'^ 



GrAKHl\AlH^ 



I IllUi.MULE. 







It LIP*. ^ f _ 



MH DWIDSON, Canidi'ii Grow, Peckham 

 ^Jii * portion of hi. BULBS for Sale, durii 

 .— towi*»t* oontract.- AppUcstion* ior Catalo^uea 

 HN^^ F L-fc -^ will clear© addretf, free, inclos 

 s *** 



a M D 



H tfi«T9 l» J«»« pauiiftTicu, in 



r ion.— Clapton Narperjr 



MTTKM4TB HA-LB OF FFNB-APPLB PLANTS. 



TO NOBLEMEN and GENTLEMEN requiring 

 PIHB PLANTS, an excellent opportunity is offered for 

 in* th^naalraa with clean healthy plants. The stock 

 ^f ftrersl hundred fruiting and succession plants, of 

 g torts :— Proridenee, Black Jamaica, Black An- 

 Hontserrar, Enville, Globe, Queens, Ripley Queen, 

 Qasen, Moscow Queen, St. Vincent, Blood, smooth 

 "^"arickij Cajenne, Trinidad. — For particulars apply to 

 •^ ,5c. Lee, Nursery, Hammersmith; to Mr. Mabnhck, 

 - > Gardens, "Regent's Fark ; or to Mr. Moffatt, 



Wtirksop, Notts. 



DAHLIAS. 



OHM KEYNES* Florist, Salisbury, will be pre- 



itrong plants ready to send out the 



the following New and First class 



of 



J aawd mih 



MffLL&S :- 



JeMom Superb, 



Hon. Mr. Herbert, 

 Beauty of Kent. 

 Stnnmtt at Perfect 

 jTsflontese €hief. 



f he wfrole stock of these are in the po 

 jTF- ssad Prises for the best Six Bloon 

 willhs given at three of the leading Exhibit] 

 Orders for Dahlias from other growers faith 

 etgtuBftfon * h Ms own. — 8a4isbnry l May 3. 



Baltic. 



Antoinette. 

 Miss Pope, 

 One- in- the- Ring. 

 Miss Herbert. 



elsewhere, such an MBemblage of the results of 

 human industry as the vast building now contains. 

 To the general press belongs the task of chronicling 

 the endless examples of human ingenuity brought 

 from all corners of the globe ; our charge is far more 

 humble. The raw materials with which the culti- 

 vator has to deal ; or the instruments contrived to aid 

 him in this task, form the greater part of what our 

 readers will expect in the Gardeners' Chronicle and 

 Agricultural Gazette. Grain, timber, textile plants, 

 and other vegetable products, animal substances, and 

 animal preparations, implements of husbandry, and 

 the decorations which good taste and bad taste have 

 contributed, in the form of vases, glass work, foun- 

 tains, and the like, will amply fill such space as our 

 columns may afford from time to time. For to-day, 

 we limit ourselves to an account of Mr. Fleming v 

 contrivance for distributing boiling salt and water 

 over ground walks ; and to an account of some sin- 

 gular timber, sent from Van Dienien's Land, by Sir 

 William Dbnison. 



275 





FIFTY-FOLD KIDNEY FOTaTO. 



JAMES LAKE, Nurseryman, &c, Bridgewater, 

 Sommet, begs to inform the public that he is now sending 

 out nil Seedliog Fifty-fold Kidney Potato, six tubers of which 

 were feat to Dr. Liodley, April 2i)th, 1S30, and produced 812, 

 quality *ery good ; iix tubers also sent to Beck, Henderson, 

 and do*, at the same time, produced 580, although grown in 

 poor ground. Price 4a. per peck.— London Agents : Hubst and 

 If 'Mclles, 6, Leadenhall- street. 



J. L. harlng grown from 15 to 20 lights of Aban'e Conqueror 

 of the West CU'uUMBEK, successfully for three years, can with 

 ooaideai e recommend it to the public as being one of the best 

 kinds ia cultiraMon. Packets containing 12 seeds, Is. each. 



