301 
T1IE COllAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, September 13, 1859. 
nil the year round. I have had him nearly two years, and though, 
o* course, lie must moult his feathers yearly, I have not observed 
the change of plumage, nor have I noticed that ho has sung less 
at one period of the year than another. One of my two English 
larks was stolen the very day I landed in India, and the other 
soon died. The loss of an English larlc is not to be replaced in 
Calcutta, though almost every week canaries, linnets, goldfinches, 
and bullfinches, arc sold at public auctions here. —( Richardson's 
Flowers and Flower Gardens.) 
The Home of the Geranium.— From this point (Silvermans- 
dorp, South Africa) we proceeded on horseback, treading our 
way through thickets of Mimosa, or among fagments of rock, 
by the margin of a stream which flowed along the bottom of a 
deep-wooded valley. This stream wc frequently crossed—at 
times passing lor a considerable distance along its course — the 
water, in some places, scarcely covering the horses’ fetlocks, in 
others reaching to the girths. Here I found a new kind of vege¬ 
tation. The Speckbcom or Elephant’s Food, Portulacaria Afra , 
was abundant; but I was most gratified on meeting, as with old 
friends, with several sorts of Geraniums growing in their native 
state. The Horseshoe, and plain-leaved Scarlet were quite lar^e 
shrubs, sometimes six or seven feet high. The dark Gale-leaved 
kind grew vigorously. The Ivy-leaved variety spread its creeping 
branches over the adjacent trees anil opened its pink blossoms in 
great abundance. In other places I noticed several of the finer- 
leaved Pelargoniums, with small and delicately pencilled flowers. 
—( Ellis's Madagascar.) 
The Mignonette. —The Mignonette ( Reseda odorata), the 
Frenchman’s little darling, was not introduced into England 
until the middle of the 17th century. The Mignonette, or 
Sweet Prnseda, was once supposed capable of assuaging pain, 
and of ridding men of many of the ills that flesh is heir to. It 
was applied witli an incantation. This flower has found a place 
in the armorial bearinas of an illustrious family of Saxony. I 
must tell the story:—The Count of Walsthim loved the fair and 
sprightly Amelia de Nordbourg. Slia was a spoilt child and a 
coquette. She had an humble companion whose Christian name 
was Charlotte. One evening at a party, all the ladies were 
called upon to choose a flower each, and the gentlemen were to 
make verses on the selections. Amelia fixed upon the flaunting 
Rose ; Charlotte the modest Mignonette. In the course of the 
evening, Amelia coquetted so desperately with a dashing Colonel 
that the Count could not suppress his vexation. On this he 
wrote a verse for the Rose:— 
Ella r.e vit qu’un jour, et ne plait qu’un moment. 
(Sho lives but for a day, and pleases but for a moment.) 
He then presented the following line on the Mignonette to 
the gentle Charlotte :— 
“ Ses qualities surpassent ses charmes.” 
The Count transferred his affections to Charlotte, and when 
he married her, added a branch of the Sweet Reseda to the 
ancient arms of his family, with the motto of 
Your qualities surpass your charms. 
—( Richardson's Flowers and Floioer Gardens.) 
The Pan dan us exhibits a form of growth peculiar to the 
vegetation of the seashore in many tropical regions. It thrives 
well in pure sand near the water’s edge. It is also an exceed¬ 
ingly useful tree. The trunk is durable, and is employed in the 
structure and fitting of native canoes. The leaves, in the South 
Sea Islands, make excellent thatch, and the fruit or nuts are 
baked, and the kernels eaten. In Madagascar the leaves are 
used chiefly for covering packages to exclude rain during transit 
from the coast to the interior. It is extensively cultivated in 
Mauritius, aud its leaves used for making bags ; large quantities 
of which are brought from the Sechelle Islands, and all the 
sugar produced in Mauritius is exported in bags made from the 
leaves of this singularly growing but useful tree. — (F Ills's 
Madagascar.) 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Sutton's Autumn Catalogue. This contains a good enume¬ 
ration, not only of bulbs freshly imported, but of Geraniums, 
Carnations, Roses, fruit trees, &c., for autumn planting. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Passion Fi.owf.e [J, Bell). —What do you mean by “ preservation of 
the Passion Flower ? ” To preserve it from inclement seasons, or in an her¬ 
barium ! If the latter, we know of no other mode than that adopted for 
other flowers. 
Seedling Geranium (M. I). 7’.).— The truss was large (twenty-six pips), 
and the petals a bright scarlet; but we can say no more, for the petals 
were all shed. Besides, an opinion upon a Scarlet Geranium is worthless, 
unless it can be given upon the foliage and habit of the plant. 
Mathematical IIrawino (L . Campbell). — Loudon’s volume, entitled 
Self Instruction,” embraces the subject you need, and much besides that 
is useful to young gardeners. 
