THE GARDENERS' 



and 



come ; and even the next generation may lament the 

 effects of u one year's seeding." 



ifis purposed in this paper to treat firstly of the 

 weeds which infest cultivated ground, as kitchen and 

 flower gardens ; secondly, those which disfigure lawns ; 

 thirdly, those which daily « beset our paths. 



Weeds which infest cultivated Garden-ground — 

 The most troublesome of this numerous tribe are the 

 Groundsel, duckweed, Shepherd's Purse, Bistort, 

 Nettle, Couch Grass, Coltsfoot, Bindweed, Dead Nettle, 

 Dandelion, Sow Thistle, and Docks. 



The gardener, by his deeper system of cultivation, 

 possesses an advantage over the farmer, for the anmhi- 

 Lion of a crop of weeds, as all the above may be got 

 rid of by deep trenching, say to a depth of 2£ feet, ex- 

 ceptin -'that pest the Bindweed. Although the farmer 

 can looeen and aerate to a considerable depth by the sub- 

 soil plough, he cannot bury the roots of perennial weeds 

 sufficient depth to insure their destruction, u: " 



at a 



His 



zealous indignation. 



remedy, therefore, consists in the processes of fallowing, 

 giving repeated harrowings, and the tedious operation of 



hand-picking. 



To cleanse a foul and "well-seeded" garden, after 

 having trenched down the surface, with its vegetation, 

 let it be frequently cropped, digging and stirring the 

 soil to various depths, to bring the latent seeds near 

 enough to the surface to vegetate ; and when they have 

 done so, apply the hoe in their infancy from time to 

 time. Let all crops be grown in drills, for the sake of 

 facilitating the operation. If you can* prevent it, do not 

 allow weeds to go to seed in the hedges or fences, and 

 never pass a "bit of Groundsel 1 ' but with a feeling of 



Such a system will in a few years 

 rid you (comparatively) of weeds. I have pursued the 

 course I recommend for some years, and my labour for 

 destroying weeds is not a tenth part of what it was. 

 There never was a fouler garden than I found it, and I 

 believe there are few now where weeds are scarcer. 

 fi Vincit omnia labor" is truly applicable to this result. 



While upon the subject it may be well to mention, 

 that for a light crop of weeds the newly-invented hoe, or 

 the blade of an old knife, makes one of the best tools for 

 use. This is not mere theory, but was first noticed 

 to me by Mr. Myatt, of Manor Farm, Deptford, whose 

 reputation as a market gardener needs no comment 

 from me. 



The danger of procrastination has not any more apt 



illustration than the evil consequences which result 



from neglecting a crop of weeds, because they are 



only small ones— mere • bits." We should ever bear 



in mind how they deprive our crops of the fertilising 



matters which we may, at considerable expense, have 



deposited in the soil, and at no period are they so 



exhausting as when the flowers are developed, and the 



seeds forming. When in this state they choke and j ward. 



destroy, and fail not to leave behind them unmistakeable 



evidence that we have not yet learned to act upon the 



advice of our immortal poet, who says — 



"Be wise to day, 

 'Tis madness to defer.'* 



nest, because I never could observe that her mate ever 

 assisted in its formation— in a very snug corner under 

 my aviary window, laid some eight or nine eggs, and 

 hatched them all, save one. This one I found sub- 

 sequently in the nest. It was not fecundated. I may 

 add, that the nest was not more than four feet from the 

 ground, but artfully built in the corner of a fluted pillar. 



The cunning stratagems of this little creature to 

 escape my eye, as I passed to and fro before her nest — 

 I could not attend to my poultry without continually 

 passing it — have often amused me. For a long time I 

 pretended to know nothing about it, and whenever My 

 Lady Artful has flown off, or rather slipped off at my 

 approach, I have studiously avoided taking any notice of 

 her. I always observed, however, on such occasions, 

 that she would patiently wait until I was gone before she 

 re-entered her dwelling ; unless indeed I stayed in the 

 vicinity unusually long ; and then, my back being turned 

 towards her, she would noiselessly glide in. It was not 

 until her young were hatched, that I openly recognised 

 her whereabouts. I hardly need tell my readers, that had 

 this tiny creature been aware of my privity to her place 

 of concealment when the eggs were first laid, she would 

 have decamped. Her instinct would have told her there 

 was an enemy to be avoided. The voice of Nature, 

 however, when once the cares of incubation were over, 

 and the cries of her children heard, caused her to brave 

 all for their sakes, and to protect them at any hazard. 



