THE GARDENERS 



CHRONIC 



£*ur»«M>, lUUnrf Common. 



n reessvel. J & __ 



iu « as. r<!er .dlTTa. not , veuience, and economy of labour, let the old fashioned 

 luo ' way of forcing Seakale by means of pots and fermented 



Cjwesasia : (— ). TOO law lor xnit wee«. *. ^. 



£"w Daisiis: R Some very pretty one. were shown at 



Omwick la.t season, by Mr. Salter, and others jr £. 



Casd^.pots : C/>£. There can be no doubt ;tnat the w«" 



measurements are - growing smaJl by *•?"•••, Some 



alteration is imperative, if »2's are 6 ins. wide ana 6 in*. 



di*p 21° 8i in/wide and Sins. deep, that standard should 



{andopted by those who make them ; failing that, the remedy 



fc with the purchasers. From what we know there is 



scarcely a pot sent out of the required size. A reformation 



U ks much needed in this particular a. in any connected 



with floriculture. The - Lancet" is rifcetog much good by 



iU exposure of fraud, in common articles ot consumption ; 



we do not promise to follow the same course but a few casts 



^chased from the different metropolitan kilns might serve 



to show who are doling fairly and who are not J. E 



PoLTASTHesf.: L. Tbey are favourites, and will we.l repay 

 your attention; few snivels are more gay in early spring 

 Tney are seldom received in too large a state ; therefore do 

 no: divide too severely. J E. 



ftriiioutis- R 8. ^ome copes have been forwarded. >'-E. 



Teuw J U We sre delighted to hear of your success. You 

 may plant aoj time tins month with safety. Let care be 

 eaercised in the transit of the bulb" ; 4 inches at moat— if of 

 moderate size, lets, /. B.—W W Whitby. Next week. .7. K. 



Tsimcla: F R K- Worth preserving. The other tlower has 

 nothing to do with C. puniceus.* 



£saATCM.— The dates of the second Saturdays in M«.iy, June, 

 and July, of 1852 (the Chin wick fete days) were inadvertently 

 iriven wrong last week ; they shoald have been— May 8, 

 June M, and July 10. J. E. 



Miscellaneous. 



Victoria reffia.—On the 28th of August the Victoria 



tegia blossomed for the first time at Hamburgh, in tin 



aquarium of the Botanical Garden. This is the third 



plant of this species which has flowered on the continent, 



*nd the aecond in Germany. Immense interest was 



excited in Hamburgh by this occurrence To prevent 



too great a crowd, tickets of admission were issued at 



lour achiuings each (about two shillings of our money); 



and as a limited number only c«>uld be admitted at once, 



hundreds were disappointed. °n the two days during 



which the first blossom was expanded, especially on the 



aecond morning and evening more than 2800 tickets 



were disposed of. Botanische Zeituv*;, Sept. 12, 18.51. 



Candle Tret of Panama.— A. production, less beautiful 

 but equally singular, is the Palo de velas, or Candle tree 

 (Parmentieracereifera, Seem.) This tree is confined to 

 the valley of the Chagre q , where it forms entire forests. 

 In entering them, a person might almost fancy himself 

 transported into a chandler's shop. From all the stems 

 and lower branches hang long cylindrical fruits, of a 



iellow wax-colour, so much resembling a candle as to 

 ave giveu rise to the popular appellation. The fruit 

 i* generally from two to three, hut not unfrequently 

 four, feet long, and an inch in diameter. The tree 

 Jtaelf is about 24 feet high, with opposite, trifoliolated 

 leaves, and large white bossoms, which appear through- 

 out the year, but are in greatest abundance during the 



The Palo de velas belongs to the Natural 



rainy season 



*he former serves for food to numerous herds of cattle. 

