p^H^V^V 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



<*• 



n'lish growers can boast, perhaps, of but one 



•? ■ • «i .1 • // • f« 



677 



L-flr great Hose as oeing 01 men- - uwu oumpwo^ 



CIt they can **y of **» as t,ie lloness °^ ner sin S ,e 

 SLrinfe W H is a lion ! ") Comte de Paris, and Souvenir 

 jva Ami from the Tea-scented Chinas ; Cloth of Gold, 

 V^ette. ' These well-grown and well-grouped (remem- 

 k* to take a few duplicates in a spare box, for the 

 alette of some of your belles may be disarranged by 

 JJjourney) will, if they gain not the first prize, elicit 



j^v "well I nevers!" and "did you evers!" as 

 -par floricuitural pride could desire. 



j£mj I ask, in conclusion, some more enlightened 



___ to tell us, out of his " love among the Roses," 

 ^ lethin* about the novelties ; of the merits, for in- 

 g^iice of such Roses as Auguste Mee, Beranger, 

 Choline de Gansal, Chereau, Comte Odart, General 

 Noemi, Queen Victoria, &c. (H. P.) ; of Aurore 



Garde, Souvenir d'un Frere, and Vorace "" " 

 if Madame Willermorz (T.). Fain would I 

 thoughts with my brethren on the subject of 

 bloomers, now that we have them around us, b 



** The expedition of nay violent lore 

 Outruns the pauser reason." 



Aid so, farewell ! S. 7?. H. 





exchange 



BRITISH SONG BIRDS. 



(Cage Birds, No. 35.) 



Xo. LI. — Since we first announced our intention to 

 fcfine the difference between Instinct and Reason, as 

 ipplied to animals and ourselves, we have received from 

 tfiriety of quarters " hints" that we have undertaken 

 more than we can prove. As this intimation has 



ched us from persons whose opinions we highly 

 nipect, we approach the subject with all becoming diffi- 

 fcnee, — yet nothing daunted. 



The columns of a newspaper, wherein the proper dis- 

 ion of so important a matter In detail would occupy 

 nry much space, will not admit of our introducing a 

 Metaphysical disquisition, the ramifications of which 

 tould easily fill a large volume. We will therefore 

 confine ourselves to a lower flight, and by clipping our 

 wings attempt a popular analysis. 



Men of science tell us, and we admit the fact, that 

 there there is "brain* there must exist " thought f 

 ergo, where there is thought, there also is * reason." To 

 this latter, we demur. According to the definition of 

 Dr. Johnson, Instinct implies * a natural desire." This 

 is perfectly comprehensible ; for it is the innate, or 



tarai desire, that actuates all the so-called irrational 

 creation ; and this desire impels them to perform all 

 those various acts and duties for which they were sent 

 ■to the world. 



If we carefully watch any particular bird or animal 

 instate of freedom, we shall find that, for the most 

 prt, every one of the same tribe are actuated by pre- 

 tty the same feelings, instructed by precisely the 

 tame teaching, and in all things obey the dictates of one 

 ad the same nature. All this — whether as regards 

 their habits, their haunts, their habitual tameness or 

 wildness, confidence, or suspicion — aye, even to building 

 their nests in the same manner, and choosing nearly 

 the same kind of holes and localities for their reception. 



If the brain here induces volition, or is in any way 

 «onnected with the intuition of the bird, it is evident 

 that the bird's foresight is very limited. He has 

 jnst as much " thought n to guide him, as will suffice 

 for the purpose of his self-preservation and the rearing 

 of his family ; no more. And why, let me ask, 

 &> all birds, when a hawk is seen to hover over them, 

 immediately cower down and show extreme fear ? 

 They do this, from the youngest to the oldest. What is 

 it tells them that the hawk is a natural enemy ? What 

 can it be— but instinct ! They cannot " reason " upon 

 the matter, but act from an impulse implanted in all 

 *e lesser feathered tribes by the Creator of the universe. 

 " e mav see the same alarm caused by the sudden 

 appearance of a cat, or indeed any other noxious 

 *airnal ; and herein we view one branch of the " har- 

 mony » of Nature. 



All our best writers on natural history agree in cha- 

 racterising the lower order of animals as " irrational," 

 ■n contradistinction to " rational f and we think that 

 •My prove the position they have taken up very cleverly. 

