THE GARDENERS' 



CHRONICLE 



[M 



Th« um- " I atuntMB required to bnJjg 

 £ J« to™ rLtian accounts for our wj£ 



JJSii being .^K^^^^ 

 from th.r nurseries. We are aware > uu» 

 nnrsery^n are erulea vonnng toobtom hem _, 

 wh «n we state that a ^ast six years are ^Q 



water should be given during - - _ # 



rh^nritl^sicond infected the greater wffibe * po**. ! lb 



enter ui« soil'id gravel (for they will 

 extend as far into the v,alk as they do mto thejoil 



roots first enter the s 



ntham, when first bought (about 



extenaasiar "- — u t ^'longm becoming 



Und6 S me o 'th e%te at Trentham looked nearly 



:ad S r:e°c f ond Jar after planUng, but by he end 



SO 



dead 



exercise of patience 



The trees at Trenuiam, wm» — 



tandaras n j # d 



management, 



i.lacma in their tubs in five or six years 



SSSri . Ivise those who with, to possess standard 



form 



to commence 



when 



of t£s from 8 to 10 feet high, selecting those with 

 the cleanest and slightest stems upon which the 



togal Laurel 



vonDir, from Having Deen piaute* uiwuj ^©*~« - 

 Long foster-growing trees, are very commonly 

 found with clean stems 3 feet, or even 4 feet, m 

 height : but, when allowed plenty of room, they 

 seldom R row with straight stems, but generally begin 

 to branch out close to the groan- 1 . If any very strong 

 branches have to be cut off the stem, they, like nearly 

 all the Prunus family, are liable to gum, and ulti- 

 mately the trees die ; therefore, in selecting plants 

 of considerable size for standards, choose those -which 

 have only slender shoots upon the part intended for 

 the stem. These shoots should be cut in at first 

 about half their length; in April, of the following 

 year, th#*y will again require shortening ; and, about 

 the same season of the third year, they may be en- 

 tirely removed. The upper branches should be regu- 

 lated, so as to cause the head to assume a globular form, 

 by shortening in any strong shoots to within 3£ feet 

 of the centre of the intended head, and keeping the 

 young growths pinched in twice every summer after- 

 wards, until the tree is formed, and in its tub. 



In preparing a place for the tree the ground 

 should be first dug out the full size of the stone 

 plinth to a depth of 2 feet, and a communication 

 should be made with the drain at the sides of the 

 walks, in order to carry off superfluous moisture 

 from the roots. A 9-inch brick pillar should then 

 be built in each corner of the hole, to support the 



Sltnth, and the hole should be filled with rough 

 raining material to within 8 inches of the general 

 rface, finishing off with some that has been finely 

 broken, the remaining space being filled up with 

 appropriate soil. The plinth should be next set 

 properly, and cramped well at the angles ; and the 

 slates forming the sides of the tub should fit 

 together, resting in a rabbet in the plinth, and 

 fasten with screws at the corners. The tubs, which 

 are 3J feet square, should have no bottoms, as the 

 trees should be permitted to root into the surround- 

 ing soil, which they will readily do, and also into 

 the gravel walks. The mouldings shown in our 

 sketch upon the tub are of wood ; these are merely 

 ornamental, and may be made so as to move off and 



on easily, and thus afford greater facilities for 

 painting. 



Before the tree is removed from its situation in 

 the plantation, it must be prepared, by being root 

 pruned ; and it is important that the roots should 

 be carefully cut, so as to leave a square mass of soil 

 and roots, measuring about 2 \ feet across from side 

 to side, with the stem exactly in the centre, thus 

 allowing 6 inches on all sides between the ball and 

 the tub for the fibres, and the admission of fresh 

 mould. Some chopped turfy soil, of a rather strong 

 and rich nature, mixed with rough leaf soil, should 

 be used for this purpose ; and a top-dressing of the 

 same mixture should be applied about 3 inches deep. 

 These are the first steps to be taken with trees in- 

 tended to 



T<te^l^n they had got their roots 

 under the general surface, they were complete y 

 restored. After the trees are perfectly formed, cut 



£M? JSlT as p'™~e d",' to jSrl? allow air to 



^^S^\t^ of the headend to prevent 

 C leaves from appearing thick, as in a hedge. 

 Should any of the trees exhibit a disposition to 



Jer To aL,da„.ly it is a sign of weakness 



and every flower should be pinched off as early as 

 possible I the spring. Give some ^nid maj^e 

 to such plants when requisite, and they * ill soon 



become vigorous again. lf 



No Orange trees that we have ever seen are half 

 so handsome as these standard Portugal Laurels 

 are when in flower; and their beautiful dark green 

 and healthy foliage adds a richness to the scene 

 which no other tree but the Sweet Bay or Hodge s 

 Broad-leaved Holly could possibly effect. 