 Bullocks, especially, if fed with the fruit of this tree, 

 tjruinea Grass, and Batatilla (Ipomoea brachypoda, 

 Benth.) soon get fat. It is generally admitted, how- 

 ever, that the meat partakes in some degree of the pecu- 

 liar Apple-like smell of the fruit ; but this is by no 

 means disagreeable, and easily prevented, if, for a few 

 'days previous to the killing of the animal, the food is 

 changed. The tree produces its principal harvest 

 ^uring the dry season, when all the herbaceous vege- 

 tation is burned up ; and on that account its cultivation 

 in tropical countries is especially to be recommended : a 

 few acres of it would effectually prevent that want of 

 fodder which is always most severely felt after the 

 periodical rains have ceased. ffodber'i Journal of Rntnn.1, 



Calendar of Operations, 



( For the ensuing week.) 



PLANT DEPARTMENT. 



Pat particular attention to securing as much light as 

 Twsable in all structures containing i>lants - and wh^ 



are 



growth of nearl 

 I late autumn fl 



convenient bounds, as 



conservatory 



as Mandevillas 



the 



und Ipom as, are now sufficiently ripened for 

 purpose ; but little more should be done after 

 changed ' 



reserved 



slightest damp during winter. 



S 3"** l T es thau to P vune th * ™»fa»t shoots 



deferring the final pruning till March or April If 

 larger and stronger shoots are cut now, they are apt to 

 commence growing, in spite of the moderate tempera- 



a the strength which ought to be 



„ The shnnt.u n? Il.tn.ni1m. „u„..u 



oe considerably reduced VM1V) 4lo w 



.^^-i P • a ' ing Winten If an y of tlie late 



grow*g IWn -floweis or other creepers impede the 



deS, "£ * theJ *°? M ««*b account be reduced ; 



*W . g ' ,,owever » U, T . find Pining until they are 

 •boot to commence their new CTowt i, ;,, !,L 



**cm Pu^.-The free ad mis8i Cf - h 2d2 

 « tndmpensable to these, and the latter XcKllt n 



"SJl?^ P,antS m&y be kept -<^3v 1^^ 



WKSir eoabied to ff -"tfss 



£e 



AKALE, 



FORCING DEPARTMENT. 



neatness 



con 



manure by being rotted without fermentation. Where 

 there is not a spare pit, with the bottom heat supplied 

 by hot water, the most economical method is to make up 

 a small bed of Oak leaves, sufficiently strong to ensure a 

 bottom heat of 50°, but not exceeding 55° ; and to place 

 upon this a small frame about 30 inches high, and filled 

 to about 18 inches with soil such as is procurable from 

 an old Melon bed. The plants should be taken up 

 with great care, preserving as much as possible of the 

 thick fleshy root, upon which the success of the artificial 

 crop very materially depends ; and after watering them 

 sufficiently to settle the soil about them, the frame 

 should be covered with shutters and mats, to exclude 

 the light. The Seakale, forced in this manner, is 

 decidedly superior to that produced by the ordinary 

 method, being firmer in texture and shorter in its growth ; 

 it is also a much easier matter either to examine its 

 progress or to gather it for use. By planting the roots 

 4 inches apart, a superficial yard will produce six or 

 eight dishes ; and if the roots are preserved after 

 removal, and laid in till spring, by picking off all the 

 buds but one, they will make good sets for another 

 season. But one of the best places for forcing this 

 vegetable is in the Mushroom house, as the temperature 

 of that is just sufficient, and the very important con- 

 sideration, absence of light, is secured without additional 

 trouble. 



FLOWER GARDEN AND SHRUBBERIES. 



