THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



421 



: 



w exemplified. Pecul.ar facili las would 

 w- Jnifer the development on a large scale of trie ' 

 i a A7v Oeolocy. sod Ornithology. A temperate 

 ' **E T .nppUed it .11 te*s >ns. Taste would be 

 ^ . w inHifiJoali becoming familiar with obj. cts of the 

 *f*TJLT#Art in d b? viewing the more beautiful part* 

 i* - * •'-Sfciit it! deformities. Pleasant exercise could be 

 **+" nd£ «nd in erery varie'y of weather. I: would 



• drire for equestrian exercUe, for a promenade or 

 *l ,. a ' place which ild at all seasons be resorted 

 Srantafe by the m >st delicate. 



thit *tal Palace at present, wi'h its magnificent 

 r esefui and ornamental articles, is truly wonderful, 

 , .__ mMAinr be convene 1 into a Winter Park and Gar- 

 C -J Jraared I as I propose, I feel connient it wou'.d become 

 *%?«*eeitraordinar% and beautiful object. These thin 

 • ••^ i i cannot help expre.siug an earnest hope that 



will be allowed to stand, and be converted to so 

 x ait, Th co-t ->f formi _' it la the ri:--t i!i*tH-iee 

 ^Mf depend upon the extent to which my proportion 

 l?y> Should it be decided for the Building to stand, 

 llrftoto impropriated, a calculation of the cost could readily 



VEm. howerer, thought it right to state what I believe 

 1 5, the annuil outlay, if the whole were kept in first-rate 

 i to J constant repair ; of course, a less sum »uld be 

 if a high standard wis not aimed at ; and this yearly 

 be obtained either by a national grant, or by making 

 prfdinf itself self-supporting. 



Awnual Expenditure. 

 <h\ water, implen. nt.s, gravel for walks, feed- 

 anl attendance to Birds, and general superin- 



• •• 



■ - * 



■ . ■ 





r • • • • ■ • ■•- --» --- - - - -.- 



■a bp. the shore, onstantpaintinar and renewal would 

 Itrtqu-rtd; for this a Reserve Fun i sluu'd be pro. 

 riied, and by wh ch the Building might be renewed 

 far ever ... ••• 



£8,000 





- . . 



• • • 



• •» 



£4,000 



M ikinp: a t >U! of 



« • • 



... £12,0(0 



ORCHIDS FOR THE MILLION.— No. VII. 



tf B. 8. Williams, gr. to C. B. Warner, Esq , Hoddesdon. 



P*opa<; vtiow.— There are different modes of propa- 



pt ng the various kinds of Orchids ; some are easily 



lacrv.v"'! by dividing them into pieces, or by cuttinir 



tk oM pteu -lo-bulbs from the plants, after the latter 



kv< me blooming ; such plants as Dendrobiums are 



•creased in this way. The best time for dividing the 



flints is just as they begin to grow, or when they are 



at rest ; they should be cut through with a sharp knife 



between the pseudo-bulbs, being careful not to harm 



ti* roots ; each piece should have some roots attached 



to it. After they are cut through they should be 



parted, potted, and put in some shady part of 



the house, without receiving much water at the 



roots till they have begun to grow and make fresh one3, 



then they may have a good supply. Dendrobium nobile, 



ri-r.-UMi, puk'hellum, macrophyllum, Devonianum. and 



■milar growing sorts, are easily propagated. This is 



dFected by bending the old pseudo bulbs round the 



et or pots in which they are growing, or by cutting 



the old flowering bulbs away from the plant, and laying 



them on some damp moss, in a shady and warm part of 



toe house, with a good supply of moisture. After they 



bwak and make roots, they may be potted, or put in 



biakets. Such as D. Jenkinsii, D. aggregatum, D. formo- 



, D. speciosum, D. densiflorum, and similar growing 



wts, are increased by dividing the plants. 



