





,$*?^;-*. ■ 



hhw^ 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



%r\ 



limal kingdoms liad led to the adoption of theories j many of them will decide against Spenser, * shall a't 



- ' — — ■ - u " : ^ *~- —^4—4 once descend to the old common-place consideration of 



proper habitations, food, and treatment for birds in con- 





A- » ™ ~* — «niption that required proof. The, V leave, however, each one of our reader- to d« , me that his trees did not average more than a sinde 



ESss •»•' looking for analogies between the regetable the point for themselves : and as we tsd Mm thai very fruit each ; others us equally as bare. 



le physiology which were quite inconsistent 

 Sfcthe simplicity of the structure of plants. In order 



' ll - - 1 - —' ' — A finement : and first, a fitting cage for the black-caj 



19 advance the science of vegetable physiology, we mas 



t x oaf Sltointinn OB the ftinctioiH of the cell, and di*- 



re all theories which were not compatible with our 

 knowledge of its functions. 



ORCHIDS FOR THE MILLION.— No. XI. 



■t B. 8- William?. *r. to C. B. Wabhei, Esq , II oddesd«»n. 



' cicnoekes I igetii, from Surinam, flowers, in June 

 and July. The blossoms are greenish yellow, with a 

 white lip ; urows he- in a pot, in fibrous peat and good 

 £raina*e, and it should be placed at the warmest part of 

 £e house, and should receive a good supply of water at 

 tfce roots, when growing ; hut after it has finished its 

 mirth, it should be kept rather dry and cool. 



Cycnoche* vent *osum, from Guatemala, flowers from 

 June to August. It lasts three or four weeks in bloom. 



bicolor, a charming little Orchid, from Brazil, 

 IMS white and purple blossoms, which last three weeks 

 beauty. It succeeds satisfactorily in a pot in fibrous 

 peat, with a good supply of heat and moisture daring 

 the growing season. 



Pkaius a is. — This stately Indian plant flowers in 

 Julv and Atigu- The blossoms are pure white, the 

 lip being pencilled with purple. It is a difficult plant to 



eultivat I have been more successful than some of my 

 neighbours in its management. My method is to plant 

 in I well drained pot in fibrous peat. If the plant 1>. 

 in a dormant state, which may be known by its baring 

 its leaves, it should then be placed in a cool house 

 for the winter, in a temperature of from 50° to 60°, 

 during which time too much water must be guarded 

 sgainst, only giving it sufficient to keep the pseudo- 

 bulbs from bhri veiling ; after it has had a rest it will 



■-> > 



begin lo grow, but it should be kept in the cool house 

 until the shoots are about an inch long, it should then 

 be repotted in rough fibrous peat with good drainage, 



and it should afterwards have a good supply of heat and 

 moisture ; it may l»e freely watered at the roots, and 

 when the plant begins to flower, it should be placed in 

 a cooler part of the house. It remains long in per- 

 fection if the bio- mis are kept dry. 



Cypriped caudatum. — A curious Orchid from 

 Peru, which succeeds best in a pot in peat, with good 

 drainage ; it likes a good supply of heat and moisture 

 during the growing season, but it should not be allowed 

 to become dry. 



1' ' stapt let from Brazil ; flowers in June 



and July ; it grows best in fibrous peat placed on good 

 drainage. The blooms remain long in perfection. 



Annul i densa, comes from Singapore. It grows 

 best in a pot, in peat, and good drainage ; it should be 

 watered freely when it is growing, and it should never 

 be allowed to become very dry. 



/ lus earnosiflomSf from Mexico ; flowers in 

 October and November. It succeeds best in a pot, in 

 peat, ftnd good drainage. The blossoms remain but a 

 short time in beauty. 



Ar pkyllum giganteum, comes from Guatemala. It 

 succeeds in a well-drained pot, in peat and leaf-mould. 

 It likes a good supply of water during the growing sea 

 ion, but afterwards it should be kept drier. 



A ruloa Ruckeri. — Grows well in a pot in fibrous peat 

 and plenty of drainage, with a good supply of water 

 raring the growing season. It flowers in June and July. 