Amongst the numerous exotic plants used for summer 

 and autumn decoration, there are many which will 

 survive the winter, with but a slight protection. All 

 such should now be carefully guarded, as they will 

 materially diminish the quantity of plants to be provided 

 for planting out next spring ; and for this excellent 

 reason, preference should be given to the kinds above 

 referred to, in making a selection of plants for flower 

 garden purposes. Under this head will fall Gladiolus, 

 Sparaxis, and many other Cape of Good Hope 

 bulbs ; with a great variety of deciduous and half 

 deciduous herbaceous plants, such as Antirrhinums, 

 Pentstemons, Salvia patens, Stachys, Lobelia propinqua, 

 and others ; and also some shrubby and sub-shrubby 

 plants, as Fuchsias, Hydrangeas, and the more tender 

 varieties of tea-scented and other Roses. The material 

 we usually employ for this purpose is decayed tan, or 

 half-decomposed leaves, laid over the surface of the 

 soil as a mulching, 2 or 3 inches thick. Whatever be 

 used for this purpose, it should be such as is least liable 

 to absorb and retain moisture. Many use sawdust or 

 dry leaves for this purpose, and conceal their unsightly 

 appearance, by covering with a little soil ; but old tan is 

 more convenient, and forms a very congenial top dressing 

 in spring. Some other plants, such as Roses, and the 

 more tender varieties of Antirrhinums and Pentste- 



purpose is the prunings of evergreens, stuck into the 

 ground round about them ; as, at a short distance, they 

 are not distinguishable from the plants themselves. 



FLOFU3TS' FLOWERS. 



Now we have a lull in floricultural matters, 

 as a matter of course are all out of the 



Dahlias 



alter tying their leaves together thTTrr^fr = 



by the heels, in a sheltered Sl^ Jfl* ^ „ 

 airy shed, where they will be protected Cm w e ^ J£ 



. __ __ ground and 

 stored away. Tulips should be planted ; if any bulbs are 

 out now, they will, as a matter of course, suffer severely. 

 Many florists hoop over their beds, in order to keep 

 them dry, and prevent the effects of heavy autumnal 

 rains ; this we consider a good plan. Carnations and 

 Picotees— The beds appropriated to seedlings should be 

 gone carefully over, and the surface soil stirred. Those 

 plants which look the weakest ought to have the greatest 

 attention paid to them, as it is those generally which 

 produce the best flowers. The strongest are generally 

 " selfs," or single flowers. As for Auriculas we may 

 consider them safe ; the demand on the florist's time 

 will be very small indeed ; as far as they are concerned, 

 occasional watering, keeping free from weeds and 

 insects, and sheltering from heavy rains, are all that will 

 be required for the next four months. The Ranunculus 

 bed may now be turned over, and thrown up into shallow 

 ridges ; let these lie exposed to the winter frost, turning 

 over when thoroughly frozen through. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Peas and Beans.— Those who reside in favourable 



localities should now make a sowing of these vegetables, 



with the hopes of obtaining a very early crop. The 



seeds should be sown on the leeward side of low ridges, 



the crowns of which will protect the young plants from 



cold winds, and the hollows between will aid in keeping 

 the soil ^"" c — - - 1 J « - - -- * 



Nov. 



m 



'a 



o 

 3 



Friday.. 

 Sutur. .. 

 Sunday . 



Monday 

 Tues. .. 

 Wed. 

 Tbura 



• . 



i 

 8 



9 

 10 



11 



12 



13 



U 

 O 



16 

 1 



BAEOMBTS&. 





wick. 



**• 



T»*ri 



Or the 



Max. I Mm. n ax . 



Min. Mean 



29,S35 



29.871 

 29.869 



7 29.787 



181 *U2U 



I Average.... 

 Nov. 



dry. Some chopped Furze, or other similar 

 material, should be sown along with the seed, to prevent 

 the depredations of mice. A dwarf variety of Pea, such 

 as Bishop's Longpod, will be found very suitable for the 

 purpose ; and of Beans, the Dwarf Fan will be found 

 both hardy and prolific. There is a chance, in warm 

 dry localities, that these sowings will produce good crops 

 a prospect which is a sufficient warrant for the ex- 

 penditure in seed and labour ; but in medium or late 

 situations, the chance of success is very small. In the 

 latter case, there is less trouble and more certainty by 

 sowing in boxes or turves early in spring and planting 

 them out with a slight shelter towards the end of March. 

 Cauliflowers should be examined every three or four 



jse which nave arnvei 

 immediate use, should 



19 

 20 



30.347 

 30.434 



29 770 

 24.835 



29.803 

 29.626 



30.005 



30.230 



30.345 



0f «taEiit» 



1 foot 2 fee 



47 



48 

 43 

 49 

 49 

 46 



47 



36 

 38 

 39 

 2H 

 30 

 29 

 36 



41.0 

 13.0 



41.0 

 38.5 



39.5 

 37. a 

 4L5 



4'J 



44 



45 



45 



44* 



44 



43 



30.034 i 29.945 ' 47.0 



( 



43* 



44 



44* 



4a 



44* 



4a 



44* 



7— Fine; cloudy and cold; clear at menf 



S— Fine; rain at night. a 



9-Fo S «y ; cloudy; raia at mjtht. 