Aendes, Vandas, Angraecums, Saccolabiums, Cama- 

 rws, Renantherag, and similar growing sorts, are all 

 propagated by cutting the tops off the plant just below 

 we first root, or by taking the young growths from the 

 tottorn of the plant ; after they have formed roots, 

 they should be cut off with a sharp knife, and after- 



W ^fk ^ Ut - ° n ^ oc ^ s or m baskets with some sphagnum, 

 *d kept in a warm and damp part of the house, with- 

 out receiving much water, till they have begun to grow, 

 *hen they may have a good supply. Odontoglossums, 

 Uncidiums, Zygopetalums, Sobralias, Trichopilias, 

 Sfrchopeas, Schomburgkias, Peristerias, Mormodes, 

 tiltonias, Lycastes, Leptotes, Lselias, Galeandras, 

 ydendrums, Cyrtopodiums, Cyrtochilums, Cyrnbi- 

 jfems, Cycnoches, Coryanthes, Coelogyne, Cattleyas, 

 Ctlanthes, Brassias, Bletias, Barkerias, Aspasias, are 

 *« propagated by dividing them into pieces, each having 

 •portion of the roots attached to it, and a young bulb 

 *• the pseudo-bulb. ^ 



Phaius albus is very easily increased : the best way 

 ■ to cut the old pseudo-bulbs off after the young ones 

 we begun to flower, that is, just before the plant has 

 *Me its growth. The pseudo-bulbs should be cut into 

 pe*es about 6 inches long, and then put into a pot in 

 **ae silver sand, with a bell-glass over them, till they 

 we struck root ; they should then be potted in some 

 ^rous peat, and should have good drainage, and a 

 f*wi supply of water in the growing season. 



Some of the Epidendrums are readily propagated, 

 *Kh as einnabarinum and crassifolium ; these will 

 ^plants on the tops of the old flower- stalks ; they 

 wild i be left to grow till they have made their growth, 



yywmW then be cut off and potted, and thev will 



**n make good plants. Some Dendrobriums will also 

 j£» plants ou the tops of the old pseudo-bulbs, and 

 **y should be treated in the same way. 



W THE MODE OF MAKING BASKETS, AND THE BEST W OO D 



S l J, HAT PlRP0SE - — Etoeks or baskets are most suitable 

 «ue air plants, such as Vandas, Saccolabiums, Aerides, 

 or ^ rit " 1 c J lms ' Phalsenopsis, &c. ; when planted in baskets 

 on blocks, they send out their roots much stronger 

 £• the air, and suck up the moisture ; whereas, if 



^ -— * ■ ■** «*i copper- wire, wmen is very durable, 

 , prefer those made of wood, though they do not 



7* »o lonor. — ■ - - - 



forth 



various materials are used for formin 



ttose 



They look better, and are more suitable 

 e roots of the plants to cling to. The best 

 ^wood is Maple, or Hazel, and the best baskets 

 of a square shape. The wood should be cut 



into lengths according to the size of basket required, 

 but do not make them too large ; there are two objections 

 to this — one is that they take up much space, the other, 

 that the plants do not require much room ; after the wood 

 is cut into proper lengths, the pieces should be bored 

 within 1 inch from the ends, taking care to have all the 

 holes bored the same distance ; there should be four 

 lengths of copper wire, one for each corner ; the wire 

 should be put through each piece of wood, and brought 

 up to form the handle for suspending the plants from 

 the roofing. Iron wire should never be used in making 

 baskets, for it is probably injurious to the plants. 



The best kinds of wood for blocks are Acacia, Apple, 

 Pear, Plum, or Cork, if it can be obtained. The wood 

 should be cut into lengths, according to the sizes 

 required ; get some nails and drive one at each end with 

 some copper wire, to form the handle, wind the wire 

 round each nail, and have the handle about 10 inches 

 high. Small copper nails are the best by which to fasten 

 the plants on the blocks. 



i 



BRITISH SONG BIRDS. 



IT 



o 



(Cage Birds, No. 20.) 



No. XXXVI. — We have now arrived at our penulti- 

 mate chapter. Let me, therefore, once more impress 

 most forcibly on the minds of my readers, before partin 

 company with the nightingale, that these birds form the 

 strongest of all possible attachments — att hments 

 which, when once formed, know no change ; unle-s 

 indeed, they be cruelly slighted, or thought! sly 

 neglected. They do not at all recognise the legal axiom 



* Qui faclt per aliu/ti, facit per a«." No rvan 

 therefore, no giddy child, must have the care of them. 

 If you have endeared yourself to them by personal 

 attention, you must continue to minister to their wants 

 and their pleasures, and feed them with your own hand. 



To a true lover of the feathered tribe, these demands 

 on their affectionate r» ird will be anything but irksome, 

 for, next to loving, what can exceed the pleasure of being 

 loved ? unless, indeed, it be the knowlcdyt of tliat 

 pleasing fact — a knowledge, by the way, that we cannot 

 on every "particular occasion" directly arrive at, much 

 being left, mi rerum natura, for hopeful, painful, pleasure- 

 able conjecture. I have heard of well-authentieated 

 cases, in which nightingales have pined gradually away 

 from the very day they were handed over to the care of 

 a stranger ; refusing their food, and turning melancholy. 

