THE GARDENERS 



CHRONICLE 



kantljk. Lilie* are called 8ara,.a in aibei-i* } me "*o a i 

 esteemed are Lilium tenuifolium, F., aud Parana 

 kamschatica, F. (Lilium kamchaticum, and Fritillaria 

 kamehatica of the books), Lilium spectabile, *., is 

 abo eaten. These three plants multiply with great 

 rapidity, and tenuifolium almost exclusively by wed. 

 fee other two by scales also ; and it seems that eacn 

 scale of the bulb, which scale is long and pointed in 

 L. spectabile - thick, short, and tubercular m the 

 Saraua of Kamchatka, forms a new plant , this 

 mode of propagation is indeed essential to the barana, 

 inasmuch as it produces but few seeds, sterility being 

 rery common. There is also in Kamchatka a Lily, 

 somewhat like L. canadense, which I call L. ave- 

 naceuro, from the name it bears in the country, and 

 from the resemblance of the scales of its bulbs to large 

 aeeda of the Oat This species is not yet found in 

 irardens ; in its native country it is eaten like the 

 common Sarana, which is, however, preferred to it. 

 These useful plants are not cultivated in S beria ; the 

 bulbs of the wild plants are collected in abundance. 

 Lilium tenuifolium and spectab le are met with in the 

 eastern part of the Government of Tomsk, and are 

 spread round the Baikal and all over Daouria to the 

 eastern ocean. The Sarana of Kamchatka is found 

 all along the coast of the Eastern Ocean, in Kamchatka 

 kself, aud in the islands on the western coast of America. 

 J t is not impossible that satisfactory results might be 

 obtained from its careful cultivation. The southern 

 steppes of Russia are covered in the spring with beau- I 

 tiful Tulips, and among them there is a species, parti) 

 common on the Don, not differing much from Tulipa 

 auaveolens, and which is eagerly sought for and eaten 

 by the inhabitants, who can distinguish it with ease 

 from the other species, which they do not touch. Flore 

 des Serres. 



of insects injurious to Orchids, 

 tection of the plants from their ravages, 

 leaf-mould should be thoroughly baked, and the sphag- 

 num immersed in boiling water, in order that all animal 

 life may be destroyed before they are used. As the 

 plants commence their growth, remove them to the 

 warm end of your house, if you have only one ; but it 

 is impossible to grow them to perfection unless you are 

 able to keep the dormant plants cool and dry, and those 

 in a growing state comparatively warm and moist. 



FORCING DEPARTMENT. 



Peach-house.— From the time when the Peach and 

 Nectarine blossoms begin to expand, maintain a ste ^y 

 nieht heat of 45° to 50°, and not rising higher than 60 



If the external 



Fur the further pro- a south wali, and when they come up protect them 



the peat and * 1 " J 





State of the Weather near London, for the week ending Jan ia i*.. 



as observed at the Horticultural Garden, Chiswick.* ™ 



Jan. 





Calendar of Operations. 



(For the ensuing week.) 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



As soils long under cultivation, and frequently ma- 

 Bored with ordinary stable and cow-house manure 

 become effet«\ and cease to grow some kinds of vege- 

 tables well, it is important at this season to adopt some 

 means for remedying this by applying a good dressing 

 ©f one or a mixture of all of the following ingredients. 

 Fresh meadow soil, with the turf well chopped up and 

 laid between the top and bottom spits as the trenching 



?;oes on, will give renewed vigour to our garden crops 

 or several years. Burnt clay is an excellent reviver of 

 ©id soil. Charred refuse, and, for stiff clayey land, lime 

 rubbish and coal ashes are valuable for their mechanical 

 action upon the texture of the soil, thereby rendering it 

 more easily worked, and more productive. A mixture 

 of all these will be beneficial to soil of any kind by sup- 

 plying new substances to the plants ; and in many cases 

 is preferable to ordinary manure. For applying all 

 such material to the kitchen -garden compartments, take 

 advantage of frosty weather, as the cart may then do in 



half 



We may add that for improving 

 idy soils, marl is often 



has for absorbing fertilising gases, and retaining them 

 to nourish the plants during drought. In many gardens 

 the Strawberry does not thrive until a good dressing of 

 marl has been applied ; and now is the best time for 

 supplying it. 



