^^^^^^^■1 



534 



THE GARDENERS' 



CHRONICLE. 



tliuiw me maiiulactUWd), beeoa-l in time covered L with 



d ultimately with other weeds ; whde chalk, 



from lack of 



inOirS 



weak and puny 

 The fruit small and ill-formed, a prey 



which will beat into a fine smooth surface, is disagree- 

 able and slimy to walk on in wet weather ; and so reten- 

 of water that I cannot on any account recommend 

 ° Fewer weeds may 





of vermin : but he had " a crop," and 



tive 



or 



it unless in a very dry situation, 

 appear on it than on gravel, but it will produce some, 

 and how it acts in winter, I leave to those to explain 

 who have had experience of it. For my part, 1 do not 

 like it, every little cavity holding water like a dish, 

 and there is sure to be some inequalities after a tine 

 besides, a concrete walk is expected to have a smal 

 quantity of dressed gravel on the top, and if hat gravel 

 he not of the most open description (like coarse, 

 gritty sand), it must be very dirty m wet weather, 

 fs, resting/ as it does, on a hard bottom, whatever 

 rain falls°iodges on it. I have not had much expe 

 rience myself in concrete walks, but those I have 

 seen were anything but satisfactory. Some years ago, 

 asphalte walks were strongly recommended, and some 

 were laid down, but they were not generally liked 

 There are few subjects on which such diversity oi 

 opinion exists as on walks ; some, with a great deal of 

 pride, will point out the beauty of their walks on a fine 

 dw in summer, telling you they are as hard as a 

 roc*, and stamping their heels on them to prove the 

 fact ; other walks, having the appearance of an immense 

 quantity of boy's marbles spread on the ground, and 

 almost like a pillory to stand or walk upon, are described 

 as very dry in winter. Of the latter description the 

 south coast towns, as Dover, present us with examples 

 called there " sea beach." Now gardeners are gene- 

 rally compelled to make their walks of such materials 

 as they have, and to make the most or best of such 

 materials at one place as may not be the practice that it 

 is prudent to adopt in another, where the nature of the 

 ground as well as that of the gravel may differ con- 

 siderably. One of the best improvers of walks is using 

 them a great deal ; a walk rarely looks well unless much 

 used, and if in addition to that the adjoining ground be 

 very dry and sandy, &c, the maker of the walk need 

 not claim much credit in the matter ; if, on the other 

 hand, however, he forms a pleasant, dry, and useful 

 walk on a stiff, clayey, or wet place, and tkat little fre- 

 quented, yet good, then he deserves the approbation of 

 his patron ; but the time to judge of a walk is after a 

 frost or slight hazy rain (not a heavy fall, which solidifies 

 it), if it is good then, it is good indeed. An Old 

 Gardener. 



Royal South London Floricultural Sodety. — The 



of tangled foliage, 

 sun and air. 



to every kind , m 



that appeared to be the ultimatum of his hopes 

 desires. On another occasion circumstances led rag to 

 visit a garden under the care of a stranger. Our busi- 

 ness being settled, a visit to the gardens was, of course, 

 the next thing to be thought of. In due time we 

 arrived at the " Strawberry quarters." I was perfectly 

 astonished. Excellent crops of fruit I had witnessed 

 in many gardens ; however all I had seen before was 

 now perfectly eclipsed, and I politely solicited a recital 

 of his mode of culture. It was this—' 4 1 make a new 

 plantation every season, destroying a corresponding 

 portion every autumn. As soon as the runners air 

 sufficiently rooted (and 1 only allow a certain quantity 

 to be produced by each plant), I separate them care- 

 fully from the old plants, and place them in a well- 

 prepared and rich soil, carefully attending to them till 

 they are removed to their fruiting beds. 1 he ground in- 

 tended for them is always well trenched and manured if 

 necessary. To the trenching I attach great importance. 