Ataxillai , ta {major), is a free blooming plant 

 from the Brazils. It flowers from October to Decem- 

 ber, and remains two weeks in perfection. The blos- 

 soms are yellow, spotted with red and purple. It grows 

 best in a pot in fibrous peat and good drainage, with a 

 good supply of heat and moisture during the growing 

 •eason ; afterwards it should be kept cool and rather dry. 



BRITISH SONG BIRDS. 



(Cage Birds, No. 25). 



No. XLL— Now, if ever, is the time to be " happy." 

 The sun rejoice* in the majesty of his great power ; the 

 country, redolent of smiles and serenity, presents us with 

 beauties inexhaustible,— but the joyous, mellifluous voices 

 to which we have been wont to listen in the green fields 

 with ecstacy and delight, are still hushed. An occasional 

 twitter, indeed, falls upon our ear,— but beyond that, all 

 »s silence. Yet, it is delightful to court the contempla- 

 tive mood, and to wander abroad ; for, as John Keats 

 warbles,— 



The poetry of Earth is never dea 1 : 



When all itae birds are faint with the hot sun, 



And hide in cooling trees,— a voice will run 



From hedge to hedge ab »utthe new-mown mead • 



Thath the grasshopper's : he takes the lead ' 



It irnmer luxury ; he has never done 



With his delights ; for when tired out with fun, 



He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed. 



It is at such seasons as these, when we are roaming 

 «>out in a happy frame of mind ourselves, that we feel 

 inclined to ponder upon the question of its being cruel, 

 J* kind, to keep our little winged friends in confinement, 

 this requires much consideration, and I fear wc are 

 Kjore apt to lean towards our own inclination in the 

 «*tter, than to consult the happiness of our intended pri- 

 *> ners - Spenser Mks, and we shall be puzzled to find 

 ^ore than one rational answer for him : — 



Whit mo**e felicity cin fill a creature, 



Than to eoj \v delight with liberty. 



And ?. e \ ort \ ,, T fc y the w >rks of Nature ? 



To rei^n In the air, from earth to yon blue sVv— 



|o rnm onl<1*t flowers, and treei of glorious feature ? 



And taste whatever food doth please the eve ? 



This little fellow being for the most part of a cheerful 

 confiding, companionable disposition, there is no need to 

 have his dwelling made dark. Still, as he loves to be 

 kept warm and snug, both the sides of his cage should b 

 of wood, as well as the back and top ; the front being of 

 strong, white tin wire. The proper proportions are, — 

 length of cage, 16 inches ; height, 13 inches ; depth, 10 

 inches. The whole must be of mahogany ; and if French- 

 polished, it would be all the better. The interior of the 

 cage may be arranged precisely as per instructions given 

 for the nightingale's cage (see * Cage Birds," No. 13). 

 The black-cap, however, will require no green silk 

 curtain to conceal him from view ; for, seated on his 

 lower perch, his chief delight is to see all that is going 

 forward ; nor is he less ambitious of exciting your atten- 

 tion, and catching your eye. With crest erect, and 

 neck outstretched, the would-be " observed of all be- 

 holders," 



Feinf,— spectehir \it ipse ! 



He is, indeed, a bold, familiar fellow, — a true descend- 

 ant from Narcissus. 



The next luxury to provide your little friend is th< 



bath ; of which he ought to be dabbed a "Knight!" 



lie is inordinately fond of bathing; and his plumag< 

 being fine as gossamer, he l<>\es t<> have every thr« ad, 

 if I may so speak, thoroughly wetted* Winn h retires 

 to his cage (drenched !) the bath must be immediately 

 removed ; and on no account must it be furnished more 

 than once daily — and then, early in the morning. I 

 have already alluded to his toilet This ceremonial is 

 with him a "grand study," and I advise you to stand by 

 and watch his movements while so occupied. The whole 

 scene is ridiculously amusing ; and be assured he enjoys 

 your company as much as you do the sight of his harm- 

 less pleasures. 