AZALEA INDICA "SYMMETRY" (Kingiiokn.)— 

 The celebrirj this Flower has gained, and the eulogium that 

 has been bestowed upon it, render it only necessary to mention 

 the opinions of competent judges, the awards it has received, 

 aad timpiy to add that it is superior in shape and substance to 

 aay variety hitherto introduced, and equal in colour and habit 

 to the moic popular kinds. In May, 1850, a first class certificate 

 was awarded to it by the London Floriculrural S iety, and it 

 was thus described in the Gardeners' and Farmers' Journal. 

 "Azalea indica Symmetry is a magnificently formed flower, of 

 SJiraordinary substance; colour salmonish-pink, varying' to 

 Mit scarlet, richly spotted in the throat with deep crimson- 

 sis* large." At the June show, 1850, at Chiswick. it obtained 

 ths Silver Banasian Medal, and was recorded in the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle as "a considerable improvement on Latentia." 

 Join and Cuables Lie having purchased the 6tock of Sym- 

 metry, intend sending out healtby Plants on the 1st of June 

 prise 21*. each.— Jhirsery and Seed Establishment, Hammer! 

 emiti, near London,— May 3. 



*nnJ?£ HUAd ' B ' FOSTEK'S, Esq., CHOICE PELAR- 

 £°^ E *% PIC0TBES > CARNATIONS, HOLLYHOCKS, 



WILLIAM 'BBAGfi, Star Nursery, Slough, begs to 



say his Catalogue of the above Flowers is now ready, 



ha or ? 1 J* nad on application. His choice SEEDLING 

 uahlias will be sent out the first week in May at 10s. 

 each, viz :— J 



ADMIRAL, rich lilac, very constant, gained iiret Seedlintr 



Pn n e A * M the ftoy********* London Exhibition ; 21$. Shackle- 

 well Open Shows, Ac, fourteen first class certificates ; the moat 

 tuccessful flower of the year. 



CARMINA, rich carmine, constant Snow flower, gained si* 

 arst class certificates, <fec, shown in several winning stands. 



The Hon. Mas. ASHLEY, waxj white, tipped with rose, 

 •piendid show flower, <fcc. W. B. thinks it the best Dahlia of 

 ine season ; was awarded by Dr. Lindlet a certificate of merit 

 ««£e Horticultural Society, <fec. Gained five first class certi- 



QtTEEN OF FAIRIES, Domeyer. W.Bbagg has purchased 

 «• stock of this fine and constant fancy Dahlia, front the 

 wore amateur, who will give 51. in prizes the next season for 

 «Ju flower, it gained a Seedling prize and first class certificate 

 wun Edwards's Mrs. Hansakd; at the Royal South London 



^. n Sh f ow E* b >hition fire first class certificates. 



w . B.'s stock of Picotees, Carnations* and Pinks are strong 

 aid good ; the best Hollyhock Seed ever sent out can be had 

 mjs. 6d. and 5s. packets, post paid, for prepaym ent. 



J BATH NURSERY. 



AMES GRIFFIN begs to announce that his Annual 

 Spring CATALOGUE is now ready, and may be had on 

 application It contains a Descriptive List of all the newest 

 and Ibest Dahlias, Fuchsias, Verbenas, Phloxes, &c. ; also a 

 *Mect List of the most useful plants adapted for decorating the 

 'lower Garden The prices will be found exceedingly low. 

 Weston-road, Bath. 6 J 





Ehe ©ar&roetsT Chronicle* 



MA 



MEETINGS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. 



Mom 



AT, 



May 



Co 



TtrsiBA T> 

 T»vatDA Tf 



rmnut, 

 S-Anraoix, 



C Entomological 8 p.m. 



o 1 Chemical « F M 



C British Architects (Anniversary) 8 r'V. 

 t Linnean 8 r m 



6 ) Ecological ;;;; s r . M ; 



^L Civil Engineers 8 r m. 



