



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



66) 



and well sheltered from the north, the 

 '--^i 10BM12 om what I believe geologists call the oolite 



Many of the Conifers succeed remarkably 

 more especially the Deodar, and the Cedar of 

 Cbinon ; on the other hand, the Douglas Fir does not 

 Arixe at all : the situation seems to be too dry for it, as 

 IJSiisforthe Araucaria imbricata, which, though some 



ft or 16 f eet ni o n > an( * tne tree nealtn y ana " we ^~ 

 icd is not of so dark a green as some I have seen 



Nevertheless insignis and some 



in * damper place. 



in the way of Montezumae, Sabimana, &c, 



tion. I cannot, find any remedy for it out of doors, 

 have tried different soils and different situations 

 manure and without- 



I 



v h 



wet and dry ; yet I cannot find a 



correspondent's experience 

 goes, which exactly coincides with my own ; and, I may 

 add, with that of scores within the last five vears. Mr. 



remedy," &c. 



hand, a dry comfortable heat, which at this untoward 

 season is congenial to most other things, is fatal to 

 Calceolaria cuttings. The mode which 1 adopt is, to 

 put a large number, say 50 or GO of the small-leaved 

 kinds, into an 8-inch pot, well drained, and filled with 

 the usual sandy soil. I then place them in a cold frame, 

 formed me, some weeks since, behind a wall or building, facing the north ; and an 



appear 



article 



time ago, confirming my opinion, it is useless 



eating it further, 

 ver 



_. — — — r __-_ — , »....„ 



he knew of some market-gardeners who used to grow 

 Cucumbers out of doors to a vast extent, but who had 

 discontinued their culture, on account of the severe losses 

 they had sustained through this disease. Now, what my 

 Norfolk friend relates as to the severity of the attack on 

 those in houses, frames, and the open ground respect- 



As I stated before, I would, ively, precisely confirms what I have experienced ; and 



. occasional waienng is an uiey require, until tl appear- 



, ance of severe weather makes it advisable to remove 

 them to some more secure place. Not more than one in 



J a hundred fail to grow. Their progress certainly is not 

 fast, but it is not wanted to be so, as by February every 

 pot is full of roots ; and if they had been struck sooner 

 they would onlr hare so much the longer to stand in a 



often engenders disease or 



like to know from some one, who has the woe to those which are short of heat, if once attacked, insects, while it rarely happens that thev can be accora 



leria growing under different circumstances to Melons, if short of bottom-heat, quail before its attack modatcd with separate pot 



l- a i — *u~,. u+~* ^« A ~ «,;«*,*™wi ;+ ,*« ««^fii,*«r» in a few days. I have known a pit or frame full of there is nothing more ornaL. 



health completely- ruined in a week. I was talking last strongly advise the amateur or cottager, 



C p ^ v 



mine, whether they have ever wintered it in anything 



Eke a condition worth looking on, as I confess its usual 



gnpearance is generally uninviting, until the new growth 



:es place, which is not before June. An Old Gardener. 

 (The Crvptomeria is in many places even more beautiful 

 in winter than in summer ; but the specimens have 

 most remarkable constitutional differences, some being 

 iJwavs shabby, others never.] 



The yfod'hig Bird. — Your delightful correspondent, 

 |£r. 1 Id, has inadvertently confounded the mocking 

 bird, "Sylvia Sal icarias," which is a warbler, with the 

 American mocking bird, which is a thrush. With the 

 htter I have no personal acquaintance, and only know 

 ft by Wilson's admirable description of it in his Ame- 

 rican Ornithology ; but the former is a common bird 

 here all through the summer ; and it singsasperseveringly, 

 day and night, as if it thought it was worth hearing. I 

 flunk if Mr. Kidd would give this bird a trial, he would 

 nnd it deserved notice ; for, although as a wild bird its 



JBBE ifl not very pleasing, yet from its extraordinary 

 imitative powers, I think it would prove valuable if it 

 Bred in good society. The habit this bird has of singing 

 ill the night through, makes many persons who are not 

 conversant with the songs of birds, and not very atten- 



6 .«,« MM »« *.« ~.» .^ ugreeatal 



pots before that period. Att 



an Cal olarias, I 



who has a 



garde: 



increasing it. I imagine that _ 



surprised to find how easily the operation is accomplished. 