 10-F.ne ; very fine ; stiKbt rain at night ; f r01 tv 

 }i~S lne; «cpedlngly fine, with bright iuu: ■Jihtrw 



*M. 



Si- 

 fts 



13— Fogffy ; fine in afternoon ; densely overctit 

 Mean temperature of the week, 3* deg. below the 



» T «ru«. 



State of the Weather at Cbiswick, during the last 23 »•*,. t .. 



enauinsr week. ending \nv *n i u - ( ' * ri »'0TtM 



Nov. 



Sunday 16 



Mon. 



Tuei. 



Wed. 



Thuri. 



Friday 



Satur. 



21 

 22 



35^ 



49/2 _ 

 48.7 



49.3 



49.5 

 49.S 

 49.9 

 49 6 



34.2 

 35.9 



35.7 



36.0 



36.S 



38.9 

 36.S 



No. of 



Years in 

 which it 



Rained. 



| Prevail^ w^ 



0.41 ia. 



0.40 

 0.41 



0^7 



0.33 



0.37 

 0.62 



The highest tem 

 1844— therm. 60 deg 



perature during the above period 

 . ; and the lowest on the 16th, 1841 



occurred oiT'ihe 

 -therm. U ueg. 



Birds 

 much s 



w« 



Notices to Correspondents. 



Clarinda. From your statement of grievance! 



u»pect that your bird-seed is old, and coniequetuw 

 unwholesome. Procure some of the newest and largest Cansrt 

 Kape, and Flax seeds ; discard those which vou nowhaii! 

 and see if there be any improvement in the health of jonr 

 birds. The best seeds are ' plump,' have a gUwiy rpwu- 

 ance with tbem, and may be readily known. Write &?ia 

 soon. — John W. From 4s. to 12s., according to their tied. 

 lence— Jawe Z>. Not until Christmas. — Clarence, Try alittte 

 Maw- seed, and one or two Hemp- seeds now and then.- Jra. 

 helmina. At this season, birds will go off song occasional!. 

 Keep them warm, and you will soon be recom pensed to your 

 heart's delight.— Anna P. If you wish themtosingbycindle* 

 light, keep them all in close cages, open only at the front. 

 When they see the fire, and hear the delightful preparation! 

 for that most ' amiable,' social meal—" tea," there will won 

 be a " sweet union of happy voices."— Lonwa C. From our 

 very heart we pity you. Four of your pets Myiny dead!' 

 However, as you know the worst, let eiperience makeyot 

 wise for the future. If you love your birds— which we per- 

 ceiveyoudo — study them as you would do children. Kup 

 them warm, and out of the reach of all draughts. Very many 

 thousands die annually, f'om neglect in these matter*. We 

 have described a " model cage" long since. — Why not 

 adopt it ! — Thomas Finch. Early in the ensuing year. - 

 Felicia. No ; these side glasses are very objectionable. Have 

 your cage made with a long trough, or drawer fur the seed ; 

 let a circular glass be introduced in one comer for the water. 

 —Emma. We cannot refuse your request, urged as it ii with 

 bo much persuasive eloquence. We will undertake the com- 

 mission tfladly, and have no doubt that you will be well 

 satisfied with our choice. — William A. You have been 

 deceived. The bull-finch is a hen bird, and not worth »>ue 

 penny.— E. Smith. Asa rule, if you are in search of a ^n 

 bird of any description, inquire of dealers in the street foe 

 fl a male bird that sings." What is handed to you, will bt 

 just what you want,— a hen bird that does not * sing.' Only 

 be careful not to pay too dear for your 4 whistle.* W.K. 



