100 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ February 9, 1S71. 



fectly unique and distinct, being of a very graceful weeping 

 form. It i3 estremely worthy of introduction as a distinct 

 form. There are also a fine pyramidal example of Cupressus 

 fanebris, about 18 feet high, a fine old G. sempervirens, and 

 C. torulosa. Forming a fine central object stands a splendid 

 plant of Taxus Dovastoni, a fine weeping form, with a great 

 flat head upwards of 20 feet in diameter. I noticed fine lines 

 of Idsh Yews, always very effective, Golden Yews, Chinese 

 Janipers, Thuja gigantea, extremely useful and fast-growing, 

 and many more Conifers seldom to be met with. Here also is 

 a fine little example of Qaercus glabra bearing acorns, a very 

 beautiful evergreen shrub, also some large Weeping Ash trees. 

 The whole place is replete with fine trees, and full of interest. 

 It was with no small degree of pleasure that I inspected the 

 plant treasures here along with my friend Mr. McDonald, and 

 his wife, and have to thank the latter especially for her warm 

 hospitality. With Mr. McDonald himself the gardening public 

 in this country and in Ireland are already pretty familiar, he 

 having been gardener at Woodstock, Kilkenny, for many years, 

 where he so altered and improved the character of the place as 

 to earn the most warm and grateful thanks of his employers, 

 and the public approbation of the whole country. It was his 

 merits and talents as displayed at Woodstock, that led to bis 

 being selected for the high and honourable post he now holds 

 as Chief Banger of the Phcenix Park. A better selection could 

 scarcely have been made. If Ireland had all its servants like 

 him, there would be far less disaffection and more contentment 

 amongst its people. Bat the day is coming, Erin-go-bragh ! — B. 



CEANOTHUS AZUREUS AS A CLIMBER. 



I DO not think amateur gardeners avail themselves, as they 

 might do, at their villa and suburban residences, of the very 

 many beautiful climbing plants for decorative purposes. Some 

 years ago I was travelling through South Devon in the autumnal 

 mouths, and was struck by the sight of a very charming climb- 

 ing plant at least 10 feet high, which was growing against the 

 side of a house near Torquay. It was literally covered with a 

 mass of light blue flowers. I had never seen anything like it 

 before, for it appeared to be an unknown plant in the midland 

 counties in which I then resided. Upon my reaching home I 

 sent a description of it to your valuable -Journal, with an inquiry 

 as to its name, and on learning that it was Ceanothus aznreus 

 I at once procured a strong healthy specimen, which I planted 

 against a wall with a southern aspect, giving it a slight protec- 

 tion in the winter, and most amply it repaid my trouble, and 

 soon covered a large space with its beautiful racemes of sky- 

 blue flowers in August and September. Unfortunately, for 

 want of better protection, in the very severe winter of lSGO-61 

 it was cut down by the frost. I would strongly recommend any 

 of your readers who reside in the warmer parts of England to 

 give it a trial, and I am sure they will thank me for the sug- 

 gestion. Against the side of a house or a wall with a southern 

 aspect it will be found invaluable. It should be covered with 

 matting in severe weather. Independently of its flowers, its 

 beautiful deep green leaves are in themselves an ornament. 



I never pass a cottage in the country with bare red walls but 

 I long to cover them with some of our many beautiful and 

 hardy climbers. How many a country house which now looks 

 bleak and desolate, and often, consequently, remains tenantless, ] 

 might be made cheerful and picturesque by the outlay of a few j 

 shillings in the purchase and planting some of the best hardy 

 climbers, taking care, of course, that they are properly tended 

 and nailed when once they begin to run up. — Hokiaiok. 



Death of Me. Manx. — Our readers will much regret to learn 

 that Mr. Mann, the esteemed Saperintendent of Hyde Park, 

 died on Saturday last. We believe his health had been failing 

 for some mcnths. 



Botanic Gardens. — A recent number of L' Illustration Horti- 

 cole contains an interesting paper on the Botanic Gardens of 

 Kew, by M. Andre, prefaced by some details regarding similar 

 estabUshments in Europe. From this it appears that the 

 first was established at Padua in 1515, followed by that of 

 Pisa; those of Leyden and Leipzig date respectively 1577 and 

 1579. The Montpellier garden was founded in 1503, that of 

 Giessen in 1605, of Strasburg in 1G20, of Altorf in 1625, and of 

 Jena in 1629. The Jardin des Plantes was established in 1626, 

 and the Upsal Garden in 1627 ; that of Madrid dates from 

 1763, and thit of Coimbra from 1773. At the end of the 



eighteenth century, according to Gesner, more than 1600 kin- 

 dred establishments existed in Europe. England comes late 

 in the list, the Oxford Garden not having been founded until 

 1632, and long remaining the only one in the kingdom. — 

 (Nature.) 