 It has been beautifully remarked, that "love is strong 

 as death." These sweet little innoc<nts are faithful 

 expositors of the fact, and here let me make a slight 

 digression. 



One of the regular subscribers to the 





heard." Nor does he wander far into our northern 

 manufacturing counti* Ho shows his good taste 



therein. There has been a "pretty" reason assigned 

 for his seceding from Devonshire. The fair lassies of 

 that favoured spot, are, it is said, gifted with heavenly 

 voices ; and sing so sweetly withal, that our bard of 

 song feels he can have "no position" there.* His 

 gallantry, therefore, and excellent judgment, cause him 

 to direct his flight to other less-favoured parts. I secretly 

 incline, however, to the belief that he does visit Devon- 

 shire—not as a " performer " indeed, but as a "listener;" 

 for the Devonshire syrens are, be it known, lovely cho- 

 risters, — Hommage aux dames/ Do not let us, for one in- 

 stant, deprive them, even in thought, of the happy 

 conceit that exists in their praise* 



Why our hero has banished himself from the pic- 

 turesque scenery of Wales, does not so clearly appear. 

 The Welsh harpists and the warbling Jenny Jones-es — 

 attractive though the former, and charming though the 

 latter be — yet come not up to his mark. Perhaps his tribo 

 have been undervalued in times gone by— their vocal 

 powers not duly appreciated. Hence, the punishment 

 of the Principality has been condign. 



We can more readily comprehend why his lovely 

 face and transporting voice have been avert, d from 

 Ireland. His song can never be sung in that ill-fated 

 country. Even the skylarks, there, forsake their natural 

 food, and with morbid greediness prey on the germ of 

 the young budding corn. It is said that they devastate, 

 in armies, whole acres of land by th r voracious appe- 

 tites. Joyous by nature as our English lark, the Irish 

 I Ark has "attempted" to rise on the wing, and chant 

 his heavenly anthem, but could not. Vox faucibus 

 hmit! He cannot sing — neither can the nightingale— 

 " the Lord's song in so strange a land." William Kidd 9 

 New Road, Hammersmith. 



TRADE MEMORANDA. 

 Hlom field, Bradley, and Watson. 



Gardeners 



Chronicle, who, in common with many others, feels an 

 uncommon degree of anxiety on the subject of " taming" 

 birds, recently consulted me at some length by letter,* 

 and wished me to enlarge upon this. A few sentences, 

 however, judiciously expressed, will suffice for the 

 desired end. 



We have no direct means of divining the u why and 

 because" of certain predilections, and prejudices, ob- 

 ervable in birds and other animals. We daily see 

 actions among them for which we cannot in any way 

 account. Thus, for instance, if a dog enter a room full 

 of company, you shall presently observe him make a 

 careful tour of the apartment, sniffing first at one, and 

 then at another of the assembled guests. Towards 

 some, his tail will be seen to wag with every symptom 

 of kindliness and good-will ; whilst towards others, he 

 will, with tail deflected, show unmistakeable signs of 

 suspicion, perhaps of disgust. Depend upon it the 

 animal's discernment is rarely at fault. I would willingly 

 be guided by such a Mentor. 



Just so is it with the feathered race. Some masters 



11 



and mistresses can never tame their birds ; never get 

 them to be on terms of intimacy. The cause is evident. 

 There are no feelings of affection in common between 

 them. They do not love their birds. The latter know 

 as much ; and are assuredly aware that they are kept 

 simply for the sake of furnishing amusement. I have 

 noted the same unerring sagacity with all my squirrels. 

 They would instantly detect any person who might be 

 preparing, or wishing, to play them off some practical 

 joke, and would, to my great delight, fasten on them at 

 oncej — paying handsomely, and in full, for all favours 

 "about to be" received. It was, Jiowever, impossible 

 for me to anger them. They too well knew the friend- 

 liness of my disposition, — seeing what merry romps and 

 gambols we had together, both by day and night ; up- 

 stairs, down stairs, and in the garden. No doubt it is 

 a wise provision of Nature, thus to endow our little 

 friends with instinctive powers of perception. The face 

 is the index of the mind. They read our character when 

 they catch our eye. But to return. 