7— Eoyal Botanic ]^ r m ' 



C National Floricultural \ . * 3 r ' M * 



8 ) Royal Soc. of Literature A r.x I 



J Antiquarian 8 P<M 



(Royal S i rM 



5 pioioioKicai :::.::::::«':!;: 



»< Astronomical , 8rm 



inl52* 1 1 , natatution .'.'.WstrV. 





4e io^S Sf °*?P ? alace ™ accessible to all 

 *W i££L* The anticipation* of its friends are more 



"^faS^i '' V***™* <* ^ enemies and 

 "^^are more than falsified. Few men ever 



*T WW 8 3 g ^ Un ^ a 8ceile like that oi Th 



CAt St 010118 MAjE r dedared »• 



moNTb be Opened ; none haye seen, here or 



urs- 

 the 



Aboct six years ago the extensive improvements 

 in the grounds at Trentham were brought to a state 

 of completion ; and the walks, many of which had 

 been made at great cost, and for which gravel that 

 was reported to prevent the growth of ^eeds had 

 been brought a considerable distance, were already 

 becoming covered with a thick carpet of Mose, 

 which rendered them not only unsightly, but in 

 damp weather very slippery and dangerous to walk 

 upon. Weeds, too, came up in millions, and much 

 anxiety was caused by this unexpected state of 

 things. To turn the gravel, as is usually done, was 

 objectionable on account of the cost, and the opera- 

 tion would only temporarily remove the Moss and 

 weeds ; while the walks, which were perfect m 

 regards form and solidity, would be rendered for a 

 time unfit for use. Hand-picking had been going 

 on for three years, at an annual cost of from 80/. to 

 100/., but only the larger weeds could then be kept 

 down, and the Moss was still extending. Things 

 were in that desperate state which gardeners often 

 find it difficult to get out of, when the idea occurred 

 to Mr. Fleming that a hot solution of water and 

 common salt would destroy the Moss and weeds, 

 and thus save the expense of turning so vast an 

 extent of gravel. Accordingly in April 1849 he 

 set to work in earnest, determined to extirpate 

 the evil in a wholesale manner. An ironmonger 

 in the neighbourhood was applied to to make 

 a boiler, with furnace, chimney, valve, &c, and 

 to move upon wheels as shown in the cut; the 

 object being to scald the weeds with water boiled on 

 the spot, and to poison the surface of the walks 

 with salt in a state of solution with the hot water, 

 and so to destroy the present crop of weeds, and pre- 

 vent any more from growing for at least six or eight 

 months to come. All things being ready, the walks 

 perfectly dry and close, and smooth by rolling, the 

 apparatus was set to work. A boy filled it with water, 

 lighted the fire, and put two pounds of salt to every 

 gallon of water. In three quarters of an hour the 

 water was bailing, and a man working not many 

 yards off was applied to, to pull the machine along, 

 which was more than the boy could do, but it was 

 easily managed by the two. At the moment of 

 moving the machine, the valve is opened and the 

 boiling hot solution is dispersed over a certain 

 breadth of the walk, and everything upon it having 

 life is destroyed. At each time about 30. gallons of 

 he liquid are applied to the walk, which is a suffi- 

 cient quantity to go over from 80 to 85 square yards. 

 After the apparatus is heated, the water may be 

 made to boil in about 20 minutes. 



When the gravel is firm and smooth, so as not to 

 let the solution pass too quickly through, it leaves 

 when dry a distinct crust of salt upon the surface, 

 that lasts a fortnight or three weeks in dry warm 

 weather ; and when this is the case, the operation 

 has to a certainty been successful ; for however well 

 the Moss may be established, it will turn black, and 

 curl up in flakes towards the sun, and will be washed 

 by heavy rain to the sides of the walk, where it may 

 easily be swept up ; and in three months the gravel 

 will look as though it had been scoured with soap 

 and a brush. The weeds may be so numerous as to 

 form a turf, and their fate will be that of the Moss, 

 except that their roots being deeper in the gravel, 

 are not so soon washed away by rain ; but this is of 

 little consequence, as their bleached and withered 

 leaves are after a few weeks scarcely visible. Aa 

 soon as the walks will bear it, the roller should be 

 passed over them, in order to solidify the surface, 

 and to prevent the escape so readily of the saline 

 poison during rain ; the great point being to make 

 one application effectual, in destroying not only 

 existing weeds and Moss, but also seeds of weeds 

 already in the gravel, or that may be blown upon it. 

