21 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January 10, 1865. 



after, not that they were not thought worthy of notice, but 

 simply because they were not known, or if so by name, that 

 was all the information given of them, consequently buyers 

 were unwilling to give the high price demanded whilst such 

 uncertainty existed respecting their merits ; and in Loudon's 

 "Gardener's Magazine," supplying knowledge of this kind 

 was one of the points aimed at by the talented conductor, 

 and speedily his enlightened and comprehensive views on 

 the many departments of horticulture, as well as all the 

 sister arts, gave a stimulus to the cause. He being ably 

 seconded by others similarly liberal in disseminating their, 

 knowledge, a new era might be said to have dawned on our 

 ancient art, and no doubt if the worthy compiler of the 

 many encyclopaedias bearing on rural affairs had lived till 

 the present day, due honours would have been paid to the 

 exertions he had made in the cause. As it is, we can only 

 now do honour to his memory, and calling to mind some of 

 the duties he left us as a legacy, let us see how far we have 

 made progress in executing them. 



It must be acknowledged that the writings of the master 

 spirit of his day often gave tokens of his love of the highest 

 and most noble of all cultural pursuits, the planting and 

 management of trees. Alas, that such an exalted pur- 

 suit should have resulted in the pecuniary ruin of one so 

 devotedly attached to it; but such is human nature, indi- 

 vidual hobbies may Ijo ridden too hard, and no one derive 

 any benefit from them ; but in the above case the advan- 

 tages were given to the public in the costly " Arboretum 

 Britaunicum," which is yet a standard work on the subject. 

 But let us see if we have done our part in carrying out what 

 the author suggested elsewhere in this particular depart- 

 ment, and it must be confessed that we have fallen short of 

 carrying out what the distinguished author urged about the 

 time of the passing of the Reform BUI, with regard to reno- 

 vating oui- woodland scenery by means of fresh introduc- 

 tions. The importance of these he strongly urged on planters 

 for landscape effect, as well as for profitable investment. 

 The word arboretum was then a jjopular term to designate a 

 mixed plantation, with a fair promise of growing into a vast 

 and magnificent assemblage of objects ; but alas for the 

 failure of human enterprises, the comprehensive " arbo- 

 retum" which promised to bring amongst us families 

 hitherto unknown in cultivation, dwindled down into one of 

 its branches, the pinetum, and the latter has with very little 

 exception usurped the whole of the patronage bestowed on 

 out-door trees. Now, it is far from my purpose to disparage 

 the many noble species of trees belonging to this famUy 

 that have from time to time been added to our collections 

 during the last forty years, and which yet continue to reach 

 us ; but assuredly we may find room for other trees besides 

 Piceas, Pinuses, Thujas, Wellingtonias, Ct-dars, &c. Assu- 

 redly some of the countries whence the many importations 

 received of late have been made, also furnish deciduous trees 

 of more or less value or beauty, and efjiiaUy entitled to our 

 notice. To limit our whole attention to one particular class 

 is no compliment to our discernment, for when we look at 

 the great beauty of many of our indigenous deciduous trees, 

 we are led to expect that those from other countries also 

 posscBB merits which only require to be k-nowu to be .appre- 

 ciated, and I hope yet to see the time when the rage for 

 Pinuses from all quarters of the globe having exhausted itself, 

 deciduous and other trees and shrubs will be sought after 

 with equal zeal, and people will then wonder how so much 

 worth and beauty could have escaped the notice of the first 

 explorers. 



Whil-it thus calling attention to the neglect which has of 

 late been the lot of deciduous trees, and unconcern with 

 which new ones are received, 1 do so in the hope that they 

 will become more fashionable in time. We have seen Tulips, 

 large Gooseberries, the Dahlia, Orchids, Forns, and Koaes 

 have their day, and some of them still retain tlieir popula- 

 rity, yet there is ample room for many specimens of the 

 most aspiring of all the members of the vegetable world. 