To form standards from young plants, it would 

 be necessary to commence with two or three-year- 

 old seedlings ; planting them out in rich soil in 

 a sheltered situation, and frequently pinching m 

 all the side branches until the leading shoot has 

 attained the desired height, when it should 

 be stopped and the head encouraged to extend 

 regularly. The roots should be cut round once 

 in two years, in order to keep them near home, 

 and to encourage numerous fibres, instead of long 



lav 



o> 



put 



ght pit and 



1 



peat takes l£lb. of water to saturate it, and he/^ 

 addition to its sweetening qualities, it possess^ ^ * 

 value in giving night-soil mixed with urine such aco^ 

 tencyas to render it capable of being transfer if rom 

 large cities, where it is not wanted, to our rural distri? 

 where it is wanted, and where it will assist our atp^Jj 

 distressed agriculturists to farm more highly, ^j? 

 way " a plague may be turned into a profit" ' 



The experiments mentioned above were all tried 1* 

 year. This season I have found that if, instead rf 

 horse-dung being turned and sweetened for a nJJ 



over°with an inch of peat charcoal, all wilf be 2 



Under this system, by the time my Cucumber pS 



came up, all smell was removed. Again, gardeners i» 



much annoyed in January and February by p^ 



damping off. I dusted my Cucumber plants in fc 



pans every morning with peat, and I did not W 



six out of 600. I have, unfortunately, had to & 



peat the experiment, on account of my lad havi» 



overheated the flue and burned the whole of £ 



interior of my pit. I have again about 600 p]^ 



dusted with peat, and they look as well as the firsts 



In filing the pots I made holes in the mould with tki 



finder, and dropped the Cucumber plants in,in the manner 



in which Leeks are planted out of doors. I then Md 



up the hole with peat. Those treated in this way thro* 



better than the others, and produced a more healthy 



dark green leaf. In short I consider charred peat in i 



Melon ground to be as necessary as a telegraph to t 



railroad. The one is incomplete without the other. Tit 



sort of charred peat that I use is the granulated M 



James Cuthill, Cambenaell. 



VILLA AND SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



Suburban gardens are, of necessity, limited in extol, 

 and surrounded by houses and high walls, which p* 

 vent a free circulation of air ; vegetables produced i 

 them are frequently but indifferent, as regards a crop ; 

 attenuated, and, of course, liable to numerous casualty 

 Winter crops in particular are often swept off by i 

 moderate frost ; and to no one kind of vegetal* 

 does this remark apply more truly than to Broc* 

 lies. How different, indeed, are even the same m 



naked roots. Some fresh rich soil should be applied 



every time the roots are examined, and plenty of 



manure water given frequently in dry weather In -~. -~. ^ ^ en fi dd8 , where a free eta* 



this manner most perfect specimens could be ob- J^™^ 1 ^^ full exposure to sunlight, perfe* 



tained; and we have no doubt that many other tl0n 0I air > aim * -* - - .- r* _*. - 



kinds of evergreens would readily yield to similar 



treatment. 



Gentlemen who propose to contribute to the 

 forthcoming Number of the Journal of the Hor- 

 ticultural Society, are requested to favour the 

 Vice-Secretary, 21, Regent-street, with their com- 

 munications as soon as possible. 





IRISH PEAT CHARCOAL. 



1 have tried the following plants in a mixture of this 

 material and earth, with the following results : — 



Geraniums. — These luxuriate in a mixture of 3 oz. of 



will now 

 standards 

 attended 

 whenever 



represent Orange trees, and the plants 

 be in a fair wav to form handsome 



in 



to 



in a iair way 



a short time, particularly if well 



with 

 least 



liquid manure 



m watering 

 they are the least dry ; and the 

 young growths carefully stopped when necessary 

 throughout the summer. If the original situation 

 of the tree was very sheltered, and its final position 

 is much exposed, it is necessary to be careful lest 

 the transition be too sudden. In taking up the 

 plants for the tubs, every possible pains should be 

 taken to preserve the newly formed fibres, by work- 

 ing the sod from among them until the ball has 

 been reduced to the size mentioned above. Two 

 stout leather straps made to buckle over strong 

 poles answer best for carrying the trees, and letting 

 them down into the tubs ; as they are readily drawn 

 out after the tree is placed in its proper position. 

 In filling in the soil round the ball, let it be well 

 worked in, and copiously watered. Abundance of 



pure charcoal to lib. of mould. In this material they 

 make good saleable plants in half the usual time. Cut- 

 tings strike freely, either in the pure charcoal, or in the 

 mixture. 



Cucumbers. — For these I mixed the charred peat with 



mould during winter, and when the plants were put into 

 it, they grew famously, and produced a heavy crop. The 

 peat charcoal not only yields nutriment, but it affords 

 good drainage. Cucumber tops strike root freely in pure 



charred peat. 



