THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



ID 



at- p. i .,o, i uttuutrti to notice wJ .it 1 tiriidragreatreconi- 

 n on ol lidsummcr as the bestseason for pruning 



wl. a is, If • that the woinri is smaller, by one whole 

 season's growth, than it would be if deterred to the en- 

 suing win r. 2d, that the healing process then begins 

 immediately upon the amputat 1 ; a ring of young 

 wood being formed round the edges of the wound in the 

 same season. So that the practice of summer-pruning 

 actually antedates, by two whole years, the final closing 

 of the wound. /. S. 11. , Ptr re. 



Bats and 1 pes.— I observe, at p. 789, a letter 

 from Mr. Waterton, in which that gentleman regards 

 my quotation from Dr. Buchanan's " Researches in the 

 East," as apocryphal, characterising it as an * Eastern 

 nursery tale.' So high an authority, so emphatically 

 put forth, is worthy of all regard ; and I am really glad 

 to* be advised of my unintentional error. I may remark 

 that the very same passages have been extracted into 

 the columns of the "Penny Magazine," the " Saturday 

 Magazine," and a variety of other literary journals, — 

 in every instance it having been considered orthodox. 

 I, like others, have fallen into the trap, and been 

 deceived. W. Kidd t Dec. 15. 



Protection of 6 '>erry and Currant Tree Buds from 

 the Depredation of Bird* — Mr. Kivers's mode of effect- 

 ing tin's desideratum is as follows : — After the trees are 

 pruned secundum a, 'em, for the ensuing season, he 

 scatters thickly throughout the bushes "short muck," as 

 we call it in Norfolk ) OP, in longer and more general 

 parlance, " short litter from the dunghill." This is left 

 on the bushes till the incipient leaves of spring burst from 

 the buds, and perfectly preserves the bushes from de- 

 predation. W. Mason, Ne< », Norfolk. 



Bow to Crop a Small K hen Garden. — Your corre- 

 spondent " Vectis" now states, at p. 741, that he has 

 got a good crop of Broccoli as well as Cabbage Sprouts : 

 but I presume he is still deficient of the other things I 

 mentioned, and many more I might have enumerated. 

 Now, though 1 do not wish to blame him for adopting 

 such a system, yet I think he should have done, what 

 he evidently has not done, given it a fair trial himself 

 before lie recommended it to others. As he evidently, 

 however, wishes to discover a mode of cropping by 

 which he may make his garden more productive, and 

 yet change his crops every year, I will endeavour to 

 explain to him how I proceed to crop, so as to accom- 

 plish that object, as far as it can be done. If he attempts 

 to grow many of the Brassica tribe he will, however, 

 find it impossible to avoid having some of them on the 

 same spot two seasons together; but by well manuring 

 and digging for them he will find them equally as good 

 neither would he find the manure in any way injure 

 their flavour, provided it was well decomposed. The 

 manner in which I carry on the rotation of crops is by 



I 



trees were lately felled in this neighbourhood, on a very 

 high spot of sandy soil, the timber of which was found 

 to be of excellent quality, very few of the trees being 

 shaky ; while among the Chestnuts felled in the low 

 valleys below, though in similar soil, almost all the trees 

 were found to be shaky. Oak trees will often flourish 

 exceedingly on sandy soils, but I believe it is well known to 

 sawyers that the timber grown on such soils is far inferior 

 to that grown on clay lands. The vast difference in the 

 quality of the timber of thePinus sylvestris, as imported 

 from the Baltic, and as usually grown at home, has 

 led to an opinion that the treesfrom which such different 

 timber is obtained must be of a different species or 

 variety. I cannot help suspecting that this is an un- 

 founded opinion, and that differences in soil, climate, 

 or situation, are sufficient to account for the difference 

 in quality ; in fact, that perhaps nothing but age and 

 slow growth are requisite to make our Scotch Fir 

 timber equal in value to foreign red Deal. In confir- 

 mation of this opinion, I send you a a specimen cut 

 from the side bough of a Scotch Fir, above 100 years 

 old, in which the growth has been so slow, that most of 

 the annual rings are too close to becounted. The wood is 

 very hard, and, I suppose, durable in proportion. I 

 have lately felled several Scotch Firs above 100 years 

 old, the timber of which was pronounced excellent ; 

 and, in the opinion of the carpenter, nearly, if not quite, 

 equal to foreign red Deal. B.B.B. 



Propagation of Eels. — My attention has been called to 

 a paragraph in a Worcester paper, giving an account of 

 a so-called discovery by Mr. Boccius, that eels are pro- 

 pagated by spawn, like other fishes, and that they are 

 not brought forth alive, as has hitherto been supposed ! 

