November 2, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



313 



Lancaster, are said to have had their origin in the Temple Garden, 

 in the conrse of an animated conversation, approaching to a brawl, 

 which took place on this spot between the Earls of Somerset, Suffolk, 

 and Warwick ; Eichard Plantagenet, Vernon, and another lawyer, 

 Plantagenet plucks a white Rose, and Somerset a red one, and "War- 

 wich thus prophesies : — 



'This brawl to-day, 

 Grown to this faction, in the Temple Garden, 

 Shall send, between the red Rose and the white, 

 A thousand souls to death and deadlv night.' 



—First Part of Hennj VI., Act ii. Sc. 4. 



" The Temple Garden was then famed for its Roses, as it is now 

 for its Chrysanthemums. The old Sycamore tree, which died in 1347, 

 supposed by some to have been planted by Sir Matthew Hale in 1659, 

 and by others previous to the reign of Henry VIII., stands on the site 

 of the old Thames wall, on which it originally grew. But by whomso- 

 ever planted, it was growing where it now stands in the reign of 

 James II., and under its shade Dr. Johnson and Oliver Goldsmith 

 frequently sat." 



COLOUR AND ODOUR IN CONNECTION WiTB. 

 FLOWERS AND THEIR FERTILISERS. 



Professoe Fkedekico Delpino, in his notes to a discourse of 

 Dr. E. Miiller'3 on " Fertilisation by Insects," translated in the 

 American Naturalist, says : — The relations of colours and odours 

 which occur between flowers and their fertilisers may to many 

 appear a chimerical product of the imagination. But after a 

 long series of observations I can assert that, however unex- 

 pected and surprising they may be, they are yet undeniable 

 and real. It is believed by many that the jesthetic sense 

 belongs only to the human race. Nothing is more erroneous. 

 The sense of music alone, however much it has been perfected 

 in birds through sexual selection, is beyond comparison more 

 perfect in man. In the sense of taste and smell man is, by a 

 singular coincidence, like bees and butterflies. Siveet things 

 please our young not less than bees, and the ancient poets 

 designated with the same word — nectar — the food of the gods 

 and the honey of bees. By a no less singular coincidence the 

 odours which allure bees and butterflies allure us too, and 

 those which repel us repel bees. The graveolent flower of 

 Eue, which is so excessively disagreeable to us, although visited 

 by flies, repels bees and Lepidoptera, althoughit produces honey. 

 As to the festhetic sense of colours and form, then, if we speak 

 the plain truth, man is inferior to many living things. 



Passing in review the most beautiful forms, and those adorned 

 with the most attractive colours, -we have on one side flowers, 

 and on the other their fertilisers — that is, birds, flies, humming- 

 birds. NectariniB, Lepidoptera, Bombylii, Syrphidae, and some 

 Cetoniffi. The most beautiful forms and brilliant tints in the 

 world are without question those of the humming-birds. They 

 visit the most splendid and beautiful .flowers on the earth ; and 

 the reason why the magnificent flowers of the tropical zone do 

 not enter our climate, is certainly correlative to the causes 

 which exclude from temperate and cold countries the humming- 

 birds and gorgeous Lepidoptera which are peculiar to warm 

 regions. But not all flowers are beautiful ; there are some 

 which have livid and repulsive colours. Nor do all flowers 

 emit a pleasant odour, since some have a fetid smell, or one 

 like that of decaying animal matter. 



All the flowers which have this (those, eg., of Arum Dra- 

 cnnculus, of the Stapelise, of some American Aristolochiae, of 

 the EafflesifE, Sapriae, BrugmansiEE, Saprauthns, &o.), have 

 without exception livid colours, and, like the skins of some 

 serpents, are speckled with dark purple and yellowish black 

 spots. Now all these flowers are fertilised exclusively by the 

 flies which feed upon dead animals (Sarcophaga earnaria, Mnsca 

 vomitoria. and the like). The flowers of the Ceropegise, one 

 Aristolochia, Asarum, and Ambrosinia Bassii are fecundated ex- 

 clusively by gnats (Phora, Ceratopogon, Cecydomia, Oscinis, &c,). 

 All these have a generally livid tint, speckled or striped with 

 dark purplish spots, and a putrid odour, for the most part like 

 that of urine. 



These few instances suffice to give an idea of the wonderful 

 relations which occur between flowers and their fertilising agents 

 with reference to colours and odours. — -{EnglUh Mechanic and 

 World of Science.) 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GABDEN. 