PLANT DEPARTMENT. 



Orchids. — These should be carefully watched at this 

 season, as many of them will be starting into growth. 

 As soon as this is perceived in any plant, it should be 

 repotted or supplied with a larger block or basket, if 

 necessary. In shifting Stanhopeas, or other Orchids, 

 which send their flower stems through the soil, very 

 shallow wire baskets should be used, without potsherds, 

 charcoal, or any other impenetrable material. They 

 succeed admirably in lumps of fibry peat, from which 

 the soil has been shaken out, mixed with rough flaky 

 leaf-mould, and plenty of clean sand, which is necessary 

 to prevent the leaf-mould and peat from becoming too 



The surface of the soil, and the inside of the 



Dy xne barrow. we may 

 the productiveness of light 



add that for 



spongy. m 



basket, should be lined with sphagnum, which protects 

 the roots from sudden gleams of sunshine, prevents the 

 soil from falling out, and, by its powers of absorption, 

 keeps itself and the soil sufficiently moist. Maxillarias, 

 Ly castes, Gongoras, &c, succeed better when treated 

 in this manner than they do in pots ; but in soil for 

 these, a good proportion of charcoal and potsherds, or 

 pieces of sandstone, may be safely added, as their flower 

 steins are altogether above the soil. 



during the day, unless by sun-heat, 

 temperature is not too low, a sufficient quantity of fresh 

 air should be admitted every day, but avoiding syring- 

 ing until the bloom is set. In very cloudy weather have 

 recourse to artificial impregnation, as the pollen does 

 not move so freely as in bright sunny weather. If the 

 early Melon bed is not yet made, it should be imme- 

 diately attended to, and should be constructed in such a 

 manner as to secure a continuous and steady bottom 

 heat. If you have not hot water at command, this can 

 be effected by Oak-leaves made up into a bed 4^ feet 

 hio-h, and well trodden ; these maintain a steadier heat 

 than horse-litter, and when the heat ^begins to decline, 

 add linings of fresh material. Where Cherries are 

 required early, the house should now be in proper order 

 as regards cleaning and painting. The temperature 

 should be kept at 45° by night and 55° by day with 

 air, until the buds begin to expand, when a rise of 5° 

 should gradually take place. The fruit will set with the 

 low temperature of 50° by night, and 60° to 65* by 

 day. No kind of fruit requires greater care in forcing 

 than this, as any excess of heat during the time of setting 

 will prove ruinous. Air is indispensable during the 

 day, while the trees are in flower, and even at night, 

 when the external air is not too cold. 



FLOWER GARDEN AND SHRUBBERIES. 



If the advice, given in August and September of last 



year, has been attended to, by deciding upon the 



arrangement for the different portions of the flower 



garden, and also by noting the number required of the 



different kinds of plants, an inspection of the stock at 



the present season will show of what kinds there is a 



deficiency, and thus determine what quantity of young 



plants have to be propagated between this time and the 



end of April. But if memoranda were not made at the 



time recommended, the arrangements should be decided 



upon before the season is farther advanced. Bou- 



vardias, Salvias, Lobelias of the section to which pro- 



pinqua belongs, and other half-hardy, deciduous plants, 



should now be looked over, and if the stock of any is 



deficient, it should be increased by the usual means. 



Preparations should now be made, by getting soil, pots, 



and crocks ready for potting off plants in store pots, of 



such things as fancy Geraniums, Petunias, Calceolarias, 



&c. &c. In the meantime, let all half-hardy bedding 



plants be duly attended to, as regards watering and the 



removing of decayed leaves, and occasionally stopping 



long weak growths. 



FLORISTS' FLOWERS. 



