west Re
Ss ie Nei Dig ;
THE
GARDENER’S MAGAZINE,
CONDUCTED
By J.C. LOUDON, F.L.S. H.S. &c.
AUTHOR OF THE ENCYCLOPMDIAS OF GARDENING AND OF AGRICULTURE, AND EDITOR OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PLANTS,
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN,
PATERNOSTER-ROW,
1828.
LONDON :
Printed by A. & R. Spottiswoode, New-Street-Square.
PREFACE.
Iw this Third Volume of the Gardener’s Magazine, the reader will find some improvements on the plan of the former Volumes. These are, the accentuation of botanic names; the indication of generic names as, commemorative, classical, aboriginal, or composed ; and, when specific names are Englished, the literal meaning given. The details and the advantages of these improvements are ex- plained in Vol. II. p. 447.
Taking a general view of the improvements in gardening which are recorded in this Volume, the leading feature, and one of very considerable interest in the exotic department, is the mode of heating hot-houses by hot water. Though the invention was made above half a century ago in France, and applied there for artificial incubation, as well as to the hot-houses in the Jardin des Plantes, it does not appear to have been introduced into England till the year 1815, when the house No. 1. in Russel Place, London, was heated in this manner by the Comte Chabannes, and afterwards the hot-houses at Sundridge Park by the same individual, in 1816 and 1817. The use of steam withdrew for atime the attention of engineers from the subject of hot water; but that element has again been resorted to, apparently without any knowledge of what had been already done by others, by Mr. Whale and Mr. Atkinson. Neither of these gentlemen, it appears, was aware of M. Bonne- main’s invention in Paris, in 1777, or the Comte Chabanne’s oper- ations in London and at Sundridge Park. Mr. Tredgold (p. 427.) has claimed for Mr. Atkinson the merit of having first success- fully applied the hot water system to hot-houses in England ; and, unquestionably, Mr. Atkinson’s apparatus of 1822, is more simple than that of the Comte Chabannes at Sundridge Park of 1816, though not more effectual. ‘The details of which the above is the summary, will be found in pages 186. 254. 365. 368. and 423—432.; and further information on the subject, received even since this Preface was prepared for the press, is unavoidably reserved for our succeeding Volume.
Some most desirable acquisitions to Floriculture are described in the analysis of botanical works in our Catalogue raisonnée ; and we refer to pages 342. 385., and Vol. II. p. 460., for some Dutch and German practices, which, if adopted in this country, would, at an easy rate, increase the enjoyments of the wealthy who possess gardens; prove profitable to the tradesman gardener ; and advantageous to the public consumer of garden vegetables.
J.C. L. London, Bayswater, Feb. 1828. AZ
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS TO VOL. Ht.
A. B., of Warwick = - Page 382 A Complaining Gardener - 360 A Constant and Approving Reader - 371 A Constant Reader, &c. - 119. 376, 381 A Denbighshire Gardener = - 19 A Female Critic co S - 121 A Friend to Improvement - 254 A. G., of Lynn - 5 dY/ Agricola, of Lincolnshire S - 155 Agronome - 15. 151, 287 A Horticultural Apothecary - - 244 A Horticultural Sailor C 5 AG A Kentish Reader 3 - 120 An Amateur : = = QP An Enquirer 2 - 254 A Nobleman’s Gardener 5 a Pig A Philadelphia Nurseryman k - 349 A Pine Grower 5 - 120 Arnott, Mr., of Perth = S ilily/ A.'S. 5 - 354 A Subscriber = oS SG A Subscriber and F.H. Ss. - - 108 A Surrey Reader - - - 381 A.W. 5 2 - 959 A Wellwisher - & E
A, oe - S = 255 A. Y. S 5 - 381 B.
Baillie, Mr. William, Gardener, at Dropmore 25
Babington, Mr. Charles C. - 216
Barnet, Mr. James, Curator of the Experimental Garden of the Cal. Hort. Soc. -
Barrow, Mr. John, Manufacturing Smith, Lon-
don - - - - 423 B. Battle - 352 Bisset, Mr. A. , Gardener, at Methven - 170 Blaikie, Thomas, Esq. M.C.H. = Cc. M. ft S.,
Paris - 207 B. M. H. = & Sm ele B., of Edinburgh = - - 105 Botanicus = - - 490 Boyce, Mr. William - - 102 Braddick, John, Esq. F.H Si - - 353 Brown h Mr. James, jun., of Stowe - 117. 23
c - 376 Calvert, Mr. A. C., ‘of Rouen - - 334 Cameron Mr. Daniel, - - 149 Cameron, Mr. David, A.LS. - a iil Cameron, Mr. John, Gardener, Camberwell 156 Carolus - - - - 121 Causidicus - - 370 C.F. W., of Fazeley - - 382. 409 C. H. D. - 119 Combeld, Mr. P., Florist, Northampton = 23
C.P., of York - 30 D. B. = FS - 5 NG D. F. - - = - 119 D. F., Edinburgh 2 = - 118 Donaia, Mr., FHLS. - = =) 283
217 Falconar, David, Esq., “ Carlowrie, Kirkliston,
near Edinburgh 488 Faldermann, Mr. Francis, C. H. S: - 300 Floristicus - 360, 380 F.N. B. - 145 pores. Mr. J., Gardener to the Duke of Bed-
yee = - nul
Fulton, Mr. George, Gardener, Northwick Park
Page 405 Gauen, Mr: Robert, of Millbrook 34. 101. 170 G. B, and_N., Lynn = - - 470 G. B., of Wellesburn = - 359
Gibb, Mr. David, Gardener to the Dowager Marchioness of ‘Londonderry 9 Godsall, Mr. William, Nurseryman, Hereford, 9
Gorrie, Mr. Archibald, C.M.HLS, - 115. 253 Green, Mr. William = - 24. 379 Green, W., jun., Esq., crepe - oie 493 G..W. S . 378 1st 378
Hamilton, W. , Esq. MD., of Fareham, 157. 352
Harrison, Mr. Charles, F. i. S: - pe HVA. S. . 384 Hawkins, Mr. Thomas 92, 381 Hogg, Mr. ome pe Paddington 113. Bis ran re. ; 353, 989. 414 J M & Bet Ue - 217. 353. 383. TG Uae i - 240, 361. 476 J. M. = - 302 ob M., Brighton o = 12. 375 JM. Main) = 198, 149, 202, 256. 334 J. M. (not J, Main) = 117
Ingram, Mr. Thomas, Gardener to the “Prin- cess Augusta, Frogmore - 13 Johnson, G. W., Esq. 129, 269. 400 Johnston, Sir Alexander, Knt. V.P. R.A.S., for- merly Chief Justice and President of His Ma-
jesty’s Council in Ceylon = - 99 Je: = : = - 370 Jabs B: = : 2 a hee J. R. K: - 106 Irvine, G. W., Esq. > Post-ofice, Dublin - 471 J. S., South Wales - 380 ue aYa Perthshire = - =U, J. Y., Yarmouth s = - 121 Lambie, Mr. A. C. = - - 291 Lee, Mr. Walter = S - 493 Luckock, Mr. James - - 280 M‘Murtrie, Mr., C.M.H.S. - - 352 Malus 281
Marnock, Mr. “Robert, Gardener, Bretton Hy Mather, Mr. G. M., Gardener, Nottingham
379. 417 Mathews, Mr. Ass ALS. - - 135 Mentor 3 - 20 M. H. 3 - 330.371 Middleton, Mr. Ke - - = 17 M., of Exmouth a 218
Moggridge, John, Esq. - 162. 410 Moore, Mr. William, Gardener, Green Street House, East Ham, Essex 354 Murray, John,}Esq. F.A.S. L.S. H. S. G.S. &e. ip)
Murray, Mr. SISLENS C.M.H.S. N.A.B.
o - - 380 Nash, Mr. James - - - 293 N. , Edinburgh - 118 Nelson, Mr. HEE Gardener, at Clifton - 141 INp Gs = - 482 Olitor 359
Otto, Mr., C.M. aH: S, Director of the Botanic Garden, Berlin - 92. 94 Petersen, Mr. J. P., of Copenhagen -
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS TO VOL. III.
Vv Philo-Olitorum = Page 231 | Suffolciensis Page 25. 122. 377 Powell, Mr.F. ,Gardener, New Court, near Here-| Superficial, Brixton Villa - - 293, 487. 494 ford - 581} Sutherland, Mr. Robert - 278 Prince, Mr. William, of. the Linnean Botanic | Swainson, William, Esq. F.R. s. F.L.S. &c. Garden, New York = - 97. 212. 465 205, 378 Pringle, Mr. James, Gardener, at Truro - 140| Sweet, Robert, RIES - S - 297 Quercus So - - 284| TB. - - 485 eae Secundus 3 - 285) F.C. H. 5 - 114 ., Esg. = - = - 128} Thonville, W., , Esa. - - 119 = = - 256) T. J. M. - - - 382 Reed, Mr. James 23) T*#* R—d_ - 382 Reeve, Mr. James, Gardener at Laxton Hau Tredgold, SHORES Esq., Civil Engineer, ron don - vere, T., jun. = - 353} Turner, Mr. R., of Grantham - 30. 102, 103 ELAN Lodge = - 119) Umbratus - 121 = - - 37/9] Vallet, Monsieur PAiné, of Rouen - 102 B.S. = - - 382 Variegata - = - 485 Rusticus in Urbe - - 118. 162, 493) Viator S = - - 346 Rusticus Sylvanus 2 = - 486| W. B.S. - 343 R.W. - - = - 375| Wells, Mr. T., of Bickley Gardens - 490 Ss. - - é = 99| W. G., of Swansea - 381 Saul, Mr. Mathias, Lancaster, - 121. 418, 421| W. G.W. 381, 382 Saunders, Mr. Richard, Gardener, Luscombe,| Williams, Mr. Thomas, Gardener, Ratcliffe Devonshire - - - 404 Lodge - = 216 Semina = c - - 382) W. M. Argyleshire - - 227. 412 Sensitivus - - - - 3/71) W.R R. ¥. - - 381. 290. 330 S. F. . - - 245) W.S. c a, 8B Shai, Mr. Charles - - - 278| W.S., near Nottingham = - 116 Shennan, Mr. William Johnston - 167) Y.B. = > 2 Sidey, Mr. Charles, JEON Perth - 472} Youell, Mr. J. 217 S., of Manchester - a Bay Young, Mr. James, Gardener at Wilford House Stecle, Andrew, Esq. 255 138 Stephens, Mr. James, Gardener, CarrHouse, 218) Z. - = - 377. 381 S.'E P. e a - 118) Zig-Zag - - ~ 365
Strathmoriensis 2 - 224:
CONTENTS.
Parr I.
On the Apple Tree, as trained against a Wall. By Mr. Charles Harrison, F.H.S. — - Page 1 On the Preservation of Apples. By Mr. David Gibb, Gardener to the Dowager Marchioness of Londonderry, North Cray Place, Kent 9 On Prolonging the Season of Hardy Fruits. By Mr. J. Forbes, Gardener to His Grace the Duke of Bedford, at Woburn Abbey - ll On the Prolongation of the ripe Grape on the Vine. By J. M. - - - | On fixing Wire against Garden Walls for train- ing Fruit Trees. By Mr. Thomas Ingram, Gardener to Her Royal Highness the Prin- cess Augusta, at Frogmore - le Autobiography, and various hints. nome - - - Designs for a Vinery, by which the earliest and the latest grapes may be obtained in the same Structure. By Mr. A. Middleton - 1 On the Culture of the Potato, in respect to Kar- liness, the Curl, the Worm, and other Circum- stances. By a Denbighshire Gardener - 19 Description of a Structure, to be heated by Dung, for growing Cucumbers and Melons. By Mentor - - - - 20 Suggestions for a movable Cucumber Bed to be heated by Dung. By Mr. Thomas Hawkins 22 On a Mode of procuring a Crop of Cucumbers during Winter, by forming the Hot-bed within a Vinery. By Mr. James Reed - - 23 On a superior Method of raising the Vine from Layers. By Mr. W. Green. - - 24 Suggestions for Improvements on the Horticul- tural Memorandum Book of a Country Cler- gyman. By Suffolciensis 26 = 25 Account of a rapid and successful Mode of graft- ing the Orange. By Mr. James Reeve, Gar- dener to G. F. Evans, Esq. and Lady Car- berry, Laxton Hall, Northamptonshire - 26 Description of a new Tally for naming Plants, with a Note on grafting the Camellia. By Mr. Stewart Murray, C.M.H.S. o 3 Bs} Description of a Machine for dusting Fruit Trees with powdered Lime, or other Powder. By C. P. of York - S 90) Account of a successful Attempt to destroy A‘phis lanigera. By Mr. R. Turner. - 7d. Remarks on the disappointments incident to Or- chardists, and on describing and characteris- ing Fruit Trees. By W.R.Y: - ~ 3l Comparative View of the Expenses of a Gar- dener and a Butler to their Employer. By W.S. 82
By Agro- - 15
The Art of ornamenting, showing, preserving, and packing Cucumbers, Grapes, Plums, and other Fruits whose principal Beauty consists in their delicate Bloom. By Mr. Robert Gauen, Gardener at Milbrook, near South- ampton - - - - 34
Outlines of Horticultural Chemistry, &c. By G. W. Johnson, Esq., of Great Totham, Es- sex - - - - 129
Plan and Elevation of a Dairy Cottage, and Poultry-yard, erected by Mr. B. Matthews, at Syndal House, Kent, for the late Sir Samuel Auchmuty. Communicated by Mr. A. Mat- thews, A.LS. - = - 135
On preparing Ice and filling an Ice-house, so as the Ice may keep for Two or Three Years. By Mr. James Young, Gardener to Henry Seite Esq., of Wilford House, Nottingham- shire - - - 3
Notice of a Horticultural Plough and its Uses By Mr. William Gedsall, Nurseryman and Florist, Hereford = = - 159
Culture of the Gloridsa supérba. By Mr. James
Pringle, Gardener to Lewis Charles Daubuz
Esq., Truro, Cornwall . 2140
3 | On Salt and other Matters.
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.
Culture ofthe Gloxinza maculata. By Mr. John Nelson, principal Gardener to William Miles,
Esq., Clifton, near Bristol _ - - Page 141 Reminiscences of a Visit to Malacca. By Mr. James Main - - 142
A Description of a Method of cultivating the Vine, by which it is thought Grapes may be ripened in many Parts of England for the Purpose of making Wine. By F. N. B, - 145
2| On grafting the Peach, Nectarine, and Apricot
on Stocks of theirown kind. By Mr. Daniel Cameron, late Gardener to Admiral Sir George Cockburn, at Highbeach, Essex - 149 By Agronome 151 On the Use of Salt in the Culture of the Hya- cinth. By Mr. Thomas Hogg, Florist, Pad- * dington - = - - 154 Result of certain Experiments in regard to the Use of Salt in Agriculture. By Agricola of Lincolnshire - c =w15D On the Conduct of Gardeners and their Em- ployers. By Mr. John Cameron, Gardener, Grove Lane, Camberwell - - 156. On the Culture of Hyperanthéra Moringa, or Horseradish Tree, in the West Indies. By W. Hamilton, Esq. M.D. Fareham, near Ply- mouth - - - - 157 On Paragréles, or Hail-Protectors, and their Employment in Britain. By John Murray, Esq. F.A.S. L.S. H.S. G.S. &e. - - 159 Note on Mr. Campbell’s Mode of growing the Hyacinth. By Rusticus in Urbe _-. 162 Further Particulars of an Experiment made with a View of bettering the Condition of the Labouring Classes. By John Moggridge, By
On the Construction and Use of Straw Mats for covering Hot-houses, and as a substitute for Russian Mats in covering Frames and Pits. By Mr. William Johnston Shennan, Gardener at Gunnersbury House, Middlesex 167
Notice of a Revolving Frame for Forcing, and the Culture of Exotics, the Invention of Mr. R. Gauen of Millbrook ; and of another Re- volving Forcing-Frame by Mr. Alexander Bisset, Gardener to Robert Smith, Esq., of
i Methven, Perthshire 170
Some Account of the Flower-gardens and the Pinetum at Dropmore, the Seat of Lord Gren- ville. By Mr. William Baillie, Gardener at Dropmore. Interspersed with general Re- marks on the Gardens and Grounds there, by the Conductor - - = 257
Outlines of Horticultural Chemistry, &c. By G. W. Johnson, Esq., of Great Totham, Es- sex. (Continued from p. 135.) - - 269
On the Culture and Propagation of the Genus Citrus. By an Amateur - - 272
On destroying the Red Spider in Hot-houses. By Mr. David Cameron, A.L.S., Gardener to Robert Barclay, Esq. F.L.S. H.S., Bury Hill, Surrey 3 = Aehibge - 277
On the Destruction of the American Blight on Fruit Trees. By Mr. Charles Sharp, of oss
7
On the Blight and Fire-blast on Fruit Trees. By Mr. Robert Sutherland, Gardener to J. F. N. Halsey, Esq., Gaddeston Park, Hertford- shire - S : - 278
On the various Uses of Rhubarb Stalks. By Mr. James Luckock, of Edgbaston, near Bir- mingham = = - 280
An Orchard in Miniature; or the Culture of Apple Trees as Dwarf Standards, after the Manner of Gooseberry Bushes. By Malus 281
Note of the Result of an Experiment made at Bretton Hall on pitting Apples. Ina Letter to Mr. Donald, of Weking. By Mr. Robert
CONTENTS.
Marnock, Foreman of the Kitchen-garden at Bretton Hall. Communicated by Mr. Donald, F.FLS. Page 283 On the Cultivation f Timber
and Management o
Trees. By Quercus - - ~ 284 The falling Fortunes of the English Oak de- defended. By Quercus Secundus - 285
How to conduct a Gardener’s Magazine, ‘and other Matters. By Agronome - 287 On Artificial Compost. By W. R. Y. - 290 On the Culture and Propagation of the Chry- santhemum indicum. By Mr. A.C. Lambie, Gardener to Sir George Sitwell, Bart., Reni- shaw Hall, near Chesterfield, Derbyshire 291 On the Conduct of Gardeners and their Em- ployers, with respect to giving and exchanging Plants and Seeds. By a Nobleman’s Gar- dener - - - 29) On propagating Pebdnia Movtan by grafting on Pebdnia officinalis. By Mr. James Nash, * Flower-gardener to Lady Farnborough, Brom- . ley Hill, Kent - - 293 On the Disappointments incident to Purchasers of Fruit Trees. By Superficial, of Brixton Villa, Brixton, Surrey - - 293 On the Rose Cockchaffer, AnomAalia horténsis ; supposed to be the perfect Insect of the Ver Blanc, or White Worm, of the French Hor-
. ticulturists. © By William Swainson, Esq. F.B.S. F.L.S. &c. - : = 295 On the Culture of Pettinza nyctaginifidra. By
Robert Sweet, F.L.S., Author of Flora Aus- tralasica, Sweet’s Hortus Britannicus, &c. ae
9
A serviceable Tally Peg for Plants. By J. ae On the Culture of AmarYilis vittata in the neighbourhood of St. Petersburgh. By Mr. Francis Faldermann, C.M.H.S., Botanic Gar- dener to the Emperor of Russia, at St. Peters- burgh = - - - 300 An approved Method of obtaining a Crop of ' Karly Cauliflower, a week or ten days before those treated in the usual way. By J. M. 302 Some Account of the Dutch Manner of Forcing, as practised in the Kitchen- garden at Hylands, near Chelmsford, the Seat of P. C. Labouchere, Esq., F.H.S. From Notes made there on No-
. vember 7. 1827 - 389
Parr II.
Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London, Vol. VII. Part I. 43, 171 Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural So- ciety, Vol. IV. Part I. 55. 192. 303 Verhandlungen des Vereins, zur Beforderung des Gartenbaues, &c. Transactions of the So- ciety for the advancement of Gardening in the Royal Prussian States, Vol. I. Part II. 62. ae
Vil
Outlines of Horticultural Chemistry. By G. W. Johnson, Esq., of Great Totham, Essex (Continued from p. 272.) Page 400
On keeping Ice in Ice-houses. By Mr. Richard Saunders, Gardener to C. Hoare, Esq., F.R.S., H.S., &c., at Luscombe, Devonshire - 404
On keeping Potatoes through the Winter and Summer in Canada Cellars. By Mr. George Fulton, Gardener to Lord Northwick, at Northwick Park = - 405
Result of a Trial of Vines trained on hanging Trellises in the Garden of R. Bruce, Esq., of Kennet, Clackmannanshire. By Mr. James Barnet, Curator of the Experimental Garden of the Caledonian Horticultural Society - 407
On planting Timber Trees, with an estimate of the Produce and Profits of an acre of Black Italian Poplar, Pdépulus acladésca, Lind. By C. F. W., of Fazeley, Staffordshire - 409
On the Athenian"Poplar, Pépulus grea, as a Timber Tree. By John H. Moggridge, Esq. of Woodfield - - 410
An Attempt to show how Timber Trees may be cultivated conjointly with Farm Produce. By W. M. of Argyleshire - - 412
Description and Use of Dyer’s Retrocoupling Bee-boxes. By Mr. C. Hale Jessop, nursery- man, Cheltenham - - - 414
An account of a new and effectual Method of protecting early forced Crops, in Frames, dur- ing the Winter and Spring Months. By Mr. E. M. Mather, formerly Gardener at Old Base- ford, Nottingham - 417
Description of an Awning for a Tulip Bed, and also of the Flower Stage in use by the Lancas- ter Horticultural Society. By Mr. Mathias Saul, of Lancaster - 418
On training and managing the Gooseberry with
a view to Fruit for Prize Exhibitions. By Mr. Mathias Saul, of Lancaster - 421 Some Account of the Experiments made by William Atkinson, Esq. F.H.S., which led to the heating of Hot-houses by hot Water. By Mr. John Barrow, Manufacturing Smith - 493 Mr. Atkinson, of Grove End, proved to have been the first who successfully applied the Mode of heating by hot Water to Hot-houses. By Thomas Tredgold, Esq., Engineer 427
u
REVIEWS.
| Catalogue of Works on Gardening, Agriculture, Botany, Rural Architecture, &c. published sinceJune last,with some Account of those con- sidered the most interesting 66. 195. 318. 499 Literary Notices - - - - 89 Annales de la Société d’Horticulture de Paris, et Journal Spécial de Etat et des Progrés du Jardinage. Tom. I. Second Livraison, pour Octobre, 1827.
a a =F T4 Part III. MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE.