 Choosing a convenient and favourable period, the young 

 plants are removed from their nursery beds and 

 planted nearly a yard apart each way. At this period 

 of their growth they are fine sturdy plants. I never 

 allow a leaf to be removed, unless it is perfectly decayed, 

 and when it will separate easily from the plant. No 

 weeds are allowed to show themselves, and during their 

 first summer every blossom and runner is carefully 

 removed. As autumn approaches the plants are per- 

 fect giants, in the most robust health. When growth 

 is completed, the ' crowns' of the plants, in which are 

 stored up the embryo fruit, are of an immense size, and 

 leave no doubt of future success. In the autumn a 

 dressing of decayed manure is applied, and lightly 

 forked in. I never allow a root to be destroyed, if it can 

 possibly be avoided. I never tolerate anything like 

 digging about the plants. And in hoeing, I merely 

 destroy the weeds, eschewing all deep surface stirring, 

 on the principle of not destroying the roots. Upon a 

 careful treatment of both roots and leaves I consider my 





* 



the Allamanda is neitherac^eep^ 



why should it be made to exhibit U.eThal* 

 I have at this tune plants of A mx?* 



6 feet high full of flower, and ot fe> ^ 

 all I use for the tallest one. Mv «w ^ 

 into growth in the beginning of J £ u * e, » 

 bottom heat, after being cut back to Z u?-* 

 potted m a mixture of loam, peat and Hf 

 double quantity of loam to that of '*»♦ •?} *■«! 



potted 



were allowed to burst ; and when^' 



were about 6 inches loner. 



the 



th ey were thin* 



cording to the strength of the plant a * a * * 

 the strongest ; the plants were kept in IT I ?*H 

 near the glass as possible, and allowed iS J? 1 * 

 room until they showed the first flower* te u! 



removed into larger pots placed ina?onWki5? 



** 



out bottom heat, and exposed to as much Urftt ^«T 

 possible. I know of no stove plants that **?* 

 tention better than Allamandas, for if well * 

 to with water, &c, they will continue 

 abundance of flowers, from the berixumm ftf r* 

 the end of September. W. S. b l Ja *> » 





followin 



I have deferred 



success rests." Fragaria. 



Canaries living in the open Air.— 

 replying to several interesting inquiries recently made, 

 on the subject of my former communication, until I had 

 paid a second visit to the picturesque domain of Henry 

 VVollaston, Esq., at Welling, in Kent. On Tuesday last, I 

 had the pleasure of again witnessing the fruits of that gen- 

 tleman's patient labours, which have been crowned, I am 



He has 



observations in your Paper, of August 2, respecting the happy to say, with the most perfect success. 



prize I have for some I years given the above Society in bred, during the season, a vast number of very handsome 



July, for the best collection of indigenous plants, have 

 only just come to 'my notice, and I will remark that, 

 although Mr. Powell's specimens were exceedingly fine, 

 yet as two, if not three, were very wrongly named, he 

 was not unfairly dealt by, but properly disqualified. 

 With regard to the donor being the judge, all who were 



birds ; many of which he has liberally presented to 

 various members of his large circle of friends. The 

 remains of no fewer than 18 nests are yet visible in the 

 trees and shrubs ; but the season of incubation is over. 

 The colony is in fine, robust health ; and I am quite 

 convinced that my former observations on the practica- 



present and officially connected with the Society will j bility of "peopling" large grounds, properly laid out. 



National Floricultural, August II.-Hj, ^, 



the chair. Certificates of merit were av fcu!? 



g flowers :— Dahlia, « Nancy," fromMr.K«J 

 a dull red and white Fancy of very fine form. d2 

 Jerrold, ditto, yellow tipped with red ; this •<*£ 

 the form of a good Andromeda, and although its w^ 

 are rather long, it will no doubt become\ favS 

 Fuchsia, " Nil Desperandum," from Mr. Smith »M 

 variety with a good habit. A Larkspur tDelpiaj* 

 Hendersonii), from Mr. E. G. Henderson. AH*, 

 hock, named Rosamond, from Mr. Chater. ij 

 is a rosy pink flower, full, and well ( jmL 

 with just sufficient guard petal and no ekr. 

 The blooms were very thickly arranged cu i 

 spike. Erica Marnockiana from Mr. Marnodu 

 pleasing variety, in the way of retorta, but distinct hi 

 that variety. The following were commended: Eofc 

 hock " Meteor," from Mr. Bircham, Ditto " Mip 

 from Mr. Chater, Gladiolus National, Psittacinu 

 bus, and Atro-roseus, from Mr. Wilmore, and DiU. 

 " Dr. Frampton," from Mr. Rawlings. Mr. Mj» 

 toah, nurseryman, Maida Vale, Edgewar. dyiati 

 a Hollyhock named "Duke of Wellington," whkki 

 certainly an improvement on Napoleon, Bicoler, ai 

 all of that class ; the blooms were, however, ukfe 

 nately rather past their best. 





bear witness to the great reluctance with which I under- 

 took what no one else would do ; but the Society having 

 omitted to ask Dr. Young and Mr. Johnson to be the 

 judges, it became imperative on me to decide, and the 

 prize was awarded to a collection correctly named and 

 containing some new and rare specimens. I readily 

 grant that, had the prize been offered for the most 

 showy collection, without reference to correctness, Mr. 

