4/2 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



nas 



nothing more. 



be again quoted, for they are apocryphal " facts " in 

 modtrn times. The capon can be located but for a very 

 little season with the hens, before he is * found out," 

 and « served out." With regard to placing eggs under 

 a hen about to sit, Mr. Boswell says, * never use any 

 without having first examined them by candle-light, to 

 know whether they be fecundated, and of what sex the 

 bird that is forthcoming will be." We feel quite sure 

 that no oracular opinion can be safely deduced from this 

 silly operation. Sometimes a tolerable "guess" *»*■ 

 been made- 

 The advi 



recording at tins season : * Beware of superfluous mois- 

 ture, whether external or internal. It is death to 

 chickens ; therefore all slop victuals should be rigour- 

 ously avoided. The utmost cleanliness is necessary, and 

 a dry gravelled layer is most proper." The author's 

 remarks on the diseases of poultry are also worthy 

 attention ; only let us add, that when a sick fowl 

 does not quickly show signs of amendment, the " knife " 

 is the most, and only, efficient remedy. If poultry 

 were properly attended to % and their wants carefully 

 provided for, illness would be of rare occurrence. We 

 speak from long experience. 



As for clean water, given fresh once at least daily, 

 this is indispensable. Strange to say, neglect in this 

 matter almost universally prevails ; and hence the nu- 

 merous "questions" unnecessarily and continually put 

 by « correspondents" Mr. Boswell has spoken well, 

 and truly, on a multitude of useful topics connected with 

 his subject, and in so saying we give him but his due. 





Calendar of Operations. 



(For the ensuing week.) 



PLANT DEPARTMENT. 



Pelargoniums w r hich have done blooming should be 



cut down, and the old plants set in an open place till 



they have begun to break, when they should be shaken 



out and re-potted in smaller sized pots. Cuttings should 



be taken of the best varieties, as they will strike now, 



in the open ground, with greater freedom than they will 



at any time during the year, if coddled up by bottom 



heat and so forth ; besides which, the plants they 



produce are healthier, more robust, and form handsome 



specimens in a shorter space of time. Proceed by 



loosening the soil of a south border, and by mixing a 



little sand with it if required ; after which insert the 



cuttings 3 inches apart, fastening them well with the 



thumb and fore finger. If very dry weather occur, it 



will be necessary to water them occasionally ; but, if 



possible, defer this till their bases are cicatrised over. 



As soon as they have made a few fresh leaves, they can 



be taken up, potted into 3 and 4-inch pots, and placed 



for a few days in a close frame ; after which they may 



be gradually exposed to the sun and air. The watering 



of Chrysanthemums which are being prepared for early 



winter flowering should be carefully attended to, or they 



will lose their lower leaves, by which the appearance of 



the plant will be spoiled, and the production of useless 



suckers encouraged. Old plants which were planted 



out for the purpose of layering, should now have the 



points of the shoots pegged down ; after this preliminary 



operation, the points will re-erect themselves, and in a 



week s time they may be layered in small pots, plunged 



immediately under the bent portion of the shoot. Attend 



to the repotting of the established plants, as often as 



they require it. Nothing is so bad as to allow the roots 



to become cramped in the pots. The situation in which 



Chrysanthemums are setjshould be perfectly open to the 



sun and a free circulation of air ; and the roots may be 



kept ma more equable state, by plunging the pots to the 



run in fine coal ashes 



FORCING DEPARTMENT. 



„™ .t • rT 1 ? Vines which have completed their 

 growth, ripened their leaves, and are showing an evident 

 desire to go to rest, should have as much air as possible 

 lest the summer heat should induce them to start a-ain 

 into growth The side, front, and back upright ven- 

 tilators, should always remain open ; and when a suffi- 

 cient amount of ventilation is not attainable by these 



m 1 ^ f enda ° f the sashes should be Popped 



louTe In vtr^ f fre \ cil ™ ]a tion of air through the 

 £T; J r A* Y W , et Weather also > this P 1 ™ w preferable 



e^ntaal to keep the soil dry, tahn it is to keep the atmo- 

 sphere cool duping the season of rest. To this end the out 

 side border should from this time be covered Si a tar- 

 paulin or some other contrivance during rainy weather. 



