94

Coreopsis tinctoria. (Fig. 94.) — " Sir, — I send you an account of the Coreopsis splendens, of gardeners, (the C. tinctoria of Nuttal), which I think every one ought to know, and which cannot be better circulated than by your useful and entertaining Magazine. When first I procured the seed of it, I was told that it was a tender annual; but I find, by experiments made by an amateur, and a gardener of Sussex, that it will stand the winter very well. Each planted some young plants in pots, which they kept out all the winter, as far as January, when the former, during the severe weather at that time, placed his under shelter: afterwards he kept them out, without their receiving any injury; the latter never gave his plants any shelter at all, and still they received no injury. seeds were planted as soon as any ripened, and when they came up, pricked out singly. Perhaps this might have been tried by others, and information given to you, but for fear it should not, I have. "I remain, Sir, yours, &c.

" August 26.

The

"An AMATEUR of Sussex."

This splendid annual is so hardy, that seeds, self-sown last autumn, in several gardens near London, have stood the winter, and have been in flower since May last. It is one of the most valuable additions to our hardy annuals which have been made for some years. A new and equally splendid species is now in bloom in the nursery of Messrs. Allen and Roger, King's Road, which will, very probably, be as hardy as the other. It has the leaves of C. tinctoria, and the flowers of C. lanceolata. (Cond.)

Melianthus Major. W. B. writes, that he flowers this plant freely, by divesting it of suckers, and training it to a single stem; it sends out shoots at the top, which terminate in large, white, honey-smelling flowers. (Stirlingshire, June.)

Sweet-scented Cyclamen. Plants of this variety, of C. Europeum, have been received by Messrs. Rollison, of Tooting, from Mr. Seidel, of the Botanic Garden of Dresden, who procured them from Hungary. They were beautifully in flower during August and part of September. A very fine new heath, something in the way of aristata, has also bloomed, for the first time, in this nursery. Pince's Golden Nectarine. Specimens of this fruit were sent us by Messrs. Lucombe, Pince, and Co., Nurserymen, Exeter, for our opinion as to its merits. It is one of the finest coloured nectarines we ever saw, and well merits the appellation of golden; it is more than usually large, and equal in flavour to any of the old varieties. Were it not that we are inclined to distrust first impressions in tasting new fruits, we should say that it was remarkably high-flavoured. It was gathered on the 2d of September, and received by us on the 5th instant. Messrs. L. P. and Co. say, "to possess their full flavour, the fruit should remain on the tree until shriveled; consequently, the specimens now sent, are, for the sake of carriage, rather prematurely gathered. The tree which produced the fruit now sent has never been budded upon any stock, but is merely the original seedling plant; and has produced this season about ten dozen of fine nectarines. It was raised by our partner, Mr. Pince, and we have called it Pince's Golden Nectarine." (Exeter, September 2.)

A Cucumber is now growing in the garden of the Rev. B. Bluctt, of Hay-grass, near Taunton, which measures three feet six inches long! (Taunt. Cour., July.) While Providence Pines cut in the pinery of John Edwards, Esq., at Rheola, Vale of Neath, Glamorganshire. Sept. 7th, one 11 lbs. 15 oz.; circumference 21 inches, height 10 inches, 4 gill suckers. Sept. 10th, one 14 lbs. 12 oz. ; circumference 26 inches, height 12 inches, 4 gill suckers. The gardener at Rheola is Mr. Robert Dixon. (Com. by J. H. L. Esq.)

Hamburgh Vine. There is now growing in the peach-house of S. T. Southwell, Esq., Wroxham Hall, Norfolk, a young vine, of the black Hamburgh, of

two years' training. It occupies seven rafters in the house, and has produced the extraordinary weight of eighty pounds of grapes. This is the first season of its producing fruit. It was reared and trained by J. Bridges, the gardener there. (County Chronicle.)

