I 



THE GARDENERS 



CHRONICLE 



well-known fact that chalk taken from great 



Sptiinl rdington- field (which reaches to the rings 

 *T Jfaiden Cast! above referred to) will spontoncoudy 

 produce the well-known Charlock, with which that held, 

 to the annoyance of the farmer, is so richly coloured 

 every year. C< $. Groves, Wan ham, UoneL-—i am 

 pleased to be able to afford some information in reference 

 to the seeds of the Raspberry, furnished by Mr. McLean 

 I happened to meet that gentleman, with his friends and 

 some labourer., upon their return from opening the 

 tumulus ; the circumstances were detailed to me, and 

 upon my appearing interred in the matter we pro- 

 ded t.>M ther to the Inn at Dorchester, where the 

 proceeds of their labour were displayed ; they consisted of 

 Some coins (one silver, of the Emperor Hadrian) the 

 tusk of a boar, which was pierced, as if it had been 

 suspended, and the friction bad worn the hole into an 

 oval form, and a quantity of dark-coloured substances 

 full of seeds ! I asked permission to break off a small 

 portion* which I separated in a glass of water, and 

 throwing it upon a paper for examination, stated it to be 

 Raspberry seeds ; this was, however, questioned, and it 

 was then proposed that it should be sent to yourself : this 

 induced offering my cajrd to Mr. McLean, and requestii g 

 tiieffavour of his communicating the result of his inquiry ; 

 Hi fs wai fulfilled, tfmfirming mv opinion ; upon my a&iJns 

 • a small p rtiun, for the purpose of testing its vitality, 

 it was given under a promise that I should communi- 

 cate the result to that gentleman at Weymouth. The 

 seeds were sown in a pot and placed in my propagating 

 house. The visits and inquiries of my neighbours 

 respecting them were numerous, and a short time after- 

 Wards Mr. McLean and a friend called upon me here, 

 and left a further small portion of the substance. Ten 

 weeks and four days elapsed ere they exhibited signs of 

 vegetation, when up sprang 109 fttung Raspberry plants. 

 This was immediately made known to Mr. McLean, 

 And at frequent intervals, up to about four years since, 

 plants have i u either furnished to that gentleman, or 

 Sent to parties at his request. These circumstances 

 are known to many of my neighbours, and I perfectly 

 r collect, that about a year after my first meeting Mr. M., 

 I was] at Smedmore House, in the Isle of Purbeck, 

 when Mr. Manse produced the Courier newspaper, with 

 an account of the affair, and my then stating that I was 

 the party who raised the aeeds. When the statement 

 was given to me, there was not any mention of coffins, 

 skeletons only ; an adult and a youth were described as 

 being found. W. 11. Page, Southampton. 



Fruit Crop$.~ I have been <;lad to learn (see p. 549), 

 that my old friend Mr. Grey has a good crop of fruit in 

 his northern climate (Northumberland). Mr. G. will 

 be pleased to hear, that in the North Riding of York- 

 shire, I, too, have a fine crop of wall, fruit. My Peaches 

 and Nectarines have been planted about six years, and 

 the average number of fruit on each tree is six dozen. 

 I should think i took as many off after stoning, and they 

 have borne equally well in the two previous years, and 

 are in excellent health. Mr. G. has an advantage over 

 me, i. e., I have no flued walls. I consider canvas 

 coverings to be of no advantage, and I never use them. 

 I gave my mode of protection, recorded at p. 214, in 

 your volume for last year, a fair trial, and I have in- 

 sured a crop. I have heard great complaints made in 

 this district, about wall-fruit. Apples are more plentiful. 

 William Cuk ill. Thorp Perroio, Bedale. 



Swift s and Hornets in Yorkshire.— A correspondent 

 remarks that he has not seen the swift or hornet in 

 Yorkshire. I have seen a pair of swifts for the last 

 three years in this neighbourhood ; and in the north of 

 Yorkshire, where I was spending a few clays in the 

 beginning of last month, I saw them almost daily. I 

 have also seen the hornet's nest suspended in a Goose- 

 berry tree ; but it very much depends upon the heat of 

 the summer whether we have any quantity of hornets 

 or wasps. This summer I have not seen a hornet, and 

 I think not half a score of wasps, while in hot summers 

 they abound. T. S., Holmfirth. 