 Powell would have borne the palm ; and I advise him 

 to go on in so interesting a pursuit as British botany 

 affords, but at the same time (if his avocations will 

 permit) to look more closely to the cause of failure 

 which, in this instance, lias occasioned his disappoint- 

 ment. W. T. Iliff,Newingto<i, August 20. [Upon what 

 'principle do people object to the donor being judge ?] 



Green Ponds. — I have a pond about three acres in 



extent, varying in depth from to 2 to 18 feet, abounding 



in tench, perch, and gudgeons, with a few trout. It was 



made nine years ago, by damming up a small run of water, 



beautifully clear, and running at all times of the year 



from a drained bog at the upper end of it. The water 



in the pond is clear in the winter months, but for the 



Last two or three summers a greenish yellow scum hag. 



appeared ou the surface of the shallow parts of it. 



This summer the whole pond is so much discoloured 



as to give the water the appearance of green pea-soup. 



On examining it with amagnifying glass, I perceive minute 



particles iqy. vegetable matter?) suspended in it, and 



a few ammakulae moving rapidly amongst them. At 



times an offensive smell arise* from the water. Can any 



of your correspondents account for the change in 



appearance of the water, or suggest a remedy ] M. II \ 



Elkuigton-haU, South Lincoln. ' ? 



Two PhmetTJn Strawberry Culture. — "It is all very 



well talking about 'laboration of the sap, the functions resided wme 



of leaves, and the 'cumelation 



with canaries, is placed beyond all question or cavil. 

 It is worthy of note, that when one of the canaries had, 

 with her infant family, quitted her nest, — a fly-catcher 

 took immediate possession of it, — made good the dilapi- 

 dations, deposited her eggs, and hatched an interesting 

 brood of young in it. I shall not forget the pledge 

 I have given, in an earlier Number of this Paper, to 

 pursue the inquiry further at a fitting season. William 

 Kidd, New Road, Ha mmer smith, A ug. 21. 



Measurement of some Pinuses at Ether- place ', Surrey ; 



Tardebigg Horticultural Snow and Cmntt 

 Gardening- Society.— The second meeting aid 4* 

 took place in Hewell Park on Friday, the 8th instil 

 Society, it will be remembered, was formed by tte fa 

 Lady Harriet Clive for the purpose of enc<mp»$w 

 cottage inhabitants of the district in an improved 

 of gardening, and affording them and all chum. 

 neighbourhood an annual gathering for healt&j* 



The first meeting, some 





1841*. 



March I. July 1. 



I 1861. 



ADO. 12, 



* •» 



• ♦ ■ 



• • 9 



• - ■ 



• • » 



Pinus macrocarpa 



Pimis brutia 

 Larix pendula 



Abies Deodara 

 Cupressus Lambertiana 

 Crjptomeiii japonica 





• ■ 



• • 



• * 



• • • 



ft. 

 6 

 3 

 5 

 7 

 3 

 2 



in. 

 9 



8 

 5 



n 



4 





ft. 

 8 

 4 

 6 

 8 

 4 

 2 



in. 







6 



H 







2* 



ft. 



13 

 8 

 



12 

 6 

 7 



in. 

 2 



3 



10 



6 



10 

 9 



This year's growth of the Cryptomeria is 3 feet 

 exactly, It is very health v, and covered with cones* 

 W. W. Spicer. 



Lettuces. — The White Paris Cos Lettuce is not in any 

 respect better than the Green Paris Cos, the only dif- 

 ference between them being a few shades of colour. 

 Two Lettuces, advertised by Messrs. Sutton, of Reading, 

 under the names of Sutton's Superb White and Sutton's 

 Superb Green Cos, are nothing more than tie grten 

 and the white Paris Cos, as I have proved this season. 

 /. B. Whiting. [We do not concur in this opinion, as 

 regards the White Paris Cos Lettuce.] 