 AH this we shall consider as we go gently on. No sane 

 Person would attempt to deny that the degree of instinct 

 observable in some particular birds far exceeds that of 



a Ah ' ^ Ut We S * ia ^ S * 10W tnere * s a necessity for this, 

 a that every animal is endowed with as much sagacity 



£ mstinct as will be needful both for his security and his 

 j*Ppmess. There is no doubt that, by kind treatment, 

 ™ n y of them are brought to exhibit proofs of affection 

 ^ at ^chment perfectly remarkable. Still, we cannot 

 ognise that "reason " is here called into exercise ; it 

 merely a natural consequence, 

 ftp c l °. nfirraati <>n of this, I would refer to the case of 



«L P ° I '* Wh ° Se docilit y and * finished education" I 

 ^ed upon in our 49th Chapter. My remarks on this 



nave, I find, caused quite a sensation among the 



wurahsts of the " old school." They acknowledge it to 



bf> ft u scnooi. x ney acKuowieuge u to 



odIv l! > ^ " a ncwfact f and so > doubtless, it]is. This 

 y snows us, how necessary it is for there to be some 



tfter^f 11 °f commumcation between"all persons searching 

 truth. Everybody has it in his power to reveal 



«Kniir» 3 *u U! ? OU8 » hutTtiil more pleasing, to notice the spirit of 

 •Te^* hi \ m * r *« tb * Present time. 



ia the an ^ ? P r °S re «hi* people." L~ r r 



*<mid Ji ecdote we furnished of the "educated robin " has, it 

 h * bJn ' 80 attp »cted tho world, that we are told it 

 fowled! /PP^Priated (and the source handsomely ac- 

 *• mnff ' b ^ nearly four-fifths of the newspaper pres*. 



Nobody can now fay 

 The •principle' involved 



some curious discovery ; and having it in his power, it is 

 , wrong to withhold it from the inquiring world. And yet 

 in the education of the proficient robin, there is nothing 

 "marvellous," strictly so called. He imbibed "early 

 impressions;" and not beings allowed to mix with 

 society, his early notions became so familiar and 

 " natural*' to him, that they formed part of himself. Is it 

 not so with ourselves ? * Reason' 9 and good sense might 

 get us partly out of our acquired habits (if bad) ; but the 

 bird being " instinct'Mvely taught, could make no pro- 

 gress whatever in an opposite direction. It would be 

 against his nature. Whoever watches narrowly the 

 habits peculiar to any and every particular tribe of 

 birds, will find them all to closely assimilate. There is 

 a " universal law'* in these matters, which it is delightful 

 to recognise : — 



" Whom Natdre's w.mUs can charm, with God himself 

 Hold converse ; grow familiar, day by day, 

 With His conceptions ; act upon His plan ; 

 And form to His the relish of their souls." 



All who steadily join in these pursuits, with an in- 

 quiring mind rightly directed, must become wiser men ; 

 nor need I hesitate to add, that they must also pro- 

 gressively become w better" men. William Kidd. 



such. If 



8 i 



riginate a new 



ORCHIDS FOR THE MILLION.— No. XXI. 



By B. S. Williams, pr.to C. H. Waeneb. Esq. Ho.hiesdon. 



Climate Cool. — Plants on Blocks, with Moss. 



Lcelia anccps. — An elegant plant from Mexico, which 

 blossoms in December and January ; the flowers ar- 

 rosy lilac, the lip varied with crimson and yellow. It 

 keeps three or four weeks in perfection. Jt succeeds 

 best on a block with sphagnum, suspended from the 

 roof. It should be kept in a cool house, and requires 

 plenty of water when growing ; but afterwards it may 

 be kept rather dry. 



Lcelia autumnalis. — A fine species, from Mexico ; 

 blooms in January and February, and lasts three weeks 

 in beauty. It does best on a block with sphagnum, 

 suspended from the roof ; it should have plenty of 

 water when growing ; but afterwards it should be kept 

 rather dry. 



Lcelia majalis. — This beautiful plant also comes from 

 Mexico, and blooms from May to June ; the flowers 

 are very large, and, if kept dry, will last a long time in 

 bloom. It does best in a basket, or block, suspended 

 from the roof in a cool and airy part of the house : 

 when growing it requires plenty of water, afterwards it 

 should be kept cool and dry. 