Foreign Notices : Linnean Society - c - 475 France : - 90. 207. 342. 464 Provincial Horticultural and Florists’ Societies Germany - - - 92, 208. 342 109. 233. 356 Italy — - o - 95. 209 , Covent Garden Market - 240. 361. 476 Spain - - - - - 209, Architecture - - 477 Portugal - - - 95, 465 | Domestic Economy - - 478 Holland andthe Netherlands - - 95) Hints for Improvements - - 478 Russia - - - - - 96) Antiquities of Gardening - - 479 Denmark - = 96. 344 | Priced List of Florist’s Flowers - 240 North America - 97. 209. 346. 465 | Hints for Experiments - 2 242. 365 South America - - 98. 212 | Garden Libraries - - 115, 252 Asia - - - = 99. 213; Order and Neatness’ - 3 - 245 Australasia = - 100. 214 , Original Beauty of Lines and Forms - 247
Domestic Notices : Answers to Queries, and Queries 117. 253. 374. England - - 102, 214. 350. 467 488 Scotland - - 104, 219. 354. 471! Retrospective Criticism - 121. 255. 368, 481 Ireland - - 106. 229, 355. 472 | Calls at Suburban Gardens 122, 361. 480
Horticultural Society and Garden 106. 230 | Biography a iie o 127. 383
356. 473 | Obituary = - 256. 384, 494
a
ENGRAVINGS
IN VOL. III.
No. IMPLEMENTS. ~ Page 38. Horticultural plough =e = 139 60. The perforator - 214 64. Finlayson’s self-cleaning plough - 243
134. Dutch tilt for hot-bed frames - - 387
INSTRUMENTS.
16. Murray’s tally for naming plants > 2g) 61. Bregazzi’s bark-bed thermometer — - 215 ‘62. Bregazzi’s hot-house thermometer - 215 105, 106. Cheap cast-iron tallies for plants 299 135. Key for raising hot-bed frames - 387 169. Labels for plants = - - 169 MACHINES.
18. Apparatus for blooming fruits - 36 31. Gauen’s solar concentrator - - 101 63. Read’s fumigating bellows - - 229
125. Cabbage-cutting machine for prepar-
ing sauerkraut - - - UTENSILS. 17. Powdering bellows & E35) 86, 87. Ornamental vases for plants, at Dropmore - - 262, 263 128. Gordon’ s kettle - - - 3865 157. Dyer’s retrocoupling bee-boxes - 415 ‘STRUCTURES. 10, 11. Wiring garden walls - - 13, 14 12. Vinery for early and late crops 5) dg 13. New frame for cucumbers - a ail ly. Mr. Acon’s vinery for early forcing 44 20. Mr. Acon’s'vinery for late crops = 45 +21. Mr. Dick’s frame for protecting fruit trees from insects and from frost - 54 32. Mr. Donald’s propagating pit - 193 33. Hen-coops at Virginia Water - 124 48. Gauen’s revolving forcing frame = 70 49, 20. Pit for pines ; -. 172 52, 53. Vinery at Elcot heated by hot wa- “ter 87, 188 57. Bonnet-roofed German hot-house - 205 © 58. Opaque-roofed German conservatory 205 109. Section of a common hot-bed heated by hot water - 310 126, 127. Conservatory of Joseph Wilson, Esq., on Clapham Common - 361, 362 132. Hot-bed sash, for forcing of lettuces in the Dutch manner 886 136. Section of hot-bed and frame for forc- ing lettuces in the Dutch manner — 387
137. Section of M‘Phail’s phe with a roof
to the lining 388 138. te 141. Dutch forcing- pits - = 390. 393 142. 145. Dutch peach house, and straw- berry house _ - - 394, 395 149, 150. Reed wall, as cons‘ ructed by the Dutch - 398 . 158. Saul’s awning for a tulip bed - 419 159, 160. Flower stage of the Lancaster Horticultural Society - - 419, 420 EDIFICE. 34, 35, 36, 37. Dairy cottage - 135—137 OPERATIONS. 1. to 9. Pruning the apple E 3—9 922. to 26. French modes of pruning the peach tree - - - 58, 59
47.
104.
29.
Page Grafting the peach on the peach - 149
. Twisting and breaking down the
shoots of pear trees - ES)
. to 83. Grouping trees - = 251, 252 Quincunx manner of planting = 28z
DIAGRAMS.
. Section of a terraced vineyard - 146
. Mode of ascertaining the eae of me
sun’s elevation -
. Heating by hot water - - 190
. to 71. Crelual beauty of lines and
form - 248, 249
. 16, 77, 78 & 79. Original beauty of lines
‘and forms . Ventilators for hot-houses at ‘Felinton Castle = = . to 122. Diagrams illustrative of a mode of describing fruits - 326, 327 b Beaune water by;a jet of SHEEN ~ Jl b Heating water by the concentration of the sun’s rays - . Heating water by the street lamps - 368 . A stop, and other details relating to Dutch hot-bed frames = 387 . to 155. Planting trees SOM with agriculture 3 162, 163. Pruning the gooseberry in the Lancashire manner 421 . to 167. Heating by hot water 494, 425, 427 PLANTS.
. Orange on an orange stock - - 2
. Orange on a lemon stock 28
. Caryophyllus aromaticus, the clove
spice 66
. Myristica officinalis, the nutmeg tree 67
. Michéléa Champica rm - 142 Lupinus polyphyllus - - 197
. Clarkia pulchélla - - - 197
. Myrica cerifera - - 206
. to 103. Different species of the pine
anus an tribein the Pinetum at Drop- - - 265—268 Amargilis vittata = - - 300
. Collinséa grandiflora = - - 322
. Kennédéa coccinea - = =oee
. Caragana frutéscens - - 322
FRUITS.
. Mangosteen - - - 143 Duku - - - - 143 Courangi - - 143
. Baduc, or Jambosteen _ = - 144
. Rambosteen - - 144
. Royal apricot - - 322
PLANS OF GARDENS.
. Botanic garden of Mexico ° 298 73. Plans of flower gardens = - 249
. Plan of a flower garden 2 - 250
. Flower garden at Dropmore Riniaes 259)
. Dutch flower garden at Dropmore - 261 124. Botanic garden of Warsaw - 339 147, 148. Duteh cherry-garden and
net-roof at Hylands -- - 3896, 397 LANDSCAPE. Hamlet’s garden, near Elsinore - 96
Erratum. — Page 310, line 17. for 13in. read one eighth of an inch.
THE
GARDENER’S MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER, 1827.
PART I. ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.
Art. I. On the Apple Tree, as trained against a Wall. By Mr. Cuartes Harrison, F.H.S.
Due kind of soil which I consider most suitable for the apple tree is a strong loam upon a dry bottom; for, if the bottom be wet, the trees are generally diseased and affected with canker.
The border for the trees is constructed in the following man- ner: The depth is three feet at the wall, and two feet six inches at the front, also twelve or fourteen broad. The sur- face of the under stratum is so formed, as to have an inclin- ation from the wall to the front of the border of twelve inches. After this is done, a drain is made to run close to the wall, and in a direction with it; also another to run parallel with it, at the front of the border. These drains are open stone drains, and are so made that all superabundant water can be carried entirely away from the border. ‘The drains are so constructed that the tops of them are about three inches higher than the surface of the following composed substratum. After the drains are made, there is laid all over the surface of the under stratum, three inches think of moderate-sized gravel (if gravel cannot be had, stones or brick bats broken toa small size may be used for the purpose); upon this spread about one inch thick of fine gravel (or instead of it strong road drift) ; the whole is then well rolled or beaten firm together ; after this is done, about three inches more of gravel or small stones is laid, which is also beaten or rolled to an even surface, but ‘hot so as to bind them very close together. ‘This method of
Vou. ITI. — No. 9. B a.
2 Management of the Apple Tree,
forming the substratum of the border ought always to be at- tended to, when the soil of the border is a very strong loam, unless the bottom is rocky or shaly, when it may be dis- pensed with.
Trees.—I always plant a maiden tree and one that has only one upright stem. In the following instructions I have stated each year’s method of pruning, for such a number of years after the planting of the tree, as appears to be necessary in order to convey my practice fully. ‘The commencement of each year I date from the beginning of winter pruning, and which is always performed as early in the winter as possible, with the exception of the first year, as will be per- ceived. I have only described the practice to that part of each branch produced the first year after the planting of the tree, all other spurs, &c., in the other parts of the tree, requiring the same treatment when at a similar age and con- dition.
First Year.— Winter Pruning. The tree is headed down just before it begins to push; in doing which, the foot is placed upon the soil, and close to the bole, in order to prevent it from being drawn up by the force which is used in the ope- ration. ‘The cut is made in a sloping direction towards the wall, and about half an inch above the bud which is selected for the leading shoot. ‘The tree is cut down so that seven buds remain. The horizontal mode of training I consider preferable to all others for the apple tree.
Summer Pruning. Tf all the buds push (which will gene- rally be the case), they are all permitted to grow until they have attained three inches in length, when two of them are rubbed off; those rubbed off are the third and fourth buds, counting upwards from the origin of the tree. The upper- most shoot is trained straight up the wall for a leading stem, and the remaining four horizontally along the wall, two on each side the stem of the tree. ‘These shoots are trained nine inches apart, for when they are much nearer than this they exclude the sun and air from operating upon the buds and wood, in such a manner as is required to keep the tree pro- ductive. When the leading upright shoot has attained about fifteen inches in length, the end is pinched off so as to leave it about eleven inches long. ‘This causes shoots to be pro- duced from the upper part of the leader thus stopped, three of which are trained in, the uppermost straight up the wall, and the others one on each side the stem of the leader. ‘This stop- ping of the leading shoot is not performed later than the end of June or early in July; for, when it is done much later,
as trained against a Wall. 3
those shoots which push afterwards in that season do not ar- rive at a sufficient degree of maturity to withstand the winter, and are frequently destroyed by frost.. When it happens that a tree has not done well in the early part of the season, and the upright shoot is not of a suitable length or vigour at the proper period for stopping it, it is not meddled with afterwards until the winter pruning of the tree. When the tree grows either too weak or too vigorous, I have recourse to lowering the branches or raising them as required.
Second Year.—Winter Pruning. At the middle or end of November the tree is pruned. The upright leading shoot is now shortened down to ten inches from the place where it,was last stopped. ‘The tree will now be represented by the accompanying sketch. (jig. 1.) The side shoots (but which will hereafter be termed branches) are not shortened, but left their full leneth. If, during sum- mer, the end of a branch should havebeen accidentally broken or damaged, the ge- neral consequence resulting from it is the production of several shoots or fruit buds. If shoots (which is very ge- nerally the case) were pro- duced, and were shortened during summer agreeably to directions for similar shoots in the treatment of the tree for the second year (see Swnmer Prun- ing), they are now cut down to about half an inch in length. (fig. 2.) If; instead of shoots, natural fruit buds should have been produced (these are short and stiff, from half an inch to an inch in length, and red at the ends), such are allowed to remain untouched, as it is on those that fruit are produced. The advantage of shortening back the upright shoot as much as is directed to be done is, that by it branches are certain to be produced at those places desired, so that no vacancy oc- curs. The leading upright shoot thus attended to will reach the top of a wall twelve feet high in seven years, which is as soon as the tree will be able to do, so as to support every part sufficiently. ‘The tree is always loosened from the wall every winter pruning; the wall is swept and washed, also recoloured with paint or coal tar if required; the tree is also anointed with composition. I always lay some fresh mulch to the roots of the trees at this time.
BZ
4 Management of the Apple Tree,
Summer Pruning. When the buds upon that part of the leading stem which was produced last have pushed, they are all rubbed off to the three uppermost. The topmost is trained straight up the wall, for a lead to the main stem ; and the two others, one on each side. ‘The instructions given for stopping the leading shoot in summer, also shorten- ing it back in winter pruning, &c., are attended to until the tree arrives at a few inches from the top of the wall. The side branches are allowed to grow without being shortened back at any time, until they have extended as far as can be permitted, when they are pruned im every winter, by cutting back each leading shoot to two buds from where it pushed the previous spring. Any shoots arising from the fore part of the main stem are taken clean away. The buds upon the wood made last year will this summer generally make fruitful ones. If, on the contrary (as is sometimes the case), shoots are produced instead of fruitful buds, they are allowed to grow ten or twelve inches long, until the wood attains a little hardness towards the bottom of it, when they are cut down to about two inches in length; and at the bottom part of what remains, one or two fruit buds are formed, so as to be pro- ductive in most cases the next year, but in others not until the second year. Although such a shoot was shortened as directed, yet it will generally push a shoot or more the same season from the top part of it. After such have grown a suit- able length (as before described), they are cut back to about two inches from where they pushed. If more than one shoot were produced after the first shortening, and a bud or two is well swelled at the origin of the shoot (as before described), all the shoots are left, and shortened as directed ; but, if no such bud is produced, all the shoots are cut clean away ex- cepting one, which is treated in shortening as before directed. The latter practice will generally be found necessary, and also be more advantageous, as a greater portion of sun* and air is admitted to the buds, which will be considerably strengthened and forwarded to a mature state. If after such treatment fruit buds are not produced from the origin of the shoot, I nail the shoot to the wall, parallel with the branch, which is uniformly successful in producing them.
Third Year.—Winter Pruning. Such of the buds as pro- duced wood shoots the last year, and were shortened during summer as described, are now shortened more. It frequently happens that a fruitful bud, or in some instances two, will have been formed at the lower part of the shoot (fig. 2. aa); such shoots are now cut off about quarter of an inch above
as trained against a Wall. 5
the uppermost of the fruitful buds (4): but (as it is sometimes the case), if there have not been fruitful buds produced, there will be growing buds, and then the shoots are cut down so as to leave one bud. (fig. 2. c.) On some occasions the growing buds and fruitful buds will appear but very indistinctly, and in an embryo state; when this is the case the shoots are cut down so as to leave two of those em- bryo buds (dd). ‘There are generally some natural fruit buds which did not push to shoots, all such are left entire (c). ‘They are of a reddish colour, and are easily distinguished from growing buds, which are considerably less and all of a dark colour.
Summer Pruning. ‘This summer the fruitful buds are pro- ductive. When the fruit has swelled a little, a shoot generally proceeds from the stem of ithe spur (which it may now be called), just underneath the fruit: such are allowed to grow eight or ten inches long, and are then shortened back to two inches, or so as ‘to leave three eyes upon each. (fig. 3.A,a.) By shortening the shoot, strength is thrown
b A Ab 5
into the fruit, and, during summer, two or more fruit buds are generally produced at the bottom of the shoot thus cut down (fig. 3. bb), or, otherwise, from the lower part of the spur. (jig. 3. c.) It sometimes occurs that, when the tree is very vigorous, some of the buds (fg. 3. 6 4) will push into shoots, or occasionally into bloom, during the latter end of summer. If shoots, they are allowed to grow, and are then shortened, as described for similar shoots; but, when bloom is produced, it is immediately cut off close under the blossom.
The shoots (jig. 2. c) produced after the third year’s winter pruning are allowed to grow, and are then shortened, as already directed for similar shoots. (See Second Year's Summer Pruning.) The shoots which were pruned as directed last
B 3
"6 Management of the Apple Tree,
winter, and had embryo buds (fg. 2. dd) during this summer, generally have a fruit bud, and in some cases two, formed at their bases. ‘I'he treatment of all shoots produced upon any of the spurs in future, is agreeably to the previous instructions given.
T always thin the fruit, and, where two are situated together, I take one away; this is done when I perceive them begin to flesh.
Fourth Year. — Winter Pruning. ‘The spurs (fig. 3. a B) which were productive last summer, and upon which a shoot was made and shortened (jig. 3. a, spur A), are now regulated in the following manner: — If there be two good fruit buds formed upon the stem of the spur (fg.3.dd, spur B), all that part of it above such buds is cut away, about a quarter of an inch above the uppermost (as at c):.but, if there is only one good fruit bud upon the stem, and one upon the shoot which was cut in during summer (as at a, spur A), then it is pruned off (as at spur c, ce), so that two buds only remain (as,ff). When there is only one fruit bud upon the stem of the spur (as spur D, a), and no fruitful buds at the shoot (5), then all the spur is pruned away (as at c). Sometimes those spurs that bear fruit will not have a shoot produced, but, instead of it, a fruitful bud (as spur &, a); it is then pruned off just above such bud (as at 6).
Summer Pruning. All shoots are pruned, as already directed in the second and third years.
Fifth Year. —Winter Pruning. All the spurs are allowed to retain three fruitful buds each ; but, as there are generally more than is required to keep, some of them are thinned. away, retaining the best buds. The ripest buds are most plump and red at the ends. If such buds are situated near to the origin of the spur (as fig. 4. spur a, aaa), they are retained in preference to similar fruitful buds that are nigher the end of the spur (as 66); the spur is then cut off (as at cc). When there are no fruitful buds near to the origin of the spur, those are left that are further off; but I always take care to preserve the bud situated nearest to the branch which supports the spur,
as trained against a Wail. 7
whether it be a growing or a fruitful one (as spur B, in which a@ is a fruitful bud, and 6 a growing one).
If there be a suitable supply of buds upon the old part of the spur (as c, c cc), they are retained in preference to those buds formed at the bases of shoots which have been pruned during summer (as e 6): for, when there is a proper supply on the old part of the spur, all such shoots are cut clean away, with the exception of one that is situated near to the origin of the spur (as e), when that bud and the two next are only left.
Summer Pruning is performed as before directed.
Sixth Year.— Winter Pruning. In order to convey a correct method of my treatment of the spurs in future, it will be necessary to point them out by numbers, as 1, 2, and 3. The enumeration will proceed from the bole of the tree, along the branch. After three spurs are thus numbered, I begin again, and proceed with No. 1. &c. (agreeably to fig. 5.).
Every spur No. 1. is now cut down to the lowest bud there is upon it, whether it be a fruitful bud (asa), or growing bud (as 6). Every spur No.2. to have three fruit buds (as cc c), and every spur No. 3. to have four fruit buds (as ddd d). When a spur No. 1. is destitute of either a fruitful or a growing bud towards the lower part of it, such a spur is cut down so low as only to leave about one half inch remaining (as
Jig. 5. 4). There is generally an eye or embryo of a bud situated near to the origin of the spur (as a, spur a); from this a shoot or a fruitful bud is produced the ensuing summer, and thus a supply is obtained for that cut away.
Summer Pruning. All shoots are shortened during sum- mer, as before directed. Particular care is paid to the spurs No. 1., as a shoot or a fruitful bud is generally produced nearer to the base of the spur than to the bud that was left at winter pruning, and most commonly at the opposite side of the spur to it. Either a shoot or a fruitful bud generally
BA
8 The Apple Tree, as trained against a Wail.
pushes from those spurs that were cut entirely down (as spur a, Jig. 5); the shoots are cut down, as directed for others. Seventh Year. — Winter Pruning. ‘The spurs No. 1. now generally have two fruit buds each; they are allowed to retain them (as fig. 6. aa). If, instead of a fruitful bud, a shoot pushed
(as 6), and a fruitful bud was formed at the lower part of it, the shoot is then cut off just above it (as at c); but, if there is not a fruitful bud formed, it is cut down, so as to leave it half an inch long (as at d). ‘The spurs No. 2. have four fruit buds left upon each (as eee e); the spurs No. 3. are now cut down, so that only one fruitful bud remains (as / ).
If a fruit bud has been produced from the spur cut entirely away (as spur A, fig 5.), it is left entire (as fig. 6.g); but, if a shoot, instead of a fruitful bud, it is cut off just above the lowest bud, whether a fruitful or a growing bud (as at A, spur B). ‘This treatment to such spurs cut entirely down, is always pursued to similar ones in future.
Summer Pruning. This is attended to agreeably to the fore- going directions.
Eighth Year. — Winter Pruning. The spurs No. 1. are allowed to retain three fruit buds | a each (as jig. 7.aaa), and the spurs No. 2. are now cut down (as 6); the spurs No. 3. are re- gulated as was done to spurs f No. 1. and 2. (See Sixth and Seventh Year’s Summer Pruning.)
Summer Pruning. This is performed as before directed.
Ninth Year. —Winter Pruning. The spurs No. 1. are al- lowed to have four fruit buds each (as fig. 8. aaaa) ; the spurs No. 2. to have two fruitful buds (as 66), and the spurs No. 3. to have three (as ccc). _
Summer Pruning. Per- formed as before.
Preservation of Apples. 9
Tenth Year.—Winter Pruning. ‘The spurs No. 1. are now cut down again (as fig. 9. a, a fruitful bud, and 4, a growing bud). The spurs No.2. are pruned to three fruit buds (as ccc), and the spurs No. 3. to four fruit buds (asdddd).
It will be observed that the spurs No. 1. have now been cut down twice; the first time in the sixth year, and the second in the tenth. Thus, those spurs cut down to a fruitful bud (as fig. 5. a) have borne fruit four years; and those spurs cut entirely down, or to a growing bud (as a, 0, fig. 5.), would have only borne fruit three years. In these two cases, I always leave the spurs with three fruit buds each this winter, and cut them down the following winter, unless they have grown very vigorous and straggling.
The system already detailed, of cutting down and renewing the spurs, is practised with all others as here directed. Thus, the next year, the spurs No. 3. are cut down (as in jig. 6. /), and the second year from this time, the spurs No. 2. (as fig. 7. 6), and in the fourth year from the present time, the spurs No. 1. cut down (as fig. 5. a, and jig. 9. a) require to be cut down again.
Conclusion. —'To some the above directions may appear tedious and intricate; but it became necessary to enter into minute details, in order to illustrate the principle of this sys- tem of pruning, the object of which is to obtain spurs always at a proper distance from each other, so that a suitable portion of sun and air may be admitted to them, and so that the spurs may always be kept supplied with young healthy wood and. fruitful’ buds. This renewal of spurs may be practised for a great many times, and thus those long injurious straggling spurs which are so generally shown, may be avoided.
Arr. II. On the Preservation of Apples. By Mr. Davin Gise, Gardener to the Dowager Marchioness of London- derry, North Cray Place, Kent.
Sir, I HAVE seen some communications in your excellent Maga- zine respecting the preserving of apples, but, as neither of
a
10 Preservation of Apples.
them appears to coincide entirely with my own experience, a few additional observations may not be thought unworthy of insertion.