The Nightingale. — The discussion concerning this 



innocent recreation. r , , 



of which was given at p. 582 of our last yarsrf* 

 was considered to be, under all the cu»»*2 

 ticularlv successful ; but the excellence of tbeflg 

 tition on this second occasion, and the wp/""! 

 of the public, have shown that whilst toW 

 tinues under its present auspices no doubt ihWj 

 its reaching a splendid and permanent P^J 

 entertained. The show was held, as before^* 

 rising ground near the further lodge from Br*** 



on the road to Redditch. „ . 



for the exhibition of the vegetables, and six o 

 the use of the public, the committee to 

 commanded one of the sweetest P^P^^JS 

 and as the beautiful gardens around the Hf*^ 



Two Ions tents were 



*d< 



tail 





open b honour of the occasion, and Lthe J < 



fine, the 3000 people who had me ^ takeg* 

 ],adancxcellento P portunityaffordedthemf«n] 



which they did not neglect to m^e. ^ 4 

 tent,, bnt the gardens were thwngg * £ JJrf* 

 appeared highly to appreciate the pnvue, ^ 

 the" envied owners of this agreeable ^ p t w 

 order in which the whole of the P"^-** 



[p. Markham, the gardener, ^astl etbenie 

 approbation. In order to conge M ^ 

 for the dne enjoyment of the f «*£, -^ 

 hand was posted near the ^nts,.^ ^ 





intervals during the day. am r ^ 



belong to all classes of society « ce f Luke < 5 , ti£ 

 The children of the, schools at ;M- ^ £ 

 Cross, and at Tardebigg were prtsart ^ ^ 

 oftl r teacher, and were f^'f^ecf*^ 

 birdVeniiiuls me that I never heard one bing, either in The show, which was the ostensj ^ ^ $&w 



Herefordshire or Yorkshire, in both of which counties I ing of the people, was highly ci^^ ap peare<i «JJ 





of vigour ; for my 

 part, I don t understand it, nor I don't believe it. I've 

 cut ofF the leaves of my Strawberry plants every 

 autumn for 30 years, and well dug up the alleys a spit 

 deep, and old Gregory did it when I was garden-bov. 

 He always had a crop, and s< io I ; consequently, I acts 

 upon the maxim of let very well alone, and don't 

 cause why I should alter old practices." This 

 addressed to me by a member of the old school, in repl 

 to a hint I had ventured to throw out, as to the 'pro- 

 priety of ruthlessly mowing off the foliage of his Straw- 

 berry beds, an occupation he was diligently pursuing as 

 I entered his garden on a fine autumnal afternoon! 1 

 had seen wiiat he called a crop in the preceding fruiting 

 on. If quantity constituted one, he certainly had it • 



but that was the only claim. The beds wure a ma** 



Last year the 



years. Neither did I ever see the swift in part in it. 

 the latter county, while in Herefordshire it was com- to know v...— -- 

 mon. It would also seem that some common insects are samples of excellence ; at tins 

 confined to districts, as I do not recollect ever having ' '* * * 1 



observed a hornet in Yorkshire. W. 

 mention, in reference \to the 



ings* 



&B 



'■A 



no 

 was 



season 



—Allow me t 



statement that the 

 nightingale does not visit Somersetshire, that I have 

 heard its song in great perfection between Taunton and 

 Wellington, within four miles of the county of Devon 



O. J.B. 



All.-mandas. — At the last exhibition at Chiswick, I 

 observed some beautiful plants of Allamanda, which in 

 my opinion would have looked much more handsome if 



to know what was wanted, and ^^ ^jj 



mtest ai 

 )nsequ6 



a'hVthl display, Mr. ^^^^^ 







ii exceneu^ > — - „ + _ a * among" ^ 



ment was manifested, and the contest - 



■eritorious contributions, was coase| ^w 



of the choicest things 



from St w /- s* 





servatory, and thus an ^eo*- . Te(i aD ^ 

 \t:« S Hnrtnn. of Alvechurch, rec ^ »r 



Fuchsia cor?^ 



they had been left to take their natural shape, instead of 



being twisted and bundled together round sticks or wire ! Roval Admirable 



trellises, as they were on that occasion, and which I 



believe is the common way of growing them ; surely 



,. , , „ f . vaX flowers- 



prize for admirable examples ot ci 



Emmott a similar prize for » idenC e P»» > ' ft 

 Mr. Mar .am one for ajwg 6 ^ , th^JJ 



one f»T,. IT.*? 



for black Hamburgh Grapes, 





.. ., ........ „..,i tnokan hono»».,V ;a^ 



some 



did 



tine dowers, and to£ "»£V ;Ulll S* 



Mr. Wheeldon and Mi« > IiU < v 



