The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-04-09 00:00:00

COLUMN,

Tt is hoped that gardeners have had their eyes open
during the patt winter, and have made notes upon the
atmospheric changes which have produced so much mis-
chief amongst the evergreens and other plants out of
doors. It must be obvious to all that in this neighbour-
hood at least, the injury has been much more serious than
is usual even during a very severe winter. Evergreens of
all kinds have suffered more or less and some so severely
that it will take years to restore aim to their pristine
vigour. Coniferse have suffered most severely, and many
of doubtlul hardiness will have been quite lost. We have
had winters of almost double the severity of the last ;
but we never recollect a more destructive one, nor is
the cause by any means apparent. We have had intense
frost, but it did no injury; an abundance of snow that
was beneficial; and we have had much wind ; the last has
apparently been the sole cause of the mischief. Still,
however, the injury inflicted has been caused by one or
two gales only, and those from the north and west—by
no means the coldest points of the compass. We are
usually met with the remark, that it is the salt spray car-
ried by the wind from the sea that occasions the scorched
appearance of the evergreens. At first sight this appears
plausible enough, but it is by no means proved, and re-
quires further examination before we fully adopt the sug-
gestion.

The following observed facts militate against the salt
spray hypothesis. In the first place we had two gales ten
days apart, the former one was most violent, and yet no
great injury resulted • the latter, by no means consider-
able, acted almost like the breath of a furnace, and
scorched every leaf it touched : both were from the same
quarter. Secondly, we have seen the same injurious re-
sults at such distances inland as to preclude the possibility
of the injury arising from that cause. One instance we
particularly remember the large Araucaria at Kew Gar
dens, suffered in this way to a very great extent, the
influence of the wind being shown in a most remarkable
manner, only the lower parts of the tree suffering. At
the very same time other specimens of the same species
received similar injury in various parts of the country—
amongst these we may mention the noble specimen in
our own Botanic Gardens.

These facts seem to prove that there is a peculiar in-
fluence in the wind itself, which produces, under some
circumstances, a peculiarly injurious effect on vegetation,
the evergreens especially, for those around Liverpool now
remind us of the burnine, winds of the desert, and look

"Like plants wheie the simoon has passed."
The first gale we had at the commencement of February
carried with it a visible quantity of saline matter, but did
not produce so great an influence upon the plants ; but
the following one, which was much more moderate, and
did not appear to be the bearer of salt particles, had an
immediate and most injurious effect upon every plant in
leaf. Further, it has been observed that the gales which
frequently occur from the end of summer to the middle
of autumn sometimes carry so much salt, as absolutely to
form an appreciable crust on the surface of various fruits ;
but they have not been noticed to injure the leaves of
trees or shrubs, which, from the wood being then not fully
ripened, would seem to be probable.
These points are important, and deserve a much more
searching investigation than they have yet received.

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Horticultural Editor of the Standard.

Sin,—Your remarks last week upon the Liverpool
Botanic Gardens gave much satisfaction to myself and
others of your readers. We feel that we have been too
long kept from the full enjoyment of that establishment,
which, as ratepayers, we contribute to support. I perceive
that Mr. Beckwith has been mainly instrumental in pro.
curing extended admission to the library and gardens, and
the public will have reason to thank him for this service
when it is properly understood. It must, however, be a
matter of regret, that the value of the Liverpool Botanic
Gardens collection is so little appreciated, for as you
observed, it is one of the finest in the kingdom, and per-
haps the most valuable out of the metropolis. This want
of appreciation is natural only to those who seek a plea-
sure-garden, and find one devoted to science. Such
parties expect to see masses of verbenas, pelargoniums,
and similar gay bedding plants, but I have never been
able to discover a single inch of room for such purposes,
or an unoccupied frame in which they could be raised;
so that they could not be had without displacing some
portion of the general collection, which, be it understood,
is public property, and cannot legally be interfered with
or removed. Thirty pounds is as small a sum as could
possibly be granted for the purpose of adding to or re-
pairing the inevitable losses of such a collection. A five-
guinea orchid would make a great hole in such a sum,
and how many orchids might be suspended in the stoves
and are wanted, for in these beautiful plants the collection
is unquestionably very deficient.
Yet notwithstanding the smallness of the sum it would
I imagine do much more if the gardens were better known.
This could only be accomplished by a little liberality on
the part of the Corporation, who should employ a clever
botanist to make a classified catalogue, which could be
printed and distributed through the kingdom, and then
hundreds of collectors would immediatiately offer ex-
changes. This is the cheapest way of enriching a collec-
tion. As a'proof of this, last month the chief gardener
of the Emperor of Austria, who has charge of the gardens
at Schonbrunn, was in Liverpool for the purpose of seeing
the collection. After he had spent a day in examining it
he expressed the greatest pleasure, and declared it was one
of the best he had seen out of London,:having found more
rare specimens in this little-known collection than in the
mach-vaunted ones of Sheffield. Glasgow, Tlublinf Cam-
bridge, or any other place. These, sir, are important
facts, and though the present Council may not appreciate
them, the world is improving, general information is
spreading, and the time is coming when at least a respect
for science will be felt by our municipal dignitaries.
There is another circumstance to which you alluded
slightly, though I think you could well have made it the
subject of more severe remarks. It is the removing of
plants when in flower to the Town Hall, for the purpose of
decorating that building. This is a most unwarrantable
practice; first, because no person or party has any right
so to dispose of the public property. No wonder com-
plaints are made of the want of gaiety in the gardens and
houses, when the flowering plants are removed for the
pleasure of a few, just as their appearance would be
most likely to gratify the many. I conceive that as a
ratepayer I have quite as much right to pluck the flowers
or order home a few plants to decorate my house.
Secondly, the plants cannot be so moved without much
injury, and thirdly, the removal involves a considerable
loss of time, and it always appears to me that the labour
employed at the Gardens is, without such interruptions,
very inefficient. The Corporation would best study the
interests of the township by enlarging the gardens, build-
ing new houses for plants, and establishing a Botanical
Museum, which you some time since so strongly advo-
cated. They would by these means insure themselves the
respect of all intelligent men, and would advance the in-
terests of science. A neglect of these means can only
lead to an opinion not very creditable to their understand-
ings.—I am, sir,