Gardener and Stkwar* {Neccssitas).— You have brought the difficulty 
upon yourself by not arranging as to your remuneration at the time you 
asked tor the stewardship. That you ought to have some additional re¬ 
muneration there can he no doubt; but what that addition ought to he it is 
qmto impossible for us to estimate without knowing much more than wo 
do at present. We recommend you to ask your employer to increase your 
pay just so much, and no more, as you are willing to accept. If he declines 
y°u can then ask him to find another steward, and you can remain gardener 
as before. Nothing is gained by precipitancy and irritation at not being 
treated liberally. Your master, like too many other old men, becomes 
more selfish with age ; make allowances for this, and if you address him 
lirmly, fairly, and without any hastiness, you will succeed as you wish. 
IIogg’s Vegetable Kingdom ( Henry Crisp).—" The terms and initials ” 
placed after the genera are abbreviations of the names of the authors who 
founded them. Thus, under Ranunculacem, p. 13, you will find Clematis, 
A., which signifies that the genus Clematis, as at present constituted, was 
founded by Linnaeus. Atragene, D. C., was founded by De Candolle. 
Iriqnedra, Lind., by Lindley; and Viorna. Pcrs., by Persoon. These con¬ 
tractions form no part of the name of the plant. ( John Wilson).— The 
above will be the reply to your question also. 
Stalks or Vine-leaves Gangrened [E. M.).— Wo never before saw 
Yme-leaves affected like those you sent. Their upper surface was slightly 
mildewed, hut the stalks were completely gangrened, like the stalks of 
Grapes when “ shanked.” The consequence must be as you say, that the 
leaves then dry up “ as if scalded.” We attribute this disease to the same 
cause as shanking—viz., the roots getting into an ungenial subsoil, or from 
being chilled outside the house, are not able to supply sap sufficient to 
support the growth taking place -within the house. Keeping the house 
cooler, and giving more air, whilst the roots are kept warmer and sup¬ 
plied with liquid manure, would probably remove the evil. 
Insect on Camellias [C. II.).— The thrips has attacked them. Syringe 
them with Gishurst Compound, and keep the insect away by better ven¬ 
tilation, and more moisture in the air of the house. 
Slimy Grub on Cherry Tree (W. J., Preston).— Your Cherry-tree 
leaves are attacked by the slimy grub, or larva of a saw-fly, Selandria 
aithiops. A perfect remedy is dusting over the leaves with slaked lime. 
PvED Spider [Zeta).— Use the Gishurst again and again ; and then keep 
the plague away by more moisture in the air. 
Names of Plants (IF. H.).— Your hardy plant is Cytisus hirsutus, or 
hairy Cytisus. (E. M.,Dublin). — One of the frequently-called “Carrion 
plants, from tlicii foetid flowers. It is Stctpclici bitfotiis } or toad-fiowered 
Stapelia. Some botanists call it Orbea bufonia. (A Lover of the Garden) 
—Your leaf is not of the wild Pear tree, but Pyrus aria, the White Beam 
tree. M. B., a young beginner).— Your plants are, I, JEschynanthus 
granatjlorus; 2, Physahs Peruviana; 3, Pereskia aculcata, the Barbadoes 
Gooseberry ; 4 appears to he a leaf taken from the Jusliciaspeciosa : 5 we 
are unable to recognise. Sending merely a leaf gives a great amount of 
trouble. (F. IF. S.). — Your Fern is d either more nor less than the large 
form of Lastrwa dilatata, the broad prickly-toothed buckler Fern. (A 
Country Subscriber) .—The spores only show through. It is Scolopendrium 
vulgare, or common hart’s-tongne Fern. 
POULTRY AND BEE-KEEPER’S CHRONICLE. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
September 22nd. Bridgnorth. See., Richard Taylor, Bridgnorth. 
October 5th. Weston-super-Mare. Sec., Mr. R. L. Jones, Weston-super- 
Mare. Entries close September 23rd. 
October 11th, 12th, and I3th. Worcestershire. Sec., Geo. Griffiths 
7, St. Swithin Street, Worcester. 
November 28th, 29th, and 30th, and December 1st. Birmingham. Sec., 
Mr. J. Morgan, BingleyHall, Birmingham. 
N.B.— Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
THE ROSSENDALE POULTRY EXHIBITION. 
The Bossendale Committee held their annual meeting this 
year at Waterfoot, on Wednesday the 31st ultimo. It is really 
impossible to conceive more unfortunate weather for a Poultry 
Show, as it rained heavily and without intermission the whole 
day. The previous night was equally boisterous, consequently 
the accustomed attendance of ladies and their families was quite 
out of the question, whilst the hardier sex were, from this cause, 
limited as to numbers. We very greatly regret this contingency, 
as the preparations of the Committee were praiseworthy; and, 
from the poultry getting very wet, the Exhibition was necessarily 
deteriorated. A few remarks on the Show generally, will, how¬ 
ever, be acceptable to many of our poultry friends. 
The winning pen of Spanish, particularly the hens, was un¬ 
usually good. The Cochins were indifferent, and altogether out 
of condition. The Dorkings disappointed every one, being not 
nearly so good as most shows can boast of in these days. The 