Fruits infested with Worms, &c. In consequence of the extreme drought of the summer, the autumnal fruits are found this season to be much infested with worms and maggots. This is peculiarly observable in pears. Under these circumstances, we conceive it our duty to warn our readers, and particularly such as have young families, against the injurious effects likely to result from eating fruit in the state alluded to. It is necessary that every discoloration produced by the maggot be cut clean away, before the fruit is eaten; as, unless this precaution be taken, the effects upon the intestines, particularly of children, are frequently most serious, and often fatal in their results. An eminent physician of this neighbourhood has stated his conviction, that a very few grains of the discoloured substance to be seen in a pear when worm-eaten, are sufficient to cause a disorder in the intestines of a most dangerous character. (Nottingham Herald.)

Currants, raspberries, and gooseberries are this season found to be particularly injurious to those who indulge in them, whether eaten as a dessert, or used in pastry. The dry weather occasioned them to ferment on the bushes, instead of attaining a proper degree of ripeness, and many of the prevalent maladies, cholera morbus, diarrhoea, and other stomach complaints, are attributed to this cause. (Taunton Courier.)

Mangold Wurzel. At the Doncaster Agricultural meeting, Lord Althorpe described an interesting experiment which he had made to ascertain the comparative merits of Swedish turnips and mangold wurzel, in the fattening of cattle; the result of which went to prove the superiority of the latter. His lordship further observed, that during the present droughty season, when the turnips had been nearly burnt up or destroyed by the fly, mangold wurzel had flourished, and was an abundant crop. (Farmer's Journal.) A correspondent (D. B.) informs us, that mangold wurzel may be used for feeding dogs, and that they are very fond of this root, while they will not eat the turnip.

Moveable Trellis. We have seen a very handsome model of a hot-house, containing a trellis of this description in the manufactory of Mr. Long, of Chelsea. The trellis may be raised or lowered at pleasure with the greatest ease by one person; it may be constructed either of wood, or of wood and wire combined. Mr. Long has had great experience in hot-house building, and showed us a variety of plans and elevations of structures of this kind, some of them on a large scale and very ornamental, which he has erected in different parts of the kingdom. He is a remarkably correct and neat draughtsman, and being also a practical man, we think we are doing our readers a service by pointing him out to them. (See his advertisement in page 473.)

To scare Birds from Cherries. Fasten the ends of long shreds of linen to the branches, and let them blow about. (Irish Farm. Journal, June 3.)

New Trap for Sparrows. Few birds are more difficult to scare or destroy than the common sparrow. D. B., a correspondent, once saw a flight of these birds fluttering over a toad, and so completely absorbed were they by something about the animal, that they permitted his approach within three or four feet before they flew away. He conjectures that they may have been attracted by the eyes of the toad, which, it is well known, are remarkable for their brilliancy; and he suggests the idea of employing toads as traps, which may attract birds, and allow them to be conveniently shot at; but before he indulges any farther in speculations of this sort, he wishes to know if any reader of the Gardener's Magazine has observed any similar phenomenon.

Horticultural Impostor. A man has gone about London, the two last autumns selling the roots of cenanthe crocata, for those of a newly imported species of dahlia. He found a number of purchasers. As the oenanthe is one of the most powerful of vegetable poisons, the substitution of its roots for those of the dahlia, which are edible, may possibly be attended with dangerous consequences. The following description of this plant is from Gray's "British Plants."

Enanthe crocata, yellow-water drop-wort, Hemlock drop-wort, dead tongue, &c. Pentan. dig. Lin. Umbelliferæ, Juss. (Fig. 95.)

Leaves bipinnate, (a); leaflets all wedge-shaped, many cut, nearly equal; involucrum many leaved. Root tuberous, (b) tubers blunt, sessile, crowded; stem upright, four feet high; leaves dark green, bald; umbels terminal, many rayed, hemispherical; grows by water-sides; perennial, flowering in July.

A Gardener near Northampton, was lately convicted in 157. penalty, and treble the value of the fruit, for stealing 23 bunches of grapes, the property of his master. It was not his first offence, as it appeared he had sent at different times packages by coach to a fruiterer in London. (Gloucester Journal, July 29.)

We forbear giving the name of this unfortunate gardener, sincerely hoping that he will repent and ameud. No man ever departs from the direct line of probity, who does not experience, sooner or later, the truth of the old maxim, "honesty, &c."

SCOTLAND.