 This may be true ; but before I can give an unqualified 

 belief to the assertion, I should like to have a few 



Who saw the fish 



Hamilton, Gilmerton-house, for-fi 

 Louise Winter Beurre, rfffiE*^ 

 enne d'Hiver ; a second to Mr. Arder£, " d Dc - 

 Earl of Stair, for Marie I^lffi?^** 



d'Aremberg, and Bern 



and a third 

 ■y for Beurri 



orpe C 



Rao 



Mr 



For the best-si, TSTTJff ffi^ 



: even competitors, and three prizes were al X ? 



gr. to Lady Harris, ScacliirS 

 Cambusnethen Pip pill) ^ 



first, to Mr. Calder 

 Dickson's Emperor 



r ; PK BorV 



dorffer Hollow-eyed Pippin, Doonside, and Old vS* 

 red ; and the third, to Mr. Morrison, EWin-ston for *£ 

 well Pippin, Paradise Pippin, Old Nonpareil I < Y 

 Nonpareil, Blenheim and Ribston PSppfi^rtftSS 

 bunch of retarded Grapes, a first prize wsq «„ „«7r* 

 Mr. Lees, gr. to the Earl of Haddington" ? or a K, 5 

 Muscat of Alexandria ; and a second to Mr T n * 



to C. Balfour. Ear,., ft* «. bunch of R!»„L u._K 



nurns 

 g varieties :-Queen of Englanl Tern 





questions answered by Mr. Boccius. 

 from which these thousands of eggs were extracted, 

 at the time this dissection was made ? Are the parties 

 who saw these eggs quite certain that the fish was an 

 eel, and not a lamprey I Who saw the eggs from which 

 Mr. Boccius produced living eels ? Who, beside Mr. 

 Boccius, ever saw eel-fry in a pond, which had no com- 

 munication with a river ? Will Mr. Frederick Allies, 



Ere-arranging in my mind what each part of the garden 

 i to contain for years. Tims I mark out a space 18 

 feet wide, m length according to the width of the garden 

 or irom path to path. I well manure and ridge trench' 

 it now. About the beginning of March I plant it with 

 JO rows of early Potatoes, 2 feet row from row, and 

 8 inches set from set. I then sow spring Spinach 

 broadcast, and rake it in ; it is thinned out to about 

 5 inches apart ; when fit for use, I cut that next the 

 1 otatoes first, it is all cleared off by the time the Potatoes 

 are 6 or 8 inches high. I then fork the ground, earthi™ 

 up the Potatoes ; about the end of May I plant four 

 rows of Brussels Sprouts between, placing the first row 

 between the second and third row of Potatoes, the oth»r 

 three between the alternate rows. About the end of 

 June, or beginning of July, f plant five rows of Broccoli ; 

 the first row between the first and second rows of 

 Potatoes, the others between the alternat 



the earth 

 lower leaves 



*h* tw„„ r i t> ,7, ~~f« rows, .so that 



the Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts stand 2 feet apart. 

 The beginning of August I take up the Potatoes, foiling 

 he earth well up to the plants. In November I remove 

 the Brussels Sprouts and transplant them thickly into 

 some out-of.the-way corner ; I then fork 

 up to the Broccoli as high as their 



SUklr A t0 P ° T tect them from frost - ■ .» «*fc3 



BrntJlL i P . S0W tW ° r0WS of Peas **»«* the 

 Brussels Sprouts grew. About the end of the same 



month I S ow two more. When the Broccoli are a? off 

 the 1 eas are earthed and staked. They are off by Sen 



is again ridged and trenched 



and Mr. Reed (the gentlemen to whom this spawn was 

 exhibited), say whether the ovary which was shown to 

 them was pretty much of the same form as that of 

 the lamprey ? And if not, in what respect did it differ ? 

 I am induced to ask these questions, both because, by 

 inference, they show my own opinions on the subject, 

 and because I am led, on undoubted authority, to believe 

 that Mr. Boccius is inclined to claim all that belongs to 

 him at least ; and also because I have my doubts about 

 the scientific attainments of Mr. Boccius in the natural 

 history of fishes. It is difficult to prove a negative. 