My plan, then, is this:— The fruit should be gathered a little before it is quite ripe. In conveying it to the fruit-room shallow baskets should be used, in which the apples are to be placed singly, and handled as carefully as if they were eggs. On reaching the fruit-room the apples are to be taken singly out of the baskets, and placed upon shelves a very little apart from each other; but care should be taken that the room is previously well aired, and the shelves perfectly dry. In winter, if the weather is clear and frosty, the windows or ventilators should be kept open several hours each day; but when the weather is damp they are to be kept entirely shut, and no fire should ever be used in the fruit-room, as it always causes a damp to arise, which does infinite injury to the fruit. I have found by experience that frost does not materially affect apples, for I have had apples completely frozen that kept equally well with the rest; but then no artificial means must be used to thaw the frost. After the Ist of March the fruit- room must be close shut up, for I have experienced that the admission of much air after that period causes the fruit to shrivel up and lose their colour; and they should be handled as little as possible after the month of May, nor should they ever be wiped until they are about to be used for the table, for they soon become unsound after being so treated. Apples will be found to keep better and much longer by this simple way, than by the usual practice of covering with hay, straw, moss, or any thing else whatever; for fruit crowded together or covered up with any material will in a short time become heated, and deprived not only of its gloss and colour, but also of its flavour. In the way recommended above I have kept all the codlins and softer kinds of baking apples good to the end of June, and the pippins, as well as various sorts of dessert apples, to the end of October, with their colour as fresh as when they were first gathered, and their flavour not in the least deteriorated. I have found, by repeated experiments, that apples covered up any time are apt to contract a flavour of whatever materials they have been covered with. If laid, for example, in brown paper they will taste of tar. I have tried apples by wrapping them up in white paper, and, although they keep nearly as long in this way, they are always apt to shrivel up, which renders them unsightly. Apples, when pitted like potatoes, will retain their colour for a long time; but this method deteriorates the flavour more than any other,
Prolongation of the Season of hardy Fruits. 11
as they become quite insipid after being some months under ground. I have experienced also that the fruit of full grown trees preserve better, or keep rather longer, than those of young trees. I remain, Sir, &c.
Davip Gres. Foot’s Cray, January, 1827.
The keeping fruits, seeds, and roots in horticulture is open to as much improvement from chemistry as the management of soils. (Vol. II. p. 405.) We invite chemists who have gardens, and especially medical men in the country, to direct: their at- tention to the subject, and we wish all gardeners would devote some of their leisure hours to the study of chemistry; a suf- ficient knowledge of it for their purpose may be obtained from £7fe’s Practical Chemistry (8vo. 7s.), and they will find this knowledge a great help towards accounting for various results which take place in gardens. In the meantime -we rely on our medical readers and correspondents. It is highly gratifying to us to see the names of so many of this profession among our list of authors; our only farther wish is, that we may be enabled to increase a taste for horticulture among country clergymen, and to induce them to make experiments and become contributors. — Cond.
Art. III. On prolonging the Season of hardy Fruits. By Mr. J. Forsts, Gardener to His Grace the Duke of Bed- ford, at Woburn Abbey.
Sir,
Ir is much to be regretted that the season of those summer fruits which form at our table the principal part of the dessert is of so short a duration, and that no effectual means have yet been devised to prolong it. In the course of my experiments for this purpose, I have tried various coverings to ascertain the most effective, and have invariably found a covering of bunting preferable to all others. By its use, I have success- fully retarded peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries, without injuring their flavour, to a late period of the season, covering the trees just when the fruit begins to ripen. Being of a thin woollen texture, it readily admits a sufficiency of light and air for maturing the fruit, whilst it lessens the general action of the atmosphere. To these advantages is added another of yet greater consequence, that of its effectually excluding, if
12 Prolongation of the Grape Season.
carefully applied, the wasps and flies, those incessant agents of destruction.
I have practised this method also with grapes, and feel con- vinced from experience that, wherever it is used, this delicious fruit, the most grateful, perhaps, of all fruits to the palate, in the heats of summer and early autumn, may be preserved toa very late season. In proof of this, I may just mention that M have at the present time (Nov. 20.) some very fine fruit of this kind against the walls, which, by the process I describe, will keep admirably well till near Christmas. In hot-houses, where the trees are trained close under the glass, the entire roof must be covered with bunting, admitting at all times plenty of air into the house, by sliding down the sashes, or opening the ventilators. In damp weather, at an advanced period of the year, a little fire occasionally will be necessary to expel the moisture. As regards gooseberries and currants, which are a luxury at the latter end of the year, the season of them is prolonged by enveloping the bushes in either bunting or mats when the fruit is changing its colour. My red and white cur- rants are thus generally in good preservation till after Christ- mas. The kinds of gooseberries I find best adapted for this purpose are the late red hairy sorts; the greens and yellows, with smooth skins, do not keep so long, nor retain their flavour equal to the former.
In conclusion, I beg to state that I find both gooseberries and currants keep best by not being divested of their summer shoots till the fruit is all gathered. The bunting will also be found an economical covering for wall trees when in blossom.
Hoping that these cursory observations may, through the medium of your important Miscellany, be of some service,
I remain, Sir, &c. J. ForBeEs. Woburn Abbey Gardens, Nov. 20. 1826. ;
Art. 1V. On the Prolongation of the ripe Grape on the Vine. By J. M. Sir,
In the middle of June, 1825, I removed six three years old black Hamburgh vines from a different part of my garden, divesting the roots from all the mould, and replanting them in a green-house I had then just completed. The roots were planted outside of the house, and the stems were introduced
Wiring Walls for training Trees. 13
through apertures in the front; of course the vines were in full foliage, but the leaves did not appear to be the least af- fected by their removal. They were permitted to grow to about twenty feet, and in February, 1826, were pruned to about eight feet. In the spring they broke strong, but, with very few exceptions, I only permitted one bunch to remain on a shoot; some of these weighed 2 Ibs. each, and they were ripe by the end of August; but I was desirous to see how long I could keep them free from decay, and in a state fit for the table. I will not trouble you with my other experiments, but that which succeeded best was tying the bunch in a paper bag, and leaving it on the vine, by which means I cut a bunch the first of March last, in a perfectly good and highly flavoured state. I send you this communication as an encouragement to other young grape-growers, and to convince them how easily, and at how little expense, they may acquire the luxury of, I think, the very best and most delicious of our fruits for _ the unprecedented period of six months in the year. I ought to have stated that mine is literally a green-house, having no flue ; using neither tan or dung, but depending entirely on solar heat, and a pretty good vine border. Brighton, April 22.1827. -& , J. M.
Art. V. On fixing Wire against Garden Walls for training Fruit Trees. By Mr. Tuomas Incram, Gardener to Her Royal Highness the Princess Augusta, at Frogmore.
Dear Sir, |
May I be permitted to offer a few remarks on the protec- tion of walls from the ill effects of using nails in training trees. Every season thousands of holes, or, as they may be termed, receptacles for insects, are made by that practice; and the walls in the course of time, become next to useless, as is the case In many old gardens.
These evils may in a great measure be obviated, by fixing wires to the walls, at six inches apart, placed horizontally,
leaving about half an inch between the wire and wall, for the a 10 = a
ach
convenience of tying the shoots; a little matting is all that is requisite for that purpose. Small iron pins, two inches long, (fig. 10. aa) are driven into the wall, at three feet apart, and
14 Wiring Walls for training Trees.
through the holes of these the wire is drawn, and.fixed at the extreme ends.
Part of a wall is wired in the above manner, in these gar- dens; the good effects are obvious, and the appearance is very neat. I am, dear Sir, &c.
Tuomas INGRAM. Frogmore Gardens, Dec. 11. 1826.
In a late visit to Frogmore Gardens, we inspected the wall to which Mr. Ingram alludes, and fully concur in his recom- mendation of the plan. C. Holford, Esq. has employed wire for the same purpose, but placed perpendicularly. (Zncyc. of Gard.§1575.) We have also seen it on the open wall, in the garden of Wil- liam Strutt, Esq. at Derby, applied in semicircles (fg. 11.); and on the back wall of the vinery of Joseph Strutt, Esq. of the same place. In the latter instance, an- nealed wire is used, and a wrinkle is left at the extreme ends of each length of wire to allow for contraction and expansion. Copper wire is generally preferred, as being less liable to rust, for training peach trees, which require so frequently to be unnailed and refixed. Wiring of walls appears a very desirable practice. Where trees are trained horizontally, such as the pear, plum, cherry, &c., it becomes less necessary, especially if the precaution is taken of boiling the cast-iron nails in oil (a practice first introduced, we believe, by William Atkinson, Hsq.) before they are used, to prevent their rusting; and, in drawing them, to begin by a pop with the hammer on the head of the nail, to lessen its adhesion to the fnortar, &c. In Germany it is a very common practice to drive in the nails, and either run lines of cord from nail to nail in the manner of Mr. Ingram’s wires, or tie the shoots to the nails with bass, and when the shoots re- quire to be loosened, or altered in position, the nails are not drawn, but the shoots untied and replaced by means of the fixed nailsy and probably one or two in addition. ‘This prac- tice — leaving the nails as fixtures, —we certainly think, de- serves imitation in this country. The trees look a great deal neater when newly trained, and decaying strings of bass are much less unsightly than taylor-looking, ragged, rotting, black and red lists. — Cond.
Various Hints. 15
Art. VI. Autobiography, and various Hints. By AGRONOME.
Dear Sir,
I nave got the pen in hand, and the paper and ink before me, and am determined to write something; but what it shall be I cannot determine at present. [have dropped the salt, which is said to be a very bad omen, and I rather think there must be some truth in the saying, for I cannot think what article I should pick up next; and when I have laid hold of an article, I have no notion how I ought to handle it, nor do I know how this letter will look till after L have finished it, any more than I do what my volume will be like when I have finished it. You must therefore excuse me giving my name or address until you have had the quire of paper, at least, when if I have said no- thing worthy of being talked about, I will shrink back into my former obscurity or littleness, and conclude that my organs are not properly formed for making any great noise in the world.
Ah, Sir! the want of a good education is a shocking want to such as wish to make a figure in the world. I am fearful that my attempts to become an author are little better than those of a quack-doctor endeavouring to become a learned physician. I am just now labouring under a severe fit of the spleen, and perhaps encroaching on what is forbidden in the tenth commandment, viz. * envying and grieving at the good (education) of my neighbours,” &c. But I will snuff the candle, mend my pen, and pluck up my spirits. — Surely I was not idle all the time that my neighbours were at college. Was I not: watching the progress of the animal and vegetable creation ? Was I not learning the management of horses, cows, sheep, and pigs? Yes, Sir; I learned to assist the females in their extremities, to discipline the males, and to shear the sheep according to the literal sense of the word. I have also been fortunate in setting broken limbs, or straightening such as were crooked ; I learned. butchering very perfectly without serving an apprenticeship to the trade, but merely by practising on such as had died, or would have died prematurely. I also learned to hold the plough without wheels, and to guide the horses without a driver; to deposit the various seeds in the earth, and to gather and secure the various crops, for the con- sumption of man and beast.
I learned gardening not particularly from choice, but being the youngest son of a poor old farmer, I could not afford to put myself out to any other trade. In my self-conceit, I shall
16 Various Hints.
therefore conclude that I am as learned as my neighbour, though my college was neither Oxford nor Cambridge, and my kind of learning not so much prized as divinity, law, or physic. Yet, in my humble opinion, it ought to be prized as the mainspring of all other callings in the world, and I shall glory in not having spent seven years of my precious life in a college, learning dead languages, or the like. My school education was finished at twelve years of age; it is true, I afterwards bought a Latin dictionary and grammar, and pored over them for some winter evenings, just till I could translate a motto on a coat of arms, or an epitaph on a tombstone, or the like. I also bought a lot of French books at a sale for four shillings, among which was Le Nouveau Testament de notre Seigneur. 1 commenced reading in good earnest, and before I got through the Apocalypse, I understood it nearly as well as the English version, and though I cannot parler a la. Francoise, 1 can understand French books tolerably well. I was always fond of books, but the book which did me the most good, or, as I may say, “ let me get my head above water,” was Hutton’s Mathematics, in 2 vols., which I re- deemed out of a pawnbroker’s shop for one of my companions. I got a case of instruments, and commenced operations with such enthusiasm, that, in far less time than I had calculated upon, I got acquainted with far more problems and theorems than ever I had occasion for in practice.
I would just here give a hint to all young gardeners, &c., to be sure to get perfectly acquainted with mensuration in all its various cases, as when once a man can measure every kind of tradesman’s work, it is a grand step towards not being obliged to work very hard himself, particularly after he becomes very old, and not very able to work very hard; and indeed no gar- dener should look upon himself as any thing superior to a common labourer, who cannot make himself thus useful on a gentleman’s premises.
The scale and compasses should be very familiar to every gardener. What is the use of visiting distant gardens, &c., if one cannot bring home dimensions near enough to imitate or improve upon? And here I must give myself a severe wipe, for though I can take the plans of buildings, and the like, I am the worst at taking off landscapes, &c., in the world. Drawing, indeed! why, I never could write fit to be seen, much less make pictures. One study I was always very fond of, and that was the nature of fluids; the learned call it hy- drostatics, and pneumatics, but I merely mean air, fire, and water. From the first time that I saw a conservatory flue
Vinery for early and late Grapes. 7
' discharge its smoke on alevel grass-plot, without any shaft or chimney, [have never been at a loss to cure the most obstinate smoky flue or chimney that came in my way. I should like to remind all gardeners who have any thing to do with drains, or lead pipes, or waterworks, &c., not to forget the powers of the syphon. A most eminent stone-mason and builder in- formed me, that he lately lost forty pounds by merely forgetting the powers of the syphon. He cut a great drain through a stubborn, yet useless rock, to lay his quarry dry; whereas thirty pounds would have purchased a lead pipe, which would have answered every purpose, and been a good pipe after the work was completed: and I may add that I have seen several forty pounds thrown away in a similar manner, but whether from forgetting, or from never knowing, I leave the joint-stock- water-companies to judge. But I perceive I have again nearly filled my sheet without entering upon any subject, for this seems only a sort of autobiography ; but I have picked up a subject this moment which will likely occupy a good many sheets, and that is, I will describe a situation for a mansion-house, then build it, and all its necessary appendages, then decorate and beautify it, with all the luxuries that England can afford; but lest I get giddy-headed, and build castles in the air, I will at the present subscribe myself Yours, &c. . AGRONOME.
Art. VII. Design for a Vinery, by which the earliest and the latest Grapes may be obtained in the same Structure. By Mr. A. MippLeTon.
Sir,
I wave long had an opinion that the construction of vine- ries might be improved, as well on the principle of economy, as for extending the advantages to be derived from them; but,
being an obscure individual, and a stranger in this country, I
have not had the boldness to’submit my plan to the notice of
those better qualified to judge of it than myself. I may in the first place refer to the ordinary way of making a border for vines, which I think is generally erroneous. A pit three or four, feet deep is dug out, and filled with rich compost; and, not being properly drained, the lower part of this compost soon becomes saturated with stagnant water, altogether un- suitable for: the vine. Instead of this, I recommend that
Vou. ILI. — No. 9.. ‘04
18 Vinery for early and late Grapes.
all the border (fg. 12. aaa) be made above the surface (i b), especially for early forcing, and that sufficient width should be given instead of unnecessary depth. This will be
12
a
found far more suitable for the plants, as at no time does the vine require much water. In the next place, and in order to obtain every advantage of such a building, I would propose to have the house in two divisions (c d), having vines planted in each to be forced separately. The back division (c) I should consider the best adapted for early forcing; and I pro- pose to enclose it completely from the other, by removing the lower sloping sash (e), and fixing it by temporary means (/ ), so as to include all the plants, the soil, and the return of the flue (g) belonging to the first division. A steam boiler (/) may or may not be made use of both for heating the atmosphere of the upper division, and for heating the soil over the steam vault (2). To the practical gardener I need notadd more. ‘The advantages appear to be threefold: first, a succession of fruit from April or May to February, by forc- ing the back division from Christmas to May, and only using fire in the front division to ripen the wood; secondly, by the elevation of the border and a proper preparation of the bot- tom by paving or otherwise, the luxuriance of the vines will be diminished, and their productiveness and the high flavour of the fruit increased ; thirdly, by means of the steam vault (z), as complete a command is obtained of the roots of the early division as if they were in a pot, and steam may be ad- mitted to this division either to heat the water of a cistern (4), or directly from the supply pipe (2), which will deliver the
Curl and Worm in the Potato. 19
steam to the cistern (4), to the atmosphere of the house (c), or to the steam vault (z) at pleasure.
I am, Sir, &c. A. Mippieton. Clapton Nursery, March, 1827.
Art. VIII. On the Culture of the Potato, in respect to Ear- liness, the Curl, the Worm, and other Circumstances. By a DENBIGHSHIRE GARDENER.
Sir,
Ir has been a very old custom to obtain potatoes for sets from cold situations and poor soils, it being conceived that a change from such a soil and climate would make them grow better and more luxuriant in rich soils and warm situations, like removing an animal from a cold country and short pasture to the rich pastures in the warm valleys, not attributing it to the true cause —that they were unripe. I have endeavoured to trace the effects, long and well known, to their true causes, and to combine the whole in one connected system, which, if correctly attended to, will produce every variety of the potato six weeks earlier than they are at present obtained, without any additional trouble or expense whatever.
Obtaining a crop six weeks earlier than usual is an object deserving the highest consideration ; its coming into use at the season of the year when the poor man’s garden affords him no new vegetables, when the stock of the old potatoes is become short and dear, and, withal, so bitter, unpalatable, and un- wholesome; to have then a crop of new potatoes is a delicacy indeed, especially to the poor, depending so much for their support upon the potato; still more so to the Irish poor, to whom the potato may be said to be the staff of life.
I have planted several rows of early pink-eyes from ripe tubers, which are now coming up, almost all curled. Not a curl appears upon any of the same variety from unripe tubers, although planted within a few yards of each other. The last autumn being warm and long, enabled the worm to grow stronger and more vigorous to attack the potato, in which it made holes, and therein, perhaps, deposited its eggs, which, nourished by the heat, acquired life and strength ; and, after the potato was planted and began to grow soft, it grew vigor- ous, and preyed upon its sap, rendering the plant weak and curled, I am inclined to think that the worm is the cause of
c 2
20 Cucumber and Meton Structure,
the curl ; and that, if potatoes intended for sets were taken up before being ripe (before they are full-grown), the worm will not have attacked them; and that, if it has, exposing the potatoes to the sun, as I have described (Vol. IT. p. 171.), will kill the worm before it has deposited any of its eggs. This hint I sub- mit to your intelligent readers. I must own, however, that it requires more experiments than Ihave yet made, to come to a final conclusion on the subject. j
The worms prevailed last autumn in the potato, to that de- structive degree, that they consumed much of the wheat sown upon the potato ground, before they were destroyed by the frost. In this and the adjoining counties, in almost all the ground where potatoes were grown, large patches appear naked, without a plant of wheat, although the plants now remaining are strong and healthy.
Allow me to impress on the minds of your readers the facts, that taking up the potatoes intended for seed next year before they are ripe (before they are full-grown), and exposing them to the sun for a month or six weeks, and, at planting time, observing the eye-cut and placing it upward, will secure, without any other trouble or expense, a crop of every variety of the potato, six weeks earlier than the same variety of the potato, if allowed to grow ripe, will produce.
I am, Sir, &e. June 9. 1827. A DENBIGHSHIRE GARDENER.
a
Art. [X. Description of a Structure, to be heated by Dung, Jor growing Cucumbers and Melons. By MEntor. Sir,
Brine anxious to acquire a knowledge of the best method of raising cucumbers and melons, without either pit, steam, or fire heat, I have tried in succession all the new inventions, from Mr. Vachell’s bed raised on faggots, to the last new plan in the Horticultural Transactions, of resting the frame on four brick pillars, as recommended by Mr. Dickens, and I have not been satisfied with any of them, as they do not give sufficient bottom heat, and the little there is is too soon expended ; and, if a fresh supply of hot stable-dung is not in readiness, the plants are frequently injured past remedy. To avoid this evil, I have therefore now made up my bed in a different manner from any of the plans which have been made public in the Horticulturgl Transactions or in your Magazine, but com-
to be heated by Dung. 21
bining some part of each, in the most simple and economical form possible. This I have accomplished by supporting my frame, of two lights, on six posts, each about three feet high, placed in two rows at the back and front (ig. 13.) ; these posts are braced together at the 15
top by pieces of fir, about two inches thick and three inches wide; these are halved together at the corners, that the frame may have an equal bearing. The two ends have three pieces of inch-deal, . nailed across them from back to front, as has also the centre, by which the space under the frame is divided into two compartments. ‘The upper part, on which the frame rests, has rails nailed across from side to side, leaving openings of three or four inches between each, except in the front, where a space is left about nine inches wide. ‘This is covered bya board having six round holes sawed in at equal distances, each six inches in diameter, which holes are covered by as many common flower-pots, reversed and luted down (see jig. 13.), so as to prevent the steam from passing into the bed, except when wanted; for which purpose the holes at the top of the pots are fitted with plugs which can be removed at pleasure. These reversed pots appear to answer all the purposes of the flue in M‘Phail’s pit, and I find them very useful in assisting to throw a fine heat into the bed. I have added these pots on the suggestion of Mr. W. Mitchinson, who is, I believe, a contributor to your Magazine, and is a very clever and scientific gardener. Over the other openings, laths or other pieces of straight wood are nailed, but not entirely close. On this flooring I put first a layer of straw an inch or two thick, and then about the same depth of very rotten stable dung; but I have not allowed either the straw or rotten dung to overlay the board on which the reversed pots are fixed. I then placed the frame on the stage, and filled the two com- partments with hot stable-dung, and added a light lining round the outside nearly to the top of the frame. This lining is covered by four broad boards to keep off the rain, and to draw up the heat ; under each light I placed as usual about a cubic foot of compost, and in forty-eight hours the heat came up sufficiently to warm the earth in the bed; but, as the steam came partially through the stratum of rotten dung, I pressed it very firmly down, and particularly so round the sides, which entirely excluded it, and the following day I put in my plants,
Cis
22 "Movable Cucumber Bed.
since which time I have had a constant growing heat in the bed, seldom lower than 70° by night, and in the day from 80° to 85°, according to the quantity of air admitted. The advan- tage which I expect to derive from this method is, that when the heat begins to decline, I can, by taking down half of either the back or front lining, remove the dung from one of the compartments and replace it with a fresh supply, which will renovate the decaying heat for at least a fortnight, and when it again declines I can remove the other compartment, still continuing the slight linings, which may, if necessary, be also renewed ; but hitherto my bed has not required any assistance, although the weather has been extremely unfavourable for early forcing, not so much from frost as from high and cold winds from E. and N.E. I am, Sir, &c.
March 10. 1827. MEnTor.