 Mr. Fleming's first trial happened to be made 

 during hot weather, and so thoroughly was the work 



done, vnth the assistance of the sun's heat and con- 



tinued dry weather, that walks which looked blacl 

 and green with the different kinds of Mow, from 

 the windows of the mansion in April, became 

 beautifully clean by June, and they required to have 

 nothing more done to them until May last year, 

 when a few luxuriant plants of Dandelion and Poa 

 iinua intimated that a repetition of the previous 

 year's process would be the means of preventing 

 further labour for at least another year. At the 

 present moment, there is not a weed to be seen on 

 these walks ; but as a preventive is better than 

 cure, it is intended, if the weather be suitable, to go 

 over them again next month. 



The only thing that requires to be guarded against 

 is, that the Grass or Box edgings are net killed by 

 the boiling salt water coming in contact with them. 

 At Trentham, the machine is kept far enough off 

 them, and whatever weeds are missed along the 

 side of the edgings, are soon removed by hand. A 

 small ridge of sand might be laid along the edges to 

 keep off the water ; and this could soon be swept 

 up and used again further on. The apparatus which 

 Mr. Fleming had first made was too heavy ; but it has 

 since been much improved upon, and the one which 

 has been sent to the Great Exhibition can be moved 



when full by one person. Coal for the furnace, and 

 salt, is conveyed along in a barrow, and water is 

 brought in a water-barrow, ready for filling up the 

 apparatus when required. Oneperson can bring water, 

 move along the barrow with the salt, and have time 

 to pick some of the weeds from the edges, while 

 the water is boiling, and thus no time is lost. The 

 surface of gravel cleaned in this way in one day is 

 about a quarter of an acre ; and if this space w T as 

 very foul, and had to be hand-weeded, it would 

 cost from ten to twelve shillings each time, or from 

 21. to 3£. annually, while with the apparatus it 

 will cost only six shillings. As the action of the 

 salt causes rapid corrosion, care is taken to have 

 the machine thoroughly cleaned and painted, and 

 the valve well oiled before it is put by for the 

 season. 



A drive, court-yard, or walk, may be green with 

 moss and weeds, but the expence of cleaning by 

 these means will not be increased ; and it will 

 keep clean much longer than by any other method. 

 One of the greatest advantages is that when a walk 

 is once well made (which all walks to be comfort- 

 able should be), it need never be disturbed by 

 weeding-irons, turning, or, as in Scotland, by hoeing 

 and raking. Where walks are not smooth and 

 comfortable, the gardener has seldom much peace 

 until he has rendered them so ; f and all the 

 plans which we have hitherto seen for destroying 

 weeds are not merely expensive but only partially 

 successful. 



BRITISH SONG BIRDS. 



(Cage Bibds, No. 12.) 



No. XXVIII. — Turn we now, for a short season, and 

 with the kindest of motives, from our good little friends 

 the seed-birds, to give a thrice hearty welcome to their 

 amiable summer associates. I mean those sleek, trim, 

 lovely, lively, delicate u Warblers," whose advent here, 

 at this season, is so anxiously looked for by their ex- 

 pectant admirers ; and some one of whom is now arriving, 



daily, to take up his summer quarters on our hospitable 



shores. 



Who would think, to look at that tiny little white- 

 throat, and that glossy black-cap, that only a few days 

 since both were braving the elements at sea, and wing- 

 ing their flight across the troubled waters of the Medi- 

 terranean ! Yet such is the fact From Africa do they 

 start ; and little repose do they know, until they reach 



Inland. I am, 1 believe, about the first, in our parts, 



