514 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 29, 1870. 



ance, in hardness, and in composition, in different countries 

 and districts. In some places he has met with a sandstone, in 

 other places a limestone, in others a slate or hardened rock of 

 clay. But a carefnl comparison of all the kinds of rock he ha? 

 observed has led him to the general conclusion that they are all 

 either sandstones, limestones, or clays, of different degrees of 

 hardness, or a mixture in different proportions of two or more 

 of these kinds of matter. 



When the loose covering of earth is removed from the surface 

 of any of these rocks, and thi3 surface is left exposed, summer 

 and winter, to the action of the winds, rains, and frosts, it will 

 be found gradually to crumble away. Such is the case even 

 ■with many of those which, on account of their greater hardness, 

 are employed as building stones, and which, in the walls of 

 houses, are kept generally dry; how much more with such as are 

 less hard, or lie beneath a covering of moist earth, and are con- 

 tinually exposed to the action of water. The natural crumbling 

 of a naked rock thus gradually covers it with loose material, in 

 which seeds fix themselves and vegetate, and which eventually 

 form a soil. The soil thus produced partakes necessarily of 

 the chemical character and composition of the rock on which it 

 rests, and to the crumbling of which it owes its origin. If the 

 reck be a sandstone, the soil is sandy ; if a claystone, it is more 

 or less stiff clay ; if a limestone, it is more or less calcareous ; 

 and if the rock consist of any peculiar mixture of these three 

 substances, a similar mixture is observed in the earthy matter 

 into which it has crumbled. 



Led by this observation, the geologist, after comparing the 

 rocks of different countritS with one another, compared next 

 the soils of various districts with the rocks on which they 

 immediately rest. The general result of this comparison has 

 been, that in almost every country the soils have as close a 

 resemblance to the rocks beneath them, as the loose earth 

 derived from the crumbling of a rock before our eyes bears to 

 the rock of which it lately formed a part. The conclusion, 

 therefore, is irresistible, that soils, generally speaking, have 

 been formed by the crumbling or decay of the solid rocks ; that 

 there was a time when these rocks were naked and without any 

 covering of loose materials ; and that the accumulation of soil 

 has been the result of the natural detrition or slow wearing 

 away of the solid crust of the globe. — T. Jones. — (English 

 Mechanic and World of Science.) 



CYCLAMEN PERSICUM CULTURE. 



Youe correspondent " W. Scott" (page 493), wishes for in- 

 formation respecting the early blooming of Cyclamen persicum. 

 I sowed a packet of Wiggins's strain, on February 26th of the 

 present year, in a seed-pan, which I plunged in a Cucumber 

 frame then at work. The seedlings appeared by the end of 

 March, were pricked out into pans as soon as large enough to 

 handle, and placed again in the frame near the glass. They 

 were potted-off singly into 60-sized pots by the end of May, 

 were kept growing, and were shifted into 5-inch pots by the 

 end of June ; they were then placed in a cold pit and shaded 

 from strong sun. By the middle of August I gave some of the 

 largest another shift into 6-inch pots. They were kept in the 

 cold pit until the end of October, when they were removed to 

 a cool vinery, and were then showing plenty of bloom buds. 

 On the 6th of December I introduced them into a vinery where 

 the Vines were just started, and they are now (December 26th), 

 just ten months after sowing the seed, blooming beautifully, 

 with flowers of several shades from white to red. I believe, 

 had I kept them warmer in the autumn, the period would have 

 been reduced to nine months. 



The soil I UBed, which was always warmed before potting, 

 was equal parts of half-rotted turf and well-deoomposed cow 

 dung, with a good mixture of silver sand. They were sprinkled 

 overhead every morning with water from which the chill was 

 taken. — H. Haeeis, Naseby Woolleys. 



I followed directions given in the Journal two years ago, 

 and have been tolerably successful, though my gardening 

 means and appliances are very limited. In March, 1869, I 

 sowed a packet of Wiggins's seed. Out of the packet I had 

 thirty plant?. As soon as they showed their second leaf I re- 

 potted them, placing them three in a pot, in 3-inch pots. I kept 

 them in fair bottom heat all through the summer, but did net 

 renew in the autumn the dying heat of the frame they were in. 