June 21.— In a postscript of this date to a communica- tion from “ Mentor” on another subject, he informs us that the movable frame for early forcing has fully answered every expectation; that the first cucumber cut from it was fifteen inches long, without a seed, and from the time it was set was only sixteen days in growing to that size. — Cond.
Art. X. Suggestions for a movable Cucumber Bed to be heated by Dung. By Mr. Tuomas Hawkins.
Mr. Hawkins suggests the idea ofan iron rim the lengthand breadth of a common hot-bed frame, having a rebate, on which spars or boards could be supported so as to forma bottom for the mould, and a commen frame might be set on the same rebate for the sides. ‘‘ Screws with handles might be fixed on occasionally at the four corners of the iron bottom, whereby four men might be enabled to remove or shift it with its con- tents to a new or fresh-made bed prepared for its reception, and the old one might then be converted into a new bed for another frame, or put to any other use. As I have heard many gardeners complain of the uncertainty of the regular dif- fusion of heat by means of linings to hot-beds, I think, by adopting this method, it would completely remove the defect.”
The Haw, near Gloucester,
March, 1827.
' Cucumber Frame in a Vinery. 25
Art. XI. On a Mode of procuring a Crop of Cucumbers dur- ing Winter, by forming the Hot-bed within a Vinery. By Mr. James ReEep.
Tue gardener that is most successful in growing early cucumbers is generally considered clever in every other part of his business. ‘This is not altogether without reason, for the man who bestows the necessary attention to keeping up the proper degree of heat, giving and taking away air, covering and uncovering, &c., to a cucumber frame, during the winter months, is likely to be of regular habits and careful attention, and these qualities go far towards ensuring success in whatever is taken in hand.
The duties of gardeners in small places near large towns are generally very different from those of their brethren in the country. In the former case, their attention is confined to a few objects, and of course greater excellence is attained; in the latter, the gardener has often the charge of extensive shrubberies, park scenery, and distant plantations, and these necessarily take him away great part of his time from the kitchen-garden, and leave him dependent upon his assistants. It was the experi- ence of the uncertain results connected with this dependence, which led me to the plan of placing my winter cucumber bed im a vinery, and to manage the vinery and bed in the manner I am now about to describe.
This vinery was forty feet long, sixteen feet broad, twelve- feet high at the back, and five feet and a half high in the front,. with one fireplace, and a flue which passed round the house.. The air could be admitted both by the top and front lights.
On or about the 20th of September, cucumber seeds were sown on a moderate hot-bed in the open air, and treated in the usual manner till they were ready to ridge out. ‘This ge- nerally happened about the beginning of November, at which time the shoots of the vines were withdrawn from the house, and a dung bed formed in the floor in the usual way. After placing the frame and mould on the bed, it may be left without the lights till the rank steam has passed off. After this the plants being placed in the hills, and the sashes put on, the following are the leading features of management during the winter ;: —
Make fires in the evening, so as to warm the air of the house to from 56° to 60°, and in very severe frosts it may be raised to 70°. In the mornings of the coldest weather, and shortest days, make a strong fire, so as to raise the heat to nearly 70°, when the house is shut up. About eight o’clack
c 4
24 Raising the Vine from Layers.
and from that time to half-past nine, give plenty of fresh air, by opening the front sashes and top lights, after which, and during the remainder of the day, give plenty of air to the cu- animes, by tilting the sashes in fie usual way.
In mild ‘weather and during sunshine the lights may be taken entirely off the amuses for some Rowe each day; and, immediately after forming new linings, the top lights may be left down a little all night, to permit the escape of any
rank steam.
The advantage of this mode of growing cucumbers during winter is the comparative certainty of an early and good crop, at one third of the trouble and expense of the common me- thod out of doors. ‘The expense is lessened by no covering up being required, and by all the labour attending renewal of linings, “Re. &e., admitting of being done in wet weather,
By this practice fruit may be cut in January. ‘The vines may be introduced in the beginning of March, and will break beautifully and regularly in consequence of the genial steam of the dung. In April the shade of the vine leaves will have rendered the house too dark for the culture of the cucumber ; and, as by this time cucumbers are plentiful in the common hot- beds out of doors, the bed in the house may be cleared out, and the vines treated in the usual way till the following November.
Iam, Sir, &c. Bristol, 24. Broad Street, James REEp.
January 11. 1827.
Art. XII. On a@ superior Method of raising the Vine Srom Layers. By Mr. W. Gren.
Tue following method of propagating grape vines in the open air succeeds far better than any other: Make a layer or layers in pots of the size No. 32, any time before June; for, if they are laid ever so early in the spring, they will make no roots before the middle of July. It is not necessary to ring pierce, twist, or tongue the shoots before they are laid, as they will put forth abundance of roots without any operation of this kind ; they only require to be well supplied with water. Separate the layers from the stool in the last week in August ; plant them immediately where they are intended to remain; keep them well supplied with water during the remainder of the autumn, and they will make.roots a yard. iong before the winter sets in. Shorten the young plants to one or two
Horticultural Memorandum Bock. 25
eyes, and they will shoot strong and fine in the succeeding spring. ; If they are suffered to remain on the old stool after the last. week in August, it will be found upon inspection that they have less and less roots every time they are examined (as they die off); and, when not planted before the spring, when that time arrives it will be found that there is scarcely any root left alive. The points upon which I lay most stress are these, —to keep them well supplied with water, to separate the young piants from the old stool not later than the last: week in August, and to plant them immediately where they are intended to remain. I intend these directions to apply solely to vines propagated in the open air without any heat or other: artificial assistance. W. G. Stepney, February.
We have seen the above mode put in practice; a leaky pot of water, or a tuft of wet moss kept wet, being put over each layer, and: believe it to be, as our correspondent says it is, far preferable to any other. As to any difference in the nature of plants raised from layers, and plants raised from buds or short cuttings, as alleged by some authors, we think the opinion erroneous. — Cond.
Art. XIII. Suggestions for Improvements on the Horticultural Memorandum Book of a Couniry Clergyman... By Surro.- CIENSIS.
Dear Sir, vias I BEG leave to suggest to your correspondent on the “ De- scription and Use of a Horticultural Memorandum Book”
(Vol. II. p. 319.), a little variation in form and arrangement,
by which I conceive a very complete register of all work rela-
tive to the different crops in a garden may be compressed into
a very narrow compass, and a most useful book formed for
reference at any future time. | My plan is to rule in a common memorandum book co-
lumns in the form of the copy which I enclose. In the first of these I write an alphabetical list of all the vegetables I grow in my garden; then under every month I have three open spaces, headed “ sown,” “planted,” ‘gathered ;” under one of these I merely insert the day of the particular month on: which either of the operations is performed opposite the name to which it applies; and this gives me a register of the whole progress of my crops through the year.
26 Grafting the Orange.
The time of pruning trees, thinning fruit, and its ripening, can be arranged in a similar way, and it would be equally easy to enter memoranda of any information of work to be performed, collected from books, or even conversation ; for instance, “ March, figs in pots, Z. G M.ii. 236.” This, written in pencil in January, would show the work was to be done in March, and where the directions could be found. By the same rule, if, in going through a garden or in conversation, a different time of sowing or planting of any crop appears to answer better than that now adopted, only place the initials of the informant and the date under the month opposite the vegetable. Suppose in May I see a very fine crop of early cabbages, and I find they were sown a few days earlier than usual, say August 8th, I should, opposite “cabbage,” under August, write with pencil “1. C. L. 8th;” this would refresh my memory, not only as to the day of doing the work, but as to my informant as well.
I remain, dear Sir, June 2. 1827. SUFFOLCIENSIS.
MEMORANDA OF CROPS.
7
‘Jan. |. Feb. |March.| April. | May. |_June.
2 bel so i} 3 3 bel
Neate sl2} jslS] islet |slel isle! jsig
s|DlO} -/2) 0) -|di ao] -| Dio]. S)o| - 1 o
SISiSi\SlelSiSlelsis\ elselsiaisisja'is
S/S |5 S185 (S(e13| 2 |Si2/S1s/5/5 ls
IPH | |c2 Bal jap PAID | 33 | Ay JO ca | /O |
Broccoli, Cape - SASS ey Ale Poon ST Sah Si SiS ey ares Broccoli, late purple aes shy (esl Pestle eel feed pe AT eo | eon Ss aeca yaeenl ET pies) hay hee elie Celery, in frame = Stalls ol@nlsihollai oll olf SiegOls Wal Sl Sissi Lettuces, in ditto = SS elolsia Si Siva sihsiloll OW SAW SI Sisal Sie Onions - = Se PSP bs) oT Patil Sadboll apelin Potatoes, onions, and bulbs ~ |-/-]|.-|-|-|-]-/14) -] - ENE St a re Pes Peas, early frame, in hot-bed SPA Wid odie ol TCO Sal Ss Woe) SIG SH ele Ditto, on south quarter eit ean) esr foe eer co here TT) ba ean IT LL a RS Ditto, Bishop’s, on ditto So Paps pete! WAN St A Wa an seuss
* Pricked out.
Art. XIV. Account of a rapid and successful Mode of graft- ing the Orange. By Mr. James Reeve, Gardener to G. F. Evans, Esq. and Lady Carberry, Laxton Hall, North-
amptonshire. Sir, Havine made what I consider a great improvement in the propagation of the orange, and others of its tribe, and think-
ing it deserves publicity, I beg leave to trouble you with the following statement : —
Grafting the Orange. 27
Experience has long induced me to raise my stocks intended for oranges from the seeds of the lemon. ‘These, when two years old, are fit to receive the grafts. For two months before this operation, they are kept in a cool situation, and only protected from frost, where they remain till about ten days previous to the 1st of May, the proper season for grafting. A hot-bed composed entirely of leaves is prepared for. them, in which the stocks are placed in a temperature of from 68 to 72 degrees. ‘The scions being selected, they are steeped in milk- warm water for about five minutes; the stocks are cut down to within three inches of the surface of the mould, with one stroke of the knife, m a sloping direction, leaving a smooth surface about an inch in length, on which the graft is properly fitted, and immediately and accurately secured by bass; after grafting they are replaced in the hot-bed for about six weeks, and during the first fortnight are kept constantly shaded and closely shut up from air, except only at such times as the frame is opened for the purpose of giving water, which should always be given in a lukewarm state.
In a fortnight or three weeks the stocks and scions will be found united, the bass may now be removed, and the plants allowed a little air, but with care for the first few days, at the same time shading from the sun. ‘The air may be pro- gressively increased, until it reaches the usual temperature of the orangery, where they may then be placed.
I attribute much of this expeditious success, to the fine ge- nial heat which arises from a bed of oak leaves ; its sweet and humid quality is peculiarly suitable Hh to vegetation, and in such cases as all) this is absolutely necessary. So for- tunate have I been in this practice, @ that out of nearly ten dozen plants only two failures happened.
Lemons, citrons, and shaddocks, I treat exactly in the same way, and with corresponding success: but what I would particularly call your attention to is the compara- tive excellence of the lemon stock over that of the orange; and, in order to prove this satisfactorily, I have sent you two portraits taken indiscriminately from among many others; the one ( fig. 14.) is an Orange, on an orange stock, and the
28 New naming Tally.
other ( fig. 15.) is 15
also an orange, but = ore ~
erafted on a lemon stock; they were orafted at the same time, and through- out have had ex- actly similar treat- ment in every res- pect. Four or five dozen of each were erafted in May, 1824; those on the lemon stocks are greatly superior, and on an average are from seven to nine inches higher than the _ others. The growth and habit of those on lemon stocks are : also more robust in the wood, finer and cleaner in the foliage, and stronger in the flowers and fruit. Iam, Sir, &c. Laxton Hall, Northamptonshire, JaMES REEVE. March 18. 1827.
Art. XV. Description of a new Tally for naming Plants, with a Note on grafting the Camellia. By Mr. Stewart Murray, C.M.H.S.
Sir,
I srnp you herewith a new tally pin (fg. 16.), which in my opinion will obviate many of the inconveniencies attendant upon such as I have hitherto seen used in Botanic Gardens. It consists of a cast-metal standard with a long square head, in the front of which is a hollow box, into which the ticket with the name written thereon (a) is put; then a pane of glass is cut to the size (6), and fitted in over the name with putty like the pane of a window. ‘The ticket on which the name or number is written may be of wood, tin, or stone ware. I prefer the wood, as easily written upon by a carpenter’s black lead pencil, and also because it is not liable to rust.
Naming Tally, and grafting the Camella. 29
The dimensions of this ey . tally . will always. depend WF ecinau upon the choice and object /f myrtillus ||| of those who wish to use it. /2-————_s The.expense per 100 of the ~~ a size sent is, when completed for use, about 23s. ; not, how- ever, including. the value of men’s time in writing and glazing, &c., as this can be done at such seasons as their time is of the least value.
The cast-iron of the size sent cost 20s. per 100, when metal was high, a year ago; the wooden tickets shen 1s. 6d. per 100; cutting the glass from waste fragments, &c., 1s. per 100; and perhaps putty for 100 may cost 6d.; in all, 23s.
The use of small bettles with water, attached to the end of the graft, in working Camellias, &c., as noticed Vol. II. p.33., is good; but I have, for these three years past, practised with success pushing the end of the graft into a small potato, or piece of turnip, &c., and then working by the middle of the graft as in the process of inarching. In this way I grafted some double-flowering cherries in Thies years old wood, mich flowered very well the following summer. The application is cheaper, more convenient, sal less liable to accidents than phials of water. I am, Sir, &c.
Glasgow Botanic Garden, Stewart Murray.
April 23. 1827.
Se i an pe
<--
We certainly think Mr. Murray’s tally the best which we have seen for the open air; and chiefly because, although the iron may become corroded from the effects of time or the neglect of painting, the writing and the glass will remain as clear and legible as at the first. The price is remarkably low; neat cast-iron tallies cost, at the foundery at London, from 25s. to 30s. a hundred, and the expense of painting and naming is to be added. — Cond.
30 Destruction of the Aphis lanigera.
Arr. XVI. Description of a Machine for dusting Fruit Trees with powdered Lime or other Powder. By C. P. of
York. Sir,
Arver the instrument described by Mr. Samuel Curtis, in Vol. I. p. 415. of your excellent Magazine, for the ejectment of lime-dust, perhaps you may think it worth while to record another one for the same purpose, which I had constructed several years ago, and which, although I have taken the pains to set forth its advantages to several individuals, I have not yet seen any where in use. ‘This instrument consists of a pair of common bellows, with this difference only, that the lower board and valve are omitted, and a piece of tin, resem- bling in shape those tin scales used in the retail of meal (fig. 17. a), in the flat - 17 end of which (0) are = two small valves, one fourth of an inch dia- meter, with a screw- ; hole to introduce the dust. It is evident that the air ia enters from the valves by the up-stroke of the bellows raises the dust in the interior, which is ejected by the down-stroke ; and, by repetition, the whole powder introduced, capable of rising from the draught, will be thrown out.
The transplanter, described by you as of French invention, opening upon hinges, (Vol. I. p. 268. fg. 53.) was the invention of the Rev. Mr. Thornhill, vicar of Staindrop, Durham, up- wards of twenty years ago, and was used extensively in the transplanting of turnips on his farm. I have one at present from him, and I use it not only for the above purpose, but in plunging pots. I remain, dear Sir, yours, truly,
York, April, 1826. C. P.
Arr. XVII. _ Account of a successful Attempt to destroy the A phis lanigera. By Mr. R. Turner. Sir, I Bec leave to communicate, fo
» for the benefit of your readers that, in the year 1823, I had an apple tree, a seedling pear- main, with several others, attacked by the A’phis lanigera, introduced into my garden by some trees purchased the pre-
On describing Fruit Trees. 31
vious year from Newark. I was desirous of trying experi- ments for the purpose of ridding my garden of the pest; and, in the first instance, I tried lime in a state of mixture, then in solution, but without effect. Next I had recourse toa mixture of three parts of soap-lees (liquor sod), and one of oil of turpentine, which I applied with a brush, and repeated after an interval of three days; and, to my delight, found I had completely destroyed the insect, and my trees have been free from it ever since.
With respect to Mr. James Dann’s mixture, I have to ob- serve that tar, if diluted with a little oil of turpentine, would be preferable to his recipe, as I have a decided objection to the use of metallic solutions, well knowing, to my cost, that they are in most instances destructive to vegetation.
I remain, Sir, &c. ! Grantham, May 21. 1827. R. Turner.
Art. XVIII. Remarks on the Disappointments incident to Orchardists, and on describing and characterising Fruit
Trees. By W. R. Y. Sir, ConsipERING your Magazine equally valuable as a vehicle for correcting what may be detrimental to the science of hor- ticulture, as to disseminate and elicit opinion, I beg to enclose some hasty remarks.
I have expended trouble and cash in the department of orcharding, but the disappointments which I have experienced are sufficient to check any future experiments.
I allude to the trifling chance an amateur has of obtaining the identical trees he orders. I do not challenge individuals. I have received packages from the first nurseries; yet, out of three or four hundred trees, I have, and shall have, to re-graft a third part; and, next spring, to graft four pears, six years old, which, I suspect, have never yet felt the knife. This alle- gation is not confined to apples and pears, but from vines to wall trees, particularly to plums, and also to melon seed.
I do not say the trees received are worthless, but I have not obtained the desired sorts; so that, instead of possessing numerous specimens, I have duplicates of many, and none of several well recommended fruits.
I certainly have raised a valuable orchard, but have not ridden my “hobby.” It is highly productive of profit, but not consonant to my original design.
&9
32 Expenses of a Gardencr and Butler,
To obviate this evil, perhaps higher wages might be giver by nurserymen to lifters and Jabellers of sale trees; and, to admit of it, a little higher value might be set upon the same : for the Northern nurserymen cannot supply them at a guinea a score, and give the attention I recommend.
Men of some science might also partly reduce the evil, by a full description of their best fruits. Ray, Miller, Martin, Forsyth, and Nicol have all partially described the best fruit trees, but we have not that ample detail given in describing the plants, leaf, calyx, &c., which is necessary.
My own observations teach me that nearly all fruit trees might be characterised, so much, at least, as would identify the same, by the first leafing. - The description of Mr. Wil- mot’s strawberry (Vol. I. p. 230.) is not sufficient to enable me to reject a spurious sert, and yet the texture of even the leaves alone, I should suppose, might do so, judging from other known species. The red Roman Nectarine, for instance, has a smooth, while the Newington has a jagged leaf. What can be more dissimilar than the blossom of the Noblesse and Gallande Peach. The Moorfowl-ege Pear may be always characterised by the redness of its shoots, and the foot-stalks of its leaves; and I am of opinion, that if gardeners would accurately describe the trees they recommend, the aspect and soil best suited to them, the time the fruit ripens and decays, with their several uses and properties, they would conduce much to the spirit of orcharding, and you might enrich your valuable publication with useful information.
The Transactions published by the Horticultural Society is ‘a sealed book to country practitioners; quarto paper, large print, and extensive margin little suit our pockets. The publication, to do service to practical men, must be suited to their means. | We vegetate slowly in these northern regions, and require nursing; you southerns rapidly increase with the reaction of every genial shower. We must contipue to be fed with children’s food. You have supplied us with much, and I hope you wiil continue long to do so.
Sheffield, July, 1826. W. R. Y.
Art. XIX. Comparative View of the Expenses of a Gardener and a Butler to their Employer. By W.S. Sir, Concervine that the claims of gardeners to a more ample remuneration are well founded, I trust that the pages. of the
Expenses of a Gardener and Butler. 33
Gardener’s Magazine will be open to the discussion of this subject, as well as to that of every other connected with the advancement of horticulture and its professors.
I would venture to suggest to the nurserymen, that it is in their power materially to promote the comfort of gardeners, consistently with the benefit of all parties concerned. I would suggest that when applied to, as they frequently are, to recom- Mend gardeners at an insufficient salary, they would, in a reasonable and candid manner, remind their applicants of the nature of the services which they require ; and that these ser- vices, if paid below their fair value, will never be performed so well as if the performer were conscious of being properly treated. It can only be from not having this properly pointed out to them, that gentlemen offer much lower wages to a gardener, than to other servants whose duties have much less of responsibility attached to them, and who require much less mental cultivation auc general knowledge to fit them for their situations.
Let us take see case of a gardener and a butler, and sup- pose a gentleman to take two boys of ‘fourteen years old into his service, in order to bring them up for these two depart- ments of his establishment. ‘The boy in the garden will be considered well paid with 7s. a week for the first year, and one shilling advance each year, for the next three years, making the sum of 88/. 8s. for the four years. ‘Then suppose the other boy to be placed in the stables for the first four years; he will perhaps have 4/. for the first year, and 1/. ad- vance each of the three succeeding years, and 6s. per week for board wages, with two suits of clothes value 8/. each a year, making the sum of 116/. 8s. for the four years. Then the next three years the youth in the garden will have 11s. 12s. and 13s. per week, making the sum of 93/. 12s. for the three last years of his apprenticeship. Then suppose the other youth to be taken into the house as steward’s-room-boy ; he will have 9/. and 10/. a year, with 7s. per week board wages, and two suits of clothes a year which will cost 10/. each, making the sum of 114/. 12s. for the three years. Again, suppose the young gardener to ‘be four years a jour- neyman, and have 14s. per week, which will amount to 145/. 12s.; and the other young man made footman or under-butler for four years with 18/7. a year wages, 8s. a weck board wages, and two suits of clothes each year, and a great coat every two years; this will amount to about 14/. 5s. each year, making the sum of 202/. 4s. for the four years. Thus the house ser- vant will be found to have cost the gentleman more by 115/.
Vox; III. — No. 9. D
34 The Art of ornamenting, blooming,
19s. to qualify him for being his butler, than the other has to qualify him for being his gardener ; and after each is appointed to his new station, the butler will receive more, by from 5/. to 10/. a year, than the gardener. I think, therefore, there is suf- ficient reason for remonstrance, as the profession of a gardener requires incomparably greater application of mind than that of a butler; a gardener is also expected to have attained a greater stock of general knowledge than the other, and not to be behind him or any servant in attention to his duty, fidelity to his master’s interest, and general trustworthiness.
Iam, Sir, &c. December 19. 1826. W.S.
Art. XX. The Art of ornamenting, showing, preserving, and packing Cucumbers, Grapes, Plums, and other Fruits whose principal Beauty consists in their delicate Bloom. By Mr. Rosert Gaven, Gardener at Millbrook, near South- ampton.
From a manuscript with the above title, Mr. Gauen has permitted us to give the following abridgment. ‘The article at length is in the course of being printed, and will be sold by Mr. Eddy at No. 354. Oxford Street, together with a box of Mr. Gauen’s invention, in which the mystery of improving the bloom of fruits is performed.