There has seldom been so mild a winter as we have 

 hitherto experienced, consequently redoubled precau- 

 tion is necessary to guard against sudden or continuous 

 frosts. True, if our instructions have been followed out, 

 not only Auriculas, Carnations, Pinks, and Pansies 

 ought to look well, but they ought to be sufficiently hardy 

 to bear a tolerable degree of frost. Auriculas, parti- 

 cularly, will now begin to move, consequently they will 

 require more w r ater, and with more moisture they will 

 want more air ; this latter is absolutely required when 

 the former is applied. The open weather will cause 

 Tulips to peep perhaps rather prematurely ; we would 

 advise a handful of sandy loam being placed over each ; 

 this slight protection will be found highly beneficial. 

 Fasten the soil round Pinks and Pansies ; for worms, 

 during this open season, often loosen those which have 

 not good hold of the soil. Examine Dahlia roots, and 

 give air especially to Verbenas. Hollyhocks should not 

 be forgotten ; snails are very fond of them ; a handful 

 of soot will not be misapplied round about them. 



Friday.. 



Satur. .. 



Sunday 



Monday 



luea. 



Wed. 



Thura. 



10 

 11 



< 



c 



"a 

 o 



c 



2 

 > 



9 



Barometer. 



* 



Temperature. 



12 10 



13 11 



• • 



ft « 



14 



IS 



12 

 13 



• » 



16,14 



Average 



Max. 



30.054 

 30. 1 OS 

 29.959 

 39.826 



29.552 

 29.449 



29.744 



Mm. 



Of tbe Air 



29.944 



3- .034 

 29.937 



29.717 

 29.263 



29. 1 1 1 



29.474 



Max. 



50 

 49 

 51 

 49 

 48 

 51 

 50 



Min. 



39 

 45 



47 

 44 



40 



28 

 40 



Mean 



44.5 



40 



47.0 



42 



49.0 



43 



46,i 



44 



440 



44 



39.5 



43 



45.0 



43 



0£theEarth 



1 foot 2 leet 

 deep. deep. 



42^ 



43 

 44 

 44 

 44 

 44 



Wind, 



• * 



29.813 29 M0 ' 49.7 • 40 4 I 45.0 



S.W, 



SE. 

 8. 



4 



4 



. 



« 



4 

 41 

 4 



Jan. 10 — Kain ; cloudy and mild at night. 



— 11— Fine; slight rain; drizzly. 

 12— Densely overcast; slight rain ; mild. 



— 13— Densely clouded throughout. 



— 14— Fine; cloudy, with sun occasionally. 



— 15— Fine: cloudy; fine at night. 



— 16— Very fine; cloudy ; rain at night ; very boisterous. 



Mean temperature of the week 10* de«. above the average 



State of the Weather at Chiswick during the last 25 years, forthe 



ensuing week, ending Jan. 2"», 185 1. 







§8* 



Jan. 





2jc 



«5 H 



Sunday 



19 



41.7 



Moq 



20 



40.4 



Tues. 



21 



42.5 



Wed. 



22 



43.5 



Thurs. 



23 



44.2 



Friday 



24 



43.4 



Satur. 



25 



1 44.1 



* « r 



ill 



30.1 

 30.2 

 33.1 

 32.6 

 32.1 

 33.0 

 34.0 



8* 



S3 



32 



35.9 

 35 3 

 3/8 

 38.0 

 38.1 

 38.2 

 29.0 



No of 



I ears in 



which it 



llaiued. 



11 

 4 

 13 

 18 

 12 

 18 



10 



Greatest 

 Quantity 



of Rain. 



Prevailing Wiafc 



0.S8 ia. 



0.65 



0.4S 



0.57 



0.27 

 0.51 



0.90 



a 



4 



4 



iU^i 



r 



2 

 1 



2 



614, 



4 4 1 



4 1 o 



3 2 3 



3 2 1 



3 2 I 



* 



J". * 

 3 8 U 



The highest temperature during the above period occurred on the i» 

 1S2S— therm. 60 deg.; and the lowest on the 19th, 1838 - therm, 4J £ 



below zero. 



Notices to Correspondents. 



Apricots : A H. We do not know whether or not the Kaisbi 

 Apricot flowers earlier than other sorts. Messrs. Yeitchcn 

 best answer this question.!! 