With respect to the cleanliness necessary to be 

 observed — such as giving him constantly fresh red sand, 

 looming his tray, &c.,&.c>, these needful instructions 

 have been fully given under the head of the " Night- 

 ingale." It is only necessary for me to enforce the 

 propriety of their literal observance. To repeat them 



here, would occupy valuable space to little purpose ; 



the subject is indivisible, and ali the papers which have 

 appeared will necessarily be referred to by the amateur 

 bird-fancier. By the way, 1 must repeat one of my 

 early instructions— and that is — see that plenty of clean 

 fresh water is given him, twice daily, to drink. This is 

 important. 



i lis dwelling being constructed and furnished, let us 

 now speak of his diet. Fortunately for his admirers, 

 although he is, wdien at liberty, an insectivorous bird, 

 yet his constitution is stronger than that of the nightin- 

 gale, and he will thrive upon less succulent food. The 

 change, however, must be gradual, and he must every 

 now and then be treated to some of his favourite bonne- 

 boucheSy such as a spider, earwig, wood-louse, or meal- 

 worm — so tended, he will live long and happily. 



There are two sorts of general food to which he may 

 be accustomed — bullocks' liver, boiled and grated (the 

 "nut" of the liver) ; and German paste, sweet-bun, and 

 the yolk of c^g boiled hard — the whole rubbed fine with 

 the hand. This must be given fresh every morning, 

 and the pans always scalded to keep them sweet and 

 wholesome. 



As far as my own experience goes, I much prefer 

 German paste to the bullocks' liver. It sometimes 

 happens that a bird will occasionally partake of both, 

 alternately given ; every now and then, too, a little 

 raw, lean, scraped beef, and egg, as recommended for 



I have been 



thinking that the failure might be o\\ ; to the long season 

 of dull weather which wo experienced when the trees 



were in bloom. At that 







time there was scarcely a 

 gleam of sunshine, and before fertilization was eft ted 

 some of the sexual parts may have become abortive by 

 long exposure to an unpropitious atmosphere. The more 

 hardy fruits are generally plentiful, small fruits particu- 

 larly so. Plums certainly are not in every case abun- 

 dant, but still there is nothing like that total absence of 

 fruit which the more tender kinds of wall tre resent 

 I shall be interested to learn how other districts have 

 fared in this respect. An Old Gardener. 



Salting Walks. — Salt does not only destroy weeds, 



all that Mr. Fleming has ad van© 



but also Lichens and other Cryptogams, snails, and 

 worms. It likewise renders the walks firmer to walk 

 upon. I select a dry morning, when the weather appears 

 settled, and make the surface white with it. Nothing 

 more is requisite, and the Ion r the salt lies on the walks, 

 the more efficacious it is. Our kitchen arden walks are 

 furnished with tile edgings ; consequently, there is no fear 

 of killing the Box, no harbour is afforded for slugs or 

 worms, and no annual clipping is required. We are 

 careful in laving it against tur ings ; for if thrown 



against them, it renders them gappv and bwegular. I 

 need hardly a Id, that the first application only kills the 



then existing crop of weeds ; another crop, equally 

 numerous and strong, soon m as its appearance. It is 

 the second and third saltings that kill all things on the 



walks, which become in time so impregnated with sally 



that vegetation < to exist. 1 entirely ^ ,vith 



d in favour of salt ; 

 and, no doubt, Mr. Bailey will become a convert, if he 

 will only persevere, and "just touch the walks again 

 and again," with the application. W. Brown, Mcrcvale 

 /Fall. 