PSACH-HOUSES, APRfCOTS, axd Cherries. L Let no 



tZ£\ he *V*™ d that "TO contribute to keep the 

 foliage healthy and clean as long as possible, bv main- 



soU 7Z T\ m0i . 8t * ta «* h «*- Take care that the 

 soil of the borders inside the house does not get too dry, 

 or this will cause the plants to shed their leaves pre- 



ZZ*? y ' 9 a 5?' °u S e . other hand > do not a »™ * to ff et 

 too wet, or the half-npened buds will burst. 



tllTf T/ K Jet «**<«?' a somewhat drier atmo- 

 sphere should be preserved on its account. Figs - 

 W here these are now ripening, the house must be kept 

 somewhat drier, but at the same time the state of the 



« JT t t?S& Wat <? ed > leSt H ^ t0 ° ^7, id 

 cause the fruit to drop off. Beware of red snider 



which is particularly apt to establish itself at such a 



crisis, when the swelling fruits are making so kr-e 



SiiST V P i°- n th . e energieS ° f the P lants > **d a re 

 tnereby checking m some measure their vigorous 



growth. This is an evil which must be cHj 



Vineries. 



FLOWER GARDEN AND SHRUBBERIES. 



At this season there is always abundance of work 

 requiring immediate attention, which can only be done 

 by concentrating all available force upon it, and pro- 

 ceeding with it in a progressive manner ; taking care, 

 by vigilant superintendence, that each portion is finished 

 before another is commenced. Numberless plants are 

 demanding additional staking and tying, to prevent them 

 from breaking down. Many beds and patches of early 

 flowering annuals are now past their prime, and should 

 be removed, filling their places with the gayest things 

 that can be selected from the reserve garden. These 

 matters should not be neglected even for a day, as a 

 garden should at all times, if possible, present a 

 scene of progressive beauty, to which end every effort 

 should be made to conceal or alter anything which 

 would give it a declining or fading appearance. 

 Advantage should be taken of favourable weather 

 to do many jobs in the reserve garden, such as 

 thinning and transplanting young annuals, biennials, and 

 perennials, and various plants which stand too close toge- 

 ther in their seedling beds. The propagation of half- 

 hardy plants for next season, should be commenced as 

 soon as that of the hardier species'mentioned in former 

 week's Calendars is completed. The propagation of 

 many plants, of which a great quantity is required, is 

 sometimes rendered difficult by their tendency to produce 

 nothing but flowering shoots ; by closely cutting in a few 

 of the plants, this difficulty will be obviated, as they will 

 thereby be induced to throw out strong young shoots, 

 which strike with the greatest facility. This hint applies 

 to some kinds of Calceolarias, Lobelias, Petunias, Del- 

 phinium grandiflorum, and many other plants of a similar 

 character. While the shoots of these are preparing, 

 operations may at once commence with scarlet Pelargo- 

 niums, which should be propagated early, to allow them 

 time to become established and hardened before winter. 

 They are easily propagated in any situation from a slight 

 bottom heat to the front of a south wall. The latter 

 method is of course the best at this season, as they never 

 fail to strike, and there is no trouble with them until 

 ready for potting. About London, some thousands of 

 Geranium cuttings are struck in the open ground without 

 protection. 



FLORISTS' FLOWERS. 