Analyses : Alaunensis. Common Sedges contain on an averip 

 nearly 2 per cent, of silica. Sprengel has published an ana. 

 ly si9 of Garez muridata ; 100 parts of the green plant gathered 

 in flower contaiued (>0 parts of water, and when burnt left 

 an ash containing 2J parts of silica. There are no good 

 chemical analyses published of the comparative composiuoi 

 of arteries and blood-vessels. "We doubt the existence i 

 silica in either, ezcept as an accidental occurrence, orii 

 exceedingly minute quantity. 



Bombay Plants : C F J. The plants have no market valne, 

 They are well known. You will scarcely keep them alireh 

 the manner you describe. A stove, with bottom-heat, and 

 plenty of light, is necessary for all except the Bougainville 

 which will grow out of doors in summer and bear a green. 

 house in winter. You had better get thein placed in the 



Botanic Garden. t ' ^j 



Books : J P. There is no new edition of Liebig— and if then 

 was we should not recommend you to buy it. The work jos 

 have is the best in English, so far as Physiology is concerned 

 for Chemistry consult " Johnson's Lectures on Agriculturi 

 Chemistry ," and procure a copy of " Knight's Physiologic* 

 Papers."— TT P. " Macintosh's Practical Gardener. 1 

 Celery : H T. It has possibly been allowed to get frosted to 



fure it was earthed up.} 

 Citrus Japonica : A Florist It should have strong fibry loam, 

 not clay, and be well manured. But to get it into healtn now 

 that it is half dead, you must give it a smart bottom neata 

 February, and shut it up close till it has begun togrowwyj. 

 In doing this shorten all the shoots, cutting out the spindld? 



branches. „ .. - - *^- 



Cost of Fbames: Sub. You will easily ascertain by inquiry 



of two or three carpenters, and taking the lowest offer. 

 Country Shows : G S. We intend to notice in future mm 



send us their reports, . ' . ^ 



Emigration : NF H. We have no disinterested nfornuU 

 about Natal, and we cannot trust interested par ties iffli 

 grave a matter. The best work to consult is ChrwtopW 

 •< Account of Natal," one vol., 8vo, published by Effioghu 

 Wilson ; in which you will find a good map o the > count* 

 Euphorbia splendens: Sub. It often sheds its leaves beW 



JS!*? ¥2*£ m & -™- k, ww«h thev should be proa* 



Those plants which 

 do not require shifting should be surfaced with a little 



of the same material as would be used in removing 

 them to larger pots or baskets. As soon as any 

 plant is potted or top-dressed, it should be dipped into 

 the warm- water cistern, that the whole of the peat, &c., 

 new a.nd old, may be thoroughly and equally moistened. 

 If a little trouble is taken in this operation, any wood- 

 Ece or other insects which are harbouring in the soil 

 will retreat before the rising water, till they come out 

 on the surface, whence they may be easily removed. A 

 gentle syringing will be useful on fine mornings, parti- 

 cularly to the plants which are attached to blocks, as it 

 is yet too early to keep up a sufficiency of moisture in 

 the atmosphere. Water must be very carefully used, and 

 should always be of the same temperature as that of the 

 house. The rain which falls on the roof should be con- 

 ducted into a tank within the house ; it is preferable 

 So river or pump water, which generally contains eggs 



as been fully described at p 101 of last J ol ™ gement|l 

 >rists' Meetings: S.w.l. We have made arrangement 



Rose-caaft 



h 

 Flo 



report in future all that are of importance. 

 Insects: Z>. Your beetle is the common green 

 Cetonia auraa W. . Tj rt „„ Q hnnrt; 



Names of Plants : Erzeroum. 557.. Veronica BeccW 



60. V. 



up in the Tt'oVe tiTl it" begins "to grow ; then pot i it to it» rw 

 dry soil and treat it afterwards like a stove .plant ,m 

 never water the roots ; but pour lukewarm wa « ow 

 leaves.-J?«nd Son. We cannot consume Utne in detenmw 



.%_ - i?_t fc - C m m Uofal\A hlt« WithOUt nOWCU r 



op Plants: Erzeroum. 557. Veromca jwcm^ 

 \ caucasica; 226. V. pedunculans ; 447. V. pern .. 

 btcriber. It is not an Orchid, but a lillaodsia HjJP 



tolerw 



mon 



slug, 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Success in our gardening operations, as in flie nume- 

 rous other affairs of life, depends very much on careful 

 attention to small matters, many of which, if examined 

 individually, appear trifling, but if omitted or neglected, 

 prove detrimental to the attainment of our hopes. 