 My never having seen the strange things above men- 

 tioned certainly does not prove that other people, 

 with better eyes and more discrimination, have like- 

 wise failed to do so ; but I cannot help doubting 

 and I publish my doubt in the hope that the subject 

 may be further inquired into. A true naturalist ought 

 to wish only for the truth, without reference to his own 

 pre-coneeived notions ; but, so far as my examinations 

 have gone, I have failed altogether in detecting spawn 

 in the fringes which I have fancied were the ovaria of 

 the fish, or elsewhere ; and I do not believe that eels are 

 bred in fresh water at all. I see the fry ascending from the 

 sea, in May and June, by thousands and millions : but I 

 never met with one of these in a pond having no commu- 

 nication with a river. I have little doubt that I shall be 

 pronounced in error touching this matter 



are off it 



SnlTofe^ R ^ Cb **»* is formed In the 



»de t tt t- S ;-!;: h . es : id v ith - a bed ° n each 



side, 1 inches S J& £5"* ^ ° n the out " 

 wide on the Stsi es • e J? a Space 2 feet 3 ins - 

 the trenches pi^ w h Ce W v T 1°™ *j* 0nion8 > 

 a row of White Cos L^it * ^."^ly localities 

 trench before the Ce, er y i fit to ni f ^""a* *** 

 Cauliflowers is planted* on the J t ' ° Ut) ' , A r ° W of 

 from the trenches. When tScSL ■***% l ° in ° he3 

 is a g ain.ri dg ed, ^£^£*&gE* 



1 foot for an 



a ? m arked°out, 4 feet 6 i3£ 3 *J 

 flley between the beds ; the 8ame Z' 2* 



beds are so wn ~* tb Carrots *S? ° n the ° Utsides - The 



lettuce is iij^SrSBftryf White cos 



Ss? Scorzonera > I( 



Influence of it and Situation on T!, J ■ ■ 



geneillvaVareo" b iL P m lT, gre t r than 



with the gininiUr =t i • &ltua *ion has much to do 



SO liable. *%ZZ H- t^tSff'S S mbe * ^ 



j stance is, that a number of Chestnut 



. e remaining 



relies row from row. 



The 

 on 



one is 



A x . x . .they can gam access. They 



penetrate into the water pipes and pumps ; they climb 

 up the perpendicular faces of the rocks and weirs which 

 obstruct the course of the river, even when they are only 

 moist ; adhering to the moss and stones almost as well 

 as snails. The downward migration of the eels is ob- 

 served here from July to the middle of September ; but 

 m tne Manchester market, I find them up to this time 

 (the end of November), and am informed that they are 

 caught at the foot of Windermere in their downward 

 migration. Pray will a dissection of the conger at 

 various seasons throw no light on the propagation of 

 eels* One would think that, in such lavish, the 

 ovary would be much more easily distinguished than in 

 smaller specimens. T, ffl f Clithcroe. 



P^ i younrj Fruit Trees. ~l have purchased at 

 Mr. Bell s nursery, Bracondale, Norwich, a quantity of 

 Pears and Apples (espaliers), vigorous trees, about four 

 l!^^ d ^f^o^ They have been removed 

 several tunes in this nursery, and root pruned. I shall 



wVtF V^V't™ 111 * me if l am t0 cut them 



(& 7 ? U ^ a, rx When ; the trees ™** 'Planted ™ 

 October last. CO. [Under the above circumstances, it will 

 not be necessary to cut back, regularly, your newly- 

 panted espalier trees. If you find that some of the 

 branches have weak, soft, badly-matured wood at the 

 extremity of the shoots, you cannot err in cutting several 

 inches o it off. Side shoots, where they occu/ on the 

 principal branches, should be cut back to within six 

 mchesoftheirbases.il] m &lx 



For 1 2 finest single clusters of Chinese Cln^ZZL 

 the first prize was gained by Mr. Young, ArcheH 

 with the following varieties : Queen of fc^^tot 

 pie of Solomon, Minerva, Madame Chauvi?re Quo™ 

 Princess Maria, Lucidum, La Heine d'Or Queen nf 

 Gypsies, Salter's Annie, Defiance, and Queen of YellowHL 

 The stand considered best entitled to a second premium 

 was accompanied by no declaration, and the second 

 prize was therefore voted to Mr. Reid, gr. to J. Wau- 

 chope, Esq., who produced the. following :— Minerva] 

 Mareschal, Queen of the Gypsies, Victory, Tasselled 

 Yellow, Gem, Salter's Annie, Queen Victoria, Emma. 