My first recognition of her ladyship — a day or two 

 after her family were hatched, and my watchful eye as 

 she flew hither and thither with spiders in her mouth, 

 caused her some anxiety. She observed, however, that 

 I never took any advantage of her ; never attempted 

 with undue curiosity to pry into her dwelling ; and that 

 I never offered her any cause of offence. This led very 

 quickly to a degree of pleasing familiarity, which all 

 who have studied the nature of birds can well understand. 

 She was always glad to see me, listened with the 

 sprightliest of motions to any tune that I might w T histle, 

 and really seemed pleased to show me a bunch of 

 spiders that she had twisted between her mandibles. 

 When my eye was fixed on the nest— then would she 

 descend, feed her young, and immediately set out for a 

 fresh supply. Her attentions were unremitting : her 

 motherly care an example for all woman-kind. 



As the children increased in bulk, I thought I would 

 venture just to peep in at them. One morning, whilst 

 so engaged, the anxious mother returned with a mouth- 

 full of dainties. It is quite true that she exhibited no 

 symptoms of fear whatever. 



CHRONICLE. , v 



__ L^ OV . op 



in all that we have adv^dT WlnT^rr 35 "^ ' 

 ample opportunities for tracing Nature b^ <* 



ful and amiable fortrt^T^STSS, *" **' *» 



WINTER COVERINGfHr HOTum* 

 The inhabitants of plant and frait w 0USE& 

 their healthy development, hi ,i^Z Ttf* * 

 tare. To provide such houses with the ri' ^ ** 

 mg the necessary amount of these e5 °{ ob * 

 every plan appears to have been brought ;«♦ eleni( * 

 which the skill of the architect and cu!tit»f ° 0{ **2 

 could devise ; and certainly hothouse build tlV mhi * 

 at a state approaching perfection Yet "t ""^ 

 that one • important point is still nek JIT* 3 « * 

 ample means are provided for obtainin A eat *•* 

 find any plan adopted for efficiently ^,; '* e * ldo> 

 large quantity of warmth is absorbed hvT S * A 

 and other surfaces of a properly eluyc,] iwu Paque ^ 

 a winter's day of bright sunshi/e* At tha ft""*"** 

 a state of weather by day is usually followed b' ** 



circum- 



frosty night, a clear sky ; and in fact, by everv 

 stance favourable for the *"»««— - * s -* 



was generated in 



ox me escape of the hit w h3 

 the houses by the rays of L 5? 



Now the practice of the gardener (I must say * T* 

 as it is not universally the case) is to find a snLS "' 



more 



fire-heat, instead of endeavouring to re^ainV^^ *° 

 wholesome warmth afforded him by the * 

 must not be inferred that I wish to establishwi M 

 that fire-heat ought to be dispensed with ■ but I 

 confident that if hothouses were provided with an ^ 

 ternal covering, which would in some measure prevent 

 radiation, much less of that kind of heat would be needed • 

 and for what are called greenhouses, principally for' 

 nished with Heaths and New Holland plants, it would 

 be found necessary only to apply it in extreme cases. 

 " Whatever checks radiation from a body keeps it 

 » I am i n f orme( ^ on good authority, that t 



warmer. 



& 7 



II. Bailey, C.M.II.H., Nuneham, Oxford. 



BRITISH SONG BIRDS. 



(CageBibi*, No. 40.) 



No. L VI.— We have very successfully travelled thus 



far, on our journey of inquiry into the " universal Law 



of Nature ; " and we were not wrong in believing that 



fair argument, urged in a kindly tone, would give us a 



peaceable hearing from those who felt really interested 



in arriving at the truth. We will now at once resume 



the thread of our discourse ; having, for the time at 



least, silenced those few quibblers who imagined they 



knew better than our old writers, and men possessed of 



more experience than themselves, « what was what." 



The more closely we pursue our observations, and 

 regard the operations of Nature in her handiwork, the 

 more food shall we have for reflection as well as 

 admiration. Every creature, it is evident, was sent 

 into this world for the purpose of self-enjoyment, as well 

 as for the benefit of mankind ; and thus we find them 

 gifted, each with a talent peculiar to themselves. 