 Amongst the little things to be looked closely after, at 



" e year, the garden snaD, thef corn- 

 grey slug, and their congeners, may rank 

 among the very first. These hide themselves in the 

 earth, Box edgings, and other snug corners, till warm 

 weather occurs, when they come forth and attack every 

 vegetable in their way. On a mild day hundreds may 

 be seen crawling over the walks, of which a great number 

 may be picked up by a quick boy, as they frequently 

 continue visible during the whole of the day at this season. 

 By beginning to destroy them thus early, the ground is 

 comparatively freed from these ravagers by the time our 

 young plants appear in spring. Seakale is most pro- 

 fitably forced by means of a slight hot-bed of leaves and 

 litter, with a frame upon it ; the bleaching being ensured 

 by covering with wooden shutters ; 53° to 55 p is sufficient 

 for top heat. Look closely after Endive in damp weather, 

 and remove all decaying leaves. Examine Cauliflowers 

 and Lettuces in frames, and dust a little quicklime 

 amongst them if necessary. Give plenty of air on all 

 favourable occasions. Make a sowing of Radishes under 



excelsa ; 

 nation. 



Paint fob 

 Pine Apples 



Ihey are some Kina oi uuuip", ~ — r 

 the specimens are insufficient for exact 



deters 

 volant 



N : HB. See pp. izu ana ioo ut y^"" lm & 



A Subscriber. For Pines either in PotsorP 



out, the bottoin-heat should be 80° ; the ^^rf* 

 m< meter beinz plunged about a foot below the surtaw 



bed in both cases. x* nABXr innd now* 8 



Planting: Newstidi. Bo not plant your cheesy ian« a*> 

 must be dry first. Either wait till February, or^e^ 



work till next October, in the meanwhile taking on ,^ |g 



i lime or chalk at m 



/grow Ash, Oak, Scotc_ 



S^cam^; and foVm a covert with Berberis aqaitoiiu^ 



of Potatoes." If you have lime or chalk »* h ^ B w 

 heavy dressing. You may grow Ash, Oak, &co ^" ifo iiunJ,f 



Larch will gro* in 



oi; 



Yew, which thrives in such places. ~v*- "ir^/O veafl^ 



a place, but it will take the rot by the time rtu^ ^ 



Spinach : W Tuck. It is Orach, not Spinach. We«^ ^ 



all about it next week. t, rt „iV* Maf?^* 



Timbe* : JF., jun., is referred to the " Mechanic : *J^ 

 Nos. 1282, 1321, 1349, 1415, and 1416, for mformaUoa ^ 

 ing the seasoning and preservation of timber, i ^^ 

 ance of the subject having seemed to require wi» ^ 

 should be repeatedly called to it, some ^petttions 

 ably entered into the papers furnished to t " ectt iiaf * 

 though they each ot them contain much matter V . & 

 itself. Should •■ J. F.» wish for further in f o rma " ^ * i 

 those Magazines afford, especially as to seasoning 0$ 

 small scale of operations, on stating his queries to ^ 

 of this paper, replies to them will be early furnis n eu- ofl j, 

 Vines : L H. It is better that the roots should be oo ^ ^ 

 side the house, if the border can be properly form« > a ' 0l in 

 the roots are best inside ; but in that case meal **. te r*&* 

 provided of watering abundantly with luke-warm w ^ c ^ 

 necessary. Twelve feet is wide enough for a Vine f y>^ e ^p 

 not answer inquiries privately through the post. c0 tc^ 

 advise you to read what has lately been said » D0 ° ig lly ; 

 ing Vine borders in bad climates or situations, esy 

 pp. 772 and 820 of our last volume,— C. The Eape" 

 suit the lituation you describe. { 