Horticultural Society's ExhibiHont. — You invited your 



readers to contribute any hints r eting the next 

 year's prises at Chiswick. I have already suggested 

 that there should be two class, of prizes for < Orchidaceous 

 plants ; one, as at present, for lar well cultivated 



specimens, and the other for smaller specimens, and 

 perhaps rarer plants. At present the large plants are 

 only those which are exhibited, and tin se are all now 

 well known, and the exhibitions are yearly nearly the 

 same— all know the plants which arc to come ; 1st, 

 Mr. Rocker 9 *, all nearly the same as the year before, 

 unless now and then there be a new one. Then c >mes 

 the ruck, composed of Mr. Warner, Mr. Schroder, and 

 Mrs. Lawrence ; and if one or other of these three 

 succeed in buying a large plant or so, uch one comes 

 in second in the race. The more distant collectors 

 cannot send to these shows, as a van or two vans 

 for a collection of 25 would be necessary. Mr. Moore, 

 of Glasnevin, at the last Chiswick show, observed to me 

 that the plants were nearly all the same he had seen 

 three years age, only grown a little larger. The in- 

 creasing taste for the cultivation of these plants makes 

 it an object that as many different kinds should be 

 exhibited as possible ; and for this purpose 1 would 

 allow collections even of cut flowers of Orchidaceous 

 plants to be shown, by which means many from a dis- 

 tance could be sent without the risk or cost of sending 

 the plants. You will observe that my object is to 

 ensure numbers and variety. I would on no account 

 do away with the existing prizes, which I have no 

 doubt contribute to the great excellence in cultivation 

 which has been obtained by such cultivators as 

 Mr. My lam, Mr. Williams, <&c. There are other 

 1 points on which, 1 think, there might be some improve- 

 ment, viz., not to allow the same plant to be exhibited 

 at two successive shows by the same person, and 

 I think a strict adherence to the rule that the plant 

 should have been for some specified time in the 



It is reported — how truly 



the nightingale, forms an agreeable, as well as a salutary ' P'f*«™ of the owner. 



— - _ __ " 1 do not know — that some plants exhibited have been in 



change. Thus much general. Having thrown out a 



hint or two about what this bird delights in, and regards 



as luxuri- i, I feel sure he will get many an occasional befoce * ne B » ow " 



" treat" between meal-times-one that is "not in the Amaryllis and Gladiolus 



the possession of the nurseryman but a very s 1 ort time 



I do not know whether prizes for 



*e given, but 1 think it would 



bill." A loving Mistress, a tender-hearted Master, 

 and an idolising Miss, hardly need to be prompted in 

 the matter of kindness to a "pet." With them it is 

 "native and to the manner born." 0/ si sic o nines ! 

 William Kidd. 



Home Correspondence. 



Fruit Crops in Kent. — I am glad to see a corre- 

 spondent inquire where the largest Araucaria is to be 

 seen. I imagine that many other useful matters might 

 be settled in a similar way ; for instance, where does 

 the largest Yew tree grow, or the largest Oak, &c ? 

 But I wish to make another inquiry of a more practical 

 nature, viz., what sort of crop are Peaches, Nectarines, 

 and Apricots, in various parts of England ? In this 

 county it is all but a total failure, although there was 





be desirable to revive the cultivation of the former 

 beautiful class of plants, now nearly out of fashion. 

 Dodman. 



The Nightingale. — It has been stated that the night- 

 ingale does not make its appearance in Devonshire ; but 

 allow me to assure you that it does pay our county fre- 

 quent visits, and sings most melodiously. In May, 1849, 

 1 heard two singing at the same moment in Stoke Wood, 

 2i miles from Exeter, about 7 o'clock in the evening. 

 The year before that I heard them in two different parts 

 of the same wood, and Sir Stafford Northcote\s keeper 

 killed one here some years since ; Atkins, of Exeter, 

 stuffed it. This bird has been heard near Exeter several 

 times this spring by persons well acquainted with its sonu r . 



R. C. Somebody says, " the nightingale is, I believe, 



never heard in either Dorsetshire or Somersetshire." I 



can, however, vouch for its frequenting the latter county. 



abundance of blossom, and that, too, apparently perfect. In the neighbourhood of Clevedon, near Bristol, we are 



tring the time the ! every year regularly visited by them, and they sing night 



We had no extraordinary frosts duri 

 bloom was out to destroy it, but we have no fruit worth 

 mentioning, and the trees fell into such a state of dis- 

 ease, as at one time threatened to annihilate them. 

 They have, however, wonderfully recovered, being no 

 doubt assisted in this by the absence of fruit. Now 

 I wish to ask my brother gardener if such a state of 

 things exists in other localities. I have heard of good 

 crops in the north of England, and perhaps the failure 

 may be confined to this county, in the central and 

 eastern parts of which there is certainly little or no 

 fruit. One grower, in rather an extensive way, informs 



and day. They appear about the same time as the 

 koo, and, I believe cease singing with it also. This 

 spring they were first heard about the 22d of April, and 

 continued "through July. H.E., Clevedon* Somersetshire 

 Aquatics. — I think most of the evergreen flat-leaved 

 Irides will be found patient of water, at depths pro- 

 portionable to their stature ; especially I. virginiana. 

 lam not sanguine of Airapanthus, and have met With 

 no success in planting out. Having nothing to serve as 

 a stalk, and the foliage recurving itself into the water, 

 the leaves turn yellow and are macerated. On the 