Potato Disease.— I find in our Worcester Journal a 

 quotation from the Gardeners' Chronicle, in which you 

 have made some remarks on the prevailing Potato 

 disease. I do assure you that no "mildew" can 

 possibly produce the effects but too well known in this 

 district Not only is the absence of terrestrial elec- 

 pSL "t tlie diminished vitality of the maturing 

 ^ ,r!° P V • m ? y 0ther *«** Wqr plants, and even 



wftKuTt !:?! frora \ Sonie Wa!uut Sfi l °^ 



*L 71 i • ' i lbe Dahhas > Parsl "PS, Celery, ft* are 

 also exhibiting the exanimate appearance. When the 



philosophic mind shall receive the plain truth, that 

 electricity is the anima miuidi—the agent of all life 

 both animal and vegetable-the cause of all crvstallisa- 

 tion-the polwr of the " great globe itself," and in 

 the hand of the Great Author of Alt, bis WO rki ng ient 

 then some of the puerilities of modern materiaifsm S 

 perish. Win n naturalist, learn that the nervous an 

 paratus of the S nsit've Plant is as perfect ZtZt f 

 thega He, and that all its functions^ ^Sated br 



of hat creation whuh is endowed with electric tele- 

 graplis-terves-to carry out the laws of life Sen I 

 be economy of each creation by the Maker. The \Lt 

 is he positive Lattery ; the ganglionic centres are fhe 

 bauenes of the negative or vital electricity, Z JS* 



* the ^L"^*^ spirit, a 



course. 



bund £. A. Tarley, M. D., Ivy House, 



\ | Disease has appeared in Gloucestershire 

 I think, we are more frightened than hurt. 



Worcester. 

 but as 



It would i 



he advisable that any curious facts should be noted, 

 between this and storing time, to be forwarded to the 



Ch ronicle. Falcon. 



As disease is becoming rife, 





these, re-ulated _ 



operations called life proceed hi their testi^d 



permit us again to recommend cutting off the shaws or 

 tops as soon as they are infected, with the view of saving 

 the tubers. Every year's experience convinces us of 

 the utility of this practice ; of course, it only applies to 

 such as are forward enough to have produced tubers 

 sufficiently large for use. It is presumed that few have 

 ventured the cultivation of late varieties this season ; 

 we have, however, a few under peculiar treatment, 

 on which the fatal spot has not yet appeared. Hardy 



and Son, Maldon. 



Exposing Plants in Pots to the open Air in Summer. — 

 Finding that a correspondent (see p. 550), has expe- 

 rienced such a decided advantage in placing his plants 

 in the open air in summer, over keeping them in houses, 

 I beg to offer the following remarks, in addition to what 

 I formerly stated on this subject. Since he does not 

 place any plant out until the wood is fully ripened, I 

 presume 'lie exposes them with a view to rest them, 

 which, no doubt, in some cases is very useful, provided 

 the plants can be kept from making a second growth. 

 I find that insects are rather troublesome on plants out 

 of doors as well as in houses, but they may be more 

 easily destroyed in houses than in the open air. All 

 kinds of plants are more or less affected by having the 

 sides of the pots fully or even partially exposed to the 

 open air. Thomas Howell, Anting ton Hall, Sept. 1. 