 1 n Old Oardencr. 



The Maiden JIair Tree.— There are larger specimen* 

 of the Salisburia adiantifolia in the pleasure grounds of 

 tin Earl of Darnley, at Cohham-hall, Kent, than any 

 yet mentioned in your columns. The largest 



ve to the quality of the song, fancy they have heard a thriving equally on the living and the dead? All 



nightingale, but, alas ! that sweet songster never graces these things should be thoroughly examined into, in 



our country with its delightful notes, probably from the order to know the precise ground our enemy occupies ; 



"± _r.i. *• a i i .1 __ A l t_'_l_ * . . • m « *-• .. ii. _ .i L.Lfi..J. aI -»*• m\m 



week with Mr. Hamilton, of Stockport, of Pine-growing 

 notoriety, about this disease ; when Mr. Hamilton in- 

 formed me that he has it on his Melons, and he terms 

 it "the spot." He had it some years back in his 

 Cucumbers, and avers, that he should never have kept 

 it under, but for the almost constant use of lime-water 

 applied in a clarified state with the syringe. That heat 

 and atmospheric moisture are antagonistic to the dis- m 

 case I am well assured : for, although I have suffered measures 17 feet in Might, and the bole, S feet from the 



yearly of late out of doors, and in frames, those in a 

 Pine-house here, although they at times give unequi- 

 vocal proofs that the disease lurks amongst them— are 

 always successful in spite of it ; and an occasional 

 plucking, with abundance of atmospheric moisture, have 

 ever kept it fairly at bay. Now, it is a complete puzzle 

 to me how the spores of this fungus, for I must for the 

 present assume it to be one, exist through the winter. 

 If germs for the succeeding spring are preserved on 

 other living vegetables, weeds, &c, how is it that its 

 devastating .powers are not manifest there ? Is it 

 possible that it can exist on inorganic bodies, or on dead 

 vegetables ; or is an instance known of parasitic fungi 



moisture of the climate ; and two or three other birds, 

 which appear to be common elsewhere, never show 

 themselves here. Neither the woodlark, the wryneck, 

 nor the nuthatch, are ever met with here ; nor even the 

 common bunting, which, 30 miles off, is perched in every 

 hedge, singing its monotonous song as earnestly as if it 



*ere delightful music. T. G., Clitheroe. 

 * Blanching Celery. — This ye*ar I adopted the following 

 fhn with my Celery, which has answered extremely 

 well. I planted it in a trench and left it to grow to its 



Bper height ; I then drew each plant through a cir- 

 xs drain tile, and stopped the top of the tiles with 

 moss, and levelled the ground ; in less than three weeks 

 afterwards they were beautifully bleached, quite clean, 

 and came in earlier than in the old way. The drain 

 kles are very inexpensive, and they do not harbour 

 lings, &c. H. M. 



Early Planted Potatoes. — The result "of our Potato enclosed specimens. m m 



crops is encouraging. We planted, in autumn and m this neighbourhood, both in frames and in the open 

 early spring, 10 forward varieties; all are very good, j a ir, but the latter are certainly the worst. Melons are 

 with the exception of some few which were allowed to I a ] S o affected in the same way. I find that the garden 

 grow after July. We can vouch for the safety of here has been infected by this complaint for these last 



for it is only by ascertaining the exact habitude of such 

 pests that we can hope to exterminate them in the end. 

 It seems strange, that from tli3 commencement of the 

 Potato disease, there has been greater complaints of the 

 devastations of parasitic fungi than heretofore ; at least 

 such is my opinion ; and I am assured that 1 am no 

 way singular in holding it. The country folks here 

 aver that there has been no luck with the Potato since 

 that singular visitation of swarms of flies, which occurred 

 some dozen or 1 4 years ago, when people could scarcely 

 open their mouths In some parts without drawing in a 

 shoal of these minute creatures. And, indeed, it does 

 appear at first sight to have formed a kind of era in 

 these matters ; for since then the troubles of the farmer 

 and gardener seem to have multiplied exceedingly. 