Chabcoal Oven : T 0. We do not know that any one to* 

 begun to manufacture portable iron ovens lor charring yw> 

 table matter, like that of Popelin Ducarre Probably » 

 drawing of his oven will be given in the report of the jury. J 



Gba veiling Walks: B A. Shell gravel never binds well if laid 

 on thickly. It should be spread thinly, and evenly raked ana 

 well rolled. It is better to give two thin dressings in the 



year than one thick one.J . k 



arket Gabdenino: MaHutes. If you have not out ■ Mji 

 Numbers to refer to, you cannot do better than pr ^£ J«g 

 self with Mr.Cuthill'g pamphlet on this subject, which wm 

 furnish nou with the kind of information you ™5 alI £5 

 Names of Fbuits : L 8. 1, Crimson Q«^iflf;* FW 

 P.ate : 4, like Dutch Mignonne ; 5, Ten ^W^£ 

 Hollow-crowned Pippin ; 7, Gravenstein ; 3, ^g^ 

 ing; 9, Nelson. \\-Novice. 1, Easter ^Beurre ; ; 2 «i 

 Colmar. \\-P A D. 3, 4, Kyiuer ; 5, Frankim « W d "WJ? 

 6, Downton.|j-2? R C 1, Winter Nehs; 2 Brow* M£« 

 4 6. Easter B.urre; 5, 7, Napoleon ; 8 Autuma JW^ 



M 



Pippin 



17, Lemon W^T 1 ' 

 Dr. Miller, I, Louaon Pippin ; 2 *> mg^ 

 >ab ; 4, Ord Apple. Pears : 1, Fi*ae ae ^v. 





dry 



11, Gansel's Bergamot. 1, Alexai 

 3, Bedfordshire Foundling ; 4, I 

 Beaufin ; 11, Sweeney Nonpareil 

 Nonpareil ; 16, French Crab 



Downton.ll- 



3, Minchall , 



2, decayed; 3, Autumn Bergamot. U-~ ~ ~. CriM*n e » 

 Gri* ; 2. Winter Nells ; 3, Passe Colmar ; Y»ter^ , . 

 6, Doyenne Blanc ; 7, Easter Bergamot ; I B f Beuff ^ 

 9. Ne Plus Meuris ; 10, Grande Br «JW« J^ d'W* 

 Weill; 13, Beurre de Capiaumont; 15 .^ cn *^ . 3f Roj*i 

 leme/ Apples: 1, Trumpington; 2, Wb £^uii t 

 Kus.et ; 4, Golden Reinette ; 5, king of the ^ n ^ ^ in 

 Names of Plants: Georgie. None of ? °***£"^ of ** 

 fructification ; no native country is * ire * ' w * 7 Te rf »** 

 groups to which they belong are numerous, an ^ le 

 alike; therefore, without more mlorma ti ^o,u ^ ; 



to say with certainty what they are. 1 w »oj» J Tricho- 

 2, like Lastrea Filix-mas ; 3 a Hymenoplrjl^ 

 manes: 4, Polygonum, perhaps P. V^^f' f]mi whtf 

 aK Leaves: H B. T bey are covered with Oak^ P ^ { 



are figured and described in our volume for « . v ^ tsa \h 

 Peae Teees : M. H. See Mr. Errington's remarw 



ject at p. 260 of last year's volume. J c iimbin* J^ 



Roses : WaUey Abby. The best free-flowed* ci » ^ ^ 



Roses are:-Jaune Desprez, Lama ^ man ure for ^ 



Night-soil, in a liquid state, a i a capital man ^^ 



it will induce a vigorous growth *"**™J^{.t . „ 



' - h care, as it ia T«ry powen i u + ^ 



The following are ^fj^m^ 

 r^ympnujaaioa, «uphar!ttt«a and advene. tb e dottWJ 



lams, Meoyanthe. trifoliate and nj° a g^ ail uu:hjO0, ** 

 variety of Sagittaria latifolia, Apouogeton o 



Aiismaplanta^o.J auzste^ 00 if tot of 



Misc.: St. Beia. Thanks ; but your «^» ^ng ; tal * 

 ticable— at least for the present. J -a *• * 



Uttle value t 



Oak 



W 