Among florists and growers of prize fruits, manual decor- ation is in many cases of equal importance with successful growth; the petals of the carnation require to be dressed on a card; the cucumber to be straightened, and the plum pow- dered with artificial bloom. Ten years’ experience, and the award of nearly 100/. in prizes for show fruits, enable Mr. Gauen to speak on this subject with a degree of confidence which can belong to but few individuals. ;
To secure a delicate bloom to the cucumber, it must be protected, from the period of its blossoming, from the drip of. the lights, and from the damp of the soil, by two pieces of - glass about four inches wide, and from eight to twelve inches long; the one placed under the fruit, and the other supported on pegs over it; both having a fall of half an inch to one end, to carry off any drip or condensed dew.
To procure great length, small girth, and “ the straightness of a gun barrel” to the cucumber, instead of supporting the upper piece of glass on pegs, lay on the under piece of glass
preserving, and packing Fruits. 35
along side the incipient cucumber, two pieces of wood about the length you suppose the fruit may grow to, about two inches square, and with the upper inner angle of each piece bevelled off. The use of these pieces of wood is, to increase the solar heat by reflection in the daytime, and, by close con- finement during the night, to draw out the fruit considerably beyond its natural length. A fruit which in ordinary cases would run but eight or ten inches in length, may, by this pro- cess, be extended to ten or twelve inches. ‘This species of elongation, however, is attéMded with small prickles, placed at greater distances than is desirable in a handsome fruit. Abundance of heat and air will lessen this evil; and it may be cured artificially, by inserting prickles in the manner to be afterwards described.
To ensure shape, size, prickles, and bloom, the foliage of the plant must be kept moderately thin. ‘The same sort of cucumber grown under a crowd of leaves, and grown in a free circulation of air exposed to sunshine, will be as different in appearance as the fruits of two distinct varieties. In watering the plants, never wet the fruit. Before cutting the fruit, see that they are perfectly straight, at least a day previously ; for, though warped fruit may be straightened after they are cut, this operation is much better performed when they are on the plant.
In straightening warped fruit after they are cut, it is neces- sary to keep them in a cool dry place, and totally excluded from change of air. Among the different means recommended for straightening, some bury them in a case in earth, others keep them in a damp cellar, and some few immerse them in dry sand. Mr. Gauen never found any other care necessary, than to keep them in their show-box, in a cool dry room.
Mr.Gauen’s mode of straightening cucumbersis as follows :— “¢ Take a flat board, half an inch thick, four inches broad, and’ the length of your fruit; bore holes, at intervals of half an’ inch, across the board, and within one inch of each end. Pro- vide two strips, the length of the board, one half inch wide, and one fourth inch thick; place one strip on edge, supported. by a peg placed in one of the holes outside the strip that is on edge, and put the board under the growing fruit, with the two ends of the arc formed by the crooked fruit against the upright strip; place a bit of cotton wool or moss between each end ot the fruit and the upright strip, to prevent bruising. ‘Then take the other strip, and bring it within a peg placed at one end, with a bit of wool or moss placed against the outer are of the crooked fruit as before. Proceed to straighten the fruit,
D2
36 The Art of ornamenting, blooming,
with one hand straining it by the strip (keeping the whole steady with the other) towards the fixed upright strip, so as to bring it in a straight direction, and fix another peg. In ordinary cases, you may make them perfectly straight at the first operation, but in some of the most difficult it requires two or three. A fruit.may be straightened at any period of its growth, but it requires to be left one night after the operation, to prevent its return to crookedness.”
In the performance of this operation, the bloom will have been injured, but this may be restored by the blooming process.
In order to restore the bloom to fruit, the following articles are necessary : —A box with slides (fg. 18. a), acommon pow- der-puff (4), and a few ounces of finely calcined and perfectly
ga
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dry magnesia. ‘The box may be of any size, according to the quantity of fruit which it is proposed to subject to the blooming process at one time. That sold by Mr. Eddy is about 20 inches long, 18 inches deep, and 13 inches wide. ‘The sides and bottom are fixed, but the top, which fits on tightly by means of a surrounding moulding, lifts off. Supposing the top and one of the sides removed (fig. 18.), on the bottom, at one end, will be seen a brush-cylinder of three inches’ diameter, and the width of the box (c), which works out into a breast or segment of a brush-cylinder (d), in the same way as the drum of a threshing-machine works against its cover. These two brushes, working against each other, are for the purpose of raising the powdered magnesia into a cloud of dust in the box.
In the end of the box will be seen a hole (e), to which there is a stopper (/ ), and this hole is made exactly the size of
preserving, and packing Fruits. Si
the small end of the powder-puff (4). The slides of this box are about six inches apart, and are put in and drawn out through the end of the box (gg); these slides are four in number, two of fine wire in a sieanlen frame, and two of plain deal boards. Both the wire slides are used together when the greatest number of fruit is to be bloomed at one time, and in the ordinary way ; but when fruit is to be bloomed in the most delicate manner, the plain board is used for the lower slide, but so far drawn out as to leave an opening at the farther end (4); by which means only the very finest ae the powder can rise in the air, so as to surround and be deposited on the fruit placed on the upper wire slide (2).
Whenever a leash of cucumbers are to have their bloom repaired, all that is necessary is to place them on the wire slide; and, having charged the puff with powdered magnesia, rendered as fine as possible by passing it through gauze, to apply it to the hole, and, while working it with one “hand, to turn round the brush-cylinder with the other.
After a few strokes, the box will be filled with a fine cloud of powder, the grosser particles of which will fall to the bot- tom, while the “finer will be deposited on every part of the fruit. Two or three applications of the puff, at intervals of an hour, will in general be sufficient; but to have the bloom in the highest degree of delicacy, the fruit should remain all night in the box. In the intervals of working the puff, the plug is inserted in the puff-hole.
Cucumbers so bloomed may be packed and sent to any distance, without the slightest injury, by the following pro- cess : — Procure a box one inch longer than the fruit to be packed, two and a half inches deep, and six inches in width. Provide a few strips similar to those used in the operation of straightening, and pack the cucumbers with them upon a false bottom, prepared with holes at each end for the pegs. Any quantity of fruit may be safely sent in one box, by extending its size, packing the fruit, tier upon tier, on false bottoms, and keeping each fruit apart by strips and pegs.
Where prickles are to be added to cucumbers, it ought to be done before the bloom is given; different sorts of Brenaber Sy and the same sorts in diver: seasons, differ so much in regard to prickles, that recourse is often obliged to be had to art, in order to procure for showa leash beautifully and regularly furnished with this characteristic appendage. Even when a gardener can select his fruit from fifteen or twenty lights, it is often difficult to procure a leash that will match in the size and arrangement of their prickles.
D 3
38 The Art of ornamenting, blooming,
Mr. Gauen’s mode of supplying prickles is as follows: —Pro- cure a few camel-hair pencils, a little gum-arabic, some Indian ink, a little finely powdered starch, a sharp penknife, a few small needles, and one or two large needles. Select the prickles from fruits that have been gathered a day or two; from five to fifteen may be wanted for a fruit. In distributing them over the fruit, imitate nature. In preparing the prickles, remove them without taking any of the flesh of the fruit; cut them off, and let them drop on a sheet of letter paper, from which you may take them up as wanted, by turning them up on their base, and then thrusting a small needle into their side. Pincers must not be used, as they bruise the prickle. Dissolve the gum in a tea-cup, with boiling water; and, when it has become a strong size, stir in a tea-spoonful of finely powdered starch.
To put on the prickles, take a large clean camel-hair pen- cil, dip it into the gum, and present the base of the prickle to the surface of the gum, suffering it barely to touch; then dis- place the bloom from that point on the cucumber where you are going to place the prickle with a dry camel-hair pencil: having applied the prickle, keep it in its place with the eye of a large needle, while you withdraw the small needle from its side. To colour these prickles, mix up some gum water and Indian ink to such a consistency that you find you can take a globule upon the point of a large needle without dropping ; then take some of the mixture on the point of a fine camel- hair pencil, and apply it to the point of a prickle; if it is of the proper consistency, it will, by its own gravity and the attraction of cohesion, surround the prickle, and adhere to it without running upon the fruit. “ If you wish to increase the size of the prickles, repeat the application.”
For show cucumbers, it is deemed necessary to have a de- cayed blossom adhering to the end of the fruit: this is easily . supplied from other fruits, and made to adhere with a little gum water and starch.
“To dish up a leash (three, as in greyhounds) of cucum- bers for show,” moss or cotton wool is generally laid in the bottom of the dish, and over that a cucumber leaf, and the fruit. ‘The latter must show “as perfect a match as possible, in the three fruit, in length, size, arrangement of prickle, and bloom.”
For the carriage of cucumbers to the show, most gardeners use a box consisting of two tiers, with three cells in each, the cells lined with green baize, and capable of being contracted or distended at pleasure, by means of string fastenings; but Mr. Gauen prefers the mode of packing already described,
preserving, and packing Frutts. 39
by which fruit of the most delicate bloom may be carried with perfect safety in any conveyance, on springs, for hundreds of miles.
To preserve the bloom on the grape, complete the thinning of the berries when they have swelled to half their size, and be careful not to dash water violently against them, or subject them to a current of steam. Abundance of light and air are favourable for the production of bloom; the most powerful sun will not injure it, nor a moderate degree of shade. When grapes with delicate bloom are gathered, they should be placed in a basket of well threshed moss, taking care not to bruise any of the berries, because their juice not only deprives other berries of their bloom, but renders it extremely difficult to restore that bloom by artificial means.
To restore the bloom to grapes, suspend them in the sort of box already described, and work the puff at intervals of an hour or two. When not wanted for immediate use, they should be suffered to remain all night in the box; but, when a very delicate bloom is wanted, they should remain a few days. In no situation will they keep so well, and for so long a time, as in the blooming-box.
Grapes require more care in packing than any other fruit. Mr. Gauen recommends moss and cotton wool, the former well threshed and carefully picked over. Place a layer of moss at the bottom of the box; on this a layer of cotton wool; and, next, the bunches, side by side, within half an inch of each other ; fill the interstices with cotton wool, place a layer of the same material over the fruit, and finish with a layer of moss. A false bottom, supported by the sides, may next be introduced, and the layers repeated according to the size of the box. Where the bunches are very large, it is necessary to introduce splints or slips of whalebone through the heavier parts of the bunches, and support them on the sides of the box, or on the interstices of cotton wool.
Grapes are shown for prizes on two distinct grounds; the one for size and delicate bloom, the other for flavour. In either case, when the bloom of any part of the bunch has been injured by handling, the puff may be directed against the part injured. Before fixing upon a bunch to show for flavour, it is necessary to taste the bunches in different parts of the house, or of different parts of the same vine. In general, the berries of the best flavour and colour are those of the first ripened bunches (of the bunches at the root end of the vine), and of the lower extremity of the bunch. Grapes, unlike other fruits, do not improve in flavour after gathering ;
D 4
4.0 The Art of ornamenting, blooming,
unripe bunches never get any riper after they are gathered. In selecting bunches, avoid those where any, or even one, of the leaves have been removed from the vine near the bunch, because the berries of bunches so circumstanced will certainly be of inferior flavour. Every one must have observed this in the case of gooseberries and currants.
In dishing up grapes, the taste of the operator must be dis- played according to the kinds and the size of the bunches; placing the lar west in the centre, and the others round it, so as to form a ‘handsome figure. Between dishing up ad showing, keep them in a cool place.
Plums are to be treated on the same general principles as grapes, only instead of being suspended in the blooming-box, they may be laid upon the wire bottom. No fruit requires so much care in handling as the plum, but in none is the bloom more easily restored.
Peaches, nectarines, apricots, figs, and, in general, every fruit having a bloom, may be treated as directed for the fore- going: the box, the puff; and the calcined magnesia are all the ingredients necessary.
At first sight it may appear surprising that a white pow- der should give the bloom to fruits of different colours; but the colour resides in the skin, and the bloom is merely a semi- transparent colourless powder. A variety of artificial powders have been used to imitate the natural powder, the chemical properties of which seem not yet to have been ascertained. Mr. Gauen thinks it probable that this powder is of an antiseptic quality, and intended to defend the finer pores of the skin from the causticity of the air. He “ tried a vast number of expe- riments with various articles, previous to the choice of magne- sia; but, as numbers of articles that would have answered as well as magnesia are deleterious, or offensive to the taste,” he considers magnesia, which when kept thoroughly dry is a powerful antiseptic, as decidedly the best.
Millbrook, near Southampton, July, 1827.
We are glad of the above communication, because it supplies what we have long been desirous of laying before our readers. All the information that we were able to gain among the Lon- don fruit-shops was, that yellow grapes sometimes had their bloom restored by being fumigated with sulphur ; and that some fruiterers of little repute were in the habit of supplying a bloom to plums, by dusting them with the powder of the common blue used by laundresses. ‘The last operation is, in general, so clumsily performed, that it may be readily detected; the bloom
preserving, and packing Fruits. 41
communicated to grapes by the fumigation of sulphur is much more delicate, and is no doubt produced on the same principle asin Mr. Gauen’s application of magnesia, viz. by the deposition of the fine particles of the sulphur on the surface of the fruit. It is generally known that filberts, and sometimes almonds, wal- nuts, and other nuts are fumigated with sulphur, by which their uniformity of colour and glossiness is much improved. In the performance of these operations, the same mode is followed as in bleaching peeled willows, straw plait, bristles, &c.: viz. paper or rags are dipped in melted brimstone (it melts at 220°); these rags or papers are then burned in an oven or close vessel till it is filled with smoke; the burning materials are then withdrawn, and the articles to be bleached introduced, the vessel or oven closed on them, and left till the smoke is condensed; or, in other words, till all the particles of sulphur floating in it are deposited on whatever comes in theirway. If one operation have not the desired effect, the process is repeated at short intervals. In gardening, the smoke might be generated and introduced into any close vessel, by the common fumigating bellows, Read’s syringe, or the bellows described by our correspondent C. P. (p. 30.), sulphur paper being introduced in the place of to- bacco leaves. The whitening effect of the sulphureous vapour is a mere mechanical result, and not a chemical combination, as in the case of bleaching with muriatic acid or alkali. In the latter case the colouring matter is neutralised, and after- wards washed out; in the former it is merely covered with a layer of very fine yellowish white particles, which, being inso- luble in water, are not easily removed or altered by atmo- spherical changes.
It is very likely that there are still a number of mysteries in the management of fruits for commercial or competitory dis- play with which we are unacquainted : whoever can supply us with any information on this subject is earnestly requested to do so; because, according to the theory which we entertain of knowledge, the gardening world ought to know every thing that is done, or can be done, with gardening productions. Storch, in his Description of St. Petersburgh (Lond. 8vo.), men- tions some of the tricks that are performed on culinary vege- tables and fruits im that city, but they are in general too gross, and involve too much manipulation, for being practised in Britain. For example, after asparagus has been used at the tables of the great, the returned ends of the shoots are sold by the cook to itinerating green-grocers, who carve a new ter- minating bud, colour it, and add a bloom, in imitation of na- ture, make up the ends so prepared in bundles, with a few fresh stalks outside, and sell the whole as genuine asparagus.
42 Art of blooming Fruits.
Perhaps we shall be blamed for making known the mode of effecting those deceptions, as we have been for printing that part of “ Agronome’s” letter (Vol. II. p.165.), in which he states that a market-gardener killed certain ash trees, by laying a quantity of salt at their roots. But this, though unquestionably a well meant, is yet, as we conceive, a very mis- taken view of the duties of the editor of a work which has for its object the progress of science and of mind. Nothing worth trying for will ultimately be gained by concealing the truth. If a matter of fact is to be kept back, because by an evil dis- posed persen it may be applied to bad purposes, to what will such a doctrine lead? At what point must an editor cease to be honest? Is it not by bringing together all the facts be- longing to any subject, that the mind is enabled to compare and judge of the nature of that subject? But it will be said, apply this doctrine to a particular case, and suppose a gar- dener who wished secretly to destroy his neighbour’s trees, but did not know till after he had read “ Agronome’s” letter that he might do so by salt, does so; would it not have been better that he had remained ignorant? To which we answer, better for him and better for the proprietor of the killed trees, but not better for the public: for the cause of the death of other trees, by salt in the hands of a malicious person, may be detected ; others may be taught to avoid laying salt near the roots of plants, for instance, near box, in salting gravel walks to destroy moss and weeds; and, when the destruction of trees or other plants is a legitimate object, salt may in some cases be used for that purpose more conveniently than any thing else. The accidental evils that may result from the diffusion of knowledge, are not to be counteracted by stopping short of the whole truth, but by counter-truths; by calling in other kinds of knowledge ; by opening more clearly to view the va- rious and certain consequences which result from all actions, according to their natures. If a man is in such a state of knowledge and freedom of action as to be able to commit the greatest crimes with seeming impunity, the same state of know- ledge will remind him that there is such a thing as reputation, -and that the laws of society are regular and certain in their course. The more a man’s knowledge is increased, the greater will be his sympathies and enjoyments with every thing around him, and the greater his reluctance to disturb the system of harmony in which he feels himself placed.
But, to return to the subject of decorating fruits, we shall be happy to hear all that has been done, or can be said on the subject. — Cond. —
43
lewavlawd De n)G
REVIEWS.
Art.I. Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London. Vol. VII. Part I.
Tue present Part of these Transactzons contains twenty- three papers, fourteen of which are by officers or servants of the Society, and the remaining nine by practical British gardeners. ‘The plates are Hoya Pottsz2, a plant very much resembling the common Héya carnosa; a Meteorological Diagram, mee Pears, and the Plan of a Vinery. T he are ec les several wood-cuts, which we consider to be an im- provement in the getting up of the work, convinced as we are that science would gain by the substitution of local cuts for isolated engravings on copper, in every case in which orna- ment, or aerial perspective, is not the chief object.
1. Observations on the Growth of early and late Grapes under Glass. In a Letter to the Secretary. By Mr. James Acon, C.M.H.S. Gardener to the Earl of Surrey, F.H.S. at Worksop Manor.
Mr. Acon provides a regular supply of grapes in a perfect state for the table, throughout the year, in the following man- ner: —“ The late house crop lasts from the middle of January to the end of March; this is succeeded by the first crop in the early house, which carries on the supply into May, and it is continued by the grapes on the rafters in the same house, until the pine-stoves, which are forced early in January and February, produce their crops. These keep in bearing through the summer, when a vinery, which I begin to force about the end of March, furnishes the supply till the late house fruit is ready in January. This completes the succession.” vik
Early crops of grapes are generally grown under the roof near the glass, as in the houses of Shepherd, Andrews, and the forcing-gardens of the king, about London; or against the back wall of small houses with front glass nearly perpen- dicular, as in the forcing-houses of the Dutch. Both these
44. Transactions of the Horticultural Society.
methods Mr. Acon considers objectionable : the first, because the house is rendered too dark, and the fruit liable to be in- jured by cold air blowing through the interstices of the glass in stormy weather; and the second, because the plants are frequently scorched by the heat of the flues. Mr. Acon adopts a wide flat-roofed house (jig. 19.), plants the vines within the
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house at the back and front (a d), trains them on an arched trellis, with horizontal wires one foot apart (6), and on the back wall (c). He commences forcing on the Ist of Sep- tember, and the fruit begins to be ripened about the first week in March, and continues to be gathered till the middle of May. About six weeks after the forcing has commenced, vines are introduced from the front, and trained under the rafters, which yield a succession crop, from the early part of ~ May till late in June, when the vines in the pine-stoves pro- duce their crops. By the form of the trellis, which admits of the use of the whole of the back wall, and of at least one shoot on each rafter, this house presents the greatest possible surface for the growth of the vines, consistent with sufficient light. Mr. Acon has proved by experiment that vines will ripen their fruit a fortnight sooner on the trellis, than on the rafters. Though of the utmost importance to have the roots of the vines planted within the house, and secure from external ex- posure, Mr. Acon does not by any means desire to have the mould in which they grow heated by the fire. “ Few plants,” he states, ‘* will thrive well, if the earth in which their roots are placed is warmed by any other means than that of the
Transactions of the Horticultural Society. 45
atmosphere.” In pruning, as little wood is left to be employed as possible; no joint is without a bunch, and, at the joint above the bunch, the shoot is stopped. ‘“* When the crop is over, and the wood perfectly ripe, the branches should be laid near the ground, and shaded till the reeommencement of the forcing. By this practice, they will be found to have accumulated excitability. The shade will have some affinity to the gloom of winter, which never fails to give vegetation increased energy. I remember once to have placed some vines in pots in the lobby of an ice-house; these being re- placed in the stove broke their eyes in September, and had ripe fruit very early in the spring following, though they were but slowly forced.... Plants that have been forced early will always have an inclination to bud at the accustomed time, whilst it is difficult to move those which have never been habituated to forward excitement; but the habit once induced will continue, and will enable the cultivator to procure fruit at any time.”
The late vinery at Worksop Manor is narrower, and has a steener roof than the other. (jig. 20.) Its flues are on arches,
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as in the early vinery, and the vines are planted within the house (a), and trained on a trellis near the glass. ‘The house is shut up about the middle or end of May, as soon as the bunches make their appearance, and till they are out of blos- som the air is kept very warm. “ This is of more importance
46 Transactions of the Horticultural Soczety.
than is generally imagined ; the wood which: has to bring the. future crop will be all made during this period. Ina good heat it will be found to grow more compact, and to receive a form better calculated to produce and ripen fruit under the cold atmosphere to which it is afterwards exposed. If the house be kept too cool at the beginning, the wood will be soft and long jointed, and therefore subsequently barren. ‘Those whio at- tempt to grow late grapes must pay serious attention to this circumstance, the failures of many may be attributed to the neglect of it.”
The fruit should be perfectly coloured at the approach of the dark season, after which, a more passive vegetation is maintained, during which the bunches will remain for months without any apparent alteration. ‘The Muscat of Alexandria, St. Peter’s, and Black Damascus are the sorts best adapted for late crops; “all the other kinds wither prematurely.” The gathering of this crop generally commences in the middle of January, and continues till the early house comes into bear- ing in March.
