THE GARDENERS 5 CHRONICLE 



of its food ; there was also the chirrup of the greenfinch, 

 and the " whee, whee, wtieV which is the climax of the 

 son^of a wliin-linnet, and which is so irresistible in it as 



itners. me &pa.i±v«, *»^ - 



throat, the spring wagtail, the starling, the whin-chat, 

 and the swallow, appeared to be its chief favourites ; 

 whilst it only touched once or twice on the notes of the 



Next morning the whin-linnet's note was in much greater 

 use, and it also made much more use of notes with which 

 I was not acquainted. On neither day did it touch upon 

 the notes either of the redstart or pied wagtail, both of 

 which I have heard frequently used by the mocking-bird 

 before. On the other hand, I have not previously noticed 

 the notes of the starling and the whin-linnet, which this 

 bird gave in perfection, and, therefore, though I never 

 heard it make use of the notes of any of the larks or 

 thrushes, I would not be understood to say that this 

 never happens. I shall be glad if what I have said 

 shall draw the attention of any of your correspondents 

 to the bird ; for although its song, from the strange mix- 

 tures it makes, is not very pleasing, it still shows 

 amazing powers of imitation from the " chue chue " of the 

 sparrow to the climax of the whin-linnefs song. The 

 note of every bird is given with such fidelity of tone and 

 expression, that if it were not interlarded with all sorts 

 of incongruous sounds, I would defy the most practised 

 ear to discover that it was only an imitation. It is 

 perhaps difficult to say whether it has a note of its own 

 which is not used by any other bird ; but there is one 

 which it always makes use of when any one approaches 

 the nest (interlarded, however, with the notes of the 

 swallow, whin-chat and white-throat) that is "chur-r-r 

 chur-r-r," prolonging the sound of the r in a way 

 that would set up the half of Northumberland. 



T. 0. 9 With roe. 



Weeds. — Trite and commonplace as the subject may 

 be, I am quite sure that the observations in your leader 

 of Saturday last will not only be of much use and bene- 

 fit among the members of the profession, but will be 

 thankfully acknowledged by many persons, and particu- 

 larly so by ladies who, like myself, from occasional 

 absence from home, and other causes, cannot pay that 

 regular attention to their gardens which, notwithstand- 

 ing all the improvements both in the education and cir- 

 cumstances of their gardeners, is too often necessary 

 and required to enforce and preserve habits of order and 

 tidiness, that comprehensive qualification in every 

 servant which, in the assumption of higher recommenda- 

 tion^, is too often neglected or forgotten ; and the 

 want of which, as you must well know, is a frequent 

 source of dissatisfaction with men not at all deficient in 

 higher qualities and abilities ; and although observations 

 upon these points do frequently appear in the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle, they seem to receive by no means that con- 

 sideration which a special and prominent notice occa- 

 sionally from you is more likely to produce. As you, 

 among others, apply the term profession to the art of 

 gardening I have done the same, but Dr. Johnson tells 

 me that the term craft or vocation would be applied 

 with much greater propriety in this instance, as well as 

 to domestic servants, hair-dressers, tailors, dancin^- 

 masters, tavern-keepers, and many other highly respect- 

 able occupations, which you as a public authority ought 

 to attend to, and to discourage that which is not only 

 untenable, but ridiculous. A Lady, Sept. 23. [We accept 

 l>r. Johnson as an authority in the application of words 

 as understood in his time ; but not as an authority in 

 their application now. You will find this point dis- 

 cussed at some length in our columns a year or twoa^o.l 

 fuchsias.— Having recently written in praise* of 

 luchsia corallina, which I still think the finest dark 

 variety m cultivation, it may not be amiss to express 

 my admiration of a descendant, which I have recently 

 been introduced to in the conservatory of the raisers 

 Messrs. Lucombe and Pince, of Exeter. The seedling 

 in question will be sent out under the name of Princess 

 and wdl certainly rank high in the estimation of the 

 admirers of tins beautiful tribe. Its colour is clear 

 ^m^SJ^ $ brilliant purple corolla ;Z 



*) my gardener, respecting the crop of Potatoes here 

 may interest you :-I n thelighter land, there were S 



f^TSJ tttbew of an ' V ^ Iu * strong ]ZJI 

 feient sorts were very differently affected. A lot of 



DuLhn Apples had about one-lxalf diseased ; while a lo 



the ground du^^^l; 11 ^ ?" * ?? ? f 

 diameter, the crop was ab^^^ b ?. a ; 6 **J f" 

