190 



JOTIRNAL OF HOETICTJLTUEE AXD COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ March 7, 1805. 



opportunity of judging of tho Society's proceedings we shall 

 be better able to appreciate its merits, and we shall be well 

 pleased to announce that it has effected anything for the 

 aiTancement of " Gardening and Gaideneis." 



EOYAL HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



The weekly Show of the 4th inst. was not only gayer but 

 better attended than any of those preceding it. Messrs. 

 E. G. Henderson sent thirty pots of Cyclamens, consisting 

 of coum, Atkinsi, and vernum; Mr. lugram. Frogmore, 

 Ansellia africana, seedling Cinerarias, and a stand of Ca- 

 mellia blooms ; Jlessrs. Lee, Hammersmith, Camellia blooms, 

 Epacrises, Hyacinths, Heaths, and eai-ly Tulips ; also a well- 

 bloomed and handsome Camellia. From Mr. BuU, Chelsea, 

 came Imp.tophylliim miniatum, Cypripedium villosum, witk 

 two fine blooms, and a small plant of Camellia Bicolor de la 

 Eeine ; also Draccena ferrea variegata and AraUa Sieboldi. 

 We also noticed Schizostylis coccinea, a new Caffrarian 

 plant with bright scarlet flowers, coming from Mr. Beech, 

 gardener to T. Alcock, Esq., M.P., Epsom. Plants for 

 dinner-table decoration, window-boxes, and baskets of Hya- 

 cinths and other spring flowers, were contributed by Mr. 

 Greeves, Bayswater Koad, and Mr. Lucking. 



Mr. Bullen, gardener to E. Budd, Esq., Leatherhead, exhi- 

 bited two good Queen Pines and excellent Sea-kale ; Mr. 

 TiUyard, fine M<iscat Grapes and new Black Hamburghs, 

 with well coloured berries ; and Mr. Meredith his Black 

 -Uicante in excellent condition, though it had been ripe for 

 eight months and three days. Of these it was stated that 

 they had been grown in 12-inch pots, forcing was commenced 

 on the 14th of Januaiy, 1SG4, and the bunches were ripe on 

 the 1st of July. Mr. Ingram likewise exhibited seven dishes 

 of Apples in excellent condition. 



FAILUIJE OF HYACINTHS US' GLASSES. 



In the last Number of the .Tournal " V. G. C." says his 

 Hyacinths in glasses have faUed him. You give him the 

 probable reason. Now there is a word or two which makes 

 me think the cause named by you is not perhaps the true 

 one in this case. The words refeiTed to are " the glasses have 

 been and are kept in the window of a warm room by day." 



Now last year I had two Hyacinths in glasses in the 

 window. The sun shone on the glasses. The Hyacinths made 

 root, and grew partly as "V. G. C." says his have done. 

 Now they partly opened, then died. The reason to which 

 I attributed it was that the sun made the water ve-y hot 

 (l(iO° or 170°), the bulb-shape of the glass causing this I 

 think. At all events they became so hot that you could 

 only just bear to hold the glass. Now if " V. G. C.'s " warm 

 room warms his glasses as they were in my case, I think 

 that would be the probable cause. — W. N. B. 



DOES LILIUM: L-iNCIFOLKTM DEGENEEATE? 



" D., Veal " a=ks " Does Lilium lancifolium degenerate ?" 

 I think it does not when receiving a uniform cool treatment, 

 and permitted to grow, flower, and go to rest, at its own 

 natur.al season. 



Under certain modes of treatment I have found them 

 degenerate very quickly. In fact forced bulbs I have wit- 

 nessed become year by year less, until they appeared to be 

 wanting in vigour sufficient to carry a good ilower singly ; 

 and, strange aa it may seem, 1 have often noticed that those 

 bulbs which produced the finer spikes of a past season were 

 tho least when potting was done in the proper season, and 

 wo were able to examine them. I have, however, never been 

 driven to obtain a freali supply by purchase, as I invariably 

 seek the best from our plantations in the open ground. 

 These are nice healthy bulbs when three tummcrs old, and 

 they well recruit our stock. It may be worthy of note that 

 I find rubrura is on an average a better forcer than the 

 generality of tho others. 



1 am convinced that there is nothing so prejudicial to 

 the constant good healtli and robnstness necessai-y in this 

 Lilium for a good display at strong manures, especially those 

 which are partly decompopod, in immediate contact with the 

 bulb8,euch contact invariablycausing them to become scabbed 



and unhealthy. Where no undue excitement is necessary, 

 as with the early-flowered, I have ever seen the mixture of 

 equal parts of loam and peat produce the cleaner bulbs. 