 Wenoe, they can converse together, act together, plan 

 ^ether, live together ; and establish a code of laws 

 which their various societies are, one and all, bound to 

 Respect and to obey. « What less," asks Derham, 

 W? P°. » a , su P rerae intelligence, could thus endow 



ewl iTTf % %? is ' a distinction with a differ- 

 ence ) to reason itself ? Insomuch that some 



or 



On the contrary, she 

 seemed well-pleased to find me admiring her offspring, 

 who, I believe, numbered eight. It was a sweetly-pretty 

 sight, to see how methodically they were all disposed in 

 the nest ; nor did they venture to move forward or back- 



They were ail-but ready to take wing. Three 

 mornings subsequently, I found, at a very early hour, 

 that the whole family had just bid good-bye to the nest 

 for ever I They were all safe over-night ; and on first 

 missing them, I imagined that some cat had made 

 them her prey. The nest, however, remained intact ; 

 and in it, the unfruitful egg before referred to. 



My eyes were instantly turned upwards to the lofty 

 Firs, skirting the bottom of my garden, and towerin 

 above the aviary. There, sure enough, were all the 

 happy family, including the Mamma ; and, on this occa- 

 sion, the Papa also. It was the very first time I had seen 

 him, although his voice was always audible, since the 

 commencement of building the nest. Do let us pause 

 one moment, to imagine what must have been cheerfully 

 patiently, and perfectly performed by the little mother- 

 totally unassisted I believe by her mate from first to 

 last ! Here is something for us to reflect upon for a 

 life-time. 



But as Nature made nothing in vain, and has a design 

 m all she does, I made accurate observation that whilst 

 the maternal parent was refitting and recruiting, their 

 Papa was the principal instructor of the children from 

 the moment of their quitting their cradle. The whole 

 family acted evidently in concert. I saw him early and 

 late, teaching, feeding, and instructing them ; and, not to 

 be tedious, in some six weeks, or less, after their birrh 

 they had arrived at comparative maturity * Herein 



thermometer exposed to a clear sky has been proved to 

 fall 7° lower than another within a few yards of it sus- 

 pended under a cambric pocket handkerchief, all cir- 

 cumstances, with the exception of the handkerchief, beat 

 equal. Passing clouds, however slight, prevent radii- 

 tion from the earth's surface. Clouds have two, io. 

 portant offices to perform in regard to heat, namely, 

 those of keeping the earth and its inhabitants warm m 

 winter by preventing radiation, and cool in summer by 

 shading from the burning rays of the sun. A covering 

 acts upon a glass house, as respects heat, just as a cloai 

 acts upon the earth. It is used by gardeners for shading,, 

 but in the case of preventing radiation it is generally 

 neglected. The reason for this probably is, that if 

 shading were neglected in summer, the evil would soon 

 show itself, in the shape of burned leaves ; whilst the 

 injury arising from the non-application of winter cover- 

 ing is not so apparent, where the means of heating by 

 fire are at command. 



The objections which I have heard urged against 

 covering are, its expense in the first place (balance the 

 saving of fuel against this and see which way the scales 

 will turn), its liability to be blown about, torn to pieces, 

 and breaking glass, the inconvenience attending putting 

 it on and taking it off, and its unsightly appearance when 

 off. Now in these times when gardeners can invent and 

 build " Crystal Palaces " of gigantic size, surely it * 

 possible to contrive something for covering a glass house 

 of any dimensions, that would be liable to none of these 

 objections. Something cheap and elegant, that could 

 easily applied and removed, and when off, instead or 

 having an untidy appearance, would be somewhat orna- 

 mental. Q. Buchan, Trentham. 



Orchids for the Million. 

 Wallichii will be 



nave some gl.mmenngs of reason. But," adds he 

 lL?J" m l fe ' a » In3tinct > noi Reas ™ they act bv • 



without m» h, ' the *T e Wa y < our own ^gumem), 



mmy method^^. ™ 7^ J and d ° ** bj 



mdering this point^S so fr? V ™? 0ne: , ?»• 

 ourselves to a most hrtSL" %*> ™ W , l]I now addres * 

 the grand end for v*^^*^^ 

 fcrought into the world ; md ^™°J 8 ' the birds > were 



quit the nest. 



they lead forth their family, \hL™, U f C0!ls,d l er h ™ 

 Much profitable instruction liJ^gS Ji*"' *t 

 That Nature implants « obedient S d b 1? ea . th - 



most of the children of mankind "are sadlS^ • n which 

 young birds, is self-evident on Zh f !!!" T', n 

 °<*»»ons as these p«—.— *m„ =. , Ucn re, »wkable 



lTr^>ii«^?^ 



jnce I myself witnessed a case of the kind- 

 Wore, speak boldly to the point. A little ll 



I 



can 



feathered tribe, is-« Bis dat qui Cito dat. 



the autumn has ended, Her work has been perfected. 



