678 



THE GARDENERS' 



CHRONICLE. 



It was then quite Btfc. I ob- 



wlucii 1 i>-is«ea over it. it was uwu ym« — - - 

 ^rved it during the whole of the time 1 remained in the 



neighbourhood, at least five years, and I could detect 

 neither Haw nor crack in the coat of tar. It was aiwajs 



sm<> 



otli and clean in wet weather, and dry in winter 



un- 



a *d summer. It may have been that the open 

 shaded position and the constant tread of passengers 

 preserved it from weeds-and herein lies the difter- 



and the one I have mentioned. 



Cote, Bar/shot. 



When 



ence between your case 



IF. R. Carter. Eel Moor Farm, . 



I have already made precisely the same experiment 

 with walks that you have made, and it has proved 

 perfectly successful. About seven years ago, I had a 

 small part of one of my garden walks coated with gas tar, 

 which was first boiled, and then laid on hot with an old 

 whitewashed brush, in sufficient quantity only to 

 saturate the surface of the walk, which was then 

 sprinkled over with as much fine gravel as would prevent 

 the tar from appearing through it when pressed down, 

 and smoothed over with the back of a spade. # 



set, and before becoming hard, the whole was rolled with 

 a garden roller. The only previous preparation the walk 

 received was, scraping off the lof se gravel. A space of 

 about three inches was left between the tar and the Box- 

 edging. Every subsequent year a further small part of 

 the garden walks has been treated in the same manner, 

 until now all, or nearly all, are covered. It was found 

 however, to be an unnecessary trouble to boil the tar 

 and lay it on hot ; and therefore, for several years it 

 has been merely poured out of the barrel and allowed 

 to run over the walk, and spread with the back of 

 the end of the square pointed spade, until it was of 

 proper thickness •, keeping a clean spade for the smooth, 



and a little coarse gravel has been scat- 1 



the branches is enclosed in Haythorn's muslin net— it 

 is, I find from experience, the very best material for 

 protecting Cherries from flies and wasps, and * such 

 small deer." Thos. Rivers, Sawbridgeworth, Oct. 20. 

 [The Peach weighed, within a trifle, 64 ounces. It was 

 large and handsome, red next the sun, melting and 

 delicious. The Cherries looked like White-hearts, 

 highly coloured. They were not large; but fresh, and 

 nearly as well flavoured as Cherries in June. A piece 

 of branch, a foot long, had upwards of 30 fruit on it.] 



Disease in Cucumbers.— I am glad to see that Mr. 

 Errington has asked for information as to the extent, 

 cause, and remedy of this unaccountable malady. In 

 reply 'to the first item, I beg to say that in 1849 and 

 1 850 it was exceedingly bad in some places in Kent, 

 and to a less extent some one or two seasons before 

 that ; it has not been so destructive this year, and at 

 the place from which I write it has scarcely showed 

 itself at all. In regard to its cause I differ entirely from 

 Mr. Errington, who supposes it to be the effects of 

 fun^i. I imagine that the fungus succeeds the cause, 

 otherwise the disease here mast be different from the 

 one he speaks of ; with me it first shows itself in the shape 

 of a gummy substance of a nearly transparent character, 

 which exudes from thef places in the fruit from which 



row. These excrescences be- 



of the mould or mildew 



the spines ought to 

 come attacked with a 



ungus, 



kind, which soon spreads to the body of the fruit, now 

 rendered unable to resist its ravages, being in fact a 

 mass of running sores. This is the form in which it 

 shows itself here ; the foliage, though not of a luxu- 

 riant character, is nevertheless not so much affected as 

 to prevent the plants from bearing healthy fruit, pro- 

 vided all other things were favourable. Now this must 

 be different from Mr. Errington's disease ; for he speaks 

 of the ends of the shoots looking as if seared with a hot 

 iron, whereas mine is confined (or nearly so) to the 

 fruit, but I can assure him that it is not the less 

 virulent on that account, as the greatest part of the 

 fruit I grew last year was unfit to send to table; 

 and when it was allowed to remain some time on 

 the plant the running sores collected into transparent 

 lumps, varying from the size of a pea to that of a 

 marble or larger, and nothing cou'd have a more loath- 

 some appearance. I had them growing under different 

 circumstances, and all were alike affected ; hot water 

 heated pits, dung beds, and the open air ridge, seemed 

 equally unable to resist its influences; and in regard 

 to its period of duration, it {showed itself in the winter 

 ones fruiting in the autumn of 1849, and spring of 1850, 

 and throughout the whole of the summer. 



mg process 



tered on the tar before applying the fine gravel or sand. 