 They attain a larger size, and present forms and outlines 

 more noble than anything olso can lay claim to. In our 

 own counti-y no evergreen attains the proportions of the 

 deciduous trees, and these more particularly associate them- 

 selves with our everyday notions of beauty, and our daily 

 requirements (and foreign countries enjoying a similar 

 climate must also possess like ornaments') — look at the 



Oak, its beauty and utilitj', and there are more species of 

 this than most people ai-e aware of, and, doubtless, many of 

 them suitable to our climate. Other native trees have 

 kindred species in distant lands only wanting to be intro- 

 duced to thrive under our comparatively mUd winters, 

 while many species, doubtless, exist in the vast extent of 

 mountainous country that fringes the western coasts of 

 both the northern and southern continents of America, as 

 well as many other districts of similar temperature. De- 

 ciduous trees existing more numerously in countries where 

 the winters ai-e severe, they will generally be found hardy. 

 Many of these, too, furnish the most lovely flowers ; for in- 

 stance, where is there an exotic plant that excels the Horse 

 Chestnut? while the Apple, Cherry, Hawthorn, and a host of 

 others, have lew equals in any class of plants. On the other 

 hand, some present us with a foliage extremely varied, both 

 in form and hue, and some again reserve their beauties until 

 the autumn, when peculiarities in colour ai'e much wanted. 

 Of the latter class the wild Cherry often fades into the most 

 brilliant vermilion. 



My purpose, however, just now is not to descant on this 

 subject, but to endeavour to revive that love of Arboricul- 

 ture which of late has been confined to a single branch, 

 and though I by no means seek to disparage the pinetum, 

 which presents us vrith so many objects of beauty and 

 interest, it ought not wholly to usurp public patronage. 

 Ornamental as Conifers are, I would simply ask their most 

 enthusiastic admirer what would our English landscape be 

 without deciduous trees? and the accessions to their ranks in 

 the last forty years have been few indeed compared with 

 what has been done in multiplying the evergreen class. 

 I trust, therefore, to hear of new introductions of deciduous 

 trees, and of greater prominence being given to those we 

 already possess ; for if fashion can only once be directed in 

 this channel, it wiU be found that objects of beauty and 

 interest will meet its progress at every step, while the 

 many lovely flowering shrubs we possess of this class wiU 

 receive accessions to their ranks from other quarters, and 

 deciduous trees and shrubs once more take that place in 

 the vegetable kingdom to which their numbers, magnitiade, 

 and general importance fairly entitle them. — J. Koeson. 



STEAWBEEEIES. 



I BEOEivED the following from IT. Taylor, Esq., of Fencote, 

 Bedale, Yorkshire, an amateur who takes delight in, and 

 much pains with Roses and Strawberries. It may interest 

 the reader, and certainly it bears out what I have said. 



He says, ■' La Constante did not do well here last summer. 

 It was the first that failed for want of water. The fruit was 

 coddled before it was full grown, and it never came to per- 

 fection. I have this day dug up a plant, having a suspicion 

 that it did not root freely. My suspicion was verified. The 

 roots do not go down so deep as Strawberry plants usually 

 do, but spread about the plants. This may in some moasiu-e 

 account for its being the first to succumb under the heat of 

 a tropical sun. It is handsome and good in colour. I shall 

 give it anotlier year's trial. It stood the winter pretty well. 

 La Constante appears to me delicate in habit, and is very 

 slow to establish itself. My plants look very sickly, and the 

 leaves are a bad colour, what runners were made were very 

 small. I have potted them, and put them into a cold fi'ame 

 for spring planting. None others have required to be so de- 

 licately brought up. I fear it will not suit the climate of 

 England." 



He then speaks of three other Strawberries, which the 

 reader will remember I have specially recommended. 



Ho says, "Rivers's Eliza withstood the excessive heat of 

 last Humnier better than any other Strawberry. It yielded 

 abundance of fruit, which was largo and good. Empress 

 Eugi'nio was the next best, and excellent. Eliza and Empress 

 Eugi'nio run freely, and soon make abundance of roots. 

 The same may bo said of Wonderful, whicli yielded abun- 

 dance of fruit of good quality, and withstood the excessive 

 drought of last summer in a wonderful manner. Those 

 three are remarkably healthy and hardy, are covered with 

 rich dark gi'eon foliage, and have not been affected in the 

 slightest degree by the late frosts. The Frogmore Pine 

 held out wonderfully, and yielded large and good fruit. This 