HYACINTH PRIZES. 



I AH very pleased to see the letter of "D., Deal," in your 

 Journal, in which he makes mention of the poor encourage- 

 ment given to the exhibitors of Hyacinths this spring. I wrote 

 a letter last autumn on the subject, but it seems to have been 

 disregarded by the Council. I wish some one would make a stir 

 in this matter, and let us have a really good spring show. 



" D., Deal," mentions also that he thinks the prize for 

 eighteen white Hyacinths is a mistake, and so do I, and every 

 one else I have spoken to on the subject. I have a very good 

 collection of Hyacinths now growing, but though I have 

 eighteen white ones, I have only sixteen distinct, so I shall be 

 shut out from that entry. Besides, as only 20^. are offered in 

 the amateur class for six Hyacinths, I doubt very much 

 whether I shall exhibit at all. This I much regret, as having a 

 large collection, and having been successful for the last three 

 years, I think I stand a very good chance. If the Eoyal Hor- 

 ticultural Society feel so disinclined to encourage the growth of 

 these beautiful bulbs, could not we subscribe together and 

 offer a prize ourselves ? I would willingly do all in my power. — 

 Ahaieue. 



THE ^VIXTER IN LINCOLNSHIRE, AND ITS 

 EFFECTS ON ^^:GETATION. 



The winter in central Lincolnshire has been the most severe 

 and continuous we have had for some years. In point of ex- 

 treme cold it has not reached so low by several degrees as the 

 figures given in other counties further south. But a word as 

 to thermometers. It is possible the great differences in tem- 

 perature recorded at different places maybe more differences of 

 instruments than of actual weather or cold. The instruments 

 vary in registering cold about as much as clocks and watches 

 in registering time. Both require correcting by authority to 

 render them accurate and reliable. The names of makers, 

 however great their reputation may be, are not sufiicient gua- 

 rantee for the instrument's truthfulness. I have thermometers 

 stamped with the names of the most celebrated makers, and 

 on the faith of such names I felt myself safely pledged as to 

 their accuracy, at least some of them, for I could not fail to 

 notice their differences. However, on their being tested by 

 corrected and authoritative readings at Kew, I found how far 

 out I was in my reckonings. The instrument I had vainly 

 taken as my standard was in every part of the scale 2" too low, 

 and in one particular point as much as 5° too low. Out of ten 

 instruments examined only one was exactly correct, and it 

 is a little shabby-looking thing without any maker's name 

 attached. All the others varied from the standard, and all 

 varied also in different parts of the scale of each. So much 

 for names and appearances, and the importance of adopting 

 the best means of testing to insure exactitude and confidence 

 in figures. 



To resume. The winter proper commenced on December 

 21st. Although we had had some frosts previously, it came 

 upon us suddenly, for the morning of the 21th brought with 

 it 25' of frost. From the beginning of the frost to January 

 28:h, thirty-eight nights, the thermometer has been, with the 

 exception of only two nights, below freezing point, while for 

 thirteen consecutive days the maximum did not reach the same 

 figure. The greatest maximum reached since the frost set in 

 was 48°, and we have only had one day anything spring-like — 

 namely, January 17th. For six nights during the frost the 

 thermometer registered over 20', with several more approach- 

 ing this figure. The lowest figure reached was 6° on the morn- 

 ing of January Ist, or 26° of frost. Thus we had, no doubt, 

 an aggregate intensity and continuation of frost, calculated to 

 inflict very serious injury on vegetation ; and, unquestionably, 

 the injury would have been serious had not the means happily 

 brought with it the most effectual antidote — the snow. Nothing 

 conld have compensated for the complete protective covering it 

 has afforded, nothing could have come more opportunely; its 

 value is beyond calculation ; it has been, in fact, the gardener's 

 and farmer's friend, and has stuck to him in his difficulties as 

 a good friend should. It has never been over if inches deep, 

 yet for fifteen days it never wasted a particle. Its good-keeping 

 properties were due to the veiy dull weather which has charac- 