Let us advise all those amateurs who are anxious to 

 improve the already beautiful races of Carnations and 

 Pico-tees, to try what they can do in the way of cross 

 breeding ; now will be a good time to perform the 

 operation. Some varieties are more prolific in pollen 

 or farina than others ; the anthers or male organs 

 which produce it are low down in the calyx, and will 

 have to be sought there. Flowers to be hybridrised 

 should not have their pods tied round with thread, for a 

 split calyx is rather convenient than otherwise, and free 

 exposure to the sun and air is conducive to their well 

 doing. The two " horns," as they are improperly called, 

 which are the female organs or pointals, are the parts 

 to be fecundated, and this must be done, by extracting 

 the anthers with a very thin pair of ivory tweezers, and 

 applying them covered as they are with farina to these 

 parts ; a little practice and observation will soon enable 

 the amateur to seize the right time, as the sooner the 

 farina is applied after the anther has burst the better, 

 and we may also observe, that warm and sunny weather 

 in the middle of the day will be found the best period 

 for the operation. Much improvement has taken place 

 of late years in these flowers, but there is yet abundant 

 room for improvement in some of the classes. Take 

 especial care that the aphis or plant louse does not 

 congregate on the points of the Dahlias ; brush them 

 off on their first appearance, much after labour will 

 thus be saved ; should dry weather set in, regular 

 watering is imperative. Stake out, disbud and thfn as 

 the plants may require it. 



Birds : The 



Goldfinch : % ^%. 



Q2U3. The 



has worn him oat. He 



ln <*ea*d iff 1 * 



i f ! thma *» lU 



relief. Onth 



and -end-hiT-s^ngV ^mC'^V^MSfS 



under wattr. A few strii/rle* £.5 V* f ? r a fewmlj 



fatal symptoms of his bei^' oTthe ^^^^15 

 It were an act of mercy *mfanfi... . ~**im 



feathers and otherwise disfiguring a\VL pic . kia l °* lb 



body, is one to which ca^birdTa " J?? 111 * 



and one which is not always very ea^i v c"^^ 



about the room every raornimr aftpr a . * Le{ kur 

 tho .Kilwin,... on,i ,i "_"-&' at . ter ^st careful;. 





the windows ; and place a saucer Wf U «iV ? arefu 

 the table II. wil? as a/hTi^' %- 

 sure id splashing himself all over- and %k tikf l^ 

 his feather., when he retires from the bath tfiiT 11 *** 

 attention from his usual bad habits 'fr 

 degrees, you may in this simple wav d-Wv Which - k 

 hard-boiled yolk of egg, and some ripe cSok J a A ■« 



then: these, and «nv H,« WQ „;„ t . ? e V h,c ^ed, ~* 



mil, 



lU 



"<*V V * «»«"»»« uupuaeTer wim nauseous undent. 3 

 milder measures will answer the Durnnto Jt« •! , •.**■ 



remark! 



very 



W, JT.-The Je«nt Wren: Ob^Zr^"™^}** 



a nest of young wrens recently hatched i^m" jrwdtt**! 



' I* 

 « 



State of the Weather near London, for the weet endinz Ju'y 24 1°51 

 aa obterved at the Horticultural Garden, Chiswick. ' * 



1« 

 j9 



Friday.. 

 Satur. .. 

 Sunday . CO 

 Monday 21 

 Tuea. 

 Wed. 



Thura. 



• * 



• • 



19 

 20 

 21 



2i 2 \ 



Babomitrr, 



TtMPlfciTRRR, 



Of the Air. Of the Earth ' Wind. 



24 



25 



Max. 



29.950 



:o 



29.775 



29.979 

 30.03* 



39.737 



29.5 ,3 





I 



Min. Max. Min. Mean 



29.893 



29.. y 06 

 29.708 

 29.960 

 29.P06 

 2 ,0 

 29.473 



1 foot 2 feet 

 4eep. 



72 



71 



72 



72 



76 



71 

 60 



39 



50 

 42 

 58 



57 



53 



ooJt 



61.5 



01.0 



57.;S 

 07 





59* 

 59 



00 i 

 60 i 



61 

 61 



d^ep. 



574 



mother appears to me to have built the nest as° v*>ii , 

 the eggs, and sat the whole allotted period- this a* < 

 my observation goes, quite unassisted by'h-r ' mal . 

 feeds them, also, most assiduously • and it i 3 U 



observe how indefatigably she forages about to procorll! 

 all the delicacies ot the se?4son. Her tamenes* fa $urr 

 for she goes in and out of her nest while I am ^ 

 and admiring her activity. Instinct, doubtless teiebw J 

 that, as I knew her hiding place-a most cu^n'injr one 

 from the time of her selecting it, and left her LJ 

 until now— she may safely complete what Bho has soiS 

 ciously begun. By the way, she has a mate livin )r HJ 

 frequently hear his voice, though I seldom ge7 a mmS 

 him. W. K. ^ 



Fences : O M L. You may cut Laurel hedges now with itfe 4 * 

 Grapes : « r X. The Eschcolata superba is, we believe m 

 different from the Muscat of Ah-xandria. It is a win* 

 Grape, hut we suspect that other kinds pass under the num. 