The nightingale is a remarkable bird for more reasons 

 than one. He is of the most peculiar habits too, whilst 

 sojourning in this country. In some of our most beau- 

 tiful counties, his visits are unknown. He religiously 

 avoids them ; and if caught and let loose there, his exit 

 is as speedy as his entrance. Thus, for instance, he dis- 

 cards, among other beautiful localities, Wales and 

 Devonshire^ In these places, " his voice is never 



* See " Anpwera to Correspondents.— Arabella C." In the 

 Gardeners' Chronicle, June 7th. 



t The fact of the nightingale not being ever heard or 9een in 

 Devonshire— a most astounding truth— is, I observe, again re- 

 cently confirmed in the Naturalist, Monthly Magazine, No. 4. 

 It. A. Julian, Esq., a very intelligent and watchful correspond- 

 ent of this interesting work, writing from Lara H«.»use, Ply- 

 mouth, sajs—" I hav* never observed either the nightingale or 

 reed warbler in Devonshire ; although I have seen them both 

 tolerably numerous in all our Midland counties." 







Home Correspondence. 



Wilms. — I have generally bean a most sin sful 

 Melon grower ; last year, however, the crop failed 

 without my being able to account for it. Tiie plants 

 this year were put into the bed on the 1st May, and 

 progressed most favourably. Ten days ago there was 

 an abundant show of blossoms, and everything in favour 

 of a good croj). The surface of the bed has been kept 

 dry, plenty of air given, water withheld — in fact the 

 management precisely the same as in years previous ; 

 nevertheless I am again disappointed. Only two of the 

 blossoms set at all, and the fruit a week old is not 

 larger than a Walnut. Some few of the other blossoms 

 appeared inclined to set, seemed to hesitate for a day or 

 two, and then turned yellow. I am completely puzzled 

 how to account for this entire failure, and hope you will 

 be able to throw some light on the subject. I have now 

 cut the plants completely in, and am giving water over 

 the foliage in hopes of getting a second show of 

 blossoms. R B. [Have you not set them before tho 

 plants were strong enough to carry them ?] 



Fleming* s Tar Paint. — I observe, at page 405, an 

 attack by " L. L., Shrewsbury/' on the tar paint I some 

 time ago introduced to the notice of the public. If 

 " L. L." will take the trouble to favour me with his real 

 address, I might perhaps think it worth while to refer 

 him to several respectable parties who have " not failed, 

 aud who have not had the tar * washed off." I will 

 undertake more. If " L. L." has really a fire-barrow 

 that takes two men to move it (and I almost conclude 

 from his letter that he found two necessary), I would 

 call to see it as a matter of curiosity, should business at 

 anytime lead me to his neighbourhood; when I might, 

 perhaps, convince him against his will that the tar, when 

 properly applied, would be perfectly dry and hard in a 

 few hours, and that it cannot possibly wash off. My 

 mode of killing weeds has also been noticed by " L. L.," 

 and I beg to tell him that in these experiments I have 

 been guided by figures, over which there is no getting ; 

 but there is a certain class of people in whose hands 

 the best of plans and implements are useless. G. F. 

 [It is evident that the tar cannot wash off if it is applied 

 as Mr. Fleming recommended.] 



The late C/ieltenham Flovr Show. — As one of the 

 judges at the Horticultural Exhibition at Cheltenham, 

 my attention has been directed to a remark in the 

 Cottage Gardener, June 19th, p. 174, which I quote :— 

 " The inhabitants of Cheltenham had a chance of esta- 

 blishing one of the finest shows in England, having 

 the advantage of a heavy subscription. But they 

 farmed the exhibition out to private speculators, who 

 turned out one of the worst schedules .that was ever 

 printed, promised the most ridiculous prizes, cut them 

 down after they were fairly won, and were actually 

 threatened with law proceedings before even some of 

 these were paid. It may be improved, but it will never 

 be what it might have been with good management" 

 Such a paragraph, if left uncontradicted, would be a slur: 

 on the character ,of the censors ; I take the liberty, 

 therefore, of submitting a statement of the case to you, 

 along with a schedule of the prizes and a list of the 



• My correspondent, " Amicus Volucrum," is quite right in 

 his remarks about Buffon, Bechstein, and other ipeculatiru 

 commentators on the nightingale. They run riotously wild in 

 their description of his imagined song, losing light entirely of 

 the harmony of his improvised gushes of melody. No person 

 can give any adequate verbal desc iption of the nightingale s 

 song. The happiness of the bird is so perfect, his abandon to 

 the inspiration of his muse so complete, that there U no end to 

 the variety of his expressed note*. 