 Robert Errington, Oulton Pari; Sept. 29. — My Cucum- 

 bers are all attacked in the manner exhibited by the 



The complaint is very prevalent 



ground, is 4 feet in circumference. G. WUlrrson, gr* 

 The inquiry after the size of exa plea of the 

 Maiden Hair Tree \at p. 614, has raised in me a curiosity 

 to know what is the pr« pent state of the following 

 pecimens, mentioned by Loudon in his " Arboretum et 

 Fruticetm, Britannicum," VoL IV., p. 2099:— At 

 Pursers-cross, near London, one tree, in 1 7, wai 

 GO feet, another 60 feet high ; in Mile-end Nursery, 

 GO feet high, and at Leigh-park, Somerset, 40. The 

 tree in the Mile-end Nursery wa figured by Loudon in 

 the work jxuA mentioned, Vol. VI II., p. S60. Diss. I We 



believe the last-mentioned specimen no longer exists, 

 the ground being covered with buildings. We remem- 

 ber it a beautiful tree 34 years since.] 



Fuch$ia Riecartoni.—l have now si plant of this sort 14 

 feet high, covered with innumerable blossoms from the 

 top to the ground. It has never been matted, had 

 any covering during the last four winters. J. Gould, 



Aviherd. 



Musa Caven<i;*hii.—W\]\ any of your correspondents 



kindly tell me how long the fruit of this Hanana is in 



ripening. A fine plant of it just 12 months old threw 



formed 



8 



»U the earliest kinds, if forwarded by judicious manage- 

 ment. Cutting off, or pulling up, the haulm at the end 

 of June or beginning of July, saves the tubers, which 

 by that time should be tolerably ripe. Hardy and Son, 

 Maldon. 



The Disease in Cucumbers. — I presume that too many 



of your readers are aware that a pestiferous disease has 



prevailed anfbngst these useful vegetables for some 



three or four years ; and that, like the Botrytis in the 



Potato, whole districts have suffered from its ravages ; 



indeed, in^lbme parts it has been a most grievous loss 



to persons engaged in market gardening. And not only 



the Cucumber, but others of the same natural order; 



* for instance, the Melon and the Vegetable Marrow 



*jw affected ; of this I have had ample experience, i 



think that it would be of vast benefit to the gardening 



community if you would allow an inquiry to be opened 



m your Paper as to the character and extent of its 



four years. The Cucumbers I have sent for inspection 



were cut from plants growing in a house which is heated ..— „ . - . 



with hot water pipes for top? and a tank for bottom heat and it conld be pursued out of doors by merely _takmg 



. r r ,, *L -*v A v . _*i.: t ax.^ *i,^ •,^ rt ««.,*:n« tt\ lav rlmvn a rrnod laver OI Peat TlTh 



has now remained three months without exhibiting any 

 symptoms of maturity. I am told by those familiar 

 with the Banana in tropical climates, that I ought to 

 cut the bunch before it is ripe, and hang it up in 

 dry place till the fruit turns yellow. My plant is growing 

 in an Orchid-house and has had plenty of heat, and water 

 has been withheld from its roots now for a long time. 

 1 want to destroy the fruiting plant, as a sucker is now 

 making very rapid growth, and has attained a large 



size. /. //. 



Wintering Eating; as well at Seed Potatoes, in Charred 



Peat— Last autumn I mixed about a peck of Potatoes 

 with charred peat ; the Potatoes had not sprouted above 

 half-an-inch by the 1st of March. For those who havo 

 manv acres to plant and cannot spare room to spread 



great 



The attack generally commences with the setting of the 

 first fruit The plants that I now have looked well up 

 to that stage of growth. Three or four plants in the 

 same house that have not yet commenced bearing, or 

 only just beginning, are looking extremely strong and 

 vigorous; but there are already indications that they 

 will go off in the same manner. Both dry and moist 

 temperatures have been tried, with a view to remedy the 

 evil, but with the same* results ; no effect for the better 

 has been produced. I may mention, that the water 

 used for watering has always been applied in a tepid 



state. C.E. tn ,_ 



Jledera Ragneriana.—The assertion made at p. a97 



is solely grounded upon a private communication by 



Professor Hartwiss, of the Imperial Botanic Gardens, 



?es; for, doubtless, many of those who have suffered ' in Nikita, Crimea, which I had an opportunity ol pe- 

 b y it! will be disposed to show forth their experience, ! rusing. There is no description to be found in works 