 Insects : W P L. The larger single caterpillar upon the I* 

 nip leaves is that of the common green veined white bu: 

 and the amall ones are those of Cerostoma p rrectelli* 

 Xylostella, a small moth. From their small size, and th 

 fact of their feeding on the underside of the leaves, an 

 application of dry lime or soot on the upper side of the lean 

 could hardly be efficacious. We would recommend nibs 

 the lime or soot to be made into a thick liquid by the heJptf 

 gas-tar water or soap-suds, nnd the plants to be dressed tidi 

 this mix'ure several times, which, if they are in drills, wifi 

 not hi difficult. W, — H R D. We found a single specunttrf 

 three different minute insects on your Turnip leares. tii 

 very young caterpillar of some moth (probablj Ajrrota 

 segetum), that ot a small beetle, and an aphis. Notknoria? 

 which of these is the chief cau«e of the mischief, vectiaJf 

 refer you to the preceding answer. TT.— A M 0. The !it& 



1 beetles hatched oue of the oval membranous ca s es iretht 

 water b^tony weevil (Cionus scrophulariss), and the cam 

 mistaken for seeds are their cocoons. (See the historjd 

 this insect in Gard. Chron. p. 223-1849.) W. 



Names of Plants : Erzerovm, 785. Argyrolobium ; 313, Jfe& 

 cago sativa.— A Young Botanist. Trifolium amine and the 

 male of the common Hemp, wretched specimens.-fl J C, 

 1, Triticu'ii repens ; 2, Agrostis alba; 4, A^rosUs vuUani; 

 5, Agrostis canina ; 6, Ho'xus mollis; 7, Bromw iieruis; 

 9, Aira cajspitosa ; the rest such bad specimen* that uej 

 cannot be determined.—^ B. Quercus coccmea.-£ S I 

 The common Silver Fir, Picea pectinata, or Abies Ficea, 



Orthogr Ai'ii y : C E. The name is Aerides ; where do yoa M 

 Dr. Lindley spelling it 2E ides ? 



Roses : A Lady. Your Rose is the old Double yellow UK 

 The reason why it is so little grown iS^J"" 

 seldom expands its flowers. We are informed by M« 

 Lane that they have had this Rose in their nurserjM 

 years, and that it only bloomed once during w« l .™£ 

 SHF. Nearly all the Hybrid Perpetual 1 Roses *"!£ 

 from cuttings, either in pots or in a border. ADejmv 

 made in a similar way to Geranium cuttings.?-^ * _ 

 you term blight is a very common deformity of lfie *J£J 

 in an excessive state. The part* which, under orwj 

 circumstances become carpels (Seed-vessel^ naveaii»^ 

 into little Roses. It is in this way that tn 

 phology become d monstrated. C^use unknown. 



Sheubs, Ac : Y Z. The following hare been found to» 

 stand the sea-breeze satisfactorily, viz., lam^ ^ :l 

 teria formosa, Spirsei aria3f'olia, common H W^ p^ 



that the truths ot ** 



Berberi* aquifolium 



N W 

 S W. 



I 



ATCtagft . . t ' 29^8" 29.7-W 7 .5 3D 1 



60 3 i 60 I 



)S 



S W. 



&9f 

 594 



w. 



E. 



M 



E. 



5?i 



s.w. 



5S3 



- 



.00 



Al 



.00 

 .CO 

 .08 



•7 

 .£8 



U7 



July 



!S~2s? SS 1 ; clou ' 1 5 r and fine ; ool<i at n^ht. 



lS*£ n * tll J noo . n '• rH,n i heavy rain at p.m. 

 *>-Fioe- densely clouded ; n„e. 



2'-Very fine throughout; coM at uizht. 



2J— W7 haz-; very tine; clear at niche. 