Her chddren have attained " their majority." 



From what has been said of this one bird, a very 

 fair judgment may be formed of the rest. One law- 

 prevails one instinct impels, and Nature's uniform 

 course of action is vindicated. Enough has now been 

 adduced for our purpose, as connected with the com- 

 mon order of birds. Of those gifted with an increase 

 of sagacity,-all, be it borne in mind, needful for the 

 possessors,— we shall speak anon. Wonder and ad- 

 miration await us at every turn ; and every liyin* 

 creature we behold, the more carefully it is considered 

 the more do we marvel at its inherent excellence :— 



"In some are found 

 smell teachable acd apprehensive parts. 

 That Man's attainments in his own concern* 

 > Matched with the expertnets of the brutes in theirs 

 Are oft-times vanquished, and thrown far behind." 



Who better than the poet Cowper himself who 

 p enned th ese expressive lines, eould bear us fully out 



Home Correspondence. 



I think the Ccelogyw 

 be soon grown as easily as a poU 

 Crocuses, and it may be brought into flower ■ 

 October to January, and probably may be ^ 

 flower twice a year. All that is required a »8 

 it fast in heat-a hotbed, if the leaves are so* 



.._ -_-, would be quite «^^Jrf 



give the plant a long rest as soon as it nab c r^ 

 its growth. It propagates very freely, and is ^ 



dant bloomer : the flowers last a longtime. ^ ; ^t 



grow 

 shaded 



from the sun 



Nature's laws are provident. Her motto with the that" four" or" fiW^w hen"ce*this " wilfbe /^^ 



., rw j~*» When nurgeriea ag comnion ag cyclamens, «n»' «" M 



tiful winter and early spring flowers, j- . j atl t 

 at present cultivated, is not a ^./°°^uce bios* 

 but as it is only the larger bulbs w ^ ic y t s ] l0 uld ** 

 soms, my gardener suggests that this i p» .^ ^^ 

 grown in mould richer than that whicn is 



ear i- 



this da? 



are 



gJodytea vulgaris), who had built' h< 



er nest 



• All the members of this diminutive bat " Hannv F.milv " 

 ,!'„f vi™ P i ea8 " d t0 8 * y ' ,,U1 *»•»»«*• of my ta?den -* L 



return for favours granted. 



point. A little wren (Tro 



1 *>? her SEf&ft™* **i •HWWn«" W* alwavs ?v t"aVon7i» 



use with respect to these plants. Doam^ 



Vktvria Regia.— At this late period ot J ^ 

 may be interesting to know that we na ^ 



(Nov. 22) 3 a beautiful flower on this queen o ^ bttd 

 in our open heated pond, and that th <^ e * s ^ (fa 

 which is on the eve of expanding. J* "**** M | ons hare 

 Disease in Cucumbers.— Both these ana a ^ ^n 

 been suffering here from a disease w» ic \« 



common in this quarter for these last thre ^ icrogc0 pic 

 1850 some Melons were subjected to ^ caUS€ of 

 examination, ' ^ ' ' ""~ '"" ofnrv * a- 



the affection could be detected, w r " VP( i that ;g 

 could be found, and therefore it was believe ^ { ^ 

 external influence must have been the c _\ ]jat th£ 

 evil. I was unable to satisfy myself, n ™^ & *# 



was the case ; and # upon cutting up V i veX ami»* 

 gathered at the same time as those previous j^ eX . 



I found a greenish mould covering ^ J the frn* : 

 crescence, and descending into the > lies j belief 



and, judging from Mr. Graham's « e * cv !r h h ' ehas «^ 

 the mould to be identical wit* that which 



but nothing explanatory « flf fuugi 

 eouid be detected. No trac ^ 