 Potatoes smaller ; but there wa ^? r ^T' *?* the 

 far as the drip of the Unche" "S^^^i " 

 [Should we not read dried for */ J5 n * Z " Salop ' 



Pruning Forest Trees.-You very' ustlv «~-^i . 



correspondent, a week or two ago, fbrSiZ^ I 

 jfoeh he had never read, RjJ m to favTat 

 "Quercus" has laid himself equally open \ ll^S 



He accuses me of being an advocate for pruning forest 

 trees, and founds his accusation on the false inferences 

 drawn by another correspondent in a previous commu- 

 nication. How, from what I have said in the articles to 

 which " Expertus," and after him " Quercus " alludes, 

 any one can accuse me of being an advocate of forest 

 pruning, I am at a loss to imagine. On the contrary, I 

 endeavoured to make apparent some of the glaring 

 injuries which timber sustained under the practice. I 

 am equally as sensible of the ill effects of pruning as 

 " Quercus " can be ; and I can assure him that I have 

 examined the specimens in the museum at Kew, to 

 which he alludes, as well as hundreds of others* and he 

 will find some of them figured in last year's volume of 

 the Gardeners' Chronicle. Apart from the injustice of 

 criticising a performance without having seen it, no one 

 is desirous of having strictures passed upon work while 

 in a half finished state, and the articles in question were 

 intended as prefatory to some other remarks I had in- 

 tended to offer on a physiological view of the subject 

 matter. An error in judgment is excusable ; it is only 

 indicative of the fallibility of human reasonings ; but to 

 condemn without judgment is unpardonable. I shall 

 wait anxiously for the promised communications of 



« Quercus." G. L. 



The Maiden Hair Tree.— In the gardens of the Duke 

 of Bedford, at Oakley House, is a specimen of this tree 

 (Salisburia adiantifolia), 30 feet high, the same through 

 its branches, with a boll 3 feet in circumference, at 

 6 feet from the ground. This specimen is a very fine and 

 beautiful one. Allow me to ask some of your corre- 

 spondents if they are aware of larger specimens of this 

 very handsome tree. Occasional Tourist. 



Monstrous Fuchsia. — One of my neighbours has a 

 Fuchsia which certainly presents a remarkable instance 

 of monstrous growth. I do not know the name of the 

 variety, but it is one of those which have the calyx of a 

 flesh colour. The tube is fully twice the ordinary cir- 

 cumference, and correspondingly long ; and its sepals 

 are in the form of twelve distinct segments, only nar- 

 rower than is common, while all the other parts of the 

 flower and fructification are correspondingly enlarged or 

 multiplied. The petals of the corolla are more numerous 

 than is common ; the stamens are 1 8 or 1 9 in number, 

 all perfectly formed, and producing the pollen as usual ; 

 and the pistil is of a very singular formation, being a 

 kind of club-shaped body, increasing in diameter towards 

 the stigma, which latter is an oblong mass, a quarter of 

 an inch or more across, and presenting numerous blunt 

 projecting points at its extremity, as if to correspond 

 with the multiplicity of the other organs of reproduction. 

 The pericarp or seed vessel is similarly enlarged, and 

 the flower-stalk corresponds in length and thickness with 

 the other details of unusual development. The plant 

 bears numerous other flowers, besides the one more 

 particularly referred to ; but excepting it, they are all 

 of the ordinary size and form. The owner proposes to 

 preserve and plant the seed which may be yielded by 

 this monstrosity, in order to see whether the produce 

 will be anything like itself. We are, of course, desirous 

 of knowing, if possible, how the extraordinary formation 

 is to be accounted for. K., Oxford. [Such accidental 

 monsters are by no means uncommon in Fuchsias, and 

 are probably the result of excessive vigour.] 