I cannot wholly endorse " D., Deal's " remai'ks with refer- 

 ence to the adaptability of these plants for exhibition. I 

 admit having seen specimen pots staged with the flowers far 

 inferior to those often produced out of doors under very 

 adverse circumstances, the confined growth and stained 

 flowers having evidently been produced by ill-directed efforts 

 to keep them back to aid in making up a set : hence the 

 idea erroneously entertained with reference to so pleasing a 

 class of plants. — W. Eakley. 



KEW BOOKS. 



Land and Sea. By Philip Henkt GossE, F.E.S. London: 



J. Nisbet & Co. 



Whoevek wishes to lead any one to study natural history 

 by showing the beauties, the wonders, and the charms de- 

 rivable from rambles inland and seaward, should induce the 

 desu-ed student to read this book. Not that it is suited to 

 the young only, for we have perused every one of its pages 

 with pleasure and benefit, although " time has thinned our 

 flowing locks, and the few we've left are grey." Cuyp the 

 painter throws the sunlight on his pictures so clearly, that 

 he seems to have dipped his pencd in light and flxed it on 

 his canvass ; and Mr. Gosse has been as successful in word- 

 painting — his descriptions are so vivid, and evince such 

 touches of things as they were seen, that he must have a 

 palsied imagination who cannot realise some of them. We 

 should like to give extracts as evidence — the description of 

 the myriads of sea fowl on Lundy Island — the scenery about 

 Brandy Cove — the deep sea organisms — the sea anemones 

 — the plants and insects about Babbicombe — the Torbay 

 sponges — the Goby hunting, and many others — but we can- 

 not spare the space. We will, however, find room for this 

 from " A Day in the Woods of Jamaica." 



" We are mounted ; and now let us rapidly get over the 

 lowland slopes, to reach the loftier regions as early in the 

 day as possible. The sun has not yet risen ; and there is a 

 dewy freshness in the air, as the dying land-wind of the 

 night comes off in intermittent breathings, bringing the 

 perfume of ten thousand flowers. Here, between cliffs of 

 limestone, where creepers festoon the rook, and tho noble 

 trumpet-blossoms of the Portlandia, snowy white, and each 

 8 inches long, hang down from the clustering foliage out of 

 every fissure — we make our way up a steeply rising track. 

 The cliffs on either hand soon begin to recede, and we emerge 

 on a road between pastures of Guinea-grass, whoso bright- 

 ness never withers under the driest seasons. Orange trees 

 line tho road, loaded with their golden fruit; and Sops and 

 Custard Apples, and luscious Naseberries and Guavas, are 

 scattered over the fields. Birds have awaked ; the Petchary, 

 earlier tlian the yard-cock, long ago piped from the fronds 

 of the tall Cocoa Palm ; and yonder we see one continuing 

 his simple song with unabated energy, opening ever and 

 anon, as he shifts from twig to twig, the bright golden 

 coronet upon his head. Ha! ho is not doing that for nothing. 

 It is the expression of excitement. lie hiis ceased to sing ; 

 watch him ! A largo beetle is crawling near, which is in 

 the act of spreading his wing-sheaths for flight. Off it sails 

 on drony wing. Tlie Petchnvy instantly makes sail too ; 

 catches the lieavy prey, and bearing it in triumph to his 

 watch-post, beats it to jiiecos with his strong hooked beak, 

 and swallows it. 



" Sweetly from the tangled woods of yonder hill issue the 

 mellow notes, soft and broken, of the Merle ; you would 

 think it your own familiar bhuOdjird by the note, and would 

 .cfircoly be undeceived by a sii^ht of the bird itself; but it 

 is a species peculiar to us. What wc here call Blackbirda 

 are Larger birds, allied to tlie cuckoo; impudent, clamoroua, 

 sociable creatures, with a noisy intrusive cry, like " Going 

 away! going away! going away!" oh they sail along on 

 short, heavy wing, and long, balnncing tail, close to the 

 ground. There ! wo hear a flock of them now ; and yonder 

 tlioy are in the cattle pasture, blackening the ground. They 

 are cutting tho droppings through and through, searching 

 for maggots and wurnis ; and I'or this purpose they are pro- 

 vided with a very deep, knife-like ridgo on their bcake, 