23-Ra!n; dull and hazy; thunder; constant heavy ra J n 



24 -Heavy ^ain; oveic**t at *nfht. ' 



Mean temperature of the week. 2 dec. below the average. 



and sessiliflora; Alnus cordata, Ulmus ruD.a 5 

 itricta ; and the different varieties ot Oratseg u.. ♦ ^ rf 



The Ccckoo: J ML Mr. D. is a .^^^.edfe** 

 science, and we cannot permit him to _bf * QQ ^ , * 

 terms as you have employed, which are not 

 columns of any respectable paper. ^ th« 



Tree Onions : JS asks to be informed hovv to ^ ^ 



cultivation of the Tree Onion ; those he has pi an ^ 



the bottom, in place of the top? 0n 5W s »h,dforeji 



from whom he had the plants, he said *. • i( j.S. 



them too much, in planting them in too » « c {* ftt botto* 



^-^Hthem in poor soil, but they still bear 



ite satisfied it i* the right plant, ana 



has tried 

 He is quite 



explanation of the cause of his »ilurc. doneasl*; e J 



Watering: W N. Watering should always oe.^ ^ 



the day possible; the evening is the 1 proj 

 useless to water at 3 o'clock in ^e aftern^n m for# 

 Zinc Labels : E. See p. *37 of our advertising coiu 

 present year. 



"Where 



i 



i 



State of the Weather at Chiswick, dunn* the bat U years, for the 



euauing week, ending Auga-t 2, ISSI. 



July and 

 August. 



9i " 



Ml 



?8& 



ilj 



4 

 V 



Si 



Sunday 27 



Mon 28 



Txies. » 



Wed. 30 



Thurs. 31 

 Friday ] 



Sat ur. 2 







11- 



51.fi 



#6-7 



53.8 



75.6 



51.4 



73^ 



5J.J 



74.fi 



50.6 



T&-4 | 



51.2 



74J ! 



53.4 I 



est 



65 3 

 «.« 



62.3 



64.1 



No. of 

 T<»ars id 

 which it 



Rained. 



9 



11 

 11 

 13 



30 



11 

 13 





Greatest 

 Quant iry 

 of Rain: 2? 



Prevailing Winds. 



0.56 in. 



f> 3 1 

 0.88 



I. 

 0, 



1 

 2 



1 



Bff 



3 3 1 



as 5 . ^ 



r 4 



2 6 



12 2 13 6 



n 4 

 7 p 



4 1 2 



3 3 3 1 I 



2 3 2- 3 67 



1 2 5 2 3 fi 6 _ 



1 3 2- 7 7 3' 2 



■ 



Calceolarias: J P. Spoile 



;q FLOWERS. ^t 



to coming throu|M h ;X 

 rk variety, and *P?«\ 



Worth cultivating. W ^ wbi£e 



rt 



Fcchsias : G C. A nice dark variety, auu -r^ veryjjf 

 free bloomer w^'h rnltivatinjr.*— J ■*• . ^him &0r 



3 



3 

 3 



1 



2 



warded against. 



The highest temperatur* during the aboffl ©♦•riod t**rmmA «- *v ■, . 

 Augu.r 1846 -therm. 92 d« : a J the iowe«oa tttoFm .J^iv 

 and 1st Auguat, 1842-therm. 42 deg. * 5i3 and 184 *» 



fear, to become a favourite. --» *Ha bri^tcriw»rr al 



kind ; tube and sepals pure white, corolla o * ^ ^ m w 

 Pelabgonicms : S J T. Too much sbmeue r 



to «ffer any opinion on it* , . w hicb ^^.yA 



Petdnias : J M. The dry cotton ™°°** n t u e blooaWi **Z 



packed had absorbed all moisture from ^^ u ,, im 



were quite shrivelled up when tn % wn p ap«r. , , # 

 should have been wrapped in damped b ^ w b J n rec*** 

 V As usual, many communication^ w r { tha nejj, 



late, and others are unavoidably <***£* for tbe ^mS? 

 Inquiries can be made. We must al80 ^ K in gerti^ of w 

 Of th se numerous correspondents, v« 

 interesticg contributions is still deiayeu. 









