112 
THE COTTAGE GARDEN Ell AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, May 21, 1659. 
with stems five feet high, which, although they produced a crown 
of more than one hundred and fifty leaves every year, seemed never 
to increase the dimensions of their stems. What a contrast do 
these plants make to the rate at which the Plantains grow ! 
There is at present in the magnificent Palm-house of the Royal 
Botanic Gardens at Kew a plant of Musa Hnseie , the growth of 
which is more remarkable than that of any other plant I know. 
Its stem is between five and sis feet in circumference ; its leaves 
have reached the roof; it is now just coming into flower; and 
yet it is not quite four years old from the seed. (See Yol. XX. 
p. 1(30.)— Karl. 
tea.de catalogue eeceiyed. 
A List of Plants cultivated and sold by H. G. Henderson and 
Son, Wellington Road, St. John's Wood. Spring 1859.—Some 
time ago we noticed the autumn edition of this catalogue, which, 
in bulk, had more the appearance of a botanical work than a 
nursery list. We have now before us a goodly volume of 104 
octavo pages ; which embrace every imaginable subject which can , 
be found in a plant catalogue, and many novelties of singular 
interest, of which we have descriptions for the first time. 
VARIETIES. 
Bee-keeping in Northern Russia and Central Aeiuca.— 
M. Erman writing from Murom, on the banks of the Russian 1 
river Oka, says, under the date of August 3rd :—“ The hollows I 
near the Oka were covered with the richest grass, and decked 
with a great variety of meadow flowers. Starlings were collected 
here in multitudes, preparatory to their migration southwards. 
At the end of twenty versts this rich meadow land was succeeded 
by a Pine forest on a sandy soil. On the boughs of the Pines 
were hung wooden hives in which the wild bees deposited their 
stores of honey, to be carried off by the peasants in the neigh¬ 
bourhood. This was the first trace we saw' of systematic attention 
to honey as an article of husbandry.” Dr. Barth, in central 
Africa, states that a few miles beyond Uje, in the district of 
Sliarno, begins a region given up entirely to the growth of 
Ngaberi, that is, Durrali or Sorghum vulgare. This region, 
therefore, exactly resembles the plains of Sennar, where Durrah 
is, and, probably, has been for more than two thousand years 
almost the only grain cultivated, or rather we should say, grown ; 
for the little care bestowed on the ground or crops does not 
deserve to be called cultivation. Man sows the seed and gathers 
the harvest; nature does all the rest. Here the beehives (hollow 
logs, we presume) are underground; in the hills round Kano 
they are suspended from the trees. The hives have to be placed 
underground to save the wax from the intense heat of the 
climate; but why in climates so dissimilar as Russia and Africa 
they are suspended from trees, unless to preserve them from pre¬ 
datory animals, is not so self-evident. 
Notes by a Gardening Bookworm. — “The Husband¬ 
man’s Fruitfull Orchard.” “ Imprinted for Roger Jackson, and 
are to bee sold at his shop in Fleet-street, neere the conduit. 
1609.” Although thus designated on the title-page, this little 
volume is, throughout, headed “The Fruiterers’ Secrets.” Under 
this name, a small part of it was reprinted in the edition of 
\V. Lawson’s “New Garden and Orchard,” in 1623. Who was 
the author is doubtful, “ The Epistle to the Reader” is subscribed 
“ N. F.” He wrote as a practical man only can write. “ Proyn- 
iug ” is used by this author, as it is by Spencer, for “pruning.” 
“ Every fruite country hath their severall names, although one 
kyndo of fruite. As, John-Apples be, in some places, called 
Dewziiigs or Long-lasters, and Goodings be called Old Wives, 
&c.” “ Dewziugs ” evidently is a corruption of “ Deux-ans,” the 
name of an Apple, common at Hambledon, in Hampshire, where : 
there are trees of it, that, probably, were existing when “ N. F.” 
wrote. “ I thinke meete to acquaint thee from whence our great 
plentie of fruite in England came. One Richard Harris, of 
London, borne in Ireland, Fruiterer to King Henry the eight, 
fetched out of Fraunce great store of grnftes, especially pippins : 
before which time there was no right pippins in England. He 
fetched also, out of the Lowe Countries, Cherrie grafts, and Peare 
grafts of divers sorts : then tooke a peece of ground belonging to 
the King, in the parish of Tenham in Kent, being about the 
quantitie of seaven score acres ; whereof he made an orchard, 
planting therein all these foraigne grafts. Which Orchard is, and 
hath been from time to time, the chiefo mother of all other 
orchards for those kindes of fruites in Kent, and of divers other 
places. And afore that these said grafts were fetched out of 
Frauncc and the Lowe Countries, although that there was some 
store of fruite in England, yet there wanted both rare fruite, and 
lasting fine fruite. The Dutch and French finding it to be so 
scarce, especially in these countries nocre London, commonlv 
plyecl Billings-gate, and divers other places with such kinds of 
fruite. But now (thaukes bee to God) divers gentlemen and others, 
taking delight in grafting (being a matter so necessary and bene¬ 
ficial in a Comon-wealth) have planted many Orchards, fetching 
their grafts out of that Orchard, which Harris planted called the 
New-garden. And by reason of the great increase that now is 
growing in divers parts of this land, of such fine and serviceable 
fruit, there is no need of any foraigne fruite, but we are able to 
serve other places.” Tenham, or Teynham, is between four and 
five miles from Sittingbournc, in Kent. Fuller claims for Leonard 
Mascall the honour of introducing Pippins at a still earlier 
period. He was a gentleman of Sussex, and it is not improbable 
that he may have brought them into his garden at Pluinstead ; 
but Harris evidently introduced them for sale, and his “ seaven 
score acres ” formed the first fruit nursery in England. “ The 
fruiterers of London doe first gather cherries into kibseis, or little 
open baskets.” Is this name in use still P Baily, in his Dictionary 
—says, “ Kibsey, a kind of wicker basket.” “ Brut,” a fruit- 
bearing shoot. 