 They grew remarkably well, and came into blossom at Christ- 

 mas, giving about five blossoms on eaoh plant. I kept them 



in their pots till May, when I turned them into the open 

 ground of a spent cutting frame. There they continued till 

 September, when I potted them three in a pot as before, in 

 6-inch pots, and the largest in separate 4-inch pots, and pnt 

 them in gentle bottom heat. They are now coming into nice 

 bloom. One is on my table as I write, a single plant with forty 

 blossoms expanded and expanding. Some of the pots have 

 between seventy and eighty blossoms coming on. 



They would, I am sure, have blossomed much more freely 

 the first year if I had kept them in constant bottom heat. 

 They are flowers most valuable to those who like winter plants 

 in sitting-rooms. They seem to suffer less from long continu- 

 ance in hot rooms than any plant I know, except, perhaps, 

 Palms, and even before they are in bloom their beautifully 

 marbled leaves make them delightful objects. I had not much 

 variety of colour in my packet of seed. — Q. Q. 



LATE PEAS. 



I find Mr. Castle (page 324) puts "Veitch's Perfection in the 

 wrong place. Ne PIub Ultra is the best suited for Prestwieh, 

 and is mostly grown as a late Pea, being more hardy than 

 Yeitch's Perfection. There is a late Pea called Swinton Cot- 

 tage, a local name ; it was raised by the late Dr. Robinson, of 

 Swinton Park, is a late wrinkled Marrow, sweet- flavoured, and 

 for a late or general crop is first-rate. I saw it myself after the 

 frost in November, and tasted it before the frost, and the flavour 

 was excellent. Many of the gardeners in this neighbourhood 

 gather it when frost shows itself, and spread the pods out on 

 a cellar flag, and by that means they last fully two weeks longer 

 than if left out of doors. All the gardeners in this part try to 

 have Peas as late as possible. I have seen them myself this 

 season, late in November, until the frost cut them down. — 

 Samuel Poetee, Prestwieh. 



PORTRAIT OF MR. RIVERS. 



The following additional subscriptions have been received : — 



£ s. d. 



Low, Mr. S. H., Clapton Nursery 1 1 



Wheeler, Messrs. J. C. &■ Son, Gloucester 110 



Wood & Ingram, Messrs,, Nurserymen, Hunt- 

 ingdon 1 1 



Intense Cold. — I forward you the readings of the thermo- 

 meter during Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night, as it may 

 be interesting to know how other districts were affected. On 

 Friday night (Dee. 23rd), at 11.30, the thermometer marked 3°, 

 or 29° of frost. At 6 a.m. on Saturday it was 5° below zero [?] ; 

 at 10 a.m., with a bright sun, it was down to 10°, or 22° of frost ; 

 at 12 it was 23° ; at 2 p.m. it was 21°; at 5 p.m. it was down to 

 5° ; at 8 it was down to 3° ; at midnight it was 2°. At 6 o'clock 

 on Christmas morning it was 3° ; at 10 it was 6°; at 5 p.m. it 

 was 13° ; from which time till 9 o'clock on Monday morning 

 the temperature gradually rose to 33°. The rime on Christmas 

 morning on the trees was magnificent.— J. Platt, Gardener to 

 Sir W. Ffolkes, Bart, Hillington, Norfolk. 



SOME PREDATORY INSECTS OP OUR 

 GARDENS.— No. 1. 

 Occasionally in some of our country towns where, in spite 

 of railways and telegraphs and other modern improvements, 

 life is generally a little flat, amongst other expedients resorted 

 to, somewhat to enliven matters, is the getting-up of small hor- 

 ticultural fetes. These are usually carried out, partly under 

 cover, partly alfresco, and a variety ef mottos with floral em- 

 bellishments may be seen on such occasions admirably ar- 

 ranged on the sides of the building or tent. There are certain 

 inscriptions, however, which I have never seen put up, though 

 they might be deserving the attention of the spectators. Sup- 

 pose, in full view, were hung the proverb, " Live and let live," 

 or this verse — 



" Nought so vile upon the earth doth live, 

 But to the earth some special gift doth give." 



In similar mottos a delicate hint could be conveyed to certain 

 gardeners, who show a Bort of spitefulness in the onslaughts 

 they make upon the inseot world around them. It is irritating 

 — no question about that- — to find that after rnuoh oare and 