The Virginian Nightingale. — Your correspondent, 

 "An Interested Querist " (p. 536), writing from Carshal- 

 ton, thus speaks, among other remarks, of the Virginian 

 nightingale :— " I have heard it asserted that these birds 

 icill breed, and might be acclimated iiere ; but I want 

 mr re tangible information. Will Mr. Kidd be so kind 

 as to give us the benefit of his knowledge or experience 

 on the point \ " I will at once confess, that I have myself 

 had no practical experience of the habits of this species, 

 as it never formed an inmate of my aviary. Naturally 

 interested, however, in acquiring a corre.ct knowledge of 

 the peculiarities of such a beautiful bird, I have, through 

 the great kindness of Henry Taylor, Esq., of Belinda- 

 terrace, Canonbury square, obtained an insight into 

 what must prove a most interesting study. Mr. Taylor 

 is, like myself, an amateur ; and all his observations are 

 minute. Nothing daunted by repeated failures, and 

 bitter disappointments — our common lot! — he has 

 pursued his investigations with a constant assiduity, and 

 unremitting perseverance, that have overcome every 

 difficulty. Whether therefore as an apiarian — for he 

 stands " alone " in his practical and most extraordinary 

 discoveries in the economy of the beehive — or as an 

 ornithologist, his " authority n is unquestionable. In 

 the matter of the Virginian nightingale, he has succeeded 

 to admiration. He has found out their habits to a 

 nicety ; and, by a long course of observation, remarked 

 that, under certain circumstances, they will pair, lay 

 e £gs, sit, and hatch ; this, even in confinement. When I 

 mention that these several pleasing facts have, one and 

 all, been over and over again proved in Mr. Taylor's 

 conservatory, and that he is perfectly master of the 

 interesting subject, I have stated enough for our present 

 purpose. I understand he is himself about to communi- 

 cate to the world, very shortly, the particulars with 

 which he has become acquainted whilst devoting himself 

 to the study of these birds. He is decidedly of opinion 

 that they caw be acclimated here, and he has a public 

 site in view which he considers undeniably adapted for 

 the purpose of their domestication. Beyond this simple 

 statement of facts, I feel it would be unfair for me to 

 venture. The matter is in good hands, and I shall watch 

 its progress with much anxiety. Should we number 

 among our native choristers so lovely a bird as the 

 Virginian nightingale, and see him disporting in our 

 parks and shrubberies, it will indeed be something of 

 which we may proudly boast. William Kidd, New 

 Road, Hammersmith, August 28. 



Priming Forest Trees.— I observe that this much 

 vexed question is still open, and I now address you, 

 because the one simple principle, upon which the whole 

 art of safely pruning depends, is seldom brought forward 

 in sufficiently explicit terms. The* principle is, that 

 whenever a branch is cut off, it must be done' in such a 

 manner that water cannot lodge in the wound. Now 

 the only way of effecting this is to cut off the branch 

 close to the stem of the tree. When this is done, new 

 bark gradually forms over the wound and completely 

 closes it, before decay can progress to any injurious 

 extent, and as soon as the bark has thus covered 

 the stump, no further decay takes place, and it 

 is as safe as if hermetically sealed. If, on the 

 contra^ a tree is pruned in such a' manner 

 that ivater can lodge in the wound, that wound will 

 never heal^decay proceeds rapidly, and communicates 

 by degrees into the heart and down to the very ro ots 

 Your correspondent « G. L.» (p. 516), states that decay 

 progresses in the interior, even where the wound hw 

 been completely covered with new bark ; on this, p n 

 I am at issue with h m, I maintain exactly the reverse 

 The very example that he gives is in niv favoiir ft^Tf ' 

 says that the branches of the i^S^fe^ 

 cut off "nearly close" to the 2 tl • , b ? en 

 short snags, which is fti «StE JJJT^ 

 and I agree with « G. L.,» ZB^^SSS 

 If the branches had been cut off U^Am /*nS 

 not, no damage would have eJ7 wiS i 





of pipe which conveys wateTlnlo^Thr 7 

 tree, to the ultimate destruction of tl J! s "J 1 *** *<L 

 [We still say, with the utmost Sk^^ **£ 

 correspondent, and all other ExLJZ T* l **<* 

 principle of forest pruning i s , not to «^ *•> 



WaxyPotatoe8.-Perm\t me to inform?? M|t ) 

 dent « M. D,V that any Potato can&T" 4 ^ 

 following plan, which is recorded Tn^J^^^ 

 the Potato. I cut the haulm off evervXW* 1 * 

 order to allow sun and air to act on the soil, ttjp**'* 1 



Alt 



being previously about three parts grown Tk - 

 were not dug up until the others were quite tb ^ 

 cut down ones lost very much in weight and tl d *• 

 would have just suited « M. D.» They boiled fi*£ 

 were very waxy ; in fact, what I call bad P *t 'J? 

 sort was the famous Lapstone Kidnev a v Jf . *• 

 by a shoemaker in Yorkshire. When ri pen S^ 

 this sort is the best flavoured, and mosf floury ft 

 cultivated, and it is a great bearer. This ]L T$ 

 wintered upon my plan, was dug up on the 9di A ^ 

 and as usual I offered 2d. for .every diseased m 

 could be got among them, but none was found 

 Cuthill, Camberwcll, London. • 



The Cloth of Gold Rose.— I have seen several siuU. 

 of Roses at some of the different exhibitions Jf2 

 season, and I have also searched your reports of the ml 

 but nowhere could I see or find mention of the iSm 

 variety, to my thinking, the "Queen of Roses " ^! 

 is this I Is there greater difficulty in its culture ork 

 there only a particular soil that suits it 1 H a J! 