Acre.—T he word is identical with Lat. ager, Gr. agros, “a 
field ; ” the Ger. acker means both “ a field ” and a “ measure 
of land.” Most nations have some measure nearly corresponding ; 
originally, perhaps, the quantity which one plough could plough 
in a day; uniformity, therefore, is not to be looked for. The 
English statute acre consists of 4840 square yards. The chain 
with which land is measured is 22 yards long, and a square chain 
will contain 22 x 22, or 484 yards; so that 10 square chains 
make an acre. The acre is divided into 4 roods, a rood into 40 
perches, and a perch contains 30i square yards. The Scotch acre 
is larger than the English, and the Irish than the Scotch. 121 
Irish acres = 196 English, nearly ; 48 Scotch acres = 61 English. 
The following table shows the values of the more important cor¬ 
responding measures compared with the English acre:— 
English acre. 1.00 p . ( Little Morgen. 0.63 
Scotch acre . 1.27 lrussla j Great Morgen. 1.40 
Irish acre. 1.62 Russia, Deciatina . 2.70 
Austria, Joch . 1.42 Sardinia, Giornate. 0.03 
Baden, Morgen or Acre . 0.89 Saxony, Morgen. 1.36 
Belgium, Hectare (French) ... 2.47 Spain, Fanegada. 1.06 
Denmark, Toende . 5.05 Sweden, Tunneland . 1.13 
Er ) Hectare (=100 ares) 2.47 Switzerland, Faux. 1.62 
( Arpent (common) ... 0.99 ,, Geneva, Arpent... 1.27 
Hamburg, Morgen. 2.38 Tuscany, Saccata . 1.22 
Hanover, Morgen . 0.64 UnitedStates, English acre. 1.00 
Holland, Morgen . 2.10 Wiirtemberg, Morgen . 2,40 
Naples, Moggia . 0.83 Roman Jugerum (ancient) . 0.66 
Poland, Morgen. 1.3S Greek Plethron (ancient) . 0.23 
Portugal, Geira . 1.43 
— {Chambers's Hneylopcedia.) 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Shanked Grapes (5. W. Wiltshire ).—They are very badly shanked; 
caused, we have no doubt, by the roots being outside the forcing-house, 
and aggravated by the soil of the border being “ like strong clay.” We 
should at once clear away the soil carefully down to the roots, cover them 
with about nine inches of light fibry loam mixed with lime rubbish, and 
over that put tw-o feet of fermenting dung, to rouse the roots to an action 
reciprocal to that of the branches. Thin out all the shanked parts of the 
hunches. The name of your plant is Manettia glabra, also called Manet tia 
cordifolia. 
Diseased Grapes [E. ,T. E. R .).—Never before have we seen Grapes 
diseased in this way. Although the seeds were formed, and of half their 
full size, there was no pulp in the berries ; and these, no bigger than a 
very small Pea, were merely a skin, dry, brown, and cracked all over, like 
rust in an aggravated form; and looking something like a ripe Ivy-berry 
Yet our correspondent says, “The Vines look most healthy in foliage, 
the bunches of Grapes are extremely large, and the roots well protected.” 
The same gardener and the same treatment have been followed for years • 
but never did this disease appear before. We think it is caused by a fungus’ 
but should like to have more information. Did the brownness appear when 
the berries were small, before the seed began forming? Are only a few 
berries in each bunch affected ? Has the mildew ever attacked the Vines ? 
Trentham Gardens (H. H .).—We are sure that if you write to Mr. 
Henderson, the head gardener, he will most readily admit you, a youim 
gardener, to see the gardens. * ° 
Sulphate of Ammonia (J. R .).—We cannot say that we consider a 
solution of this “equal to stable drainage,” but we can say that it is a very 
powerful manure. If you apply at 162, Fleet Street, you will be able to 
obtain guano, sulphate of ammonia, ami other portable manures, in 7-lb. 
tins, all warranted unadulterated, and at the market price. 
Earthenware Labels—Camellias in Summer ( John Green ). We 
have had little experience with earthenware labels; but found there was 
considerable trouble to make them look new, first by painting them, and 
then marking with black paint. Pieces of zinc make capital tallies, and 