Lcelia acuminata, comes from Oaxaca, and produces 

 white blossoms in January and bruary, which remain 

 three weeks in perfection* It does best on a block, with 



moss, suspended from the roof; when growing it should 

 have plenty of water ; afterwards it should be kept rather 



dry. 



Lcelia supcrhiens. — This beautiful species from Guate- 

 mala, flowers from November to February ; the blos- 

 soms are of a rosy purple, remaining a long time in per- 

 fection ; it succeeds best fastened on a block hung up in 



a cool part of the house. 



Lmlia albida, comes from Mexico. It flowers from 

 November to January, and succeeds on a block, sus- 

 pended from the roof ; it h I long in perfection, and 

 requires the same treatment as the last. 



Odontoglossum leucochdum. — A fine species, which 

 flowers at different times of the year ; it does best 

 fastened to a block, with sphagnum, suspended from the 

 roof ; it likes a good supply of water at the roots while 



growing. 



Odontoglossum Cervantesiu — This beautiful species 

 flowers from January to April. It does best fastened 

 to a block, with moss, suspended from the roof, with a 

 good supply of water when growing. It will last five or 



six weeks in flower. 



Odontoglossum membranaceum, a beautiful little Orchid, 

 from Mexico ; the flowers are white, marked with 

 brown on the inside, and they will last five or six weeks 

 in perfection. This does best on a block, with moss. 

 It likes a good supply of water when growing ; and it 

 should never be allowed to get very dry. 



as sucn. li a seeasman it fortunate enough to 



Pea, a new Broccoli, or a new 



Potato, he certainly would lose nothing by taking the 

 same course winch tho florist takes in submitting it as 

 much to public scrutiny as possible before sending it 

 out. We find our account in so doing, and plants 

 which have been well exhibit, 1, always command 

 double the sale to those simply recommended, and no 

 doubt the same result would attend the proper exhibi- 

 tion of new vegetables. Say, for example, Messrs. 

 Novelty have a new Pea which they believe to be 

 earlier than any other Pea in cultivation ; let them 

 send sufficient of it to the Horticultural Society 

 to sow a row, say 30 feet long, and there let it be 

 tried against the known early kinds, and if it proves 

 superior to them, they may, backed by such a certificate, 

 charge what they please for it. I am quite convinced 

 tin re is abundant room for improvement En culinary 

 vegetables, and that they will well repay any attention 

 that may be devoted to them ; but the interminable 

 lists of names of articles which have no existence except 

 in the pages of tin edsman's catalogue, are an inter- 

 minable nuisance, not to say a fraud upon purchasers. 

 A few years back, we heard a native of modern 

 Athens expatiating upon the wonderful collection 



of seeds which 





c ^*ao«U " ay ing ourselves recognised it in very mauj 



Home Correspondence. 



Samples of Seeds.— The hint given by your corre- 

 spondent, at page 646, is worthy of consideration; and if 

 Messrs. Wrench, as one of the oldest and most respect- 

 able firms in England, could supply samples of seeds of 

 genuine purity, they would confer a great favour upon 

 the gardening community generally, and do that which 

 I believe no other establishment in the country could 

 do. The truth is, the seed-trade and seedsmen's cata- 

 logues want a thorough purging ; and if some rules, 

 similar to those applied to flowers by the National 

 Floricuitural Society, could be exercised over seeds- 

 men's novelties, a real benefit would be conferred 

 upon all purchasers of seeds. We are inundated 

 annually with novelties, at least in name, if not in 

 substance; but how many of them turn out worth 

 cultivating, it would not be difficult to calculate. How 

 many varieties, and so-called improvements, has the 

 Early Frame Pea stood sponsor to ? And how many 

 more will it represent, if the present system of multiply- 

 ing kinds is not put a stop to? Answer ye Prince 

 Albers, Emperors, Racehorses, Railways, &c. &c ; but 

 still the trick succeeds, and it would be nonsense to 

 sell a thing for sixpence per quart, when a flaring 

 label, with a new name, and a little of the shopman s 

 « soft sawder " would make from five to ten times 

 the amount of it. This is only a trick of trade, 

 and no worse than tricks practised by other people ; 