Aquatics.— What a pity it is that the large sheet of 

 water in front of the noble conservatory in Kew Gar- 

 dens, should be allowed to remain empty. Not a single 

 aquatic, foreign or English, does it contain. I would 

 suggest that it be heated, which could easily be done, 

 as a great deal more heat is generated than is re- 

 quired for the conservatory, and the whole sheet of 

 water filled with Victoria Regia and other aquatics, 

 which would have a splendid effect, and give great eclat 

 to the gardens. There is nothing connected with gar- 

 dening in which there is more room for improvement 

 than in the way of aquariums. An Old Subscriber. 

 ^ American Aloe.— A fine specimen of the Agave Ame- 

 ricana is now in bloom here, the flowering of which was 

 looked forward to with considerable interest, the plant 

 having been in the possession of the family for more than 

 80 years. The flower-stem, which showed itself on the 

 10th May last, is now 23 feet high, and is surrounded 

 by 27 branches arranged in a pyramidical form with 

 perfect symmetry, each branch containing from 1.50 

 to 160 flowers. The first blossoms were developed on 

 the 2d of September. Jamm Be id, Gardener, <kc, Ashto* 

 Court. 



others, togetl 

 Van Mons. 



Posthumous vaiw r- - 



now before us afford good indication CJ 

 will be ably carried out. So far th P 

 Synonymes, with their citations k cL^T***** 

 complete and extensive which has hT ' lhe »* 

 lished The works of English "&>5 

 ancient and modern, have been caref? ^ 



The work, however, ig not a mere 

 author has evi' 



various subjects 



3. It is abundantly illustrat^ * 

 executed outline woodcuts, and, when comjE 4* 

 an interesting, and, to gardeners, most £35 -** 



Speaking f tne~^^< 



The two following extracts show Mr. Ho**> 

 treating his subject, ~ 



he says :— " - — -"*wn 



** 



" There is no Apple which has ever been in 





B» 



British Pomology ; or the Binary* Description, an< 

 Classification of the Fruits and Fruit-trees cultivated 

 in the Gardens and Orchards of Great Britain ; together 

 with a complete enumeration of their synonymes, with 

 their citations, and references to the works in which the 

 different vaneties are figured, forming a complete work 

 on the "Systematic Pomology of this Country." 

 illustrated with numerous em/ravings. By Robert 

 Hogg. Groombridge and Sons. Parts 1 to 4 : 8vo 

 to be continued monthly. * 



The object of « British Pomology/' we are informed, 

 is to supply a want which has long been felt by the 

 cultivators of fruits and fruit-trees, and to furnish those 

 who are interested in their cultivation with a work 

 which shall embrace all the information attainable, 

 regarding the numerous varieties cultivated in this 

 country. All the varieties of fruits which are recorded 

 either in other works on Pomology, or in the nursery- 

 men s catalogues as existing in this country, are to be 

 minutely described including it is stated/ the New 

 Belgian Pears raised by Esperen, Bivort, Bouvier, and 



to this country, or indigenous to it, which « n 

 rally cultivated, more familiarly known, or he5lL_ 

 popular estimation, than the Ribston Pinnin T l! 

 long been in existence in this country but" ft 

 become generally known till the end of the laatdL? 

 It is not mentioned in any of the editions of iS. 

 Dictionary, or by any other author of that dbEi 

 neither was it grown in the Brompton PwknnS"' 

 1770. In 1785 I find it was grown to the exStrf* 

 quarter of a row, or about 25 plants: and 



v* 





borough 



supply seems to have sufficed for three years 1 <K- ■ 

 its merits must have been but little known. In l5 

 it extended to one row, or about 100 plants lajtkto 

 years later to two rows ; from 1791, it increased ^ 

 row annually, till 1794, when it reached fire rm 

 From these facts we may pretty well learn the riac ai 

 progress of its popularity. It is now in the ^ 

 nursery cultivated to the extent of above 2o rows, • 

 2500 plants annually. 