In pruning here, as in the early house, no wood is suffered to remain without fruit. If the plants bleed at the spring dressing, keeping the house warmer, for a week, will compress the wood as effectually as a long winter. When the fruit is gathered, the house is unroofed, to restore the elastic power of the wood, which never fails to be lost where vines have been exposed for a considerable time to a dry atmosphere. In general, exposure of vines for a few weeks to frost promotes their breaking vigorously and uniformly; when the frost has been so severe as to condense the sap, and compress the wood to a great degree, its elasticity may be restored by washing the branches frequently in cold water in a lowtemperature. Mr. Acon thanks Mr. Sabine for the encomiums passed on the garden under his care, when visited by Mr. Sabine in October, 1826 ; we visited the same garden about the same time, and bear testimony to the order in which it was kept, and the excel- lent state of the crops. A pressure of other matter has hitherto prevented us from printing the notes which we made on that journey, already alluded to. (Gard. Mag. vol. ii. p. 6.)
2, On the Varieties of Cardoon, and the Methods of cultivating them. By Mr. Andrew Mathews, A.L.S.
The cardoon is not very generally cultivated in English gardens, probably, as Mr. Mathews conjectures, because “ it requires more skill in the cooking than is commonly applied to it.” It is a good deal in use in the South of France, as
Transactions of the Horticultural Society. 47
about Tours, where it is used in soups and stews, and some- times in salads. The sorts described are the common, Spanish, Cardoon of Tours, and Red Cardoon. The Spanish Mr. Ma- thews considers the best, and the culture of any of the sorts he states to be particularly easy. Sow about the middle of April, in deep, light, not over rich soil, in trenches about six inches deep by twelve inches wide, and four feet distant centre from centre. Drop three orfour seeds together at inter- vals of eighteen inches, and, when they come up, thin them out to single plants. Water frequently during summer; and, in a dry day about the end of October, commence the operation of blanching, by tying up the leaves with twisted hay bands, after which earth may or may not be heaped round them in the manner of landing celery, according as they are to be used early or during winter. ‘The common practice is to tie slightly with matting in the beginning of October, and earth up once a fortnight, till the plants are sufficiently covered, in the manner of celery. The French mould up the bottom of the plant a little, then tie up the leaves with packthread, and thatch them with long clean straw, made fast with strong mat- ting, or small ropes. ‘The hay band method is the best.
Cardoons may be transplanted in the manner of celery, but they are found to do much better when sown where they are to remain. In France the flowers are gathered and dried in the shade, and used instead of rennet to coagulate milk.
3. Account and Description of the several Plants belonging to the Genus Hoya, which are cultivated in the Garden of the Horticul- tural Society at Chiswick. By Mr. James Traill, Under-Gar- dener in the Ornamental Experimental Department.
Hoya carnosa, crassifolia, pallida, Péttsz?, and trinérvis are described ; and the fact noticed that the flowers of the first species form no particular attraction for wasps, or any other insects which find their way into hot-houses, as Mr. Maher (Hort. Trans. vol.i.) thought he had observed in 1815. Mr. Knight, the president, has, we believe, made a similar mistake as to the berries of the yew tree attracting wasps. Nothing can be easier than the culture of Hoyas in vegetable mould and lime rubbish, with little water, and the heat of a stove. As they make few roots, they seldom require shifting. They may be propagated by cuttings, or the leaves immersed in silver sand nearly half their length will produce roots from the base of the foot-stalk, and after some time a shoot from the same point.
48 Transactions of the Horticultural Society.
4. On acclimatising Plants at Biel, in East Lothian. By Mr. John Street, Gardener to the Honourable Mrs. Hamilton Nesbitt.
During the ten years which Mr. Street has been flower- gardener at Biel, he has planted out a great many green- house plants, and found numbers of them stand the winter much better than might be expected. After a careful perusal of what he has given as his experience, in this paper and in another in the Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural Society, the general conclusions which we draw, are, — Ist, That a poor soil kept dry, and a situation exposed on all sides in summer, but sheltered on the north and east in winter, are the most favourable for what is called acclimatising plants: 2d, That plants firmly rooted in the free soil are much less liable to injury from frost than plants recently planted out, or with their roots confined to pots: 3d, That what is called acclimatising appears to be nothing more than increas- ing the hardiness of the individual, not altering the nature of the species: 4th, That it is not clear that any thing has been actually gained in the way of acclimatising, by raising succes- sive generations of plants from seeds.
The following list includes the greater number of plants tried by Mr. Street :—
Ononis Natrix, Hypéricum baleéricum, Teucrium fruti- cosum, Convolvulus Cneorum, Mesembryanthemum unci- natum, sunk in the open border in pots, their roots through the bottom of the pots into the free soil, and their surface covered with a little sandy gravel, stood the winter of 1825.
Lycium afrum, on a south wall covered with two mats thick in winter, flowers freely, and produces seeds,
Lavatéra triloba, planted over a drain against a south wall, flowers freely and produces abundance of seeds.
Camphorésma monspeliaca thrives well and flowers freely without protection. Lychnis coronata and Gnaphalium Stoe’chas thrive remarkably well and flower freely. Stachys coccinea and Jeucrium Marum, in a place with a dry bottom, endure the winter without protection and flower freely. Calla zethidpica, in the open border, has produced two ounces of ripe seeds; and a seedling from one of these seeds has en- dured three winters, with only some decayed tanner’s bark put over its roots. [The same plant has stood several winters, in a pond in the Princess Augusta’s garden at Frogmore. When we saw it on the 29th of July last, it was in great vigour, and showing several’ blossoms; and Mr. Ingram (p. 13.) informed us that it flowers in that situation during
Transactions of the Horticultural Society. 49
three or four months of every summer.] Hypéricum zgyptia- cum, in the open border in its pot, with the roots through, endures the winter, and flowers a long time. Commelina tuberdsa, from Mexico, stood two winters in the open border, is very strong, and flowers freely. Mimulus glutindsus, in its pot, under a south wall in a poor dry place, endured four winters without covering, is six feet high, flowered freely, and ripened seeds. Marrabium eide- decane) under a low south wall, in its pot, in poor dry earth, endures the winter, and flowers freely. Disandra prostrata has endured three win- ters, and produced seeds. A single Oleander, under a south wall, has endured one winter without protection. Pittosporam Tobira has lived several winters in an open border, at about eight or nine feet distant from a high wall with a west aspect. Broad-leaved myrtles cover a terrace wall thirty-six feet long, along with some Lycium afrum; the soil a fine sandy loam of ten or twelve inches on a clayey bottom. In winter the roots are covered with moss, and the stems and branches against the wall with two good mats thick. ‘These myrtles flower every year, and in dry summers as plentifully as hawthorns, and yield ripe seeds. [If some of these were carried away by the birds and dropped in a warm coppice, they might spring up and live under the protection of whins, hollies, or hazels, for many years 5 and some stranger herbalist, bent on discovering something, might record the myrtle as a native of Scotland.] Several plants of Canna indica have been planted in the open borders every year; they rise near five feet high, blossom freely, and ripen seeds. Jasminum revolutum, ineveninn flavum, Coronilla valentina and glatca, are quite hardy, as are Senécio lanceus, and Medicago arborea.
In Mr. Street’s paper in the Caledonian Horticultural So- ciety’s Memoirs, he states that the following species stood the winter at Biel, in borders or against walls:— Aloysza citriodora (formerly Verbena triphylla), killed annually to the ground, but shoots up again. Cnedrum tricédccum, in a warm border. J ris chinénsis, with the protection of a hand- glass. Buddleja globosa, under an east wall. Heliotropium peruvianum, indies a south wall; and Anchusa italica, in the open border. Convélvulus althzeoides and Cneorum, under a south wal]. Lonicéra impléxa and flava, Linum tatiricum, and Agapanthus umbellatus stood without covering. ‘Sansevicra car nea, from China, survived the severest vinters: and flowered freely in the summer. Phérmium ténax, from New Zealand, bore the winter, but did not produce flowers. Velbon media, from the Cape of Good Hope, stood in the open
Vor. II. — No. 9. E
50 Transactions of the Horticultural Society.
ground, at a distance from the wall. Alstrcemeérza pelegrina, native of Peru, in an open border, in a deep rich soil, was much more luxuriant than when grown in pots. Erica me- diterranea survived many winters without. covering, in a border in front of a south wall. Edwardsza microphylla, a plant of New Zealand, lived in a similar situation, but without flowering. Melia Azeddrach, from the Levant, lived through the winter. Calycd4nthus pree‘cox (now Chimonanthus fra- gvans), from Japan, stood against a south wall, without any covering. Rubus roszefolius, from the Mauritius, planted on the open border, under a south wall, flourished. Cistus al- garvénsis, C. villosus, C. mutabilis, C. Zédon, and C. ladani- ferus, all natives of the south of Europe, were induced to stand through the winters, in dry sheltered spots. Zeucrium fruticans, from the south of Europe, lived in front of a south wall. Zbéris semperflorens, from Sicily, lived in a warm south border, without covering. Hibiscus syriacus stood the winters tolerably. Hypéricum monogynum, from China, and Coris, from the south of Europe, lived, the first in an ex- posed, the latter in a sheltered situation. Passiflora czerulea grew against a south wall, without covering, and flowered in the summer. Cupréssus lusitanica lived and produced seeds against a south wall. Smilax aspera, of the south of Europe, grew under a south wall several years. Acacia armata, native of New Holland, lived over the winter, near a south wall, and produced ripe seeds.
“ The following plants have ripened seeds in the open air ; the produce of those seeds, some through successive genera- tions, grew all in the open border, several of them being self- sown:—Lopézia racemosa, from Mexico. Verdnica decussata, a shrub from the Falkland. Islands. Calceolaria pinnata, native of Peru. Pardanthus chinénsis, a bulbous plant. Marica californica. Persicaria orientalis. Podalyria virgi- nica. Mesembryanthemum glabrum and pinnatifidum, both from the Cape of Good Hope. Lavandula dentata, a shrub from the South of Europe. Stachys coccinea, from Chile. Dracocéphalum canariénse (Balm of Gilead), Célsza creética. Alonsoa urticifolia, native of Peru. Erodium hymenodes, native of Barbary. Geranium anemonefolium, from Ma- deira. Medicago arborea, a shrub from Italy. Cineraria cruénta, C.populifolia, and C. lanata, all from the Canary Islands. Tagétes licida, native of Mexico. | Momordica Elatérium, from the south of Europe.”
Several annuals, usually raised on hot-beds, have naturalised themselves by shedding their seeds in the open air in warm situ- ations.
Transactions of the Hoxticultural Society. 51
5. Upon the Culture of Rone By T. A. Knight, Esq. F.R.S. &c. Tes.
What the Council could discover in this paper to render it worthy of publication, we are utterly at a loss to know. Per- haps it was quite enough for them that it was written by the President. All that we can gather from it is that Mr. Knight ‘thas, during several seasons, supplied” his “celery plants much more copiously with water than is usually done, and always with the best effects.” There is, indeed, as usual, a few words liable to be construed into a reflection on the skill and conduct of gardeners, which, we must take the liberty of stating, come with a particularly bad grace from Mr. Knight, after his sional failure in attempting to surpass British gardeners in the culture of the pme-apple. With the highest respect for Mr. Knight, justice to the practical gardener will not permit us to forget his premature vaunting on the subject mentioned, his indirect recommendation of illiterate gardeners, and the injury which his papers on the pine-apple might have done to the practical man. We would wish the Council of the Horticultural Society to recollect these things also, and to be more careful in future as to what they publish.
The services which Mr. Knight is calculated to render hor- ticulture, are not of that kind which ought to lead him into rivalship with the practical gardener. It is not necessary that a curious and philosophic experimenter should be able to suc- ceed in every thing which he attempts. Mr. Knight may lead others to grow good crops, without being able to grow any one good crop himself. He has already rendered the greatest services to vegetable culture, by his physiological discoveries, and we only regret that he should seem to wish to add to his own merits, by detracting from those of his more humble brethren, who are very willing to benefit by his writings, but
who, we fear, are not very likely ever to gain any thing by his example.
6., Report upon the new or rare Plants which flowered in the Gar- den of the Horticultural Society at Chiswick, between March, 1825, and March, 1826. Part I. Tender Plants. By Mr. John Lindley, F.L.S. Garden Assistant Secretary.
Trees or Shrubs. —Mimésa latispindsa. An elegant bush fom three to four feet high, the stem and petioles clothed with white aculei. From the fale of France in 1822. Stove; cuttings or seeds; loam, peat, and sand. — Passiflora slasanien A small inconspicuous species, from seeds from the N.E. coast of South Neen: by Mr. George Don, in 1823. —taxora rosea. By far
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52 Transactions of the Horticultural Society.
the most beautiful of all the Ixoras in our gardens. Grows freely, with perfectly good foliage, and abundance of fine clusters of pink flowers. From hilly tracts on the borders of Bengal, in 1824, by the East India Company. Cuttings under a glass in a warm frame ; soil for the plants, light sandy loam and peat.—ZIzora undulata. A branched shrub about four feet high, with thin, wavy, smooth, ovate leaves, and white flowers. Culture as in last species. Dioméedea argéntea. Half shrubby, from. two to three feet high, neat, aromatic when rubbed. Light sandy loam, and cuttings.—Caméllza euryoides. “ The grated part of a camellia, brought from China in 1822 by Mr. John Potts, having perished, the stock sprang up, and proved to be this species, which had been before unknown to botanists. It forms a diffuse bushy plant, with hairy branches, obovate, acuminate, serrated leaves, and small, neat, white flowers, never expanding fully, but in size resembling those of a Thea. It is inferior in beauty to any of the previously known camellias, but must be considered a subject of much interest to the cultivator, from its being one of the means em- ployed by the Chinese for propagating the ornamental species of the genus.”
Solanum dealbatum, Lind. saponaceum, Hook. A neat downy under-shrub, from the Cordilleras, of the easiest culture. —Alstdnzavenenata. Asmoothshrub, with whorled leaves, and terminal spikes of white flowers, thriving in the stove in sandy peat and loam, and readily propagated by cuttings.— Wrightza tinctoria. A bushy stove plant, occasionally throwing up vigo- rous shoots, which twine round any thing near them; leaves lanceolate, flowers white. Calcutta, in 1822, by the late Mr. John Potts. Light sandy loam, with a little peat, and pro- pagated from cuttings, though with difficulty.—Taberneemon- tana gratissima. A lactescent stove shrub from Bengal, of delicious fragrance, with yellowish flowers in September, and propagated by cuttings. Soil, loam, peat, and sand, in equal quantities. —Sarcocéphalus esculéntus (Gard. Mag.vol.i.p.164.) Noticed for the sake of correcting an error in a former volume of the Transactions, which stated the flowers to be pink, in- stead of a pale straw colour.—Bignon/a pallida. A small tree, with single leaves and lilac flowers. Soil, light sandy loam; cuttings in pure silver sand, under a bell-glass——Tephrosza? chinénsis. A small tree with a greyish warted bark, but the fruit being unknown, the genus to which it belongs cannot with accuracy be determined. Green-house; any light sandy soil, and propagated by cuttings, though with considerable difficulty.—Calyptranthes caryophillifolia. A small tree with virgate branches and compressed twigs. From Sumatra, in
=
Transactions of the Horticultural Society. 53
4 822, aby Sir T. S. Raffles. Easy culture, and cuttings in. silver ‘sand, under a hand-glass in a warm frame.
Herbaceous Plants. Bevel nd abnormis. Of little beauty, and the easiest culture.—Gesnéria Douglaszz. Beautiful, with a fleshy tuberous root. From Rio Janeiro, by Mr. David Douglas, in 1825. “It flowers in the stove during almost all the sum- mer, requires to be cultivated in a moder ately light sandy soil, and is propagated with some difficulty by the Tae Lp ning7a Helleri, Curious; from Rio Janeiro, by Mr. Douglas. —Calathéa flavéscens. Pretty, little, stemless, broad leaves, finely nerved across, and yellow flowers in sessile heads. Stove, loamy soil, division. Worth wishing for—Commelina cucullata. ‘A creeping annual, with csesious downy leaves, and small pale blue flowers in October.—Cleome rosea. A beautiful ten- der annual, from Rio Janeiro, with bright rose-coloured flow- ers from May to October, on branches proceeding from a fine, upright, central stem, giving the whole plant the air of a vegetable ‘candelabrum. Culture like the balsam. Worth asking for. —Gynandropsis pulchélla. A pretty little tender annual, from Maranham.—Aspidistra punctata. Obscure, but curious. ‘Growing freely in peat and loam, and propagated by division of the roots.
Orchideous Plants.—Rodriguezza planifolia. Slightly furrowed bulbs, in clusters, with spreading linear leaves, and greenish yellow flowers. ‘A tender stove epiphyte, preserved with difficulty by being planted in rotten wood, or decayed vege- table matter.”—-Liparis foliosa. A tender stove epiphyte, with channelled leaves.—Ccelogyne fimbriata. A pretty little creep- ing plant, from China, with yellow flowers. — Brassavola nodosa. An epiphyte, with dull green leaves, tinged with purple, and snow-white flowers. Grown in decayed wood or bark, in which a little moss may be mixed.— Dendrobium crumenatum. A branchy epiphyte, with pure delicate white, highly fragrant, but quickly perishable blossoms. Cultivated readily by being attached to a stump of decaying wood, and propagated by division of the branches.—Oncidium pibes. Dwarf, dumpy, little green bulbs, with solitary leaves, and yellow olive-green flowers. Cultivated with some difficulty in decayed wood or leaf mould.
Bulbous Plants. — Brodie‘a zxioides. Curious, with blue flowers. Cool frame, out of the reach of frost.— Gilliésza gra- minea. “‘ From its want of beauty, it is out of the pale of horticulture, and can only be considered as a botanical curi- osity.” —Griffinza hyacinthina. A beautiful lily, flowering freely in October and November in the stove, in light, neh sandy
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54 Transactions of the Horticultural Society.
loam.— Uropétalon longifolium. Dull bluish green flowers, with no pretensions to beauty.—Phycélla corisca. An ex- tremely handsome plant, very like Amaryllis ignea (now Phy- célla ignea) ; it throws up from the centre of the narrow leaves “¢ a stout scape about a foot in height, which is crowned by a candelabrum-like umbel of long tubular flowers of the most vivid crimson.” Light sandy loam, and offsets. Worth having.
7. Account of a protecting Frame for Fruit Trees on Walls. By Mr. John Dick, Gardener to the Right Honourable William Trotter, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, at Ballindean, in Perth- shire.
The object is to protect wall fruit, when ripe, from wasps, flies, and birds; and the same frame may be put over the trees in spring, to protect the blossoms from the frost. The construction at first sight appears rather intricate, but it will be understood by the following description, premising that the screen is of thin semi-transparent canvass, about thirty-six inches broad, made of yarn spun from the best flax, and sold in Dundee at 5d. per yard. The edges and seams of the screen are bound with tape, which costs 3d. per yard. The screen runs on two wires, placed at top and bottom of the frame, and kept tight by screws at the extremities.
H : { : H ¥ : ; d H iM ; 3 Hf i 5 t s ' a uu i
Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural Society. 55
A view, plan, and section of this frame (fg. 21.) are given in the Horticultural Transactions, and thus described : — \
‘1 2 5 4 arethe four corners of the wooden frame, when joined together and fixed upon the wall.
5 5 are wooden facings fixed on the front edge of the sides of the frame, for the reception of the screen within them.
6,111 are similar facings on the top and bottom, but movable on hinges, shown at !11, for the convenience of putting the rings of the screen upon the iron wires, 9 9 9 9.
7777 are the breadths of the screen, strengthened by slips of tape 2 2 sewed upon the seams. ‘
8 8 are two upright pieces of wood (to which the screen is nailed), which slide under the facings 5 5, and are secured by the hasps 3 3 3 3,
9 9 9 9 are the iron wires on which the screen slides by means of rings.
4444 are thumb-screws for tightening the wires and preventing them from relaxing.
555 5 are the rings upon the bottom wire. When the screen is adjusted, the lower facing 1.1 1 is folded up to 10 10, and fastened with square but- tons 6 6,
11 11 11 11, the plan of the wall and the bottom of the frame, with a semicircular hole cut in the latter, sufficiently large to receive the stem of the treé, and thus to permit the frame being fixed close to the wall.
12 12 12 12, the section of a side of the frame and of the wall.
13 15 are the top and bottom stops to keep the screw in its place.
14 is a piece of cloth loosely suspended between the wall and the up- right stake 15, to receive the fruit that falls off the tree. The stake 15 is repeated at convenient distances in the frame.
Mr. Dick’s frame answered perfectly last summer in the garden of the Horticultural Society.
Art. II. Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural Society. Part 1. of Vol.IV. Edin. 8vo. pp. 272. 5 Plates and Wood-cuts. 8s.
Tue Transactions of this Society have hitherto been pub- lished in numbers; the present Part includes Numbers xiii and xiv., and is more respectably got up than the preceding volumes. The first hundred pages are occupied by lists of the Society, accounts of premiums awarded from June, 1819, to October, 1826, and a copy of the charter of incorporation of the Society granted in October, 1824. The principal subjects for which premiums were given for 1824, and to the present time, will be found in the proper department in the Gar- dener’s Magazine. “ Documents regarding the Experimental Garden, with an engraved plan,” is the next paper, for the essence of which we refer to Gard. Mag. vol.i. p.90. This garden is to be formed and maintained, “ 1. By subscriptions for shares of twenty guineas each. 2. By charging every
EA
56 Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural Socsety.
_ ordinary member, not being a shareholder, with one guinea yearly towards the funds of the garden. 8. By charging an admission fee of two guineas. 4. By voluntary subscriptions.’ Besides home-subscribers and shareholders, it is gratifying to see nearly forty shareholders resident in India, several of whom have taken two shares each. Such is the love of the soil natal, and the hope of one day returning to it.
A man born in London or Paris becomes attached to the forms and usages of civilised society, and, in the after period of his life, feels himself at home in every large city; born any where else, his passions and affections grow up among parti- cular kinds of manners and scenery, to which his heart for ever clings, and from which he only separates in the hope of one day returning with redoubled capacities of enjoyment. It was wise in the Caledonian Horticultural Society to turn the exercise of these feelings to account.
The first memoir is,
1. Account of a new Mode of grafiing Camellias. By George Dunbar, Esq. Rose Park. 1 Copperplate.
Described in Gard. Mag. (vol. ii. p. 33.) as practised by Mr. Pike. April, September, and October are the best periods for performing the operation, because at these two periods camellias begin to make new growths; but April’is much the best season, as the shoots are then more vigorous. ©
2. Remarks on the French Methods of cultivating the Peach Tree. By Mr. John Smith, formerly of Hopetoun House Garden.
The French practice differs from ours in the following particulars : —
1. In some of those subordinate operations which neces- sarily find a place in every system of management. 2. In the iorm of the tree and the reproduction of bearing branches.
i. The incessant efforts of a tree trained against a wall to regain its natural position have given rise to various operations, such as nailing, tying, pruning, disbudding, &c.; and the French have had recourse to various modifications of these, which are either neglected, or partially used in this country. For example, the growth of spongy foreright shoots and back shoots is prevented by picking out the buds which produce them; an operation known as ébourgeonnement @ sec. To equalise the strength of young shoots, the points are pinched out of those which are the most vigorous. “ Before these can again push out, they must have become to a certain degree ligneous, and have formed perfect wood-buds at their points.
Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural Society. 57
While this is taking place, the unmutilated weaker shoot acquires the necessary strength.” Branches of wall trees which are left loose, and capable of being moved by wind, grow more vigorously than such as are attached to the wall; hence the obvious rule to nail or tie the strongest shoots first. An upright shoot grows more freely than a bent one; hence to reduce two inequal shoots to an equality, elevate the weaker and depress the stronger. On the same principle the weaker shoots are left on the upper side of an inclined branch, and the stronger shoots on the under side. “ Every experienced gardener knows that a peach tree, without regularity, can neither be productive nor long-lived,” and that the operations mentioned are of “ the utmost moment, since they enable us to maintain the equilibrium of the sap,—to husband the resources of the tree, and obviate the necessity of repeated amputation, of which the peach tree is extremely impatient.”
2. The peach tree is trained by the French in the open fan manner, which is considered the most effective in suppressing the direct channel of the sap in facilitating the reproduction of branches. ‘They divide the tree into two equal portions, which they spread out diagonally, leaving the centre com- pletely open ; a practice which enables the cultivator to accom- modate the tree to low walls, and which contributes much to ease, freedom, and regularity, in the operations of pruning and training. ‘This is the practice at Montreuil, and appears to have been invented about the beginning of last century, though scarcely known till brought into notice by the Abbé Roger Schabol in 1755, the most eminent horticulturist of his time. (Encyc. of Gard. p.1118. A. D.1767.) According to this principle, the fundamental form of the tree is that of the letter V.; the two principal or mother branches (mere- branches) being attached to the wall atan angle of 45°. “The other branches are all situated on these principal limbs, and ‘diverge from them at angles varying with the age and vigour of the tree.”
Count Lelieur, in his Pomone Francaise, has described a mode of training which he calls Dumoutier’s (4 la Dumoutier), from the name of its inventor. It resembles that of Mon- treuil, but differs from it by the entire renovation of the bear- ing shoots every year, which, being cut down almost to their insertion, give a pinnated appearance to the branches. In this particular it coincides with Seymour’s mode of pruning. (Gard. - Mag. vol. i. p. 128., and vol. ii. p. 295.) It is observed byMr. Smith, that a near approach to Lelieur’s directions has been made by Harrison (Treatise on Fruit Trees), in his excelient directions for the treatment of peach trees.
58 Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural Society.
The common practice in France is to plant'a stock of the almond or plum where the future tree is destined to remain. In the summer after planting, two buds, nearly opposite each other, are inserted in the stock: these produce the future mother branches, which are trained nearly in a vertical po- 49 sition (fig. 22.), and at the first pruning are cut down to about fifteen or eighteen inches in \\\y length, and the buds, both before and behind, disbudded. The second year’s growth produces side branches, and at the end of the third sum- mer these have laterals. (fig.23.) At the end
k. be of nine years, the appearance of a tree sj trained @ la Dumoutier is not unlike ru SU | that of one of Seymour’s trees, with
[pee this difference, that the branches pro- ae ceed from two separate arms, instead
of from a central trunk. It is proper to observe, however, that the engraving given in the Caledonian Memoirs ( fig. 24.) bears so little re- lation to truth, that it cannot be considered of much use. It
is said to be taken “ from a tree which in nine years covered a space of wall forty-two feet long and eight feet high.” If the length of this figure (jig. 24.) be taken at forty-two feet, its height will be nearer twenty feet than eight feet. The tree
os So SS a ee y described by Lelieur, drawn to a scale (as in fig. 25.), assumes a very different appearance from the representation given by
Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural Society. 59
the Caledonian Horticultural Society; and we may be permitted to observe, that this figure, with some others in their Memoirs, are not very creditable to their pictorial taste. We may add, en passant, that there can be no reason worth listening to for giving copperplate engravings in such a volume as that now before us. The map of the garden might have been reduced, and. given with the references on two opposite pages. We repeat (p. 43.) that, where engravings are not to be coloured, and where aerial perspective is not essential to illustration, there is not one case in a hundred in which wood-cuts in the body of the text will not be found incomparably superior to separated figures or plans.
In Dumoutier’s method, the pruning for fruit commences in the third year, and is thus performed : — The lateral shoots are cut back to a single eye, together with all other shoots which have no fruit buds, and at the same time are feeble. When a shoot promises blossom, it is generally at some distance from the point of insertion into the old wood, and the intermediate space is covered by wood buds. All the latter, therefore, which are between the old wood (fig. 26. @) and the blos- som (c), except the lowest(d), are carefully removed by ébourgeonnement. ‘This never fails to produce a shoot, the growth of which is favoured by destroying the useless spray above the blossoms, and pinching off the points of those which are necessary to perfect the fruit. ‘This ; is termed the bourgeon de réplacement. Barren shoots, when too vigorous to be cut down to their lowest eye, are treated exactly in the same manner. At the winter pruning, the branches which have borne fruit are cut down to the insertion of the replacing shoots, which, in their turn, are ébourgeonnée, bear fruit, and are cut out like their predecessors. In cases where the blossom has failed. in setting, or the fruit in stoning, when the shoot is too weak to ripen the fruit which are upon it, or when the crop is very early, this operation may be per- formed at any period in the course of the summer: it is then called reprochement a vert. Occasionally a very promising shoot, which has already fruited, is suffered to remain. The replacing shoot is cut back to its lowest eye, or, if it is vigo- rous, and there is room, it is made in the usual way to pro- duce a substitute. In either case, a new replacing shoot is obtained, to which the whole is invariably shortened at the end of the second year. The branch thus treated is styled the branche de reserve.”
60 Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural Society.
Another variety of the Montreuil mode of pruning is de- nominated Sieulle’s (@ Ja Stewile), from the name of its inventor. It is described in Mr. Neil’s very interesting Horticultural Tour, and in the Encyclopedia of Gardening, § 4505. The characteristic of this mode is, that the mother branches are never shortened, and that the wall is filled by the side branches proceeding from these. Much of the excellence of this mode depends on the exactness of disbudding, by which the force of the tree is economised; but, after a certain age, the two mother shoots are apt to become sterile in the production of branches.
It is remarked by Mr. Smith, that we must not expect to find the pruning in French gardens, such as it appears in French books on gardening: ‘ but it is well to have an elevated beau ideal.” He concludes by noticing some of the defects of our own system. ‘ The adaptation of stocks to soils has not been sufficiently studied in this country. In France the peach is budded on almonds in dry situaticns, while such as are destined for heavy loams are inserted on plums. The French seldom venture peach trees on such clayey soils as we not unfrequently do.” (See Gard. Mag. vol. il. p. 167. 169.)
“* Instead of budding the tree on the spot on which it is to grow, or transplanting it when, in technical phrase, it is a maiden, that is one year old, we, in our impatience, have re- course to trees which have been trained in the nurseries. Such plants, by a vigorous application of the knife, are made to produce an abundance of showy wood, and at the same time are so circumscribed, that they do not cover half so much wall as the French trees of the same age. The vegetable energy, thus confined within a narrow space is ready to burst forth, in whatever irregular manner chance may determine.
« The principal members, which form the skeleton of the tree, are seldom sufficiently distinguished from the other branches. Taking their origin chiefly from the centre of the tree, they become too crowded, and they are further allowed to separate into an indefinite ee of subdivisions. ‘This defective arrangement, in general, and especially when com- bined with the foregoing cir ronmeumces! fails not to overthr« OW the equilibrium of the sap.
«¢ Again, there is a want of distinction between the subor- dinate paerdber and the bearing shoots. The latter, tco fre- quently pass into the former, and then, in the confusion which follows, amputation either of larger or smaller branches. be- becomes necessary. In consequence of these irregularities, the
\
Memoirs of the Caledoman Horticultural Society. 61
reproduction of fruit branches is greatly impeded. Shoots preserved merely for fruit, or perhaps for no purpose at all, _are allowed to grow on till they have attained the length of several feet; and as they frequently run parallel, within a few inches of each other, they are entirely naked, except perhaps at the points where there may be two or three twigs, often too feeble to perfect the fruit which they produce. In such cases, the blossoms can neither be vigorous or abundant.
_ “ Tt is not intended to recommend the whole of any one of the French methods above described ; but I am persuaded that some benefit may be reaped from their consideration, in the . way of practice, and perhaps still more in acquiring clearer notions. of what peach training ought to be.”
Of all the various modes of pruning and training the peach which we have seen described in books, none appears to us so » truly perfect in theory as that of Mr. Seymour; but we have never had an opportunity of seeing it putin practice on anexten- sive scale, and have conversed but with few gardeners who have seen Mr. Seymour’s trees. The beauty of the Seymour sys- tem is its determinate form; there being a distinct reason why every side shoot, and every lateral on these shoots should be precisely where it is, and nowhere else, and this reason is of that practical kind, that it may always be determined by ad- measurement. ‘There may, however, be difficulties attending Mr. Seymour’s system, of which we are not aware, and there- fore we would much rather hear the opinions and experience of our readers on the subject, than give our own. A tree or two are in the course of training in this way in the Horticultural Society’s garden, which may be inspected with advantage by those who will take the trouble of examining the merits of the system.
3. On the Cultivation of certain ‘Ornamental Plants in Flower-pots Jilled with Hypnum Mosses. By Mr. John Street, C.M.H.S. Flower-Gardener at Biel. ‘
A similar communication to that sent to the Horticultural Society of London, some account of which has already been given. (Gard. Mag. vol. il. p. 419.) Moss, Mr. Street thinks, ** possesses, a power, to some extent, of regulating temperature more than most kinds of earth; that is, it resists extreme heat and extreme cold, and is not apt to lose all moisture suddenly, while it discharges superfluity of moisture. It does not act like some rich earths, giving out all its virtues at first, but be- comes gradually richer in decay, when a fresh supply may be added in the same space of pot room,” Mr. Street finds that
62 Transactions of the Prussian Gardening Society.
potatoes planted in moss in the same way as they usually are in litter, though on a cold clay bottom, produce as good a crop as if dung has been used. He also finds that green moss laid in a heap becomes warm in a few days, and therefore thinks it may be serviceable in forming hot-beds. “‘ The de- composition will be very gradual, and the heat moderate and of long duration.” A medal was very properly voted to Mr. Street for his experiments on this subject.
The remaining papers will be abridged in our succeeding Number.
Art. III. Verhandlungen des Vereins zur Beforderung des Gar- tenbaues in den Koniglich Preussischen Staaten. Transactions of the Society for the Advancement of Gardening in the Royal Prus- stan States. Part Il. completing Vol. I. Berlin. 4to. 1824. 7 Plates.
_ Tuis part contains twenty-six articles, a number of which may be glanced over with advantage.
39. Account of what passed at the Meeting held June 6. 1823.
It was observed that the cocoa-nut palm, in its native situations in the Kast Indies, was frequently watered by the spray of the sea, and that the court gardener, Jacobi, had grown palm plants successfully in soil impregnated with salt- petre, as a compensation for salt water.
(The shores of the most exposed part of the island of Cey- lon are skirted by a natural forest of cocoa trees, which forms a protecting screen to the vegetation of the interior. ]
40. Some Observations on the Effects of the Frost on Vegetables, during the Winter of 1822-3. By Professor Link, of the University of Berlin.
Plants, the construction of whose stems is formed by suc- cessive rings or layers of fibre, are less liable to be destroyed by frost, than such as are formed of only one ring or layer of fibre, though the stem in the one case should be as thick as in the other. It would follow from this deduction from ex- perience, that monocotyledonous plants should be more easily destroyed by frost than dicotyledonez, herbaceous plants more easily than trees, and stems and young shoots of one year’s growth more easily than those of three years’ growth, which is believed to be the case. When frost has destroyed part of the tree or plant, it is not considered advisable to cut it down, but to leave it to push wherever it can, and afterwards
Transactions of the Prussian Gardening Society. 63
only cut away those parts on which no leaves have been produced.
41. On grafting under the Bark. By Mr. Benade, Pastor and Rector of Hoyerswerda.
After many years’ experience, Mr. Benade holds that grafting under the bark, whether for old trees or young, weak or strong scions, is the easiest, the most generally applicable, the surest of success, and the healthiest mode of grafting. He knows only one objection to it, which is, that the operation cannot be conveniently performed but while the sap is in motion, and when the bark will readily separate from the wood. As this is the case in trees only for a short period, it might prove inconvenient in extensive nurseries, where all the grafting was performed by one or two hands; but, in other cases, we can assert from our own observation, that slipping down the scion between the bark and the wood is the most certain mode of attaining success in this operation. What is meant by the healthiest mode of grafting, will perhaps be understood when we state 'that the Germans have a term applicable to the object of grafting, for which we have no corresponding expression in the English language; this is Veredelung, literally, ennobling: by which it appears that they consider the operation of grafting, the term for which is Pfropfen (to graft), not so much as a mode of propagating trees, as of ameliorating or ennobling their fruits. This seems to be the original idea of the use of grafting, the performance of the operation being supposed to ameliorate to a certain extent, independently altogether of the qualities of the stock or scion. Every reader knows’ that grafting in the present day is chiefly considered as a mode of propagating or perpe- tuating plants, though partly also of improving or modifying edible fruits.
42. Opinion of the Committee on the foregoing Treatise.
The Committee allow all the advantages mentioned by Mr. Benade, but that of its bemg “the most generally applicable.” The single period in which it is applicable, they say, is when the sap is rising in spring, a period which, in the climate of Berlm, seldom lasts longer than the two last weeks of April, and the two first of May. In all other respects, this mode of grafting is as good as Mr. Benade says it is. The Committee recommend the practice of all the different modes of en- nobling ; viz., inatching (copuliren), in February, March, and April; grafting under the bark (propfen hinter die rinde),
64 Transactions of the Prussian Gardening Society.
in April and May; budding with the pushing-eye (oculirén auf’s treibende auge), in June. or July; budding with the sleeping-eye (oculiren auf’s schlafende auge), in August and.
. Tule
. Remarks on forcing Cherries. By Mr. Fintelmann, Gardener Bis the King, in the Isle of Peacocks, on the Lake at Potsdam.
1. Cherries of the Double May sort (doppelte maikirsche) grafted on the common wild cherry, are planted in pots. in autumn in common garden soil, mixed with leaf mould. They are plunged in a sheltered situation, exposed to the sun; and, in the beginning of winter, the pots and roots are well protected from “fr ost, by being covered with litter.
2. In the following spring, “the blossom buds are broken off as soon as they appear; and, by the end of June, all the shoots which have pushed freely iene their points pinched off, so as to leave not more than six buds, which buds by that opera- tion become blossom buds.
3. The plants generally remain in pots only one year be- fore they are forced. Before they are‘ taken in they must at least have sustained 8° (Reaumur—14° Fahr.) of cold, otherwise they are found to break very irregularly. The blossoms are thinned out, so much so, that where fifteen have appeared, not more than three have been allowed to expand. The construction of the house in which the forcing is com- menced varies according to the season. When the trees are taken in in December and January, the glass of the roof must be much steeper than when they are not ‘taken in till F Sespner sy and March.
4, Heat is communicated by flues in stoves, commencin with 46° Fahr.; the trees are frequently sprinkled with luke- warm water, endl the roots, which ought to have been kept quite dry for some time before, well Sanllaee with hot water. Mr. Fintelmann boils one half of the water, and mixes it with the other half; and he uses water of this temperature till within fourteen days of the trees coming into blossom.
5. When the buds break out into ‘bloom, watering over
*head with lukewarm water is left off, but the stems are kept moist by rubbing. them two or three times a day with a wet brush. During the blooming season, the temperature is raised from 46° to 67°, every third day 24° more heat being added. Abundance of air is given, and shade during bright sunshine. In boisterous weather gauze is placed over the openings through which the air is admitted, the advantage of which Mr. Fintelmann is well assured a after eight years’
Transactions of the Prussian Gardening Society. 65
experience. To cause the blossoms to set, the branches and Spray are frequently put in motion, but care taken not to move the main stem, by which the fibrous roots might be injured.
6. When the fruit is setting and swelling, the temperature must be kept between 543° and 65$°.
7. When the fruit is stoning, the temperature is lowered to 59° for two or three weeks, during which period the house must be shaded in bright sunshine, and the plants watered over head once or twice a day.
8. When the stoning is completed and the fruit begins to swell, the temperature is again raised to 65°, and no more shade given, in order that the fruit may acquire a high fla- vour, through the operation of the sun’s rays; to facilitate the action of which on the fruit, the superfluous leaves are removed. By this practice, plants begun to be forced in De- cember commonly produce ripe cherries in February; but Mr. Fintelmann has sometimes had them even in January, though without a good taste. i
9. Recent experience has taught Mr. Fintelmann that cherries will force remarkably well in sawdust, or chopped moss, mixed with some powdered unburnt lime. Plants grown one year in two years old sawdust and a little powder of lime, put into the forcing-house on the 16th of January, gave ripe fruit by end of February.
Mr. Fintelmann is considered by his countrymen as ex- celling in the forcing of cherries; and some of the points of his practice, such as shortening the shoots to produce blos- som buds, thinning the blossoms, the previous exposure to cold, and the use of hot water, seem worthy of the imitation of the British gardener.
44. Remarks by the Committee on an Instrument for ringing the _ Bark of Trees, invented by M. Gerdun, Watchmaker of Stolpe.
The instrument is not described; but the Committee state that it will answer the end proposed. ‘They very properly add, that ringing is a practice very liable to be abused, and that it should seldom or never be performed on stems or branches, but only on shoots of one or two years’ growth which are over-luxuriant, adding the usual caution, never to make the ring wider than may be healed over the following season. 45. Abstract of what passed at the Meeting of the Society held
August 10. 1823.
Cactus specidsus has been flowered in the open air, and kept through the winter in a cold-house (im halten gewichs- haus) by M. Fleischinger. The temperature of the cold-house
never exceeded 50°, and the pots were kept perfectly dry. Vor. IIT. — No. 9. F
66 Catalogue of Botanical Works, ‘&c.
The remainder of this paper’ enumerates the titles of ar- ticles approved of for publication, the substance of which we _ shall give in a future Number.
Art.IV. Catalogue of Works on Gardening, Agriculture, Botany, Rural Architecture, &c. published since June last, with some Account of those considered the most interesting.
BritTAin.
Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, or Flower-Garden displayed; New Series. Edited by Dr. Hooker. In 8vo Numbers ;_3s. 6d. coloured ; 3s. plain.
No. VII. for July, contains 2748 to 2754.—Zygopétalon (zygo, to unite ; the five petals are united at the base) Mackizz; 20 and 1, and Orchidee. A plant of great beauty, and amongst the most showy of its family. Caryophyllis aromaticus ( fig. 27.), Clove Spice; 12 and 1, and Myr- taceze. A moderate-sized tree of the Kast India Islands, supposed to have
AN AN SWI FIR 52) &
\\) \Zz Z NZ ih
a ‘
\ \
BUZZ
( Aqua SS BB WN .
ANYON)
jj Zi, ZG ‘ZZ
merce is the unexpanded flower (a), the corolla forming a ball or sphere on the top, between the teeth of the calyx; thus, with the narrow base or germen tapering downwards, giving when dry the appearance of a nail (4): hence the French Clow, from which the English Clove is evidently de- rived. The uses of cloves in domestic economy and medicine are suf- ficiently known. “ The cloves are gathered by the hand, or beaten with reeds so as to fall upon cloths placed under the tree, and dried by the fire, or, what is better, in the sun. The fully formed berries (c) are preserved in sugar, and eaten after dinner to promote digestion.”
Telfairia pedata; 22 and 5, and Cucurbitaceze Nhandirobeee. An extra- ordinary climbing plant, from the eastern coast of Africa. The fruit is three feet long, and eight or ten inches in diameter, full of seeds as large as chestnuts, which are as excellent and agreeable as almonds, and when pressed yield an abundance of oil, equal to that of the finest olives. Per- ennial ; on the margins of forests, enveloping the trees with its branches. Plants have flowered in the stove at Bury Hill. Mr. Telfair has sent seeds from the Mauritius to the Isle of Bourbon, New Holland, Otaheite, and New Zealand, and will thus “have the honour of giving a most useful
Catalogue of Botanical Works. 67
vegetable to mankind at large, as well as a name to a new and very beau- tiful plant.”
Sida pulchélla; 16 and 13, and Malvaceze. New Holland, and nearly hardy.— Acacia penninérvis, Feather-nerved Acacia.