 but it is simply dishonest, and ought to be treated 





a certain firm in Edinburgh had, 

 the list enumerating names of Peas to the extent 

 of 70, extending from the time of Abtrcr nibio 

 down to the present time ; when a north country 

 nurseryman, more remarkable for his love of plants 

 than polished manners, inttrjerted, "Ah, now I ken 

 something more womlerfu' than that, and that is how 

 they manage ^to supply so many kinds out o' half a 

 dozen sacks." This is a problem which almost ovary 

 seedsman in the country could readily solve, and though 

 they may be blamed for their knowledge, there are two 



sides to the story, and purchasers are not wholly blame- 

 less. The writer was present at a conversation in which 

 a gentleman of high literary and scientific attainments 



entered a shop and requested to bo served with a quart 



of * I lotspur Peas." The proprietor remarked he had not 



a Pea of that name ; but, as he supposed, he wanted a 



ood early Pea he should recommend the Early 



Frame or Warner's Emperor. *But» n said the sava?it t 



"Abcrcrombie is my authority in gardening matters, 

 and he recommends the Hotspur ; 1 am going to town, 

 and no doubt I can get it there." And no doubt ho 

 did ; for the London seedsmen can readily manufac- 

 ture novelties for such customers. Thus, Mr. A. pur- 

 chases a quart of Hotspur Peas for half-a-crown ; and 

 Mr. B., his neighbour, has a quart of Early Frame 

 from the same shop, ami out of the same sack, for 9d. 

 Mr. A., having paid dearly for his whistle, sows the 

 Peas properly upon good ground ; but Mr. 13. merely 



scratches a drill in some badly dug ground, and hence 

 the "Hotspur" prove the best Peas; and the next J ear 

 every one in the neighbourhood cries out for " Hotspur/' 

 for "Mr. A. last year had a most marvr II-us crop." 



Thus do synonymes get multiplied, and thus are the 

 means afforded "for nefarious persons to victimise the 

 unwary. If one of the great London houses was to 

 send out a seed list, say of 10 kinds of Peas, four 

 French Beans, four broad Beans, six Broccolies, four 

 Onions, four Turnips, and other things in the same 

 proportion, it would probably pay the penalty of its 

 honesty in the " Bankrupt's Gazette/' by the end of the 

 year 1852 ; but let them with* the same articles publish a 

 long list, and they will reap annually a golden harvest ; and 

 thus is dishonesty bribed. The reform therefore of these 

 abuses, and the curtailments of long catalogues, d s not 

 rest with tradesmen, the public must be true to itself and 

 discourage all novelties unless properly certified by 

 competent authorities. The time, I hope, is not far 

 distant when the Horticultural Society, in imitation of 

 the French Government, shall form a board of practical 

 men to investigate such matters as these ; and upon 

 whom the responsibility should rest. To defray the 

 expenses of such a board, my guinea or two guineas, 

 annually, is ready at any time; and I doubt not there 

 are scores in the trade who would subscribe a similar 

 amount. A Florist and Seedsman. 



Durmast,— In the article on Oaks in the "Penny 

 Cyclopaedia," it is stated that the Durmast Oak is the 

 Q. sessilitiora.— Will any of your correspondents be so 

 good as to let me know what Durmast means, and where 

 the term comes from ! T. S. P. 



Musa Cavendithii (Seep. 661.)— Your correspondent 

 need not expect his fruit to ripen perfectly under six 

 months. I had a plant which showed fruit last April 

 twelve months, and the first fruit was not ripe before 

 November. It will continue ripening a month or six 

 weeks. Do not cut the spike until all are nearly arrived 

 at maturity. If your correspondent lias more produce 

 than he can consume, allow me to inform him that it 

 makes a famous ice. Do not withhold water until 

 symptoms of ripening are at hand. I do not permit 

 suckers to grow more than 'a few inches in height 

 before they are separated from the parent plant. 

 If "J. R." can succeed in getting one or two off without 

 injury to the plant, they may be potted immediately, 

 and forwarded in heat, After the plant has done fruit- 

 ing, he may provide himself with as many suckers as he 



chooses. W. B. Merevale. 



Tarred Walks.— U&ve no fears for the endurance 

 of your tarred and sanded walk. I can a- ire yon that 

 it will last many winters. When I was a stripling I 

 walked for years, winter and summer, to and irom one 

 of our most ancient northern cities. On a portion of 

 the foot-path immediately adjoining the suburbs^ some 



tar was spilled. I noticed the tar the first evening on 