Melons. — These succeeded in a mixture of charred 



peat and soil equally well with the Cucumbers ; and if a 

 large proportion of the soil consists of peat, I am of 

 opinion that the flavour of the fruit will be improved, 

 more especially in cloudy sunless seasons. 



Strawberries grow admirably in charred peat mixed 

 with soil, and in the case of pot plants they like a good 

 handful of the pure peat placed in the bottoms of the 

 pots. This latter has a tendency to prevent the ingress 

 of worms, who do not appear to like its sharp edges. 



Vines. — I have not yet tried the effect of charred peat 

 on Vines'; but, judging from analogous cases, I am 

 certain that it will prove of much advantage to them, 

 not only as a fertiliser, but also as a means of keeping 

 the borders porous, and thereby bringing better into 

 action the other materials of which they may be com- 

 posed. Under such an arrangement, finer flavoured 

 fruit may be expected. 

 Potato es.- 



elaborate their juices, rendering the plants sturdy, at 

 pact, and dwarf. What are known as lpw-gnm 

 kinds in the open fields, become standards in encioni 

 I gardens ; but, then, from the nature of the cirat 

 stances, this is unalterable, and must be put up ft 

 Were a different system of planting adopted, howem 

 much of the evil could be obviated. I should think tt 

 if such a method of culture was introduced as thatww 

 market-gardeners in the northern districts piirsnei 

 regard to their Celery, it would answer, fliis coosa 

 in planting in beds having rows stretching wrossttj 

 and the soil is thrown from the paths between the nj 

 If this operation was performed in the autumn, a daw 

 benefit would be the result. The plants would tafcj 

 secured in their position, and the trenches on einer» 

 of the beds would keep them much drier ; vxm 

 trenches would act as a ready drain to receive » tne iw 

 autumn and winter rains. Before the eartmug m 



% 



u- 



I have found those manured with charred 

 peat drier and more mealy than others to which farm- 

 yard manure was applied. In the former the foliage 

 and stalks are more compact and firm, and when taken 

 up the tubers were found to be clean skinned. In my 

 case no wireworm came near them. Where Potatoes 

 are pitted in long ridges, in the open ground, a layer of 

 peat between them and the soil helps to keep them dry, 

 and if thi3 heap could be covered with it below the 

 straw it would also be an advantage. 



In Flower Gardens, peat charcoal will be found 

 invaluable, inducing, as it does, quick growth ; but not 

 over luxuriant, and consequently plenty of blossoms. 

 Under its influence the colours of the latter are also 

 well " brought out." 



For Sweetening Cesspools, and other unavoidable 

 nuisances, peat charcoal finely pounded will be found 

 universally useful. I say finely pounded, because th» 



nil ana winter rams. u^™±^ * — ~u 



place, it would be advisable to remove all tne u* 

 leaves which indicate any tendency to decaj. 

 should be done cautiously ; for if carried to an cay- 

 the wounds inflicted upon the stems would be 



induce rot. . , e -.Agi 



Where an unoccupied glass structure exists, w= 

 Grapery, a good winter supply of this vege a W * 

 easily be obtained. A dozen or two of the p» 

 be taken up at a time, and laid in a little soil by m^ 

 They will soon thrust up their heads, ^.,^l^i 

 this course, a constant supply may, with litue 

 I expense, be maintained. An amateur ot ny ^ 

 ance winters his Broccoli under his Felargo « 

 together with Rhubarb and Seakale, an WP£\ ^ 

 being suspended a little way under the ^^^ 

 off the water that escapes from the pl»P^; ; nC iinatioa » 



given to it. 



cultivated beneath me sutgc »i^ *»-r- * «heffi eS 

 In a mild winter, like the present, such sc ^ 

 not be necessary ; but, in severe seasons, tf bleS} < 

 so easily obtained. In regard to winter J^ ^ 

 have much yet to learn from our Continent*^ ^ 

 who adopt various ingenious plans to se 

 which we at present know but little. Fnaro. 



on me water mai escapes uvui t«~ r *-; 



is attached to a few laths, and a slight 



By this simple contrivance tne » 

 meath the stage are kept perfect „ 





WHAT IS AN IN3EC1 i 

 If we were to publish only a very few o ^ 

 queries which we receive, and which a ^ 

 ledge of the first rudiments of 2Mlo ^^l aeS AtJ* 

 should at once establish the proof of the ne ^ 

 exists for the occasional publication, ^e ■ 



journals like our own, of articles treating up^ ^t 

 principles of natural science. To tnose , be CoD^ 

 quainted with the routine of education on ^ 



and especially in Germany, where m ■ burg t c r^ 

 zoology, and botany are taught in ail t ^ ^^ 

 as we should term them, grammar school* ^r 

 something like a reproach to ourselves i ^ gr* 



fish*. 



tf 



many, otherwise well educated, perso tj _ 



believe that both a whale and a lobster are ; j8 * 



leech is a kind of insect, that the snialin' ^^ 

 the young of the blue-bottle-fly, that 