 Queen of Yellows, Beauty, and Julia, For the four 

 finest flowered plants of Chrysanthemums, the silver 

 medal was awarded, as first prize, to Mr. Pender gr. to 

 D. Anderson, Esq., his varieties being Princess Maria, 

 Salter's Annie, Gem, and Pherasta. The second prize 

 was assigned to Mi*. Mitchell, gr. to Lady Keith who 

 produced Salter's Annie, General Marceau, Triumpbans 

 and Lucidum. For the best two Chinese Primroses, the' 

 prize was assigned to Mr. Henderson, gr. to C. K. 

 Sivew right, Esq., for well grown plants of the single and 

 double white. For Savoys, one prize was given, to Mr. 

 Gourlay, gr. to Sir J, Warrender, Bart. lor four 

 Leeks, each blanched to the extent of 6 inches 

 at least : the prize was gained by Mr. Pousty, gr. 

 to W. M. Innes, Esq., with specimens of a hybrid 

 variety raised by him, which were superior to any 

 entered for competition last year ; the other sets 

 produced on this occasion were inferior to those brought 

 forward in 1850. For Celery, a prize was assigned to 

 Mr. Goodall, Newbattle Abbey, for Cole's Red, and 

 GoodalFs Broad White Solid Celery. For three sorts 

 of Onion, the first, Mr. Lees, Tynninghanie, for James' 

 Keeping, Strasburg, and White Globe ; second, Mr. 

 Nisbet, Sunimerfieid, for James' Keeping, "White Portu- 

 gal, and Blood Red ; and third, Mr. Goodall, for Stras- 

 burg, Yellow Portugal, and James' Keeping. For the 

 silver medal offered by the Society for the hcbt col- 

 lection of dried specimens of British flowering plants 

 and Ferns, there were two competitors, both producing 



The prize was awarded io Mr. 

 Wilson, journeyman gardener, Minto House, near 

 Hawick; his collection contained 719 species and 

 varieties, the specimens being well preserved. A second 

 premium was voted to Mr. Bell, journeyman in the 

 Society's Garden, whose collection, although considerably 

 inferior to the last in numbers, containing 591 ppecies 

 and varieties, was nevertheless deemed well worthy of 

 a prize ; the specimens had been well selected and 

 carefully dried/ and while displaying great neatness, 

 the distinctive characters of the species were well 

 preserved. The prize of two guineas offered by Messrs. 

 P. Lawson and Son, for the best collection of dried 

 specimens of hardy perennial herbaceous plants, was 

 awarded to Mr. Anderson, journeyman in the Koyai 

 Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, for an excellent collection 

 containing 2400 species and varieties. It seems necessary, 

 however, to state that in this Herbarium, as in the one sen* 

 iu competition for Messrs. Lawson's prize J* 8 *)'^^ 

 numbers have been swelled to an unnecessary extent y 

 the introduction of Cyperacete, Gramine*, and ouiei 

 plants not strictly <c adapted for garden culture, a» 

 required in the Society's muze schedule. _ J»ew» 



excellent collections. 



required in the Society's prize 



Comlcy Bank 



Cunningham, Fraser, and Co., of the Comlcy xjj 

 Nursery, contributed a flowering plant ol liij a 



splendens, Gyneriura argenteum, See; Ur '£f S f T ^ s . 

 acollection of greenhouse plants, including Pelarg ^ 

 Veronica Andersonii, Liliputian Chrysanthemums, *t., 

 and Mr. Stark exhibited a box of Chrysanthemums, o 



fine nampd variAtioa *r*A « ™f nf iellv made MOID 



Cftuonmills 



lierries 

 Cottage 



of Gaultheria Shallon. From 

 there was a beautifully flowered 



plant 



ol 



Oncidiumornithorynchum; from Miss Wauchope^er ^ 

 greenhouse plants ; from Mr. Laing, gr. to the ju 

 Rosslyn, Calceolaria perfoliata in flower, ami ^ 

 Onions ; from Mr. Young, a box of ChiT^^lv. 

 and an Enville Pine-apple 



Caledonian Horticultural, Dec. 4 —J TThpf v*« 

 m the chair. Office-hearers iKw^SftZ 

 tins occas.on, together with three new ordinaVmember 

 -For the best four sorts of Pears fit for dessert tK 



*ere 1 competitors. A first prize was aw^d io Mr! 



from Mr. Calder, Seacliffe, a collection ot o<> 

 Apples, 20 named Pears, and two seedling AW 



for 

 ote'd ; ft 00 



which an honorary award was likewise vo > 

 Mr. M'Farlane, Lochend, five varieties ot nne ^ 

 from Mr. Reid, Edmonston, a device of «»«« ' ' ther 

 from Mr. J. Street, Beil, samples of Minorca an ^ 

 Holly berries, &c. accompanied by a communis 