This it was conceived would increase the durability of 



the covering. Now, the effect has been, that nothing 



has since been done to these walks, except giving them 



here and there a very slight sprinkling of sand or very 



fine gravel, and weeding the spaces between the tar 



and the Box edging, and (to be precise) one or two 



small places which the tar had missed ; for no weeds 



or moss have, since the tar was laid on, made their 



appearance on any part of the walks it has covered, 



except that on that part done seven years ago 



a little moss has appeared when bare of gravel ; but 



this is in consequence of a little soil having collected on 



its surface, and its being under the shade of a tree. All 



the walks are yet quite hard, and neither rain nor frost 



affects them ; the former runs qu ckly off, and the 



latter never perceptibly swells or breaks them. Their and throughout the whole of the summer. Repeated 



appearance has been much admired, and great comfort trials of new plants, different soils, water and treatment, 



has been derived from the process, as it has entirely all resulted in the same thing; so that I did not attempt 



subdued weeds and put an end to the teazing, unre- to cultivate any winter plants in the autumn of last 



mitted and inglorious warfare which it was before neces- year, but determined to try various experiments on 



sary to wage against them. I have found no process 



that has been recommended for preventing weeds on 



gravel walks, and which I have tried, at all equal to 



the one above described. I may state, however, in 



conclusion, that I have found the next best means to 



be hot water and salt, dry salt next, and the next hand- 



picking, when these are persevered with. S. T. f White- 

 haven, Oct. 21. 



Cherries and Peaches in perfection now. — I have sent 

 for inspection a Peach taken from a plant in a pot. 

 This fruit when gathered weighed 6 \ ounces, and mea- 

 sured 9f inches in circumference. I have been induced 

 to send you a specimen, only because I have felt much 

 surprise in finding young trees producing such fine 

 fruit in 11-inch pots, without having at all rooted 

 through the pots into the border. These trees have 

 been potted two seasons, and this year bore abund- 

 antly. From six to 10 and 12 fruit were suffered 

 to ripen, many of which were equal in size to the spe- 

 cimen sent, which will also, I trust, serve to illustrate a 

 great advantage gained by the culture of Peaches, 

 Nectarines, Apricots, &c., in pots under glass. The 

 Peach is a new variety, from France, called Eeine 

 des Vergers ; it ripens on walls, under ordinary circum- 

 stances, about the same period as the Royal George, i. e., 

 the first week in September ; but by placing the trees 

 out of doors, towards the end of June, if the weather be 

 not under a north wall, and letting them remain there 

 till the middle or end of August, and then placing them 

 m the orchard- house, the fruit, as in the present instance, 

 is retarded ; so that Royal George, and Noblesse, and 

 ^erPeaehes that ripen in crowds early in September, 

 may be supplied till the middle or end of October. In 



iontH^ M T' Pa f Apricot9 ™V b * larded » 



ES and 7 l th 7 V^ riowl * and «** their 



juice and flavour remarkably well. I ate of some this 



sTrSiS 6 "' W l ek 5 September •> Xh «y -re Sightl^ 

 h 7 ^ iv ° m the ^y at moS phere of the orchard- 



house, but they were full of juice, and rich beyond 

 descr lptIO n It will, I think/ be 'at once apparent 

 to every gardener how advantageous this simple method 

 of retarding Peaches, &c, may be made for a Ion* 

 supply ; for if forced Peaches are ripe early in June and 

 ^succession kept up till those from the walls are ready 



try various experiments 

 them this season, by adopting every variety of compost 

 I could think of — as peat, mortar-rubbish, brick-rubbish, 

 soot, charcoal, ashes, &c. At planting time I turned 

 my plants out in hills, composed of materials differing 

 widely from each other ; the result was, that I have 

 scarcely seen a symptom of disease. I do not, however, 

 attribute this to the means I used for preventing it, as I 

 employed near y the same last year ; but by some of 

 those unaccountable occurrences which are beyond the 

 scope of my comprehension, the crop was tolerably 

 good, certainly quite equal to what might have been 

 expected from the extreme character of the composts 

 used in some of the cases, as I expected the disease 

 again, and made my preparation more with a view to 

 combat it than to give a healthy growth to the Cucumber. 