In this department proceed with such operations as draining 

 where required, laying Box edgings, gravelling walks, and 

 trenching and surface-stirring all spare ground. Stir the soil 

 amongst Cauliflower plants imder hand-glasses. Attend to the 



earthing of Celery when dry. Take advantage of the first dry 

 weather for lifting Beetroot, Carrots, and Parsnips. Let them 

 be taken up in the early part of the day, and spread on the 

 surface of the ground till afternoon, when they may be re- 

 moved to the storing room, and there spread out again till they 

 are quite dry, after which they may be stored in dry sand. 

 Eemove the decaying leaves from broccoli, Brussels Sprouts^ 

 and all other growing crops, carrying them at once to a piece of 

 ground where they can be trenched into the soil, sprinkling 

 them first with quicklime to destroy the snails and slugs with 

 which they swarm at present, as well as to hasten decomposition. 

 Constant attention will be necessary for some time to preserve 

 plantations of Lettuces from slugs. Continue to keep every 

 part of the garden as neat and orderly as the time of the year 

 will allow. 



FP.UIT QAKDEN. 



Now that the summer work is fairly at an end, it is time to 

 provide against an inordinate pressure in spring, for any arrears 

 of autumn and winter work will prove a great hindrance at that 

 busy period. Having in previous notices referred to planting 

 and trenching, I will make a few practical remarks on pruning. 

 The habits of fruit trees vary, more especially in regard to the 

 manner of forming and exhibiting their buds ; thus, there is no 

 difficulty in distinguishing the fruit-bearing portions of the 

 Apple, or of bush fruit in general, whilst in the Apricot and 

 the Filbert at this period they are somewhat obscure. Even 

 in Pears, more especially such as the Passe Colmar, the Seckle,. 

 the Marie Louise, and some others, it is difficult to prune 

 with safety in the early part of winter. For these reasons, 

 therefore, prune bush fruit the moment you can find time. 

 Follow closely with the Cherries, Plums, and Apples, and to- 

 wards Christmas lay by the knife until the early part of Feb- 

 ruary, when the Filberts will be blossoming; then, after a 

 slight thinning of the crowded. and inside spray, male catkins 

 may be brought, if requisite, and suspended among the branches. 

 The Apricots will by that time give unequivocal signs by which 

 to know the true blossom-buds ; these, then, may immediately 

 receive their pruning. The Peach and Nectarine will succeed 

 the Apricot, and may be followed by the Pear, and, lastly, by 

 ■the Fig. In pruning bush fruit, thin liberally. Let no two 

 branches in the Black Currant and Gooseberry touch when 

 finally thinned ; they seldom require shortening, but an equal 

 and judicious thinning is everything here. In pruning Apples 

 the thinning of the branches or old wood should be the first step,, 

 but caution must be exercised. Mr. Knight, of Downton Castle, 

 was greatly averse to cutting out large limbs unless a severe 

 necessity existed. His authority is too great to be passed over 

 easily, more especially as he lived most of his time in a cider 

 district. In thinning the young wood of espaliers, remember 

 that the first point is to secure a continuance of leading shoots 

 to form a compact tree, and the second to secure a free ad- 

 mission of light to all parts of the tree. The same remarks 

 will apply to the pruning of all the rough espalier or dwarf- 

 standards of the kitchen garden, be they of what kind they may. 

 Raspberries may now be planted and pruned. Prepare ground 

 fornew plantations of Currants and Gooseberries. Cuttings of 

 favourite sorts of Gooseberries may now be made and planted 

 in beds manured with leaf mould and sand ; the latter will aid 

 their rooting, and the former will hasten their growth. 



FLOWEK GAEDEN. 



The Dahlias must be marked or numbered forthwith if not 

 already done. The beds should now be looked carefully over, 

 to see if there be any plants of choice character which cannot 

 be suffered to become frosted ; such may be taken up, potted, 

 and removed to the frames. Delicate seedlings should have 

 protection provided, and the choice and tender Eoses may in 

 the course of a week or two have a coating of cinders and ashes 

 a couple of inches thick, among their stems. Let all bulb- 

 planting be completed immediately. Evergreen and shrub- 

 planting may now be performed with every prospect of success. 

 Not a day should be lost, now that the weather has become 

 more settled, in making up Pink beds ; so much improvement 

 has taken place of late years amongst these flowers that 

 amateurs, unless they have added to their collections regularly, 

 will find themselves apparently a century behindhand. Dahlias 

 are still blooming in many places, but rather miserably ; as 

 soon as the tops are blackened with frost take them up, for they 

 are apt to start at the crown, cut them off about a foot long, 

 and place them in such a manner that the sap which exudes 

 may not run into the hollow stems ; should it do so, decay wiU 

 probably be the consequence. Small pieces of zinc or lead 

 attached to copper wire are best to mark them with, or the ziue 