" The original tree was first discovered groib i 

 the garden at Ribston Hall, near Knaresboroiiji 

 how, when, or by what means it came there, in * 

 been satisfactorily ascertained. One account stateste 

 about the year 1688, gome Apple pips were fad| 

 from Rouen and sown at Ribston Hall, near Ki» 



; the trees then produced from them *» 

 planted in the park, and one turned out to be the vaM 

 in question. The original tree stood till 1810, wbt 

 was blown down by a violent gale of wind. Itwasife 

 wards supported by stakes in a horizontal position, id 

 continued to produce fruit till it lingered and dM k 

 1835. Since then, a young shoot has beenprodad 

 about 4 inches below the surface of the ground, wiiei, 

 with proper care, may become a tree, and tlerebf pre- 

 serve the original of this favourite old dessert Apflt 

 The gardener at Ribston Hall, by whom this Apple m 

 raised, was the father of Lowe, who during the last n- 

 tury was the fruit tree nurseryman at Hampton Iiii f 



Each fruit is described in alphabetical order, apt 

 the following plan, the length of the article varying wilk 



its importance. 



« 288.— Red-Streak. Evelyn. 



"Identification.— Evelyn Foin. Worl. Vin. HI. >J 

 Camp. Fel. 143. Fors. Treat. 123. Liiid. Guide, 110. * 

 Heref. t 1. Down. Fr. Amer. UQ. ^ 



" Stnontmes.— Herefordshire Ked-Streak, Evt W. V* 



ed. 3, n 625. Srcudamore's Crab. \ 9 mh 



" FiGUBES.-Pom. Heref. 1. 1. Brook. Pom. Brit. puca" 



Fruit, medium sized, 2f inches wide, and 2 r Hg 

 high; roundish, narrowing towards the ^ "J 

 deep clear yellow, streaked with red on the ***** 

 but red, streaked with deeper red on the side mm 

 sun. Eye small, with convergent segments, m \* 

 rather deep basin. Stalk, short and slender. £ 

 yellow, firm, crisp, and rather dry. Specihc gn^J 

 the juice, 1-07.9. A cider Apple, which at orpj 

 was unsurpassed, but now comparatively but m 

 ti vated. Perhaps there is no Apple which at ajyjj 

 created such a sensation, andoi which so ^f^ 

 and 'written during the 17th century, ^.^jTi.^ 



Prose and verse were both enli^ . 



favour. It was chiefly by the writings dtw 

 attained its greatest celebrity. Philips, in J» r^ 

 6 Cyder,' says 



•Let every tree in every garden own ^ 



The Red-Streak as eupreme, whose puipwD 

 With gold irradiate, and wmilion, «&"» 

 Tempting not fatal, as the birihof tuai 

 Primaeval, interdicted plant, that won 

 Fond Eve, in hapless hour to taste, and a* 

 This, of more bounteous influence, uwpw» 

 Poetic raptures, and the lowly muse 

 Kindles to loftier strains ; even I P« rce L f 

 Her sacred virtue, bee I the nui^rsM 

 Easv, whilst, cheer'd with her *"*™V 

 Her 1 s, and my country's praises, I exau. ^ 



But its reputation began to decline about m ^^ 

 of the last century ; for we find Noursc Mjjj {& > 

 the liquor which it yields, it is ^W^^io^ 

 noble colour and smell ; 'tis likewise M*^^ 



Streak. 



I 



taste, but withal very windy, lusc,0US / Xr cjJ« *£ 

 will sooner clog the stomach than any o^ , „j 

 soever, leaving a waterish, raw humour iw ^ 

 with meals it is no way helpful, and tnej ^ 

 if I may judge of themW^ d e M 

 stomachs palld sooner by it, than warm ^ p 



The Red-Streak seems to >jn «V'<J 



7th century, for B«g» ^* 



Scudamore s Crab, and then ^.^"sfudani^il 

 the neighbourhood.' It was calle. ^ ^ ^ sj 



from being extensively vXmS^'^* 

 more, who was son of sir James ^ 

 Spenser is said to have taken tn ^ 



ScndamoM it. his • flaWe '.! u '''."-,„ ivi; Vf&*£i 



1600, and created by Charles V -™»XM & W 

 Viscount Scudamore. He was atten 



beginning of the 1 . ... . . .. - - 



within the memory of some now uw*^ 



chartf'V i 