YOUR CONSTANT READER.
I enclose my address, and will gladly furnish you with
further particulars if you require them.

PERIODICALS FOR THE
English Botany (Sotverby's)—Re-issue

MONTH

The thircivolumeTsgotnpietedlWthe present number;
which contains some of our most lovely native plants,
beautifully coloured. The genera illustrated are Chlora,
Acer, Daphne, Polygonum, Paris, Adoxa, Elatine, and
Butomus.

Maund's Botanic Garden and Fruitist

The illustrations of this elegant work are Leschenaultia
formosa, Schizanthus Priestii, Silene pendula, and Laro-
chea falcata; and the excellent new pear, Bergamotte
D'Esperen, one of the longest keeping of the fine-fla-
voured varieties.

Hooker's Journal of Botany, and Kew Garden Mis-

cellany.
This serial will be received with much pleasure. The
plate is the most interesting yet published ; it represents
the flower, leaf, wood, and bark of the Lagetta lintearia,
or the Jamaica lace-bark tree. There is also a speci-
men of the lace, and a negro whip made from a branch of
the tree. The botanical information is both important
and interesting.

Curtis's Botanical Magazine
Contains a most beautiful new Gesneria—G. Seemanni—
from Panama ; Tupa crassicaulis, erroneously called in the
nurseries Syphocampylos canus ; a charming new species
of Fuchsia, called F. bacillaris, which bears an immense
profusion of gay little flowers, not unlike those of F. mi-
crophylla ; Anigozanthos tyrianthina ; Pachira alba—the
Carolinea alba of other writers ; Rhodoleia Championi,
another beautiful introduction, which will probably form
a valuable addition to our conservatories.

The Gardener's Magazine of Botany, Horticulture, and

Floriculture,

In point of illustration, this new publication ranks
next to Curtis's Magazine, whilst its letter-press is more
copious and valuable than we have ever seen in so cheap a
publication. The coloured plates are excellent figures of
Geissomeria longiflora, /Echmea discolor, Echeveria re-
tusa, Pentstemon heterophyllus (a beautiful thing), and
Camellia Japonica var. Drysdalii. The wood-cuts are
numerous, and most beautifully executed.

MISCELLANEA.
On the Culture of Chorozemas.—The Chorozema is
generally considered difficult to cultivate; but it can be
gro sn well by pursuing the following method :—The soil
should be a sandy peat, well broken with the spade, but
not sifted. The best time for potting is March or April :
care must be taken not to overpot the plants, or injure the
roots while potting; the soil must be made very firm and
compact about the roots, and the pots well drained ; then
they must be placed in the greenhouse, in any airy situa-
tion, and not crowded among other plants. It is also
well to keep them in the greenhouse during summer, but
in hot weather they should be shaded for two or three
hours each day during sunshine. They require a reason-
able supply of water—that is, they must not be sodden.
nor left to dry. They may be propagated in the following
manner :—The cuttings should be taken off while the'
wood is young, and carefully prepared ; take the bottom
leaves with aisharp knife, and make a clear cut just through'
the joint ; the cutting pot should be drained, and then
filled to within an inch of the top with the soil before
mentioned ; on the top of this put a layer of white sand,
into which put'the cuttings, making a hole for their re-
ception with a small stick ; when the pot is full, give them
a little water with a fine rose, after which place a clean
glass over them ; in this state they may be removed to the.
propagating house, where the temperature should be 70
deg.: they should be shaded from the sun, which can be
done by placing a sheet of coarse paper over the glasses.
As soon as the cuttings are rooted, which may be known
by the appearance of growth, they must be potted off,
but care must be taken not to injure the roots ; then they