mulberry for instance, are not produced till the trees have acquired a very considerable age; and therefore, though the latter fruit is highly valued, it is at present very little cultivated. But experiments have lately been made, which prove that both walnut and mulberry trees may be readily made to produce fruit at threa ́ years old; and there appears every reason to believe, that the same mode of culture would be equally successful in all similar cases. "In training wall trees there is much in the modern practice which appears defective and irrational: no attention whatever is paid to the form which the species or variety naturally assumes; and be its growth upright or pendent, it is constrained to take precisely the same form on the wall. "The construction of forcing houses appears also to be generally very defective, and two are rarely constructed alike, though intended for the same purposes; probably not a single building of this kind has yet been erected, in which the greatest possible quantity of space has been obtained, and of light and heat admitted, proportionate to the capital expended. It may even be questioned, whether a single hotbed has ever been made in the most advantageous form; and the proper application of glass, where artificial heat is not employed, is certainly very ill understood." "In the execution of their plan, the committee feel that the Society have many difficulties to encounter, and, they fear, some -prejudices to contend with; but they have long been convinced, as individuals, and their aggregate observations have tended only to increase their conviction, that there scarce exists a single species of esculent plant or fruit, which (relative to the use of man) has yet attained its utmost state of perfection; nor any branch of practical horticulture, which is not still susceptible of essential improvement: and, under these impressions, they hope to receive the support and assistance of those who are interested in, and capable of promoting, the success of their endeavours." The part before us contains ten other papers, three of which are by Sir Joseph Banks, and three by T. A. Knight, Esq. F. R. S. The first is "An Attempt to ascertain the Time when the Potatoe (Solanum Tuberosum) was first introduced into the United Kingdom'; with some Account of the Hill Wheat of India," by Sir Joseph Banks. It has always been known that the potatoe was brought to this country by Sir Walter Raleigh when he returned from his voyage "for discovering and planting" colonies, undertaken in 1584 and completed in July 1586. Mr. Thomas Herriot, the mathematician, in describing potatoes, says 66 these roots are round, some as large as a walnut, others much larger; they grow in damp soil, many hanging together, as if fixed on ropes; they are good food, either boiled or -- roasted." (De Bry's Collection of Voyages.)The right honourable president adds a fact worthy of attention. "The manuscript minutes of the Royal Society, December 13, 1693, tell us, that Sir Robert Southwell, then president, informed the fellows, at a meeting, that his grandfather brought [took] potatoes into Ireland, who first had them from Sir Walter Raleigh." Thus, we find that the Irish papists are indebted to England and to a Protestant for the potatoe, and that their tradition of its having been brought to Ireland by an Irish priest from France, when the faculty of Paris had pronounced it poisonous, is without foundation. -This fact may furnish Mr. Plowden, or some other writer of the same school, with a subject for a 4to volume to prove it impossible that Ireland could be indebted to England for her potatoes. This root, however, was first introduced into Europe by the Spaniards, who brought it from the kingdom of Quito, in Peru, to Spain, whence it was transplanted to Austrian Flanders, where it was cultivated and sent as presents to Rome and Vienna before 1598. Peter Cieca in his Chronicle, printed in 1553, says that the inhabitants of Quito had, besides Mays, a tuberous root, which they eat, and call Papas. Clusius, a botanist of Vienna, concludes that this was the same plant, living specimens of which he had received from Flanders. The circumstance of the Italians having an edible root, which they called taratoufli, does not sufficiently prove their early acquaintance with potatoes. The roots introduced by Sir Francis Drake, and Sir John Hawkins, were sweet potatoes from Spain and the Canaries, which were used as a great delicacy long before the common potatoe was known: they were supposed to possess the power of restoring decayed vigour. The kissing comfits of Falstaff*, and other confections of similar imaginary qualities, were principally made of these and of eringo roots. The potatoes themselves were sold by itinerant dealers in the neighbourhood of the Royal Exchange, and purchased at no inconsiderable cost, by those who were silly enough to repose any confidence in their alleged properties. To this paper is, subjoined a curious fact relative to the "Hill Wheat" of India. Mr. Lambert, seven or eight years ago, received a parcel of seeds, among which was a paper marked "Hill Wheat," and containing seed not larger than that of our wild grasses; "Let it rain potatoes, and hail kissing comfits."-Merry Wives of Windsor, ACT V. SCENE 5. but when examined with a lens it appeared of the same figure as wheat. Sir Joseph and Mr. Lambert sowed a little of it in their gardens, and both had a fine crop of spring wheat, the grains of which were equal to the usual size of that kind. This circumstance proves the effect of cultivation on grain. "On the Cultivation of the Crambe, Maritima of Linnè, or Sea Kale. By Mr. John Maher, F. H. S."