 heard of parties who have found difficulty in flowm 

 ing it, I thought 1 would just furnish you with the 

 history of a magnificent specimen of it grow* 

 in this neighbourhood. The second week in Jam ] 

 visited the gardens of T. B. Western, Esq., of Fek 

 Hall, and was there shown by his gardener, Air. Bowk 

 a tree of it covering 10 feet of ground, upon which m 

 counted 150 blossoms then open and opening, gome 

 them measuring four inches over, an inch and a half 



■ 



the cup, and beautifully perfect in shape ; many of the 

 blossoms were the size of hens' eggs just opening. Latf 

 week I saw the same tree, and counted 86 blow 

 then upon it, with the prospect of many more for the 

 after part of the season. It has made shoots of dp 

 year's wood from 5 feet to G feet in length ; itisgrowi» 

 in a : moderately Jheavy loam ; but I learned % 

 formerly there was an old Asparagus bed near wh 

 this tree now stands, and I concluded that it wag tta 

 that has made it what it is in four years, proving m 

 it is richness of soil that it requires to make it succeaafd|; 

 and I am sure, could Rose growers have seen i 

 specimen in the perfection in which I saw it, instead «' 

 its being generally discarded from our lists, no m 

 would think his collection complete without the Cloth 4 

 Gold. R. R. W., Kelvedon. 



&>orietfe& 



Horticultural, Sept. 2. — E. Brande, Esq., in the 

 chair. Messrs. Lane, of Great Berkhampstead, produced 

 two small imported Stanhopeag, and an example^ 

 Warczewicz's Achimenes Margarettae, a new kind, wi 

 just sufficient flowers on it to show what a fine thinjit 

 might become under good cultivation. The bloaMBl 

 are pure white, and approach in size those of lonfr 

 flora.— Mr. E. G. Henderson, of the Wellingtoi-roJji 

 Nursery, sent young plants of iEchmea fulgens and the 

 new sort called M. miniata discolor ; Gesnera zeb» 

 and an improved variety of it named splendens ; VrMl 

 >plendens with a gay spike of scarlet bracts at ieaiU 

 1 x in leneth : Clitoria braziliensis ; and the &m 



Summersby, gr. to M^r 



plant of Azalea fulgens scarg 



with three large flowers on it« * 



foot 



Isotoma 

 Martyn, had 

 an inch liinh, 



tri flora. 



a 



Mr. 





was obtained by taking off the flowering point 

 an old plant, and striking it ; and it was stated W J 

 blooms were larger and liner on the cutting than on" 

 parent. The same grower also contributed example^ 

 Goliath Plum, and a Netted Cantaloup Melon, 

 Fleming, gr. to the Duke of Sutherland, at !«■ 

 communicated an old Queen Pine-apple, 



It was an exceedingly handsome fruit, butnw 



Mr. 



weiriii»J 



■arded it 



7 lbs. 



sufficiently ripe. A Knightian Medal was »»-_* 

 - From Mr. Turnbull, gr. to the Duke of Mariwrw 

 at Blenheim, came some Noblesse Peaches, one «r»£ 

 weighed very nearly 1 l«pz. They had, weW ^ 

 ripened under glass. A Certificate of "F^ 

 awarded them.— Mr. Martin, gr. to Sir ». _^ 

 wood, Bart., sent dishes of Muscat ana ^ 

 Hamburgh Grapes ; and some K^P^rL jt 

 furnished by Messrs. Lane, of a sort mj ^ 

 Great Berkhampstead by the name of View • ^ 

 fruit shown was gathered from canes J™.^ 

 reported to have been in bearing from the o o^, 

 the season until the present time.— From tn ? jt 

 the Society came eight varieties of Acm — , 

 pretty yellow annual called Eucmde bano ^^ 

 xmall flowered Oncid, a fine plant of tb ffJ ^ 

 discolor, the rock Abelia (A. ruP estrn „ ; ' tbs Cji»* 

 Babingtonia Camphorosmse, two Cape n ^fatf- 

 ceras reflexum, the larger variety ot no . ... ^ 



.uperba, and the follow 

 account of which will be found m^ " d 3fab» 



ceras renexum, me iargei »«•*»- v - . g fruits. ■ - 



ciosa, Gloriosa superba, and the fo llowin ° llpr c0 loS 

 „„^,.„* „r „,t,:..u -a\\ i e found in anouw i ^ 



, Pucelle de Mahnes, • „, 



Imporatrice Nectarine, 



Peaches ; Reeves's Muscadine G^ f^ )e, n t'Reeres , ^ 



toria Plum, transparent Codlin Apple, an 



shaped Gourd. . p^gj & 



National Flo^cjjltuhal, ^f'.fCweresbo^J 

 the chair, home good Seedling Dallas »* ^ 

 this occasion. A certificate was awaraeu 



• 