Caledonian Horticultural Society. The Second Report of the Garden Committee of this Society has been printed. The following is an abstract :

A period of more than a year has elapsed since the Garden Committee, acting under the direction of the Council, made their first report. It was then stated, that the operations of levelling, forming, and inclosing the ground were in active progress; and the Committee have now the satisfaction of reporting that they have been nearly completed. The several portions of land allotted for the arboretum, the orchards, the culinarium or kitchen-garden, the flower-garden, the melon-ground, and other smaller compartments, have, in different instances, been inclosed by raised belts of trees and shrubs, or by fences of holly or hornbeam, which, in a short time, will contribute greatly to the purposes both of shelter and beauty. On every side the ground is now shut in either by walls or paling: and, keeping in mind the experimental purposes of the institution, the chief wall on the north side has been built of different materials, and with different forms of coping, with the view of ascertaining which mode of construction may prove most advantageous for fruit-trees of various descriptions. Water of good quality has been obtained in great abundance from the Botanic Garden, and it is in contemplation to form the pond for aquatics, with its appropriate rock-work for alpine plants, as soon as the more urgent operations of planting are completed. Since the former report, an excellent dwelling-house, in the cottage style, from designs furnished by Mr. Playfair, architect, has been built for the superintendant or head gardener; and estimates have been required for erecting a small green-house and hot-house, for the reception of such exotic fruits and flowers as may be presented to the society. These glazed houses will be con

structed with the view of forming hereafter a suitable portion of the more extended range described in the original plan.

The Committee beg leave shortly to repeat, that the objects which will chiefly claim attention in the experimental garden, are the cultivation of the different varieties of fruits and esculent vegetables, paying strict attention to the qualities and habits of each, and instituting comparative experiments on the modes of culture to which they are usually subjected, so as to obtain a knowledge of the best varieties, and the most successful methods of culture. Specimens of the finer varieties of plants which adorn the shrubbery and flower-garden, will also be selected; and, in every department of horticulture, new plants, and new or improved varieties of those already known, will be sought for. By means of an extensive correspondence with eminent horticulturists, both at home and abroad, it is hoped the Society will be able to collect, from different countries, many of their various products of vegetables, fruit-trees, shrubs, and ornamental plants. Of these they will endeavour to naturalize the finer and more useful kinds to our soil and climate; and they will communicate to the public, from time to time, the results of their experiments, so as to render their labours generally useful.

Cuttings, and, as often as possible, rooted plants of the various fruit-trees cultivated in the garden, will be freely distributed to shareholders and members, according to regulations hereafter to be made. Strawberry plants, and new or rare varieties of culinary vegetables, will in like manner be distributed. With the exception of two small portions, set apart for curious and select experiments, the whole garden will be open to the different classes of members and their friends, under regulations to be made by the council and garden committee.

It will gratify the Society to learn, that not only have assistance and promise of support been received from kindred establishments, and lovers of horticulture in these kingdoms, but that a correspendence has been opened, and assistance zealously proffered, by similar establishments in various quarters of the globe. With the national establishment, called the "Jardin des Plantes," at Paris, now under the direction of the celebrated Mr. Bosc, — with an horticultural society at New York, and with another similar establishment in New Holland, a correspondence has been already commenced; while many individuals, distinguished for their love of natural science in general, and of horticulture in particular, and who reside permanently in North and South America, and in our various colonies in the East and West Indies, have liberally offered to aid our enquiries, and assist our endeavours to procure such valuable and rare fruits and plants as their respective countries may produce; so that there is reason to hope the Society will obtain early intelligence of whatever discoveries, in relation to horticulture, are made in almost every part of the world.

The Glasgow Horticultural Society held their first competition for the season in June, when prizes for the fruit and vegetables presented were awarded. But few flowers were presented, having been too early in blow, owing to the uncommon warmth of the season. The show of cauliflowers greatly exceeded expectation; some heads measuring thirty-two inches in circumference. Two very fine specimens of seedling geraniums were brought from Woodland's garden, also a very large flower of the tulip-tree, (which seldom blossoms in this country,) brought from Scotston. (Glasgow Herald.)