No. VIII. for August, contains
2755 to 2761.—Gungora (A. C. y Gongora, Bishop of Cordova, patron of Mutis) speciosa; 20 and 1, and Orchideze. Oneof the most curious of Bra- zilian epiphytes. From the garden of R. Harrison, Esq., at Aighburgh, near Liverpool. Flowers yellow, large, fragrant, and the cup at the base of the labellum filled with honey, and sometimes emptied and refilled in the course ofthe day. May; easiest culture.—Mpyristica officinalis, Officinal, aromatic, or true Nutmeg Tree ( jig. 28.) ; Dice‘cia Monadélphia and Myristicea. A tree
or Spice Islands, from twenty to twenty-five feet high, with a greyish brown bark, whorls of spreading branches, elliptical smooth leaves six inches long, and flowers not unlike those of the lily of the valley. The fruit is a drupe, of the size and somewhat of the shape of a small pear (a). “ The flesh, which abounds in an astringent juice, is of a yellowish colour (6), almost white within, and four or five lines in thick- ness: this opens into two, nearly equal, longitudinal valves (¢ d), and pre- sents to view the nut (e), surrounded by its arillus or mace (/), which soon drops out, and the husk (4) withers.” The colour of the nut when fresh is a brilliant scarlet; when dry it becomes horny, brittle, and of a yellow brown ; the shell (g) is very hard, and not above half a line thick; it en- velopes the kernel, or nutmeg of the shops (2), which is of an oval or ellip- tical form, pale brown, and afterwards furrowed on its surface. Its outside is very thin, its inner substance or albumen (2) firm, whitish, with red veins, abounding in oil. The tree bears both blossoms and fruit at all seasons of the year, and assists, with other aromatic trees and shrubs, to form that atmosphere of fragrance in the upper regions of the air, in which the na- tives believe the birds of paradise perpetuaily float. “ Long before the East India Islands were discovered by the Portuguese, the nutmeg, as well as the clove, seems to have been known in Europe through the medium of Persia and Arabia, and, since the year 1510, when the first Portuguese navigators visited those islands, they have probably been known as an article of commerce; yet, down to the time of Linnzeus, nothing was known of the plant that produced this precious fruit, nor till M. Céré, director of the royal gardens in the Isle of France, communicated speci- mens and observations to the Chevalier de Lamarck.” The Dutch, having possession of the Spice Islands in 1619, encouraged to the utmost of their power the cultivation of the nutmeg in a few of them, pursuing the same
igh BP
68 Catalogue of Botanical Works.
line of policy as they did with regard to the clove, and long retaining the monopoly of culture : but, in 1772, M. Poivre introduced the nutmeg to the Isles of France and Bourbon, as well as the clove; from thence it was sent to the West India Islands, and afterwards taken by the British to Bencolen, in Sumatra, where it is grown in the greatest luxuriance. The Dutch appear to have been totally ignorant of the dicecious nature of the nutmeg tree, and of the consequent sterility of many of the trees; but the French, in the Isle of France, ascertaining that one male plant is sufficient for a hundred females, graft seedling plants with the two sexes in that pro- portion, and hence, besides having no superfluous trees, the plantation comes much sooner into bearing. The culture of the nutmeg does not succeed so well in the West as in the Hast Indies, as the Rev. L. Guilding (Gard. Mag., vol. i. p. 123.) experienced in the Isle of St. Vincent. In the Moluccas, the fruit is gathered in July, November, and April; the outer pulpy coat is removed, and afterwards the mace, with a knife. “The nuts are placed over a slow fire, when the shell becomes very brittle, and the seeds, or nutmegs, drop out: these are then soaked in sea-water, and im-
regnated with lime, a process which answers the double purpose of secur- ing the seeds from the attack of insects, and of destroying their vegetating property. It further prevents the volatilization of the aroma. The mace is simply dried in the sun, and then sprinkled with salt water, after which it is fit for exportation. The uses, both of the mace and nutmeg, are well known, whether in a medical or ceconomical point of view. The whole fruit, preserved in sugar, is brought to table with the dessert, but not till after the acrid principle has been, in a great measure, removed by re- peated washings. An essential oil is obtained from the nutmeg and the mace by distillation, and a less volatile one by expression.” Plants may be had in the nurseries, and their culture and propagation resembles that of other individuals of the same natural order.
Ceratiola (the dimin. of keras, alittle horn; the flowers) ericoides, Heath- like Ceratiola ; Empetréz. A twiggy shrub from sandy soils in South Caro- lina. Its specific name and the family to which it belongs will, or ought, to convey to the reader every other idea that he could desire asto its appearance and culture.—Sida méllis, Soft-leaved Sida; Malvaceze. A stove mallow-like shrub of ten or twenty feet, with orange-yellow flowers in abundance. Peru. Easiest culture.—Dorsténia ceratosanthes, Horny-flowered Dor- stenia; Urticée. A stove herbaceous plant from South America, with a very curious receptacle.—Gnidia (from Gnidia in Caria, according to Dioscorides and Pliny) tomentosa, Downy Gnidia; Thymelée. A twiggy shrub of three or four feet, with yellow flowers in March and April. Cape of Good Hope ; and the easiest culture.
The cover of this Number contains an address “to those who have in- complete sets of the Botanical Magazine,” in. which Mr. Curtis, the highly respectable proprietor, expresses his hope that the additional sixpence, which he is under the necessity of puttifig on some reprinted numbers of the old series, will not “ disturb the confidence of his numerous friends and subscribers.”’ He also states that the sale of the new series is increasing, and that “ he hopes it will soon reach to that extent which will become profitable ; although, to uphold a work, the parent of all works of a like nature, and originating in his family, he would even conduct it without profit ; yet he cannot but hope, that in the end he shall find verified, that reward sweetens labour.” We confidently hope that this will be the case, and that Mr. Curtis’s recent and continued exertions to improve his work, coupled as they are with so much honourable and liberal feeling, will be duly appreciated by the public. To those who know little of the arcana of authorship and publishing, it may seem, on the part of a tradesman, a mere figurative expression, to say that he will carry on a work without profit ; but
Catalogue of Botanical Works. 69
those who know Mr. Curtis, and have seen his splendid works on camellias and florist’s flowers, which never can have returned him a tithe of their cost, will readily believe his assertion.
Edwards’s Botanical Register. Continued by John Lindley, F.LS, In syo Numbers. 4s. coloured.
No. CXLIX. for July, contains
1074 to 1080.— More‘s catenulata, Chain-dotted Mora. Nearly akin to M. iridioides. Stove; May.—Acacia subcertlea, Blue-barked Acacia. Hand- some, remarkable for the fine copious blue bloom with which it is covered.— Convolvulus scrobiculatus, Pitted Convolyulus. A twining annual from Ame- rica, remarkable for the deep pits of its leaves.— Urvillea ferruginea ; 8 and 1, and Sapindacee. A remarkable stove plant, twining and clinging by means of the lowest pedicels of its racemes, which are sterile and converted into ten- drils, to the length of twenty feet—Caméllia reticulata. A splendid new species brought from China, by Captain Rawes, to T.C. Palmer, Esq., at Bromley. (Gard. Mag., vol-i. p. 341.) It is distinguished by its rigid; flat, strongly reticulated leaves! atttelco by its silky ovartum.—Psidium (a name of Dioscorides for the Pomegranate) pyriferum, Pear-bearing Guava. P. pyriferum, pomiferum, polycarpum, and Cattleianum, are readily fruited in our stoves: the last, or purple Guava, is the most valuable, and has pro- duced abundance of excellent fruit, with no trouble, in the stove of the gen- tleman whose name it bears as a specific distinction.—Stachys (stachys, a spike) grandidentata, Large-toothed Stachys; 14 and 1, and Labiate. A hardy herbaceous plant from Chile, by Mr. M‘Rae to the Horticultural Society in 1825. Mr. Raealso sent S. albicaulis, a remarkable species, and some others in the Horticultural Society’s garden.
No. CL. for August, contains
1081 to 1087.—Anandssa bracteata, Crimson-bracted Pine-apple; 6 and 1, and Bromeliacezee. “ A superb plant, the great merit of which consists in the clear deep crimson bracteze of the flowering spike, which retain their colour, although less brilliant, in the ripe fruit. The fruit is also of very good quality. Introduced from Brazil, by way of Portugal, im 1820, by R. Barclay, Esq. F.L.S.H.S.—Collinsia (a botanist and.mineralogist of Philadel- phia) parviflora, Small-flowered Collinsia. “ A hardy annual from Colombia, more remarkable asabotanical curiosity, than asan ornamental plant.””—Cal- ceolaria integrifolia var. angustifolia; Scrophularinez. (Gard. Mag., vol. ii. p- 187.) “A half-hardy suffruticose plant, well adapted for planting in the open border in masses during the summer, and for ornamenting a conservatory in winter. It is always in flower, and is cultivated and increased with the greatest facility. Ifnailed to an east or west wall, and protected with a mat, it will survive our winters, and flourish exceedingly ; but, on a south wall, it is too much scorched by the sun.”
Tabernzemontana gratissima; Apocyne. A fragrant stove shrub, with white flowers in September, propagated by cuttings, and growing freely in loam, peat, and sand. (See p. 52.) —Muscari (moschos, musk) glaticum, Glaucous-leaved Musk Hyacinth. A bulb from Persia, apparently quite hardy.—Dianthus (dios, divine, anthos, a flower; of divine beauty) suf- fruticdsa. A half-hardy suffrutescent Chinese pink, flowering freely from July to October, and highly deserving of cultivation. It has not been dis- covered in a single state, and is probably only a variety of the common In- dian Pink, Dianthus chinénsis.
O’phrys (ophrys, eyebrow; arched form of the leaves of the calyx) atrata, Dark-dipped Ophrys. From Rome to the Horticultural Society in 1826, by Signor Mauri; the roots dried, and packed in paper like seeds! It is observed by Mr, Lindley, that the roots of several other orchideous plants of the South of Europe were received from Signor Mauri, similarly packed,
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at the same time, and that “ they have all succeeded perfectly, although when the roots arrived in England they were so shrivelled in appearance, that it was not expected that they would have survived.” The experience thus gained, it is hoped, will not be lost on botanical collectors. We wish it had been stated at what period in the growth of the plant the roots were taken up to be dried: the orchidee of this country, it is generally con- sidered, are best removed when coming into flower ; but, we presume, these bulbs must have been taken up by Signor Mauri when the flowers and leaves were beginning to decay.
Botanical Cabinet. By Messrs. Loddiges. In 4to and 8vo Parts. 5s. and 2s. 6d.
Part CXXIIL, for July, contains
1221 to 1230.—A'cer h¥bridum. A fine bold-leaved tree, from the east of Europe ; perfectly hardy, and of the easiest culture.—Hovea linearis. New South Wales. Green-house; seeds; sandy peat.—Styphélia viridiflora. A moderate-sized shrub from Port Jackson in 1791. Green-house ; cuttings ; sandy peat.—Dracee‘na terminalis. A magnificent red-leaved plant, from the Kast India Islands, where it is planted by all the inhabitants for ornament, and to mark the boundaries of their gardens. Cuttings ; loam and peat.— Acacia taxifolia. Handsome.—Epacris paludosa. An elegant white-flowered heath-looking shrub, two feet high, from New South Wales in 1824, Green- house ; cuttings ; sandy peat.—Polygala grandiflora. Elegant ; nearly al- lied, but more beautiful than P. myrtifolia. Cape of Good Hope. Layers ; peat and loam.— rica patens. Bushy. A foot in height, and reddish purple flowers in April.—Grevillea pubéscens. A low bushy shrub from New Hol- land in 1824.—Epidéndrum polybilbon, a curious plant from Jamaica, of easy culture. Part CX XIX. for August, contains
1251 to 1240. — A’Inus cordifolia, Heart-leaved Alder. A beautiful tree from Naples in 1820, perfectly hardy, and deserving a place in every shrub- bery.—Trillium erythrocarpum. A mountain bog plant of Pennsylvania and other parts of North America.—Chorizéma Henchmanni. A weak straggling shrub, with a profusion of highly beautiful pea-flowers in April and May. New Holland. Cuttings; sandy peat.—Daviésia acicularis. A low shrub, with‘prickly leaves, and yellow flowers in May. New South Wales. Seeds; sandy peat.— Acacia brevifolia. “ A most brilliant plant, not many flowers being of a brighter yellow.” New Holland. Cuttings ; loam and peat. Pul- tene‘a candida. A bushy shrub, thickly beset with leaves, which are covered with downy hairs; bright flowers in May. New South Wales, by Mr. Mackay. Cuttings ; sandy peat.—Cameéllia japonica var. coccinea. A scarlet-flow- ered Camellia, raised from seeds by Mr. Alnutt of Clapham. —Bossize‘a len- ticularis. A shrub of little more than a foot in height, with pea-flowers, from New Holland in 1823.— Erica tetragona.—Cypripédium arietinum. (p. 71.)
Flora Australdsica: by Robert Sweet, F.L.S. &c. Monthly. 3s. coloured ; 2s. plain.
No. II. for July, contains
5 to 8. — Oxyldbium (oxys, sharp, and Jobos, a pod) obtusifolium ; Legu- minosz, Papilionaceze Sophoree. “A pretty, dwarf-branching, upright shrub,” with dark orange-coloured flowers. From King George’s Sound, by Mr. William Baxter, C.M.H.S. (the collector of F. Henchman, Esq. F'.L.S. H.S.) to the Clapton Nursery of Mr. J.B. Mackay, F.L.S. H.S. &c. in 1825. — Acacia Oxycédrus. A handsome, bushy, spreading evergreen shrub.—Gre- villea concinna. A handsome, erect, bushy, evergreen shrub, from the green- house of Robert Barclay, Esq. F'.L.S.H.S., of Bury Hill—Pimélea decussata; Thymélez. A handsome, upright-branching, evergreen shrub, from the nursery of Mr. J. B. Mackay, to whom it was presented by W. T. Aiton, Esq. from
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Catalogue of Botanical Works. (ie
the Botanic Garden at Kew,—a circumstance that weare glad to mention, and should be happy to have occasion frequently to repeat, as a symptom of improved feeling towards his brethren, in the Director of the king’s gardens.
No. ITT. for August, contains
9 to 12. — Bossie*a rhombifolia; 17 and 10, and Legumindsz Papilio- nace Lote. A dwarf-branching, evergreen shrub, with brilliant yellow and purplish red pea-flowers. From New South Wales to the Fulham Nursery, by Mr. C. Fraser. — Melaletica scabra; 18 and 12, and Myrtacez Myrtéz. A pretty evergreen shrub, resembling a small cypress or cedar. All the melaleucas are of a singular kind of beauty; elegant, showy, splen- did, and not very common, though of easy culture. — Orthrosanthus (or- thros, morning, anthos, a flower) multiflorus ; 5 and 1, and Jridéz. A close- tufted, perennial, herbaceous plant, of the easiest culture in a cold-pit. From Lucky Bay, by Mr. W. Baxter, to the Clapton Nursery.— Acacia mollis- sima. A stiff, upright, bushy, handsome, sweet-scented shrub: one of the handsomest species of the genus, and a most desirable plant for a large green-house or conservatory; and, for the open air, as hardy as the common myrtle. From the nursery of Mr. Joseph Knight, F'.H.S., where there are some fine specimens of this and other rare and beautiful New Holland plants, in his magnificent curvilinear conservatory.
Geranidcee. By Robert Sweet, F.L.S. &c. In Numbers. 3s. each.
No. XCI. for July, contains 361 to 364. — Pelargonium diversilobum and Spini, Ciconium glabri- folium, and P. lasiocaélon. Handsome hybrids. No. XCII. for August, contains 565 to 368. — Pelargonium imperiale, clarum, obovatum, and régium. Hybrids of unusual splendour, especially the first.
The British Flower-Garden. By Robert Sweet, F.L.S. &c. In syo Numbers, Monthly. 3s. each.
No. LILI. for July, contains
209 to 215.— Streptanthera (strepho, to twist; its anthers twist round the style) élegans ; Iridéze. A beautiful bulb, from the Cape, by Mr. Synnot. Flowered, for the first time, in the nurseries of Mr. Colvill and Mr. Lee.— Muscari macrocarpum; Asphodelée. Larger than M.moschatum, and said to be “one of the principal flowers with which the Turkish ladies contrive to correspond in secret with their lovers.” From Constantinople, in 1812, by Lady Liston, to the Fulham Nursery. — Wistéria chinénsis (Consequana of Gard. Mag., vol. ii. p.422.). One of the most beautiful of hardy climbers, which any one may grow by the side of his house. Layers, or young cuttings in sand, under hand-glasses, in a little bottom heat, will root readily. — Trillium erythrocérpum, Red-fruited Trillium ; Smilacée From sphagnous bogs, on the high mountains of Pennsylvania, Carolina and Canada; but succeeding well, in a bed of peat, in the nurseries of Mr. Colvill and of Mr. Knight.
No. LIV. for August, contains
215 to 216. — Cypripedium arietinum, Ram’s-head Ladies’-slipper. All the cypripediums are rare and beautiful. Among an importation of Ame- rican plants and seeds, made last spring by Mr. George Charlewood, F.L.S., and now growing at the nursery of Mr. Dennis, at Chelsea, are the present species, C. htmile, parviflorum, pubéscens, and spectabile, all flowering freely. — Erythrina Crista galli, Cockscomb Coral tree. A stout-growing spongy-stemmed shrub, generally kept in a stove or conservatory, but sup- posed to flower freely in the open air, if treated like Dahlia. This species is
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often confounded with E. /aurifolia, from which it may be distinguished by ; the smallness of the wings of the flower. — Noécca latifolia. A tall, strong- growing, upright, soft-wooded shrub, with terminal heads of small, white, . sweet-scented flowers. Mexico. Planted by the side of a wall in a southern aspect, in the garden of A.B. Lambert, Hsq.— Claytonia grandiflora. A prety, little, red-flowering plant, with a tuberous root, from the garden of
. Barclay, Esq. F.L.S. &c.
Cistinée. By Robert Sweet, F.L.S. In svo, every alternate Month. 3s. No. XITI. for July, contains
49 to 52.— Helianthemum pilosum. White flowers, and fit for rock-work. H. formdsum. A handsome, upright, bushy shrub, the largest-flowered species of the genus ; petals yellow ; scarcely hardy, but, like all the species ° of the family, may be easily preserved through the winter in a pit. — H. canéscens. Handsome rose-coloured flowers, and narrow canescent leaves ; “ the darkest-coloured flower, if not the handsomest of the genus; requires protection in frosty weather. — Cistus /aurifolius. A hardy, strong, hand- some-growing shrub, with abundance of large white flowers. Common soil, and quite hardy.
The Botanic Garden. By B. Maund. In small 4to. Large, 1s. 6d. ; small, 1s.
Nos. XX XI. and XXXII. for July and August, contain
Crocus susijnus. Some experiments with the gathered flowers of this plant are related, by which it appears that, in a temperature of 70°, and within four inches of two lighted candles, they were, in rather less than an hour, as fully expanded as in the mid-day: sun.— Achillea Clavénne (in memory of N. Clavenna, an Italian botanist), Bignonia radicans, A’ster alpinus, Scilla bifolia, Schizanthus (schizo, to cut, anthos, a flower ; deep-cut segments of corolla) pérrigens (spreading), Saxifraga oppositi- folia, and Siléne (sia/on, saliva; viscid sudation on the stems, which fre- quently entraps flies, &c.) fimbriata, Fringed-flowered Catchfly.
Medical Botany, §c. By John Stevenson, M.D., and James Morss Churchill, Esq., Surgeen. In Monthly Numbers. 3s. 6d.
No. V. jor May, contains
Solanum Dulcamira (dulcis, sweet, amara, bitter; in allusion to the’ flavour of the herb when chewed), Woody Nightshade, or Bitter-sweet Solanum; § and 1, Liride, Z. Solanee,J. On banks of ditches, in hedges, and on old walls, in most parts of Europe, from Norway to Greece. The twigs and berries are narcotic poisons to the human species, though the berries produce little or no effect on brute animals. Sometimes used in medicine as a diuretic. — Digitalis (digitale, a finger-stall, a thimble; in allusion to the form of the corolla) purpurea, Purple Foxglove. The most general colour of the flowers is purple, but it is also found wild with white flowers. One of the most showy indigenous plants of Europe; in scattered woods and coppices. A powerful narcotic poison, and valuable diuretic medicine, much used in the dropsy. — Paris (par equal in num- ber, every stem bears four leaves, and no more) quadrifolia (four-leaved), Herb Paris, One-berry, or True-love. (The four top leaves are set one against another in form of a true-love knot, and the plant in consequence was used in love philters.) Narcotic, but little used in medicine.—Tussilago (tussio, to cough) farfara ( farfarus, a name given by the Romans to the white poplar), White Poplar-leaved Coltsfoot. On marly clay soils in most, parts of Europe; considered pectoral and vulnerary by the ancients, and still a principal ingredient in British herb tobacco. “ A kind of tinder or touchwood is, in some countries, made of the roots, impregnated with . nitre. The nostrum called ‘ essence of coltsfoot ? is composed of bal- sam of Tolu, tincture of benzoin; and rectified spirit of wine; it contains
Caialogue of Botanical Works.» 73
no coltsfoot, and is certainly one of the most baneful medicines that could have been imposed upon the public in pectoral cases.” (No. VI. is analysed in Gard. Mag., vol. ii. p. 455.) No. VII. for July, contains
25 to 28. — Rhéum palmatum, till lately considered as the true rhubarb; but Mr. Don having shown Dr. Wallich’s R. Emodi to be the medicinal lant, the authors of Medical Botany intend figuring that species also in a future Number. We think it very likely that the roots of various species are used, in the same way as the bark of different species of Cinchona is collected as the true bark. Any gardener who has spare plants of any of the sorts grown for the stalks, may slice and dry their roots, and use them medicinally. — Tormentilla erécta. The roots contain more tannin than any other vegetable, excepting galls and catechu. Sometimes used as an astringent. — Iris florentina. ‘The dried roots smell like violets, and form the orris (iris) powder, used as a perfume, and in tooth-powder. — Aconi- tum napéllus. Every part of the plant is poisonous in its green state; but the deleterious and acrimonious qualities are nearly lost by drying. It has lately been used in fever, rheumatism, schirrus, &c. To remove it, as a poison, emetics or the stomach pump are resorted to. A person having eaten some of the leaves of the Aconitum became maniacal ; the surgeon . who was called to his assistance declared that the plant was not the cause of his disorder ; and, to convince the company that it was perfectly innocent, he eat freely of it, and soon after died in great agony.
No. VIII. for August, contains
Viola odorata, Scented Violet. The syrup of the flowers used medicinally ; and an aqueous tincture of them, as a chemical test, to change blue to red, and alkalies to green.— Cassia sénna. A shrub of Arabia and Upper Egypt, two feet high, with pennate leaves, and yellow pea-flowers. The leaves dried form the senna of the shops, a well known and active purgative. — Papaver (from papa, pap, or the soft food given to children, in which the seeds were put by the Greeks to make them sleep) Rhee'as (from rheo, to fall, in allusion to the petals of the flower, which drop soon after their expansion), Dropping-flowered, or Common Corn Poppy. Frequent in corn fields in Europe, but said not to occur in America. The syrup of the leaves has been. prescribed in coughs, and “ opium has been obtained from the capsules, but: in so small a quantity, as to render it an object unworthy of the trouble.” — A’corus (kore, the pupil of the eye; supposed by the ancients to cure maladies in the eye) Calamus (a reed), Reed Acorus, or Sweet Flag. A well known aromatic, indigenous in many parts of Europe, Asia, and America, in open situations, in shallow waters, or on the banks of rivers, but. never producing its spikes unless growing in water. ‘The root is aromatic, and frequently used as a substitute for, or in addition to, the cinchona bark. “ It may be chewed by dyspeptic persons, and the juice swallowed with advantage when tonics are required ; and, as it excites a copious se- cretion of saliva, it sometimes relieves the pain of toothache. .., The whole plant has been used for tanning leather; and it is supposed by some: that the French snuff @ la violette receives its scent from this root. Throughout the United States, it is used by the country people as an ingre- dient in making bitters.” In Poland, the floors of the better sort of people are strewed with it when they are going to receive company ; and the leaves, bruised by the feet of the guests, fill the rooms with a grateful odour,