-The author ac-. knowledges his obligations to the late Mr. Curtis, whose pamphlet on sea kale first taught him to cultivate this early and indigenous esculent. This plant requires three years to bring it to maturity, and should be cultivated in hotbeds. "If the beds are twenty-six feet long and four wide, they will hold twenty-four blanching pots, (made in the shape of hemispheres, and designed to exclude the light and air) with three plants under each, making seventytwo plants in a bed." Sea kale, or sea colewort, has been raised in Mr. Beale's garden measuring twelve inches in circumference. "No vegetable," says, Mr. Maher, "can be so easily forced as this, or with so little expense and trouble: for the dung is in the finest possible order for spring hotbeds, after the sea kale is gathered. The only thing necessary, is to be very particular in guarding against too much heat, keeping the temperature under the blanching pots as near to 55° as possible, but never higher than 60 of Fahrenheit." It will be some time before sea kale, although an indigenous plant, comes into general use. Sir Joseph furnishes the society with "Some Hints respecting the proper Mode of inuring Tender Plants to our Climate," in which he proposes that they should be raised from the seeds, and not propagated by cuttings. He instances the laurel, which although cultivated by cuttings, above two centuries, in our gardens, cannot yet bear our winter frosts; whereas some seeds of zizania aqua tica were brought from Canada, and sown in a pond of his at Spring Grove, near Hounslow, and after fourteen years the seeds of each year producing stronger and stronger plants, which now grow six feet high, and in every respect as vigorous as in their native country. We think the learned president's theory of raising by seeds well founded, as by this method a new generation takes places, and the organs of the infant plant are necessarily assimilated to the soil and climate. Sir Joseph proposes to attempt the cultivation of myrtle and laurel himself in this manner. Mr. J. Dickson describes "a Variety of the Brassica Napus" of Linne, rape, or French turnip, which has been brought to Covent Garden by one person only, for more than twelve years, and sold chiefly to foreigners. It is much more delicate in flavour than our common turnip, and is used in the same way. In Germany it enriches all their soups. It only requires scraping, as the outer skin or rind is thinner than that of the common turnip. Stewed in gravy, it forms a most excellent dish; and being white and of the shape of a carrot, it is very ornamental. This turnip will grow in poor, light, sandy soil, where it seldom exceeds the size of a man's thumb or middle finger: in rich soil it grows much larger, but is not so sweet. If sown in July or August it will be fit for the table in April or May; if in January or February, it will be mature in May and June. The indefatigable Mr. Knight, in a paper of considerable length, informs the Horticultural Society of his experiments and success in "producing new and early fruits," by "introducing the farina of one variety into the blossom of another." He seems to think, however, that this process, although it produces new varieties, does not accelerate the ripening of the fruit. Trees springing from seed require a certain time before they can bear fruit; and this period cannot be shortened by any means: too rich a soil stimulates to preternatural exertion, and destroys the young tree. The pear requires from twelve to eighteen years; the apple from five to twelve or thirteen; the plumb and cherry, four or five; the vine, three or four; the raspberry, two; and the strawberry, if sown early, affords an abundant crop the succeding year. The author doubts the existence of vegetable mules. Mr. Salisbury gives a very laboured description of the polyanthes tuberosa, or tuberose, accompanied with a drawing almost the size of nature. This is a very pleasing flower, rising from three to five feet high, and emitting a fragrant odour in the evening. In the East Indies, says Mr. Salisbury, it is called sandal malam, or intriguer of the night; and in Spain, the vara de San Josef. The latter is a mistake; it is known in Spain by the name of vara de Jesé. The tuberose may be cnltivated in this country; and if exposed to a considerable heat in summer, in light sandy earth, it is as easily preserved from the winter cold as the artichoke. Care must be taken to preserve it from much water or heavy rain. The roots are preserved during winter in very dry sand, and kept in cellars. The eighth paper in this work is by Sir Joseph Banks, on the Revival of an Obsolete Mode of managing Straw berries," by laying straw (whence their name) under the plants when their fruit begins to swell. The straw thus placed shades the roots from the sun, prevents evaporation, and preserves the berries from the mould raised by heavy rains. The advantages of this simple method are self-evident. The ninth and tenth papers are by Mr. Knight "on raising new and early Varieties of the Potatoe," and "on the Advantages of Grafting Walnut, Mulberry, and Chesnut Trees." The mode of raising potatoes is to prevent the growth of tuberous roots, and thus enable the early kind to form seed, which they would not otherwise do. This seed will consequently produce an early potatoe. The author succeeded in grafting walnut, mulberry, and chesnut trees "by approach," so that the grafts bore fruit the third year after. This method is certainly very desirable for propagating mulberry trees, which require so many years before they bear fruit when planted in the usual manner. The last article in this part is an "Account of some New Apples" raised in the garden of Mr. I. Swainson, Twickenham, by Mr. A. Biggs. This author appears to be a very honest and industrious gardener, who has been fortunate enough to raise apple-trees by cuttings. Mr. Biggs has also raised eight new varieties, of peculiar excellence: he enumerates above seventy different kinds, which he has cultivated in Mr. Swainson's garden. The Second Part of the first volume of these transactions has appeared, and shall be noticed in our next. Of the merit of the work our readers can judge from the above abstracts. Its novelty and interest will, we hope, attract the attention of practical as well as amateur gardeners. English Bards and Scotch Reviewers. A Satire. 12mo. pp. 54. Cawthorn, Cockspur-street. 1809. THE writer of this satire laments, in common with every friend to genius and literature, that the esti mable author of the Baviad and Mæviad, a writer exceeded by no poet ancient or modern, in taste, talents, integrity, and every amiable quality of heart and mind, should have devoted his attention to subjects which prevent him from pursuing his satirical career, the beginning of which was productive of so much advantage to the public. |