Dumfries and Galloway Horticultural Society. At the meeting, on the 18th of March, a variety of prizes were awarded for forced sea-kail. On the 16th of May thirteen prizes were awarded for flowers and culinary vegetables. On the 27th of May several prizes were awarded for tulips, anemonies, and potatoes. On the 27th of June, among the prizes were one for cauliflower, to Mr. William Chalmers, gardener at Castledykes; the largest weighed three pounds and a half without the leaves, and measured twenty-four inches in circumference. A fine show of irises was presented on this occasion, and what deserves particular notice, an assortment of last year's apples in excellent preservation. They had been kept in a cool room, rather damp, but to which air was admitted in moist weather. They were laid on wooden shelves, and frequently wiped with a cloth. The kinds were, the Ribstone and Fearn's pippin, stoup leadington, fullwood

rennet, strawberry, and Tom apple. There were also some specimens of the Tom apple (we hope we have not mistaken the name) which had been kept two years. On the 1st of July a number of prizes were given for pinks, strawberries, and melons; and on the 5th of August for carnations, gooseberries, and cherries. (Com. by Mr. Grierson.) On this day was shown a beautiful specimen of the Magnolia fuscata, a shrub indigenous in China, produced in the garden of Mr. Johnston of Carnsalloch. The leaves are similar to those of the bay tree, but the flower is rich beyond description. It is of light cream colour, with the soft appearance of velvet, and has a pleasant fragrance of lemon. This, perhaps, is a solitary instance of this shrub flowering in Scotland, and may be attributed to the extraordinary heat of the summer, aided by the attention of Mr. Porter, the gardener at Carnsalloch, who is, with great reason, proud of having been able to bring his foreign nursling to such perfection. (Dumfries Journ.)

The Fourteenth Anniversary Meeting of the Dumfries and Galloway Horticultural Society was held in the Assembly Rooms in Dumfries, on the 31st of August. The Rev. J. Wightman, chaplain, presided. The office-bearers for the ensuing year were chosen, and the Treasurer, Mr. Primrose, produced a statement of his accounts, with a report, which proved highly satisfactory to the meeting.

It was proposed to publish the new Prize List about Christmas, and the members were requested to send in a list to the secretary of such articles as they would recommend for competition, between this and that time.

The meeting recommended to the attention of the members, the Gardener's Magazine, (conducted by Mr. Loudon, and published quarterly in London) as a work likely to be eminently useful both to the amateur and the practical gardener. The meeting regretted that the important object of the formation of an experimental garden has not been attended to, notwithstanding the recommendation of the general meetings for some years past, and several noblemen and gentlemen having already subscribed towards the expense of it, and others having signified their readiness to contribute to the undertaking, by subscribing for shares at the rate of 51. each, as formerly proposed, on the principle of the Caledonian Garden, which is now in a very forward state. In order, therefore, to give full effect to this important object, the meeting appointed a special committee to make such arrangements, and adopt such measures, as to them may seem best calculated to promote the formation of the experimental garden.

Thirty-three prizes were awarded for apples, pears, plums, peaches, nectarines, black grapes, green grapes, pine apples, melons, figs, salad, (?) cauliflower, green peas, carrots, Malta turnips, retarded gooseberries, dahlias, New Zealand spinage, and home-made wine.

Two fine rose plants were produced by R. Ross, from seed which he had received from Teneriffe and the Cape.

After the meeting, the members and friends of the Society sat down to dinner in the Dumfries and Galloway Hotel.

The dessert was most sumptuous; perhaps a finer variety of excellent fruit never graced a table in Scotland. The company enjoyed the pleasures of the evening to a late hour, and parted much delighted with the important object of the meeting. (Dumfries Jour. Sept. 5.)

IRELAND.

Horticultural Society of Ireland. On July, 31st, this Society held its show of fruit and flowers, at the Rotunda. The stages erected in the centre of the great room were, we think, rather larger than usual; but they were amply furnished, and in their appearance combined richness of effect with neatness of arrangement. Although the show took place fourteen days earlier than the corresponding one of last year, yet, owing to the continued heat and drought of the season, the flowers exhibited for prizes were not as fresh-looking as on former occasions, and the small fruits were over ripe. The only fruits which had not attained their full ripeness were the green gage plums, from which, in consequence of that circumstance, the premium was withheld. The grapes were extremely fine- both those exhibited for weight and