 I may remark that those planted out-doors in the ordi- 

 nary rich garden soil likewise escaped, except at the 

 very last, when something resembling it showed itself ; 

 but the season was almost expired, and they had done 

 pretty well the whole summer. Now, having detailed 

 the facts of my case, I venture to give an opinion which 

 I once held as to the cause of the disease, but which the 

 issue of the past season has somewhat staggered. " Does 

 not the disease proceed from the plant imbibing food 

 of an improper kind, which not finding any other way 

 of discharging itself than through the spines of the 

 fruit, produce those excrescences we speak of." 

 Certainly that must be the cause, as with me the 

 other necessaries to a healthy state of things, * heat, 

 moisture, shade, or sunshine," were varied in every 

 possible way, with little or no effect ; and what 

 makes me rather dubious of even admitting the 

 opinion above given to be correct is, that last year I 

 tried so many different mixtures, from which I expected 

 the plant would draw nourishment of different kinds, 



and they all proved abortive; nevertheless I venture it, 



and if I be no more troubled with the pest, I certainly 



confess that the cause of its capricious appearance and 



departure is alike unknown to me. If some of your 



readers can discover any better reason I shall be happy 



to have it ; at the same time let me caution them against 



taking credit to -themselves for having expelled this 



insidious foe, because, after using some peculiar mean* 



by retarding the melting V*JbZw£* eXf TLTT 7 ' I the ^f aw u no ™ ore of it; the following season. « Who has 



the dessert may be furnished ^S p^i° f ^T' h"J the ***> disease?" or may I ask, is there 



+^.,„„ ,__ «_/„..__ . Vl « t-eacnes and Nee- 1 much more known respecting it than in 1846 when 



it first made its appearance; and though this disease in 

 Cucumbers may never assume the virulence *of the 

 1 otato bhght, yet it seems equally uncertain in its 

 attacks. An Old Gardener, 



This seems a step in 



tannes for five entire months] 



tiie proper direction, and 1 am mve m Z^d^be 



. probabilities. 



- . - , - send three branches full nf 



5S °L a - w ^e Cherry (Jardine de Monomark! 



able for 

 they have 



its resisting our autumn rains and mists • 



» «, ^ , taken frora a tree fa &* open air ■ it i« 

 * most productive variety, and will be probablv th! 

 Parent of some valuable late sweet Cherriel oL of 



Ifow to Crop a small Kitchen Garden 

 intended for Cauliflowers 

 manured during the comin 



recommended in « Paxton's Cottagers' Calendar," which 

 ia the same plan as that practised by market gardeners. 



-The land 

 in 1853 should be well 

 winter, and trenched as 



In the latter end 

 plant with Potatoes, 

 8 inches from 

 recommended 



20 

 set to 



by Mr. 





in 



- ■ 





set wmtering 



Turnip Raphes thinly, IT^l If* 

 will be off by the time th- p ? Bn 

 earthing ; let them be all take, J?**? ** 

 in August. Put on a little well rot L V **^ 



mark into beds 4 feet 6 tacKa"' 

 or an alley between the beds, the !*, [£%«* > 

 take 2 inches of soil out of the all Jl 2 

 the beds ; rake level, and sow JffVH ^ 

 cast a little soil over the seed and .1 ' *K 



at first to 3 inches apart JLj? **»* 

 thin as required for use, leaving the x2?f!+ 

 apart. Keep the earth well stirred withT* ** 

 and the alleys forked at times during J^K 

 Cauliflowers should be sown about the ■ Oth f ^ 

 and wintered in the usual way. About the llI.P* 

 in March, clear away a little Spinach fromlX* 

 the beds, and fork some wood ashes into h 2L 

 lift the Cauliflowers with a trowel, and ^ 7? 

 with the same implement. Plant a row 

 alley at 30 inches apart. Then 



Thin 



1 





along one side 

 fork it and 



_ Ag fa St ; 



is required for use, cut a space 18 tod^T? 



a bed ; when one side i s A^J 

 plant a row of White O* £2 

 at 18 inches from the Cauliflowers ; serve the 22 

 each bed in the same way. When the CaalilJL!! 

 require earthing, draw some from the sideoftSS 

 making the alleys the same height as the beds, (W 

 the middle and fork in some wood-ashes, draw ifc!§ 

 drill, and water it if the weather is dry ; plantatwrf 

 spring-sown Cauliflowers in each drill, at 30 inches aat 

 As soon as a Cauliflower is cut, take up the stump, iS 

 the space with White Cos Lettuce, at 1 footapar 

 15 inches from the second crop of Cauliflower!? 

 which process the Lettuce will come in, in re<mlar«e. 

 cession. Sow a little seed from February to Aunt* 

 keep up a succession of plants. When all is off, rib 

 trench without dung, and sow with Parsnips the {ai*. 

 ing spring. By the above process, I have cut Cat 

 flowers '.this season weighing 5^ lbs., when trianej 

 ready for boiling. /. Steel 9 Clitkeroe. 