^ to state fully and freely what remedial or preventive 



measures 



r * Ql w- It is by means like these 



meeting as we can do 



the precaution to lay down a good 

 this would prevent moisture from rising amongst the 

 Potatoes. The heap might be covered over with peat 

 and finished with some slight covering, which would 

 keep rain or frost off. The charred peat prevents 

 heating and sweating, which are two great winter 

 enemies to seed Potatoes. I have all my eating Potatoes 

 stored in this way in a shed. The peat makes them as 

 black as toads, and a little grumbling may be heard just 

 before cooking time from th<- maid of all work, who 

 gives the poor Irish peat everything but its right name ; 

 but with this trifling drawback it is certainly an excellent 

 material for storing all kinds of roots in. James Cuthll, 



Camlerwcll. " • l * \ ' 



Use ofSakp in Diarrhoea.— R. Decocti radios Salep 

 ex rad. Salep 3ss prepar., Jjj ; syrupis althese, 3J. 

 A tablespoonful every hour. The above cured me (and 



<ja common ground, and for mutual benefits— that g&v- 



inform 



j*ons of much benefit both to themselves and society at 

 j r ? e - A letter which I received this morning so aptly 



, rhoea 



in nurary lists. I believe, however, such may be dis- 

 covered in «' Bullet. Acad. St. Petersburg!!," of which I 

 notice an ex tract -descriptive of Pines— in Loud 

 "Magazine of Gardening, ,, vol. viii., p. 112. In the 

 same periodical, at page 224 of vol. v., is a notice of 



on's 



-— wq «« cnaracter OI tne aisease, xnai i eanuuL uv i some v^auuasiau ^i»u*c »; *■*»• — ~~--- 7 __ -_ 



|*««r than use extracts from it ; the writer simply seeks including a Hellera— H. taurica. /. y- M) *& 

 *mce. I m ay observe that the case about to be related i TP»onia Wittmanniana was figured in the JJ 

 occurred in N*w„iir jj e t ] ms commences :— " For 



fair succeeding seasons I have had all my natural (out- 



*X>r ?) Cucumber plants spoiled with < the spot/ The 



* a nts appear very healthy, grow luxuriantly until the 



ta 



ce 



fruit is about fit to cut, and show fruit in abun- 

 , J 5 yet I seldom cut more than a brace or two 

 Wore they are full of spots, and a kind of gummy sub- 

 stance, which e »tirely spoils them— the ends of the 

 moots look as if singed with a hot iron. I have had 

 S3V rrame Cucumbers also spoiled in a similar way. It 



Register " several years ago.] 



Bedding out Calceolarias.— As some fof your readers 

 may not be aware that these plants are best propagated 

 at "this season, I take the liberty of saying that, for 

 several years I have never put in my general stock of this 

 interesting group before the middle or end of this month, 

 and often later - sometimes even as late as January, and 

 then, as well as now, they were struck without heat ot 

 any kind. So exceed inglv accommodating lsjhis tribe 



was a root indigenous to Great Britain ! till this day, 

 on opening the 16th vol. (1773) of « Doddsley's Annual 

 Register," where, amongst "useful projects," page 128, 1 

 find the culture and use of the Orchis roots (or Salep> 

 strongly advocated. I pray you examine for humanity 

 the Salep as food, instead of sago and arrow-root, as 

 well as for medicine in diarrhoea. You see it is useful 

 in stone and gravel, and in that state of contraption 

 where blood turns watery. J. K. 



Carrots and Onions.— The unsuccessful attempts to 

 rrrow autumn-sown Carrots to perfection, complained of 

 by your correspondent " An Old Gardener." is no more 

 than a corroboration of my statement, that in most 

 places, if sown in the open ground in autumn, 1 hey are 

 found to be an uncertain crop. Havmg assisted in 

 .owing and managing 300 lights of them for years, I can 

 with confidence assure your correspondent, that if ho 



wsinaue its appearance in my houses this season, very 

 wuy at the latter part of the time. I have had it as 



^ y as March in m, 



tf - in my house, but it there acts diifer- 



u y ; or, rather, I ean treat it differently in that situa- I resistin 



ofVanfcinThirrTs^^^^ 



the P m with facility. The only requisites are ; to keep Aem ^^ ^ J early ,, an d , a,way, 



out of the sun and tolerably damp, it is % erj rarejv g h latest perfection. 1 hey will 



that any rot off by what is called , damp. The^of ^^^^/^^^ sooner the better. 



