copies of some of the letters which we have received 

 from persons who have used our tubing for the convey- 

 ance of water, which is the best answer we can give 

 to the inquiry of your correspondent. With regard to 

 the question of u rats," the reply we may give is, that 

 we have yet to hear of the first case of their attacking 

 gutta percha. The Canal adjoining our works abounds 

 with rats, and we have never found them to touch any 

 of our material. The Gutta Percha Company ; W. T. B. 

 Smithies. 



s 



t - . — ~ delay till 12, and asking him in 



the meantime to visit the winter house in the experi- 

 mental garden. There was no wish to do anything 



£>or fetter 



Linnean, Dec. 17.— R. Brown, Esq., in the chair. 

 Mr. West wood made a communication on the subject 

 of a wingless bird, discovered by Captain Poole, of the 

 East India army, in Lord Howe's Island, This island, 



and zealous aspirant for" botanical honours, Mr. J • ^ 

 Wilson, whose awfully sudden death came like a tiiuii 

 clap on those who saw him full of life, and appz- 

 health, at our last monthly meeting." 



Royal Horticultural Improvement of Ib ^J^ 



A meeting of members was lately held at the J*o 

 for the purpose « of considering the propriety oi 

 Wishing a Benevolent Fund in connection wip ^ 

 Society, for the relief of aged gardene^ ^ 



widows, and also, in extraordinary case* of un ^ 



necessity, young men." Several resolvcions m *^ ^e 



of the meeting a sub-committee w* 5 a PR° ir 



out the objects which it had in y&* 



flair 



Notice* Of **S& By 



Ra^andOte^ 



The object of the auUiof of this amusing book is^ ^ 



something to the information accessible to i 



Townshcnd. 