The Mocking Bird, — I am obliged to your correspol 

 ent, "T. G.," who, at page 6 6 1 , calls my attention to 1 

 little u inadvertence" with respect to my descriptkn i 

 the (l Mocking Bird,'* in a former Number. It 

 that in this case, however strange it may appear, n 

 are both right, and both wrong ! / was applied to fori 

 description of the American Mocking Bird, and "drew 

 his portrait " to the life ; whilst « T. G.," under to 

 same title (Mocking Bird), was drawing, with eqnaQj- 

 graphic skill, the portrait of another bird, I 

 " warbler" — gifted with imitative powers, and a first-nil 

 songster. I would, however, remind yonr corrap«t 

 ent, in the same kindly tone, that there is still *m 

 little misapprehension. The bird quoted as beiy 

 known in Ireland under the designation * W* 

 salicaria; 5 is called by us, in our southern latitat 

 the "Sedge Warbler." I confess my ignoriw 

 most willingly, as to the truly-wonderful bdimm 

 powers of this bird, never having had an opportg 

 of hearing anything approaching to such exc*JI 

 as is* described by « T. G." at page 613. 1 m w 

 little fellow much, and have kept company* 

 him often, both in and out of doors; uulijj 

 heard him sing sweetly, long after « the s!ia*P£ 

 evening have been stretched out." IhHg 

 in noting his remarkable imitative powers j wjJJ^ 







say 8 of cei 

 a note ' 



on. 



I Bee 



so wide a range of different voices. - , 



myself to be behind-hand when »PP^V7 

 « singular fact," I shall duly repair W***£ 

 next spring. I shall seek, carefully, to ^fj^f 

 I should so much like to know ; and as ,"&P« J 



•tain discoveries, I shall, "when ^ud ,£ 



, « T. G." is treating in * J£ 

 masterly manner on the « Artificial Breeding ; o 

 I know'something about this, P«««^£rf£ 

 correspondent will favour me with his ; name ^ ^ 

 in confidence, we may perhaps, bereane , rftfB- | 

 service to each other. The sub wet i s on ^ 

 interest, and in « T. G.'s" hands ^j/%^ 

 extensively popular. William 

 Oct, 25 . 







Udd, 



^octettes* ^i 



L of London, Oct. »>~* Q0 S n» 



The Secretary stated that the ^ 



appointed Mr. J. T. Svme, Curator, «* ^ 



would be open every Monday, W«dn««g 4 W* 

 from 10 till 5. The Curator reported w . ^ 



Botanical of 



the chair. 



lection of duplicates of E^P^jftr the S*** 



not found in Britain, had bf »*Li«K 

 by Mr. He wett C. Watson. , L.stsof thesp ^^ 



inc 



hiding 



ing to nearly 100, and 



Arctic and South European plants), 



many 

 will be 



oraer ** 



c 



rotation select their own 



them ty 



Arctic ana oouui nuiv^- r •• nSt m "' B r ^ 

 members who desire fore.gn s^^J ito? tt, «*J 



reference to the contents of their • own her -^j 

 eimen of Grammica suaveolens ^ ne3r V^ 



.. „ „ „ .__. growing on Lwnr^, 00 tjg 



,er last, was exhimt ge y w 



they may in rotation select ««»- f them - 

 of merely securing parcels look?? oat t ** 



Curator alone, and thus unavoidably , _..„ A <r 



De** 



Mr. E. G. Varenne, 



in E«ex, in September iw»»"-- that _ 



it was ascertained by Mr. Varenn ^ ^ ^ 



been sown with imported seeds, ^ Tbe G jflj^ 



had proved very injurious to the cr y ^ jtf. 

 suaveolens, is identical w.tli «.e rfl]8W c*- 

 (Pfeiffer), of Koch's - Synopsis r ion* 



